"Tell me about your childhood!"

For some reason, Yang couldn't get that line out of his head. Rin-Rin was the one who asked him. It was during that time he spent alone with her while Yun and Makoto were off on their date. He didn't exactly want to hear that line right now, but no focusing methods could block her out. He could also picture her smiling face while she was talking. That made it worse.

"I don't remember much of my childhood!" Rin continued. Typical her. "I only remember the sunny skies and spending time with Roshon. That's all. How about you, darling? What was your childhood like?"

"..."

"I bet you were an adorable child. Shy, always needing your brother's support, but still there to help him out. You must have been loved by everyone."

"Not really." Yang had replied. Sorta, not really. Appreciated, yes, but loved only by his small family. Everyone loved Yun. As for 'loved', not exactly loved in the context Rin was talking about, either.

"So... tell me about your childhood!"

"...I don't want to talk about it."

At that moment, Tsuchin hopped on his lap. Her meows and pawing at his shirt brought him back to reality. She needed to be fed.

When he reached downstairs and fed her, he noticed that both his grandmother and Yun had left. Grandmother went to the grocery to work. Now that she was better, she was able. Plus, the Lons were there to take care of her. Yun left a note saying something about him going to audition for a movie. Yang sighed. He really needed to get out of the house.

"AHEM. You know, Yang... No, that's not good. You know, Yang Lee... Nah, too bitter. One more time. You know, Yang, your brother has been trying his best to cheer you up. Don't let his hard work go up in smoke! Damn, you know what pains you put Yun through, even though it's YOUR pain?"

"You know, sis, that sounds like you actually like Mr. Yun."

"What did you say, Linmei?" Ri glared at one of the younger triplet siblings with angry fire in her eyes.

"N-nothing! Nothing at all, big sister! Continue!"

"AHEM. Personally, I know what it's like to have a family member die. Grandfather died when I was just a little girl. I cried and cried for days on end, but life goes on. I'm not you. I don't know how you grieve. But you just gotta let things go. That person would want you to go on, not drag you down to the underworld with her!"

"Ah, sister, you're sounding too mushy." young Linmei pointed out.

"I'm supposed to sound mushy! This is the one time in my life I'm gonna gush my heart out! Do you have a problem with that?"

"Well..."

"Hey, Ri! Here comes your brother in law." Te Lon grinned teasingly.

Sure enough, Yang rode into view. He was on his brand new rollerblades of which Yun gave to him the other day, and they rode like a breeze. The younger twin dragon was clad in a black sports jacket and black pants. Along with his already dark hair and black rollerblades, he set a mourning air around himself - a perfect way to show his mood. The second he reached the doorway, found Rin blocking him.

"And where do you think you're going?" Ri demanded.

Yang glared back. He tried to push his way in but Ri wouldn't budge.

"Oh no you don't. I'm not moving from this spot." Ri growled. "Look, your brother has been trying his best to cheer you up. I don't know how much grief you put on him, but you're not gonna let his hard work go to waste. So until you cheer up, you're not gonna set one foot in this grocery. Do you understand? If you don't, let me tell you how serious I am. Triplets!"

"Coming, big sister!" chimed three little voices. Right on cue, the Lon triplet sisters grabbed Yang - one on each arm and the other around his waist - and pulled him away. Being on rollerblades, Yang didn't have much of a choice but to be pulled back. He could have set the brakes but that would potentially hurt the little girls. Once Yang was at a far enough distance, the triplets released their grip and joined Ri in the human barricade.

"And by the ways, Yang Lee," Ri added as Yang turned to leave, "go to the Southwest end of town. Only place you can buy flowers nowadays. Get some carnations for me. The lady there knows me so tell her that and you'd get a nice discount. But knowing how popular you brothers are, you probably don't even need my help."

"Fine, I'll get it." was all Yang said before he rode away.

Ri growled. "Argh! Can he be any more antisocial? I've had it with them! Yun Lee, that's the last favor I do for you!"

"But sis," Linmei spoke up, "you're the one who wanted to do that. Mr. Yun didn't tell you to do anything."

".... Shut up."

When you picture a small but busy village in Hong Kong, what do you normally picture? Crowded streets, buildings close to one another, street vendors, maybe even one or two streets large enough to fit cars. How about flowers? Nobody ever thinks about flowers. Perhaps maybe a random flower in a jar sitting on a desk or a counter. But a garden? With normally filthy streets as one pictures brick and stone, it's hard to even view grass, let alone flowers.

However, flowers do exist in Yun and Yang's village. Moreso than anyone wanted to bat an eye at. At the southwestern part of the village lay a small building like most others. Unlike most others was what lay beside it - a small garden protected by a twelve foot wooden fence. Various flowers and plants were raised there, as well as various potted plants hanging over the door. Select blossoms would be cut and picked for sale. This is where Shirley Chow maintained her flower shop - the only one in the village.

"Hello! Welcome!" the aged woman greeted with a smile.

Her small shop was filled with various flowers and plants. On her counter was a coffee machine of which she always sold to customers. There was also a small veranda where customers could converse. The atmosphere was very friendly. While not many people ever came, those who do are guaranteed to return at least once. Shirley was not the kind of person to judge people by status, which is why she didn't bat an eye when a despondant young man placed carnations on her counter to purchase. She received the payment promptly, then wrapped the roses in a large sheet of paper. "Here you go, young man."

"Thank you." Yang replied. He paused. Looking at all the flowers gave him an idea. Soon enough, he bought a boquet of roses as well. Gently embracing the carnations and roses in his arms, he rode away into the streets. Not any other person inside the building noticed his arrival or departure. Or if they did, they didn't think much of it. Yang turned the corner.

"Hey you! Spikey head! Get back here!"

Unfortunately, for the poor sap, his voice was drowned out by the louder noise of other people. Growling, the angered teen raised his arm to gesture for others to follow.

The area by the waterfront still sported those blood stains. Yang wondered why the government hadn't came to clean up the mess. Were they relying on someone else to do their work? Or that nobody really seemed to care?

The nearby bridge will be remembered as well. As he stood over the wodden bridge, looking down at the water, he saw the shallow embankment of which Rin-Rin and Roshon were last seen. Clasping his hands together, he wished a silent prayer for Rin and her husband's souls, then tossed the bouquet in the water.

"It makes me sick to look at you." spat an unfriendly male teen.

Yang didn't have to turn around to know who that was. Red Hawk, leader of the Avian Saber Gang. No doubt that Red brought the rest of the gang with him. "What do you want?"

"Only to waste my sympathy." Red cracked his neck, hands on his hips. "You're back. And you're still alive. Too bad... it would have been better if you were dead after all. Why aren't you with your brother?"

Yang didn't answer.

Red jammed his hands in his pockets. "Shit man... you know, ever since two years ago, things haven't been the same. This place used t'be the greatest hangout ever. Now it's, like, deadbeat city. Stupid government. It's our town, not theirs!" His words seemed to take on Yun's voice in Yang's mind as Red continued. "Dammit! Why do we gotta sit down and be helpless when they're doing jack shit to protect us?"

Yang said nothing again. Those words Red spoke sounded exactly like Yun's.

"You should know better than us. Why the hell didn't you and your brother do anything about it, huh? Huh? It's because of you two that this whole mess started!"

"It's not our fault." Yang snapped. "There was nothing we could have done."

"So why don't you do something about it? Stupid pansy wusses, leaving everything to us. Stupid government. We're the real ones running the show. They're the extortionists, those fat-ass lazy bastards. You've gotten soft, the both of ya. So now what, you're the great heros who fight for love and justice? FOR GREAT JUSTICE! And we're the lowly thugs who are the bad guys. Where's the justice in that? The whole world's gotten black and white!"

"Did you come here to rant?" Yang asked. "I don't care about your problems. Go find a shrink."

"Tsch. Sorry for living." Red spat. "Fine, I'll leave. I did waste my time after all. Shoulda talked to the brother who knows how to talk back." With a wave of his hand, he and the gang left.

Yang looked down at the water, as if he was looking at Rin. Then, he realized it. It wasn't until that whole 2 years ago thing in which he really cared about others, in where he let others enter his heart. Others besides his family, that is. Maybe Red was right. He had gotten soft. It was time to put Rin aside along with thoughts of his late mother and departed father. Red had really woken him up.

When Yang returned the carnations to Ri, she shrugged them off. She said she just wanted an excuse for him to stay out of the grocery and to give the flowers to his grandmother or something. That's what he ended up doing. They now sat in a vase outside the window.

As Yang prepared dinner, the phone rang. Grandmother still wasn't home, so Yang answered. "Hello."

"Greetings, younger twin dragon." breathed the voice on the other end. "It has been a long time. What was it, nearly two years?"

Yang narrowed his eyes. That voice was all too familiar. "Yes." He paused. "Yun isn't here."

"I'm not in need of him at the moment. As a matter of fact, I was speaking to him earlier today. He had phoned me directly."

"Hm."

The voice on the other end took this moment of silence to continue. "Anyway, please tell your brother that a certain Makoto Rindou has won a significant amount of money in the latest circuit tournament."

"All right." Yang replied, thinking of a silent congratulations towards Makoto. Above his head, he imagined Yun grinning, "More money for us!" At least in the past anyway.

I wanted to simply remind you that we are a business, not funding for little boys games. Although you two have been responsible in the past, I just wanted to remind you of your current place. In the past, I would have not blinked an eye. However, I may overlook this current fact if you and your brother return."

"... What did Yun say?"

"He refused. What of you, Yang? Will you return?"

"It's his decision, not mine." Yang replied simply.

"Very well. I respect that. Please tell him to give me his answer by a certain day you and your brother share. You do remember our past deal. Your brother remembers quite well. Do take care. Give your grandfather my regards."

Click.

The next day, Yun returned home. Apparently. Yang received a video tape which contained the movie. Curiously, he popped it into the VCR and sat to watch.

"Oh no, Fei Long! These baddies are surrounding me! I need help! What do I do?"

"Fear not, Skippy! I'll handle them, of course!"

"......" Yang was disturbed for quite some time after.