Nothing on... The remote continued to click beneath the man's finger as he sat in what was likely the most uncomfortable chair he'd ever been in in his life. One elbow rested against the arm, his chin propped in his palm. Glancing over to the still sleeping boy on the bed, Mark Jensen smiled faintly. Chiriko...

They'd encountered each other not long after he had left his home with Tama, driving to the town that the boy was missing from. It was a relatively small town... one grade school, one high school... and one church. It had been a shrine that they had met in before... a long shot, but all he had to go on at the time. It was well into afternoon when he finally got accurate directions and pulled up there, turning off the car and simply sitting with a book he'd brought. Tama was his normal self, climbing up onto the back of the seat and purring loudly as he watched his companion.

Darkness fell quickly in this rural area, and it wasn't long before the words on the page were intelligible. He had set the book down then and opened the door, stepping out to stretch. His tall frame protested being cramped in such a position for so long... and that's when he heard the small voice behind him.

"M-Mitsukake?"

He'd turned, his eyes softening upon seeing the slight figure of the boy in front of him. "You remember me then, little one?" He dropped to one knee, opening his arms as Chiriko threw himself into them.

"I knew you'd come! I knew someone would... I figured that the only way to get my picture on the news in a hurry was to run away. Someone had to see it... and the last time, it was a holy place where I met you all." His words came out in a rush, his anxiety and fears being laid to rest the moment the other had appeared. Corey had thought he was crazy at first, believing such an outlandish thing. But something inside him told him he wasn't wrong. It had taken him hours to get up the nerve to run, leaving a note for his parents that told them he would be back.

"It's alright... I saw." The deep voice was touched by a hint of tears. He remembered holding the child's lifeless body in his arms... and now to see him full of life again was testing every ounce of resolve he had.

They had gotten into the car and started driving. Neither knew where to go, but anywhere was an option. They talked all night and well into the morning, discussing their memories of each other, the others that they now searched for, and why it could be that the seishi were emerging once more. It was nearly noon when they finally stopped at a roadside hotel to rest, Corey already falling asleep where he sat.

He'd been asleep since shortly after they arrived, and Mark had no intention of waking him any sooner than he had to. A phone call had been placed to Corey's parents by the boy himself, telling them that he was alright and that he would be home. He had something to do. It nearly reduced him to tears to hear the pleading in his mother's voice, but in the end, the boy's wisdom prevailed... his parents realizing that he wouldn't run off with no reason. They spoke to Mark as well, and were assured that their son would be returned to them in perfect health once their duty was over. They didn't understand... but then again, how could they?

Something caught his eye then, and he had to switch back a few channels to catch the tail end of the story. "Trouble in New York..." He murmured, swearing to himself that he'd seen a picture that resembled Tasuki. Hearing the unfolding story only made his instinct a certainty and he moved towards the bed, one hand reaching down to shake Corey's shoulder gently.

"Corey... time to wake up."

The boy's eyes opened slightly, blinking away sleep as he muttered something about it being Saturday. Then he seemed to realize where he was and who he was with and sat up quickly. "How long..." He saw the slanted rays of the sun and realized that it was nearly dusk already! "Mistukake, why did you let me sleep so late?!"

Mark chuckled, shaking his head. "You only got about five hours... I don't exactly call that a lot." He waited until his companion had gone into the bathroom and emerged dressed in clean clothes before telling him what he had seen. Corey nodded, listening intently, his gaze sometimes flickering as a thought would take him.

"So we have to go to New York... it's not that far of a drive, maybe ten hours or so. We can be there by tomorrow morning if we leave now and don't make many stops." His matter of fact attitude and stubborn intent made Mark smile again and he simply smirked, getting to his feet.

"Alright. We need to get something to eat first, and Tama is likely hungry as well. It'll do us no good to get on the road and have to stop immediately."

Corey was about to protest, but then his stomach growled louder than any words he might have spoken. Looking up at the older man sheepishly, he agreed and they headed for the door. Tama made himself comfortable in the boy's lap as they started off, making sure they were well out of town when they stopped to grab a bite to eat.

They reached the New York state line by two am, neither of them talking much during this leg of the trip. Mitsukake was lost in his own thoughts of what lay in store for them all... and Chiriko was staring straight ahead into the night, waiting for the first glimpse of the city where one of their own needed their help.

To Chapter 3