Chapter twenty-five: Stats's story

"Hmm?" Keith hummed as he suddenly awoke from his slumber, looking out toward the mouth of the cave where the rain continued to pour. Lance was sitting up against one side of the cave wall while Shiro lied in his sleeping bag with Stats in his spot. Hunk and Pidge was lying on the transformed Kiaion, who had his tails curled around them in order to keep them warm. The small bonfire crackled as it continued to burn away, being the only source of light in the dark cave.

"Keith?" Shiro asked as he sat up. "What's going on? Is everything okay?"

"Uh...it's nothing," Keith replied. "Go back to sleep, okay?"

"You sure?" Shiro asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Keith reassured.

"Well...okay," Shiro answered. "But remember-"

"I know," Keith smiled. "You're here if I need you."

Shiro smiled back at him before he soon lied back down in his sleeping bag while Keith stared outside...but then, he shrugged before he soon closed his eyes as he nodded off.

All the while, Stats was fast asleep on his little spot over Shiro's sleeping bag in the forest, usually his dreams were happy about whatever he and the others had done together that Things like traveling to location to location.

But tonight his dreams took him back in time, to long before he lived with the group, before he even knew Shiro...

Stats clung to his mother's back as she raced through a field. There was a rustle in the grass behind them. Stats glanced back and saw flashes of red and black stripes moving along the ground.

A head rose from the grass-it was a snake! It flicked its tongue at Stats as it slithered closer. Stats's mother hurried on, until she reached a riverbank. She gently placed Stats on a large leaf, kissed his tiny head, and pushed the leaf out onto the river.

Stats floated away from shore. His mother turned back to fight the snake, but he lost sight of her as the river carried the leaf forward, a few moments later, the leaf tumbled over waterfall and splashed into a pond.

The leaf drifted to shore and Stats hopped off. He floated up the grassy field to a swamp and wandered among the field until he came across shadows. He ducked inside the field--and discovered they was actually people.

As he emerged into a clearing, he heard talking. It was the voices of a boy and a girl. The sound was coming from the clearing of the swamp, They were pretty argument against something.

But there was someone else with them, a young man who was staring at the stars and Surprisingly discovered him, Stats was sure he would help him. He hurried to the rock to meet him.

But Stats had been followed! Just as Stats floated through the grass, the snake rose behind him and try to clamped its fangs into Stats till he was stopped by a monster.

"Come out, I won't hurt you". he said, and as Stats come closer, his body started to glowing and he said, whimpered in fear. "Stats!"

As he climbed onto his lap, he suddenly glow bright, "Oh," the young man yelled in surprise, "Wow, that's bright". Stats nodded as he felt safe and comfortable and soon the man gave him a snack to eat.

Stats ate the snack. "Whoa! You were hungry, weren't you?" He said, looking at the creature's appetite, "I wonder where you came from".

Stats snuggled in the crevices of the young man's lap, The creature's happy dream continued. He remembered how he and his new friends, Shiro and the others went on many, many, adventurers across the planet.

But even after that happened, Stats was happy because he had Shiro and Keith. Every night before they went to sleep, Shiro would tell Stats, "You'll always be my friend".

Back in the forest, Stats woke up with a smile on his face. He glanced down from his spot, hoping to share his dream with Shiro-but his sleeping bag was empty.

Stats's smile faded, since joining Shiro's group, Shiro still told Stats every night that he was his friend. But he was his only friend.

In the following morning, as everyone awoke to get started for the day, they saw just how much damage the storm had really done: there were fallen trees that had been knocked over from the wind, not to mention the wet and slippery mud puddles that formed as a result of the drenching rain.

"Sheesh," Keith muttered as he looked around. "Some storm that was, last night."

"I'll say," Pidge agreed as she also surveyed the area. "Look at all this damage."

"Good thing we weren't caught in the middle of it," Lance added.

Stats found Hunk next to the fire, making soup. He likes to make soup early in the day so the flavors had time to blend by dinner, He'd learned this in the village, where he'd gotten very good at making delicious soups with whatever ingredients that his mother and sister taught him.

Stats was Hunk's official taste-tester. He counted on him to tell him when a soup needed more of something or was perfect as it was.

"Stats!" Hunk said when he saw him. "Thank goodness you're awake!" He lifted him onto his shoulder and offered him a spoonful of soup. Stats slurped it--delicious! He gave him a thumbs-up.

Lance appeared over Hunk's other shoulder and grabbed the spoon, taking a taste. "Could use a touch more balsamic vinegar". he said as he added a couple of drops to the pot, stirred the soup, and tasted it again. "Mmm! Now, that's perfect!"

Lance forced Stats to take a sip, Stats spit it out and scowled. Maybe it did taste a little better---but Stats was Hunk's official taste-tester! Not Lance.

"Maybe we should go look for a place to camp with much drier conditions," suggested Shiro.

"I'll go on ahead and see if maybe there's a village nearby," said Keith as he walked onward into the forest. As the half-daemon left, Stats spotted something out of the corner of her eye, causing her to gasp quietly as he approached a fallen tree...a bite mark and it scraped into the bark.

"Stats...?" Stats whispered as Shiro walked up to him.

"Is everything okay, Stats?" asked Shiro.

"Stats!" Stats said.

"You not sure," Shiro said as he looked up...and that's when he saw several more trees that were marred with the same marks.

Shiro's face paled and he swallowed the lump in her throat, then he grabbed his sword before he ran off in the direction Keith left in.

"Where are you going, Shiro?" asked Lance.

"I'm going with Keith for a bit!" Shiro answered. "Just to back him in case he needs me!"

"Stats!" Stats answered.

The others blinked before they all glanced at each other...then smiled as if knowingly.

Keith walked through the forest, the mud under his feet giving soft squelching sounds as he stepped.

"Uh...let's see," he muttered. "There's gotta be a road somewhere...man, it's hard to see everything after a storm. You can hardly tell what's what."

"Keith!" Shiro said.

Keith turned to see Shiro run up to him.

"There you are!" Shiro said. "Listen, Stats saw something that made me a little worried and I know you're capable of looking after yourself, but I-"

"Hey, don't worry about me!" Keith said.

"Stats"

Keith and Shiro turned to see Stats pointing to something "Stats!"

It wasn't long before they saw a small village. The small, quaint houses were covered in wet wood from the rains, and smoke rose from the chimneys. A forest surrounded by the houses created a backdrop for the town.

"Oh, There's a town!" Shiro said. "Maybe, we'll find a place to say!"

"Okay, sure. We might find a good place, one that we can not let Lance swindle of!" Keith said.

"Great work, Stats!" Shiro told Stats

Stats felt proud of his efforts and finally found one that he's good at, after all he, Shiro, and Keith are friends.

The group headed toward the center of town despite Lance's 'swindled' about attracting too much attention. Luckily, they found a place to stay for the night, without Lance's help. So, later was just Stats and Shiro in the courtyard where Shiro had set up a game of chess.

Shiro moved one of his pawns, studied the board a moment, then pushed his castle-shaped rook forward two spaces.

"Nice move, Stats!" Shiro said.

"What?! Congratulating your opponent?!" cried Pidge as she marched into the courtyard. "Chess is war, Shiro, and your opponent is the enemy."

Pidge was trained by the explorers to how to fight and defend herself and she was determined to teach these skills to Shiro and her friends.

"I want you to look at this board with only one thought", Pidge told him. " No mercy, now show me that game face!"

Shiro glared across the board at his imaginary opponent. He seemed to have forgotten Stats was there. He waved, trying to get his attention.

Shiro shooed him away. "Not now, Stats" he said. "I'm no-mercying my enemy".

Since Shiro is the samurai, he needed to know how to be fierce on the battlefield-even if the battlefield was only a chessboard.

Stats frowned. Apparently, it took only one person to play chess.

Shiro couldn't swordfight alone, of course. Stats joined him that afternoon near the stables to practice.

"I know we're better with real swords!" Stats told him as they each up their sword. "But wood swords seem to be the weapon of choice outside the minority!"

Shiro swung his sword and smacked Stats's out of his head. It landed point-down in the dirt. A second later, Keith raced over and snatched it with his teeth.

"Aha!" said Shiro, delighted. "A new and worthy opponent!" He raised his sword. "En garde!" He lunged toward Keith and the two clashed sword with glee.

Stats sighed, once again forgotten. It seemed there was nothing Shiro and the others needed him for anymore.

Stats trudged down the village. Became he was a Larval, he could change the glow of the color of his skin to match his surroundings. However, although there was nothing blue nearby, his skin turned blue, matching his mood. He was sad.

"Mew!" Stats glanced up to see Kiaion leaning against the wall. "I know how that goes, believe me", Kiaion meow him.

Kiaion was Hunk's family's companion passed on, father and son or daughter, Hunk is his current owner, making him the older member of the team. He could be a small lion, but he seemed to understand what Stats was grateful.

"New" Kiaion said as he saying that sometimes friends can let you down. Stats nodded as he realize to that door is to not let it keep you down.

Kiaion may be a deamon lion but he was wise. He was telling Stats to not let anything get in the way of his friendships with Shiro and the others.

Stats's skin returned to its natural glowing. He threw back his tiny shoulders.

"New!" Kiaion said as he was saying, now go out there and do that thing! Stats saluted Kiaion and marched determined to find something he and Shiro and the others could do together, just the two of them.

Stats got up early the next morning and went to work. By the time Shiro and the others woke up, The room was filled with suppliers for different activities. There were jigsaw puzzle, sword materials, a guitar, and all kinds of cooking supplies for baking.

Shiro gazed around in amazement. "Look at all this!" he exclaimed. "You planned the whole day for us? How fun!"

Stats beamed. Kiaion had been right, Stats just had to take charge.

A moment later, Hunk burst into the room and grabbed the cooking supplies. "I got hurry up, the owner of this place wants me to make breakfast in five minutes!"

Shiro saw Stats's face fall. "It's just breakfast!" he told him. "But after that--"

"After that, you teach me about Sokka was teach you!" Keith said.

"And I go to the music mix and mingle with the ladies" Lance added as he grab the guitar. "With Pidge!"

Stats slumped, defeated. He felt skin growing blue again.

"I'm so sorry, Stats", Shiro told him. "But let's have dinner tonight!"

Stats thought it over. He was still upset he wouldn't see Shiro and the others all day, but he nodded.

"Six o'clock," Shiro told him. "Promise!"

Stats spent the whole afternoon cooking a very special meal for Shiro and the others. There were six courses, with all their favorite foods from traveling, from dandelion salad to zebra cake. Stats had the kitchen staff carry the feast to the dining table. The clock struck six, Stats gazed at the door, excited.

The door did not open.

Outside, Shiro and Keith heard the first dong marking the time. It was six o'clock and they hadn't finished training, it wasn't a easy task, Especially if you're pretending to be on a death-define tree. but luckily, Shiro taught him the basics of the tree and told him about the traps.

Luckily, they was on their last leg on the mountain, gasping in the thinning air, the two collapsed at the base of a tree.

"I think we're done!" Shiro said.

The village stretched around them in the all directions, and the path was getting darker and the lights were starting to bright up the village.

"Yeah, I agree!" Keith said as he hopped off his spot, If he rushed, he could get to the dining room before another minute passed.

Just as he and Shiro reached the door, Hunk burst in, riding Kiaion, Kiaion roaring as he Transformed back into a small lion.

"We got a problem with Lance!" Hunk declared.

"Let me guess, Girls!" Keith said.

"You know it!" Hunk continued.

Shiro sighed and trudged away from the the place where he and the others were saying in, he glanced at the clock as Hunk was showing them the way. He had a feeling this one would take a long time...

Stats stared at the dining room door and waited. The candlesticks on the table had burned halfway down. When he saw the door handle turn, he perked up. Shiro and the others had arrived at last!

But it wasn't Shiro or Keith or Any of them peeked through the door. It was a slender young man. He leaned in, taking a big sniff through his mustache. "l smell stroganoff!" he declared, entering the room. Stats waved at the man to leave, but the man ignored him.

The man lifted the lids from the different courses, sniffing and smiling. "l'd like to raise a glass to you, you bug" He picked up a glass. "And lower it". He then flipped the glass upside down on top of Stats, trapping him. "And say: bug, you have great taste".

Stats watched frustrated, as the man devoured the meal he'd spent hours cooking. The candlesticks burned down to stubs and the flames went out. When the man finished the last bite, he laid his head on his arms and went to sleep, his head knocked into Stats's glass prison, tipping it over.

The dinner was gone, but Stats was free. He raced out to the hall to look for Shiro and the others. He was sure there was a good reason why he hadn't come. After all, he'd promised that the others will be there, He hoped nothing had happened to him or the others.

In another part of the village, Shiro and the others raced down a different area of the village, they were pretty furious with Lance who was swinging some people, mostly girls into giving up their money.

"How many times do I have to say it I'm sorry" Lance said.

"Dude, You trick those people into stealing their money!" Keith said. "We got lucky out of there alive!"

"I make an honest living, And I wasn't stealing their money!" Lance said.

"Yeah, sure!" Keith said.

Keith then passed Shiro, which he caught his arm. "Hey, Shiro" Keith said "Is it too late to get rid of Lance here!"

Shiro shook his head. "I'm sorry, Keith! I promised Stats we have dinner with him and we already late as is".

Keith frowned. "Getting ditched for a bug, ouch".

"Aw...are you jealous of Stats?" Shiro pinched Keith's cheek.

At that moment, Stats entered the doorways but neither Shiro nor Keith saw him. "Don't worry, silly" Shiro told Keith. "You're still my friend."

Stats's skin turned gray when he heard this, causing him to blend in with the walls. He slunk away, crushed.

"You're my friend after Stats and no we not getting rid of Lance!" Shiro continued.

But Stats didn't hear that. He'd already turned the corner.

Stats sat on Shiro's bed and paged through his journal that Shiro had with his old stuff. The beginning was filled with pictures of Shiro, Keith, and Stats of the journeys they taken together and being happy together.

But the latter pages were different. Stats was still in a lot of them, but only in the background. There were writing of Shiro with Keith, with Lance, with Hunk, and with Pidge. Stats was just a tiny blue dot, watching from a distance.

Stats shoved the journal away, Knocking over a backpacks, the content spilled to the floor, and among the pencils and books, Stats spotted the granola bar that Shiro had given him on the day he meet him in the swamp.

Stats hopped to the floor and picked up the bar, hugging it with tears in his eyes. Shiro had promised Stats he would always be his friend. He'd thought 'always' meant forever, but now he knew that wasn't true.

Shiro had many, many friends outside of the tower, and Keith had become his number one and Stats was lower on the list at all.

Stats dropped the button to the floor, He crawled up to the windowsill and glanced out at the dark night. There didn't seem to be any reason to stay. No one would miss him. Especially not Shiro.

Stats cast one last look back, then climbed out the window.

"Stats? Are you in here?" After finding the dining room empty-except for a snoring man-Shiro and the others gone to their own bedroom. Shiro been sure he'd find Stats asleep on his spot on the bed. But he wasn't there.

Since then, Shiro had been racing up and down the halls, calling for him. Everyone had gone to bed, and his voice echoed off the wooden walls.

"Stats!" no one answered.

Shiro rushed into Keith's room and shook him awake. "Who? What? Where?" Keith mumbled.

"Stats's disappointed!" cried Shiro.

Keith moan "Isn't that his thing?" he asked "His skin changes color and he blends in, making him disappear. Right?"

"Yes, but- "

"I'm sure he's fine". Keith pulled his covers up and rolled over.

But Shiro wasn't sure at all. Yes, Stats could change his skin color, but he could never hide from him or anyone. They had spent months together and playing hide-and-seek sometimes, and he always found him.

Shiro yanked the pillow from under Keith's head. His eyes snapped open. "Stats is never spent the night away from me". Shiro told Keith. he squeezed the pillow, trying not to panic. "What if something's happened to him? What if he's alone and scared and in danger?"

Shiro stared down at Keith, his eyes wide with worry. He was Helpless to resist that look. Shiro needed him, which meant sleep had to wait.

"I'll get my boots", he said.

Slices of moonlight scattered along the leafy ground as Stats crept through the dark forest. After leaving the village, he'd jumped onto a passing hay cart, riding it out of the village to a country road and jumping off at the edge of the forest. It was a forest he knew, and he hoped he could find the path he'd followed once before....

"Stats!" Shiro called again, as he had been doing for hours, "Where are you? come out, buddy!" Nearby, Kiaion sniffed the house floors, following Stats's scent. Kiaion had joined the search and was determined to find his little friend.

When dawn lit up the village, Keith turned to Shiro. "Shiro, are you sure you want to keep-"

Shiro whirled around. "Yes! I'm sure I want to Keep looking!" His bloodshot eyes were wild with fear and exhaustion.

"Okay! Okay!" Keith said quietly. "We'll keep looking!"

Shiro followed as he sniffed around the place where he had talked to Stats the day before.

Keith noticed Pidge, Lance, and Hunk enter the hallway and hurried over to him. "Are you looking for Shiro?" he asked them "Because I wouldn't because of Stats's disappeared and we've been searching for him all night. Shiro's a little upset, so you might want to-"

Lance pushed Keith aside. "Move it, Keith" he said.

Keith shrugged. He'd tried to warn him!

Lance tapped Shiro's shoulder. "Shiro-"

Shiro spun around and clutched Lance's arms "Did somebody find something? Did he turn up? Is he okay?" his words came out fast, and his fingers squeezed Lance's arms so tightly, Lance could feel the bruises forming.

"No, I'm sorry" Lance said, Keeping his voice calm. "I haven't seen Stats!" He peeled Shiro's fingers off his arms. "And in fact, I haven't seen him anywhere!"

"Near did I" Hunk added.

"That goes for me too!" Pidge said. "So maybe we need to call off the search".

"What?" cried Shiro. "No!"

"Listen, you-"

"No", Shiro snapped "You listen. Cancel everything. Lock down the castle. Nothing gets done until we find Stats. Nothing is more important than that". Shiro glanced from Keith to Lance, his eyes were on longer wild. They were filled with determination. His weariness had fled. He was awake and focused.

"Nothing!" he repeated "Is that clear?"

Pidge had seen Shiro more serious-Or more frightening. He was truly impressed. "Wow" he said. "Now that's a game face".

The sun was high in the sky, and Stats was hungry and exhausted. He was also lost. He must have gotten turned around in the night and gone in the wrong direction.

He was about to curl up against a rock and close his eyes, when he saw it.

A few feet ahead, between two trees, was the small cave he remembered. Stats hurried toward it and dashed through, exiting into a clearing....

Ahead of him, rising into the sky, was the swamp.

Keith showed Shiro and the others the missing poster she'd made. It had a drawing of Stats and the promise of a 10 gold pieces for his return.

They'd spent all morning and afternoon searching the village, skipping lunch and searched the ground outside and Kiaion had searched the stables, but Stats remained missing. Shiro knew many citizens wouldn't find him in the village, but posting the flyer would let everyone know.

Hunk studied the flyer. "That's the drawing of Stats!" he said. "Why did you make him look like a cartoon character!"

"Hey, I am drawing in the way I know him!" Keith answered, clutching the flyer.

When Shiro returned to his bedroom to draw the flyer, he'd spotted his journal. It was open to a picture of Shiro and Keith jumping on some branches and running with Lance, Pidge, and Hunk riding Kiaion, Stats was just a speck in the background, Floating beside them and watching the others have fun. Shiro was stabbed with guilt, realizing how left out Stats must have felt.

"He ran away, and it's all our faults". Shiro continued. "We're been so busy and forgot to put our friendship!"

"Well, I did took the game of chess from him!" Pidge added.

"Hey, let's not be too hard on ourselves, guys!" Keith said. "He can't have gotten far. He's tiny!"

Shiro saw Hunk gathering the fallen items and noticed the granola bar. He snatched it up, remembering the day he'd given it to Stats. It was the day they meet in the swamp. The day he'd become his friend--his 1st friend in Altea...

Shiro looked up at Keith and the others. "I know where he is", he told them.

Stats had climbed on the rock and remind of the stars, which he met Shiro and Keith on that day, it felt dark and empty. Yet he felt strangely at home.

He made a fire in the fireplace. The flames cast an orange glow over the objects in the area, bringing back memories of his time with Shiro and the others.

Stats spotted the spot where he met Shiro for the first time and remembered when they'd see the stars and make them feel safe.

Stats was so caught up in his memories, he didn't notice a black shadow slip into the room and slightly towards him.

Suddenly, there was a loud HISS!

Stats whirled around to find himself face to face with the snake that had attacked him and his mother, Months before. The snake had followed Stats to the village from the outside the swamp, It had been lurking there all this time, waiting for its chance to strike back.

The snake hissed again and rose to strike. Stats dashed toward the stone and jumped on, but the snake swatted Stats its tail, sending him flying across the room. Stats smashed into the mud.

Stats was stunned for a moment, but he shook it off and raced up the long grass to the trees. He flowing across the banister and Jumped to branches to branches.

Stats fly across the landscape, throwing rocks at the snake but the snake dodged the falling items as they crashed to the floor.

Stats spotted a bone that belong to a great animal and use it as a sword, but it was too heavy and it slipped through his hands to the floor.

The snake slithered up the stove toward him. The skull was just a few feet away, and Stats jumped, catching the edge.

Below him, the snake snapped its jaws, its fangs inches from Stats's toes. Stats clutched the skull and pulled himself up, tumbling inside the skull. The snake bit at the air below him, but Stats was too high for it to reach. He was safe--but for how long?

Would he be trapped in the skull forever?

Luckily, Kiaion raced through the forest at twilight. The trees around them shimmered in shades of pink and purple.

Keith, Shiro and the others rode Kiaion. The great lion flying as fast as he could, trying to outrun the setting sun. But by the time they made it to the swamp, night had fallen.

they walked through the swamp to the clearing, and the stars bright even more beautiful.

"Ok, Everyone spread out! he's gonna be here somewhere!" Shiro said as he shivered. This was the first time he'd been back in this area of the swamp and fear pierced his chest. He felt faint and stumbled backward, but two strong hands caught him and kept his from falling.

The hands belonged to Keith, and he whispered in his ear. "You don't have to do this, you know".

"Yes, I do" Shiro took a deep breath. "I owe it to Stats!"

"Ok, To the scary swamp we go!" Keith said.

The group stepped forward into the cleaning and had begun their search for Stats.

Inside the skull, Stats closed his eyes and tried to ignore the sound of the snake below him, hissing and snapping its jaws.

"Stats?"

Stats's eyes popped open. It was Shiro's voice! Stats peered over the edge of the skull and saw a faint light coming from the opening.

"Stats? Are you up there?"

The snake had heard the voice, too, and it slithered toward the hole. If Stats didn't do something quickly, the snake would bite Shiro.

Stats climbed up the skull to the Ribs. He grab parts of the ribs with a crush.

The snake whipped around and slithered to the bones. Stats changed his skin color to black to blend in with the shadows and silently jumped to the ground. He tiptoed to the snake, grabbed its tail, and hurled it through the air. The snake smashed into a wall and slid to the floor.

"Hello?" Shiro's voice was closer now.

Stats allowed his skin to return to blue. The snake spotted him and raced toward him. When it lunged, Stats changed to black and dashed to the fallen dishes. He flashed from Blue to black and back to Blue, luring the snake closer.

The snake rose on its tail and lunged again--CLANG! The snake smashed into the stone, which Stats had moved away. The snake 's fangs snapped off.

Stats saw Shiro and Keith emerged from the grass and kept the snake focused on him. He snatched the fangs and darted to the skeleton. He raised his arms, clutching the fangs in his mouth.

With the skeleton behind him, Stats looked like a horrible monster. The snake, terrified, backed away.

Suddenly, a large black object swooped toward the snake. It was the sheath of Shiro's sword, now held by Shiro. He used it to smack the snake, sending it flying out into the sky.

Stats collapsed, exhausted. Shiro and the others hurried over and scooped him into his hands, Shiro stared at his little pal. He'd risked his life to save his life, even though he'd let him down over the past months, Stats was a true friend. It broke his heart that he didn't know how important he was to him and to Keith, to Lance, to Hunk, to Pidge.

"I know why you came here, Stats" Shiro told him, "This is the 1st place that we met!"

"Me too!" Keith said as lifted him up to his cheek. "That will never change!"

Shiro took the granola bar from his pocket and handed it to him. "You will always be my friend". He promised.

Stats hugged the granola bar tightly. Shiro came to his eyes, but they were tears of happiness. He was still Shiro and Keith's friend--like he was his.

"No one could ever take your place in heart", said Shiro. Stats nuzzled Shiro's cheek, and she smiled. "Or on my shoulder".

In Shiro's bedroom that night, Stats watched his add the finishing touches to a new drawing in his journal.

The picture showed Stats sitting on Shiro's shoulder, just as he was now. Shiro closed the journey and placed it on the nightstand. Stats climbed down his arm and curled up on the same place where he sleeps!

"It wasn't the same without you here", Shiro said softly. He kissed Stats's head. "Good night, Stats".

Shiro pulled up his cover and closed his eyes. Stats closed his eyes, too. As he drifted off to sleep, next to his beat friend, he knew that night's dreams would be happy ones.