Lomachislots War - Lost Childhood (Original) ~

[Director of Music]

"I'm not...I'm not trying to protect him." Andy replied, his voice even.  "If you take too many, then yeah, your liver can shut down, it can cause jaundice.  But don't you think he knows that?  I mean, if I know this, than Phineas certainly knows the risks of the pills.  He chose to keep his leg for  reason, Yukita.  I'm merely respecting his choice.  He's gone through more than a guy his age should."

[Kasawa Lanford]

"If he truly knew that, he wouldn't be trying to pop so many pills just because of a little pain," Yukita said. "Now, he's not in his right mind and you know it," with that she took off in the direction that Sakura and Phineas had gone in.

***

Sakura kept up, but as the rain fell harder she started to lose sight of him. She sped up her pace until she lost her footing on the muddy ground, but instead of falling forward she fell to her side and slid down a muddy slope, rolling until she got to the bottom. "Ow...." she grunted as she picked herself up. "Phineas...." she said while choking back tears. "Andy.... Rin... Anise...." her clothing wet and full of mud, she just laid there and cried.

[Director of Music]

"He's not in just a little pain!" He shouted after her.  How could she say that?  Had she not seen the pain that he had seen on Phineas's face?  Had she not seen the turmoil that was raging a war inside of Phineas?  Had she not seen how Phineas was struggling to find a stable reality in himself?  Sighing furiously, Andy stayed where he was.  There would be no point in following her.  She wouldn't listen.

[Kasawa Lanford]

Yukita shook her head. Little pain as in popping pills everytime a small amount of pain occurs, not whenever a large amount occurs... she said with a sigh and kept her pace.

The rain outside was getting worse with each passing minute; visibility was getting very poor and to the point where she couldn't see beyond ten feet. "Man, I've never seen rain this bad before, I mean yes we do get bad weather and it does rain a lot - but never this much and this hard," she said and kept walking. After a couple minute's she heard the sound of a little girl crying, it took her a second to realize that it was Sakura's voice.

"Sakura!" she shouted.

***

Rin and Anise didn't say a word throughout the entire exchange. They knew both sides were more or less correct, but they also knew that they had to do something about Phineas. "Andy... how long have you truly known Phineas?" Anise asked. "I-I mean we meet in preschool, but I mean before that..."

[Director of Music]

Andy sighed, sitting down on the chair.  He ran a hand through his messy hair, closing his eyes.

"I met him two years before preschool."  He muttered softly.  "We were inseparable.  You couldn't see one of us without the other."

[Kasawa Lanford]

"I see, but why does Phineas have a father who's so... I mean.. was he always like that?" Anise asked.

[Director of Music]

Andy looked up.  "His father abused him."  He said through gritted teeth.  "It was bound to catch up with Phineas sooner or later.  He usually doesn't lose it like this.  But I suspect everything's finally caught up with him.  I don't care what Yukita says.  Phineas needs those pills.  The pain he deals with on a daily basis is enough to make anybody coil up and refuse to come out of the house."

[Kasawa Lanford]

Anise smiled somewhat. "That may be so, but -- err... I.. while I don't really understand it all, I do think that Phineas is making a mistake taking all those pills," she said in a careful tone, but also trying hard to upset Andy.

Rin sighed. "We can't do anything to help him Anise," she said. "He may be our friend and while we do want to protect him, we must also protect him from himself," she said.

"Yea, I know... but why did he suddenly lose it now though? I mean we've been here a full month and he never lost it before..." Anise said, her voice becoming shakey with fear.

[Director of Music]

"Pressure."  Andy replied automatically.  "Everything builds up.  Frankly, I'm really amazed he hasn't lost in sooner."  He glanced over at Anise.  "He's not making a mistake, Anise."  He replied firmly.  "Phineas knows what he's doing.  He just needs to watch the intake better, that's all."

[Kasawa Lanford]

Anise smiled weakly and then stared out. "But.. I am worried about Sakura, she hasn't come back," she said and stared out into the rain.

***

Yukita had searched high and low, but the constant rain had made it hard for her to find Sakura. Finally after several more minute's she found Sakura's prone form in the mud. The girl was still crying though it was muffled by both the rain and the fact she crying into her arms, Yukita ran over to the girl and placed her arms under her. "Sakura, you ok?" she asked.

She saw the way Sakura's foot was bent and knew the girl had injured herself. Mud caked the girls clothing and she was wet from top to bottom, she picked Sakura up and began to carry her, though Sakura was still crying.

[Director of Music]

"She'll be fine."  Andy said.  "Yukita will find her.  You'll see."

[Kasawa Lanford]

Anise just smiled. "Y-yea, your right," she said.

Yukita continued to sluge through the rain. Sakura still in her arms, she had become quiet after a few minutes, but Yukita coud still her sniffling every now and then. As she approuched the dormitories several students had come outside after hearing the commotion, "Yukita what happened?" one student asked, concerned.

"Just a scuffle between two friends," she said, though the others students didn't by it when they saw Sakura and how she looked. The students followed her to the dorm-room where Yukita threw open the door.

Rin and Anise looked up and saw her, but also Sakura in her arms.

[Director of Music]

Andy glanced up.  As he had said, Sakura was back.  Drenched, miserable, and possibly with a sprained ankle, but back.  Andy stood up.  But no Phineas.  While he was glad that Sakura had returned, he needed to find Phineas. 

Andy quickly grabbed his jacket and started to head out wordlessly.

[Kasawa Lanford]

"Anise get me a towel please," Yukita said as she took Sakura into the girl's room. Anise had gone into the bathroom and retreived a towel and laid it out, there Sakura was sat down and Yukita began to clean her off. During that time Sakura explain what had happened between sobs, that she had stopped Phineas and tried to talk to him.

"So he did attack her," Rin scowled.

"Attacked? No, but shoved her out of the way instead," Yukita said, but when she turned to tell Rin something else she noticed the girl was now gone. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," Yukita said in a low enough tone that Sakura nor Anise heard. All they heard was Sakura crying once more after she had finished talking, their discussion reminding her of what happened.

[Director of Music]

Andy had jogged out into the pouring storm.  He couldn't see a thing.  He proffed his jacket tighter around him as he began to shout for Phineas.  He nearly collided into about 5 bushes, tripped about 10 times and still, he couldn't find Phineas.  How far had he gone?  How far can he have gone?  Not far, Andy muttered, Not far...his leg would be holding him up...

He continued to run, not caring that he'd probably end up hurting himself as well.

[Kasawa Lanford]

Rin followed Andy at a safe distance, he was just barely in range, but far enough to where she knew he wouldn't see her. "Just lead me to him..." she said softly to himself. I don't know if he did it intentionally or unintentionally, either way, I'm not going to let him get away with hurting Sakura, she thought as she continued following Andy.

[Director of Music]

"Phineas!"  Andy roared against the howling wind.  Andy was close to tears as his voice cracked several times.  Up ahead, there was a small pavilion.  Maybe, just maybe...  Andy sprinted as fast as he could to the pavilion.  He squinted his eyes against the shadow of the building and saw a forlorn form against one of its pillars.  Andy ran up to it, trying to regain his breath.  "Phineas?"  He murmured.  "Phineas, you okay?"

There was no answer. 

[Kasawa Lanford]

Rin had continued her chase and soon came upon where Andy had gone, squinting near a bush, she stayed there and watched Andy as he approuched the lone figure.

***

"You feeling better now?" Yukita asked after drying Sakura off and handing here a clean set of clothing.

The young girl nodded as she helped into a skirt and t-shirt. "I-I'm fine.. t-thank you.." she said and sat down on the bed. "Where'd Rin go?" she asked while Yukita tended to her ankle.

"Don't know, she left a few minute's ago, possibly after Andy and Phineas," Anise said and took a seat next to Yukita. "It feels somewhat gloomy here, want to head to the cafeteria for a bite to it?" she asked in a soft tone.

Sakura nodded. Yukita smiled, "you two go ahead, I wanna check up on a few things," she said and left the dorm room. Anise nodded and gently grabbed Sakura's small hand, within seconds the two were out of the room and headed to the cafeteria.

[Director of Music]

"H-hey..." Andy muttered, his voice shaking.  He touched Phineas's body.  It was cold.  Phineas hadn't exactly worn anything warm, so his whole body was freezing.  His eyes were closed and Andy immediately checked for a pulse.  It was there, but it was really faint.  It was then, as Andy had deftly checked for any broken bones or anything, that Phineas's face was scratched heavily and his right leg was bent painfully underneath him.

Alarmed, Andy straightened the leg out, so that Phineas was laying completely down.  He felt the affected thigh and noticed it was pulsating heavily.  "Crap..." Andy said quietly, muttering under his breath.  He had to get Phineas out of here. Who knows what else had happened.  There was no light and he could only guess the extent of the damage.  He shifted his body so that he could carry Phineas on his back.  Once that was done, Andy was swaying slightly, but started to make his way solidly back to the academy.

[Kasawa Lanford]

Rin watched from the bush's as Andy slowly walked by her hiding spot; looking at Phineas on his back she felt some worry about his condition, but despite that she still felt that any pain he was going through was deserved after he harmed Sakura. With a grumble she got up from her hiding spot and quickly approuched Andy from behind, "need help?" she asked, while she wore an angry expression, it was merely a faint.