I looked down at the boy in my arms. He appeared to be about Vashu and mine's age. Well, only in appearence, that is. He is a human child, unlike Vashu and I. We are Plants. I don't know what to think about this boy. I am pretty sure that he is human, because he doesn't look like Vash and I, but he can use our powers. I might as well speak to the poor creature.

"My name is Knives. What's your's?" I asked. He was shivering, so I held him closer, and stroked his hair. He pushed up into my hand as I did. What was the creature that Rem said did that? Ahh, yes, a cat. A small domesticated mammal that has soft fur, pointed ears, sharp claws, and, usually, a long furry tail. Rem once showed me a picture of one. This boy has soft hair and yellow eyes, much like the cat creature that I saw in the picture. Maybe this boy was a cat in one point in time...

"My name is Legato. Legato Bluesummers," he said quietly and softly. "Legato" -- a musical term used to describe a smooth style of playing. Legato was looking up at me, pressing closer to me. Such a curious creatures, this boy is...

I continued to pet him, and he layed in my lap, looking up at me.

What should I do with this creature?

Should I tell Rem and the others? No. I'd surely get in trouble. And 'he' punished me when I did something wrong.

And what about Vashu? I'll think about it. If I can get him to swear to not tell Rem, we'd could take care of him. Vash would ask why I let him out of the compartment...

Why did I let him out? Better yet, why was he able to speak to me? From what I understand, Rem and the crew left the place called 'Earth' about fourteen years ago (she had gone in and out of "sleeping", so she could control most of the functions of the ship). Had this cat-boy been locked in this place for the last fourteen years? Why was he the only one?

"How long have you been awake in here?" I asked. "The rest of the humans are asleep."

"I don't know. I wasn't able to tell. I just knew that my eyes were closed, and I couldn't even hear my daddy. And I couldn't move. I was so alone, but you saved me from the loneliness," Legato replied. "...Do you know how long it has been?"

"Fourteen years, if you have been awake for the entire time...," I stated. His eyes widened in shock. I expected him to say 'Fourteen years?! I've only been alive for XX years! How is that possible?!", but that is not what I heard in responce.

"Fourteen years... I've been alone for fourteen years. When I was in the room with Sidacious, he would leave me alone for days. Not longer than days," he said shaking in my lap. "I don't want to be alone anymore!"

"Shh, be quiet. There are some people on this ship that will make you alone again if they find you," I told him. Legato nodded and put his thin arms around me.

They left him alone for fourteen years?! How could those humans do such a thing to a beautiful creature? What had he done wrong? He's obviously different from the humans, and like Vashu and I. Does this mean that they will lock Vashu and I away like this cat-boy? Because we aren't "normal"?

I have to speak to Vashu as soon as possible. I must make him swear to never to tell anyone about Legato, then tell him how they locked him away because he was like us. Vashu will surely understand about this, and we can plan on what to do. We have to get out!

~Can you talk like this?~ I heard in my mind. It was Legato.

~Of course, I can. I am a Plant.~ Legato smiled at me. He's a beautiful little child. I started to hold him closer and stroke his hair again.

~"Plant"? I've heard of that before... My daddy and Ken-niichan talked about them... My mommy was one.~

His mother?! A Plant?! Impossible! I didn't think that there where anyother Plants, unless they had been...

~What happened to your mommy,~ I asked, nearly desperately to him.

~I never met my mommy. Daddy said she was very pretty and nice, though.~

I was afriad that his answer would be similar to that. But his father...

~Could your father speak like this, too?~

~Of course! I was trying to speak to him, but I couldn't talk to him... Is he... Dead?~

~Well, I don't know...~

~Knives!~ I heard in my head. It was Vashu, probably looking for me. We were playing Hide-and-Seek in the ship. We know it's a juvenile game, but we have nothing better to do. It's not like we haven't read all of the books on this ship already. Wait... not all of them. There are still some books in the "Off Limits" area. If I were to go there, I could be able to find out why Legato didn't go to sleep, and if there were anymore Plants like Vashu and myself.

~Who is that?~ Legato thoughtspoke timidly.

~It's my brother, Vash. He's my twin,~ I replied to him. Now was as good a time as ever to tell Vash about the humans.

~Knives, what was that?! I heard someone that wasn't you like this! Knives, where are you?!~ I could feel Vashu closer to me.

~Just come, Vashu,~ I thoughtspoke coolly. Legato, I think by instinct, squeazed me tighter, when he saw Vashu com around the corner.

And I squeazed Legato, as well. Vashu's hair. It was gone. It was now all spikey and rough. Touched by human hands.

"Vashu! Your hair! It's gone!" I exclaimed aloud. He stopped and looked at Legato, then me.

"You let somebody out of their capsule!!! Knives! We're not s'post to be messing with the people back here!" Vashu shouted at me. Legato held onto me tighter.

"Just calm down, Vashu. I can tell you my story, if you tell me yours first." __________________________________________ __________________________________________

((When I was writing this, the phone service at my house was cut off. Heehee, it gave me something to do. Anyways, I have started to get ahead on writing this (I finished the chapter before this one when I was posting the 7th chapter), and I will try to post it every so often. ANYWAYS, I know that I did the hair cutting scene differently in this. (((.^;;; Yeah... I started to watch the 17th episode over again to refresh myself with what happened. It was fun. Now I just have to decide what to do next....))