[GrayGriffin]

"Okay!" said Shawn, heading down the stairs. "It's out back!"

"You know, it's getting late," noted Garrith. "Maybe the two of you should go soon, after we see the garden? Your companion might be worried."

"Perhaps that would be good," agreed Nosod.

"Yes," said Akse. "After all, I don't want to have to clean up so much, and your feet will be filthy after you look at the garden!" Here, she paused to grab several shoe-shaped pieces of rubber and pull them over her claws. Ajor imitated her, as did Huul. The others went by, leaving her sighing.

"O-thers do not do right," noted Ajor.

"It's okay," said Huul, shaking his head. "They have their own ways."

"Humph," said Sasuke, sliding past them.

"Do not be disrespectful," growled Toxshae, following. The two cleaners and the Wombear brought up the rear.

[100, 73, 31, 30, 29, 28, 28, 23]

[Neddy, Rateg, and Molly pull out.]

[Freezair]

"Alright," Rupert said. "Heading home sounds good. You're right. But we had fun today! ...I think."

"Do not worry about the mud," Kaimana said pompously. "Both of us are quite possessed of working wings. We shall leave without ever setting a muddy foot on the ground."

Rupert watched them pull on their shoes. He looked down at his own, slightly grimy sneakers. "...Huh. Well, he is right, after all. I will fly out. And Jimmy never minds dirt."

[86]

[GrayGriffin]

Shawn pointed. "See? There's our garden!" It was very orderly-no weeds at all. The flowers themselves were arranged in perfect rectangles.

Akse nodded proudly. "I make sure everything is neat and straight!"

"I help," added Ajor. "And so does Huul."

"Yeah..."

"Obesessive..." muttered Sasuke, looking at the neat, orderly rows, with each type of flower arranged in exact rectangles and properly labeled. Even the labels were prefectly square, the writing neat, the sticks they were stuck on prefectly perpendicular...

"Unfortunately, we do not grow vegetables," added Toxshae.

"It's too hard to have them be orderly," muttered Akse.

Garrith sighed, staring at the tender shoots. He and Nosod had learned the hard way that Akse was not generous with her plants.

[101, 74, 32, 31, 30, 29, 29, 24]

[Freezair]

"Wow. So... tidy." Rupert squinted. "How'd you get it to be so perfectly square?"

"Yes. And what problems prevent vegetables from growing in that fashion? It seems to me... If you could wrangle flowers like this, you could fix up anything."

[GrayGriffin]

"They're...so many sizes!" muttered Akse. "Big and little and all sorts!"

"Sorry..." muttered Toxshae. "We don't really talk about vegetables after the watermelon incident..."

"Can we not even mention it?" suggested Garrith.

"Coward!" hissed Nosod.

"No vegetables...we'll take them from our neighbors...pile them up nice and neat..." muttered Akse.

"Akse? Wake up!" called Shawn.

"What is wrong with El-der Ser-vant?" asked Ajor.

"She...remembered about the watermelons," said Huul, with a small sigh.

"Oh."

Sasuke stared, seeming to wonder whether or not to speak.

[102, 75, 33, 32, 31, 30, 30, 25]

[Freezair]

"Watermelon incident...?" Rupert looked wonderingly up at Shawn. "But what about a watermel...?"

"Err... I don't think we should pry." You wouldn't believe it coming out of Kaimana's mouth, but it was. The statement seemed to have hit something in the core of the "real" Kaimana. "I think it's somewhat like... the one we had. Do you remember?" He wouldn't, he suddenly realized. It had happened while he was Lohe.

"Nnnno..."

"Ah. Well, don't worry too much about it. ...Noodles were involved. That's all I'll say."

[88]

[GrayGriffin]

"El-der Ser-vant need not be re-min-ded," added Ajor. Huul nodded, silently. Sasuke sidled up to the visitors and whispered to them.

"I could tell you later, if you'd like."

"These flowers are my pride and joy," added Akse. "Step careful."

"We'd better not actually walk in..." added Shawn. "We can fly over, though, and land there to get a better look." Now that they looked, there was a circular patch in the center, free of flowers.

"Yeah...that's the best idea," agreed Garrith, Nosod nodding as well.

Toxshae, on the other hand, was already setting out along the path. He fitted it quite well.

[103, 76, 34, 33, 32, 31, 31, 26]

[Freezair]

Rupert was tiny enough, so he followed in behind Toxshae. But he looked back at his larger companions. "But... what about the gusts from your wings? Mightn't that hurt the flowers? Be really careful..."

"Careful? Why, of course! I'm the epitome of care and--and grace," Kaimana stammered. His tail twitched low enough that it was close enough to nearly knock someone over.

Rupert sighed. "You'd think with more 'big' residents, the paths would be wider..."

[GrayGriffin]

"But if I made them wider...there would be no room for the flowers!" exclaimed Akse, turning around in shock. Huul and Ajor, both picking their way through the path, paused to listen. Ajor seemed fascinated, while Huul just shook his head.

"Really?" asked Shawn, slowly taking to the air. "It seems there'd still be room..."

"No! There wouldn't be enough!" she replied.

"Huh..." said Sasuke softly. He'd decided it'd be wise not to draw attention to himself. Toxshae turned to the Tricky, and nodded slightly. Nosod snickered, while Garrith just looked nervous.

[104, 77, 35, 34, 33, 32, 32, 27]

[Freezair]

"Eaugh!" Rupert jumped back. "I'm sorry I asked..."

Kaimana bent down to smell some of the flowers, then raised his long, narrow neck to the sky. The underbellies of the clouds were rosy. "Hmm. Perhaps it is about time for us to be heading off. We could take off from here, I expect."

"I guess it is kind of late," Rupert sighed. "Oh well. 'Bye, Shawn! Bye, everyone! I had fun today! ...I think," he privately added. He tensed his legs, and shot for the sky, hovering in a circle.

"I mean, you don't mind if we leave now, do you? ...Everyone?"

"He's right," Kaimana said. "It's unfortunate, but I, too, must take my leave." He joined the winged boy in the air, whispering to him, "It's dreadful. I didn't find a single interesting piece of intelligence..."

"Can it, you," Rupert groaned. He turned away, and flew into the sky.

[90]

[GrayGriffin]

"Oh? Alright..." said Shawn, looking a little sad. "Maybe we can come see you sometime, though!" he added, waving and looking a little more happy.

"If you do? Count me in!" warned Nosod. She poked Garrith a few times.

"And me too, I guess..."

"Huul, can we go too?" asked Ajor.

"Probably not...Isn't their companion afraid of canines?" asked Huul.

"Oh..." muttered Shawn. "That means I can't go. And neither can Papa..."

"I will not insist on going, if such an action would inspire fear," added Toxshae.

"Thank the gods for that..." muttered Sasuke.

"I'd like to go as well," said Akse. "I could give...cleaning tips."

[105, 78, 36, 35, 34, 33, 33, 28]