One could likely hear a pin drop in the classroom... and that was just the way I liked it. Glancing up to the students arranged around the myriad tables in front of me, I smiled faintly, realizing that here were the ones who took their studies seriously. Those who entered my botany class hoping to get an easy A found that they were sadly mistaken. This was more than just putting seeds into dirt... the students here were learning about the plants they raised, what conditions would make them flourish and what could kill the infant seedlings. Herb lore was something few in this day and age knew, but it had its uses. I doubted that many realized that instead of paying nearly $5 for a bottle of aspirin, one could spend about fifty cents and buy a bag of willow bark, whose tea had the same effect, if not better.

"Mr. Jensen?"

I turned towards the student who was trying to gain my attention, lifting a brow in question.

"I'm not certain what's wrong with this one... the other plants in the group are doing well, but this one just seems weaker, for lack of a better term." The boy held up a sickly looking tomato plant, looking to me for answers that he didn't seem able to find. I took the small pot from him, looking it over carefully.

"Try putting slightly larger holes in the base." I offered, smiling as I handed it back to him. "The soil is too damp, and that can cause problems. I think all that's wrong with it is that it's getting water but can't drain away the excess." He nodded to me, smiling as he darted back to the table with the rest of his group. By the time the class was over, it was the end of the day and I welcomed the chance to relax for the weekend.

*Mrowl!*

I was barely in the door before I had a four footed anklewarmer winding himself around my feet in a desperate plea for attention. I chuckled softly, reaching over to pick up the small cat, cradling it close to my chest. "One would think you were deprived of any contact for weeks instead of just a few hours, Tama." A low rumbling purr was the only response I was given as claws were kneaded against my chest. I walked into the kitchen then, setting Tama down on the countertop and preparing a bowl of food for him while I idly wondered what my own dinner would be. After the cat was happily eating, I realized that I wasn't truly hungry just yet, and moved back into the living room to kick off my shoes and sink into a comfortable chair.

I turned on the television, flipping to the news and half preparing myself for the torrent of disasters that seemed to happen on a regular basis. Shots fired in a robbery... lovely. A police officer gunned down while on duty... and people wondered why the city was going to hell. Traffic jams on the freeways, airplane bomb threats, stocks falling... by the gods, I started to wonder just how it was that this century hadn't seen everything fall apart yet. I was just about to change the channel when something caught my eye.

A boy missing, two states away. At first I chalked it up to another likely runaway, but then I dropped the remote as the picture was shown. "Chiriko.." I murmured, eyes fixed on the screen. "So it's happening again, ne?" I stood then, moving into my bedroom and half listening to the reporter drone on behind me about the missing child.

Opening my closet door, I reached within and pulled out the small backpack that lay in there. Throwing a few changes of clothing within, along with some other necessities, I barely noticed anything around me. My mind was going over what I knew... what I had known for years. That this time would come once again and my fellow Seishi would be reborn as I was. It had been years since I had made the discovery, and it had taken quite some time for everything to be remembered.

As I slid out of the slacks, shirt and tie that I normally wore to work, I reached for a pair of simple jeans and a t-shirt and put them on. As I leaned down to tie my shoes, Tama came in and jumped up onto my shoulder, murring softly at me.

"It's time, Tama... they're awakening once more." He understood, I knew... most would think that crazy, but I knew better. "We have to go find Chiriko, my friend. He's alone out there, looking for us, I'm certain."

With that, I moved out the door, pack slung over one shoulder while Tama rested on the other.

To Tamahome