Pahara, a little bird and a Struggling father!

When Xiao Ji awoke, the jumble of ultraviolet light had disappeared. His vision had returned to normal, though strangely, a comforting violet hue hung just above him. It was quiet, only Song's breathing. 

For a while, Xiao Ji lay in the hoodie, dazed though soon, the faint outlines of the buildings that surrounded them sparked his interest. 

With a burst of strength, he groggily pulled himself up and looked out of Song's hood. Anya was lagging behind and smiled when Xiao Ji reassuringly stared at her. They were in one of the cities now and Xiao Ji's vision was clearing up.

The pearl-white moons hung in the indigo atmosphere above the thousand decorated buildings in the port city. From each building emanated the amber hues of life, casting warm light out onto the empty streets. 

Even from Song's hoodie, Xiao Ji could see the immensity of this city; a separate skyline set in the distance. The buildings here were of minimal height but with the hills and density, this could have been any quiet metropolis had it not been for the vast ocean that lay just beyond.

Xiao Ji looked up to one of the buildings. On a decorated balcony, two lovers had just embraced in the darkness. 

Song took a turn and walked up the stone steps of the safe house, the only thing separating them, a large mahogany door. From inside, Xiao Ji could hear a beautiful birdsong and though he was growing fatigued, he longed to see who was making the noise.

Knock knock knock. Then silence.

Someone's footsteps could be faintly heard, then a creak. The door opened slightly and an older girl gasped. Song gently placed his hand on the girl's face and sighed. The bird song had stopped.

The door opened to let them in and when Song stepped in, Xiao Ji was instantly engulfed in a whole new scene. In the corner of the warm room was a blazing fireplace and two empty but luxurious chairs. At the end of the room was a staircase. 

The girl led them up the stairs to a larger room in which the bird that was singing had once again resumed. Though Xiao Ji was tired, he forced himself up when Song entered the room. A smaller fireplace crackled in the middle.

 A tall, dark haired boy sat in front of it, rubbing a tiny kitten that had curled up in his lap. Another girl in a kimono sat to his side, carefully folding origami that seemed to dance along with the flames in the fire. When she saw Anya, she waved her over. 

The room was lined with bookshelves and had two comfy chairs in the middle. In one chair sat a boy, and at his feet were two older boys. 

It was quite discomforting as there was no one visible sitting on the chair, yet Xiao Ji knew he was there. He was talking animatedly about some adventure he had long ago while the boys at his feet listened eagerly.

On a small table near the fireplace was a round green bird. Xiao Ji looked in his eyes and a melancholy feeling rushed through him. The human within the bird stared back knowingly and chirped. Ji Dan looked away and hid in Song's hood; he closed his eyes and let the exhaustion over power him. 

The last thing he heard was the girl who had opened the door whispering to Song,

"A group of them just left before you arrived, did you see them leaving?"

…

Chonobartes Jr. stood at the edge of the field, watching the rising sun. This was a nice change, far calmer than the world he had just escaped. 

The sun made his worn green skin appear young and shiny again; like a window to his childhood or at least the days before the slump-period. 

He was standing barefoot, looking at the mess while the blades of grass tickled the space between his toes. Whoever had made this knew what they were doing.

The bodies of shriveled farmers lay scattered, the highest density being around a particularly charred portion of the field. 

"So, you really think some little kids did this?"

Chonobartes Jr. sighed,

"You know, I can see their foot-prints. Unless someone is really playing us, I don't know what else it could be."

His partner remained silent for a while, staring into the forest nearby before confessing,

"You know, I've been thinking about quitting. I just can't take it anymore, the internal politics we play everyday is just too much for me. I've got a daughter at home myself, I couldn't care less about some stupid kids. Why do they have these rules anyways? You'd think that if they really wanted to, they could end all crime by decapitating everyone. From what I can tell, these kids have done nothing. They were provoked first, then hunted by farmers. You have to give them that."

"I agree, this policy has been wasting a fair amount of resources but at least it gives them something to do-"

"Something to do? We've got entire systems that have gone dark due to crime. If those recruits are really dying for some action, send them to the Triple-Front. Even here, they've got enough problems to deal with. God, I just hate it when they pick on the little ones. You know, I think it's completely fair that they obliterated the outpost."

"You'd have to admit this policy has upheld order for the past ten centuries or so after it was passed."

"So what? Who knows how much order another policy would uphold? It could be ten-thousand centuries for all we know."

"Hey, I feel you man, but the roast has been cooking for a while now, let's eat and rest first. We've got the rest of the day to work on this."

Chonobarte's partner shook his head but nodded. It was his first time trying outerworld vegetables. Chonobartes had said there were carrots, turnips and gourds? Regardless of what they were, they smelled good when roasted.

…

Xiao Ji woke up in soft silence with only the gentle rain tapping lightly on the roof of the house. He was in a small nest in the second floor room by the put-out fireplace and beside him, the small green bird that had been singing last night stared at him curiously. It's small round black eye blinking in his face. Xiao Ji looked around then stood on his feet. 

Its body was slightly larger than his but it was smooth with well-cared for feathers that formed glistening emerald-like tips. The bird chirped a few times right in Xiao Ji's ear and nearly pecked it out of annoyance. The bird jumped back, just as the downstairs door opened.

Xiao Ji could sense that it was the invisible boy and it was confirmed by two large sacks floating in the air. 

The boy must have been fairly muscular to be able to carry such weight and he opened a door on the first floor that Xiao Ji hadn't noticed the night before and deposited his load; then, he walked upstairs, back into the room on the far end of the upstairs hallway and closed the door. 

Moments later, the two other boys who had been sitting around him the previous night came running out of the room laughing with their clothes smoldering, and down the stairs, slamming the door behind them. 

The small cat meowed in their wake and the older boy who had sat in front of the fire gently last night caressed it until it calmed down. He was in one of the large lounge chairs and Xiao Ji jumped in surprise, having not realized he was there the whole time. 

Song's teasing and the other girl's voice were muffled by the closed door but it seemed like they had woken up too, now.

A few light footsteps wandered down the sideways staircase that led up to the third floor and Anya peered down into the nest, the origami girl curiously peering from behind her back. When Xiao Ji saw Anya, his heart warmed and she smiled.

For now, they were together, safe.