(no subject)

[kat8cha]

You would never know it to look at him, but Ryohei had been a quiet kid. Ryohei's parents hadn't thought it was strange really, well, not until they had cheerful, burbling, sweet Kyoko, and then they had looked at quiet Ryohei and wondered… well, was there anything wrong? It was not as if Ryohei never spoke, he said 'mama' and 'papa' and 'Kyoko', Ryohei was enamored with his little sister, but Ryohei didn't talk more than was needed. He was a solemn looking child, the type you would pat on the head and then glance back at over your shoulder, wondering if the little ghost boy had disappeared.

"Nii-chan." Kyoko cling to Ryohei's hand. They were exploring their Uncle Mori's backyard, their family was having a reunion and Uncle Mori's house was where it was being held. "Nii-chan what's that?"

Ryohei squinted at the funny looking fuzzy worm. "Um…"

"It's a caterpillar." A voice said from behind them. Ryohei and Kyoko turned to look. Their Uncle Mori was standing there was a smile on his face. Uncle Mori was their mother's youngest brother, and while he was Grandpa Isshin's son, he wasn't Grandma Ukyo's son. Uncle Mori, Ryohei had heard his mom whisper, was a half. Ryohei wasn't sure what that meant but Uncle Mori looked whole to him. "You must be Kyoko-chan, and you're Ryohei-kun."

"Yes, Uncle Mori." The two children replied in unison, Kyoko giggling afterwards.

"Mmm." Uncle Mori tapped his chin with one finger. "Do you two know what caterpillars turn into?"

"No." Shouldn't caterpillars stay caterpillars?

Uncle Mori ruffled Ryohei's hair. "Butterflies."

The next day Kyoko got trapped into going shopping with their mom and two of their aunts and Ryohei had been left behind at Uncle Mori's. Ryohei had played with his plastic dinosaurs until he got bored and decided to go exploring. Ryohei had already seen the kitchen, and the guest room, and the bath. One of the door's Ryohei tried was locked, but the other opened with just a slight push. It turned out to be Uncle Mori's study.

"…wow…" There were gold glittery things all around the room. Trophies, Ryohei realized. Trophies of something. Ryohei couldn't read yet, but he knew that if he COULD read the trophies would have told them what they were around. There were big trophies, and little trophies, and a few trophies in the shape of two funny shaped looking mittens. Ryohei peered into the case some of the trophies were kept in, leaving finger prints on the glass and pressing his nose against the glass so that his breath steamed it up. There was a picture inside, and it was of Uncle Mori and someone who was wearing some sort of weird hat. A hat like the type of cartoon elephant Ryohei saw on some of the less educational children's television shows.

"Ryohei? Ah, there you are." Uncle Mori pushed the door to the study open further and stepped inside. "Like my trophies? They're for boxing."

"What's boxing?" Ryohei asked.

Uncle Mori laughed a little. "It's a sport. I'll teach you how to box when you're a little older, okay?"

"I want to learn now!" Ryohei demanded. It was the first thing Ryohei had ever really felt the need to throw a tantrum about. Boxing sounded… sounded cooler than dinosaurs.

Uncle Mori ruffled Ryohei's hair. "Alright, alright, I'll teach you a little okay? But you have to promise not to hit your sister."

Ryohei stared at his uncle like Uncle Mori was crazy. "I'd NEVER hit Kyoko!" Hit Kyoko? Why would ANYONE want to hit Kyoko? That was just mean!

Uncle Mori patted Ryohei's head. "You wouldn't would you. Well that's good to know." Uncle Mori crouched down at Ryohei's side and motioned to the picture Ryohei had been staring at. "Interested in my master?"

"Master?" Ryohei questioned, turning back to look at the man in the funny elephant hat.

"Yeah. That's Master Paopao. He taught me everything I know."