It was new moon and darkness gladly enveloped everything in its warm hug. Street lights did nothing to diminish its power; it looked like they were more likely to go out themselves.

Most houses shared their sentiment and one by one all windows went black. Midnight hour was drawing closer and even the most resistant left for their dream world, or a game one more often.

All fell asleep but one boy.

He lay on his bed and watched the flashing screen of his computer. It stood but a few meters away yet he didn't go to see from whom the message was. Nobody would expect him to answer so late.

He smiled ruefully. There had been a time. One person once knew how much he abhorred all the rules; how he felt they were there only for him to break.

It was a very long time ago.

He had been three or four when he first met her. He had been walking down a street when he noticed one of his kindergarten mates crying next to an alley. Growling sounds would come out of there from time to time after which she would start sobbing harder.

He being the brave hero he was came to ask what had happened and she pointed to an alley. Houses on its sides were leaning in, shadowing the place. To understand the situation he went deeper in from where the growling came.

A large dog almost his own size was venting his disgust at a little kitten that had curled up into a small ball and was mewing pathetically.

"Is it your pet?" he asked coming out. She nodded tearfully. "My brother gifted it to me... Today is my birthday..."

He had gone back into the alley and she had followed him renting her tale without being asked. "I wanted to go outside with him to show Nica and Molly but he escaped my hands and rushed down the street. I tried to follow but that big dog showed up and forced him into a corner. I don't know what to do!" she sobbed out and the dog turned to give her a glare for that high-pitched voice. She caught her breath and froze in place shivering all over.

He had felt energy and joy surge through him. It was his time to shine, to save a maiden in distress. He was going to be a knight! A true one!

With that sole thought in mind he found an old broom, no longer fit for service, but still half intact in a nearby garbage container. His new possession in hand he came up to the dog and growled at him, poking. It took the animal’s attention from the kitten and the dog turned to him. Not for the first time in his life he had found himself questioning his own judgment on what was considered a good idea. But like usually there had been no backing down.

He had pushed his shoulders forward, crowding the dog's space and snarled as angrily as he could. It was a strange sound, not threatening at all, but the animal had decided it was better not to play with the fool and better make his exist. He hadn't been rabid, just stray.

Then he had proudly gone to pick his win and received a scratching of his life. The little kitten was so scared he attacked everything on sight. It took him ages to pick the poor thing and carry him to the girl who was looking at him with worshipping eyes. It felt really great.

That was the only reason why he agreed to go to her house and let her mother bandage his hands which were bleeding.

On their way they had talked about various things and he'd learnt she was an oddball like him. She didn't like to follow rules but was too scared to break them. However, she tended to misinterpret them a lot.

When her mother was done she showed him to her room which was all greens and oranges with some pink in the mix. Colors were clashing among each other and he pointed it out for which she was very angry. It seemed like it was going to be a really short friendship but she found it in herself to forgive him by remembering that he had saved her kitty.

He was forced to agree to never say his opinion about her stuff or anyone else's for that matter because it was very rude, and that was the beginning of their relationship. It was a wild ride with him managing to coax her into many adventures which meant breaking thousands of rules and her teaching him the protocols of keeping a friend.

It was hard work and he had failed in the end.

***

They had pretended to fall asleep and while the teacher went to have a chat with her friends got up and left the room. In moments they dressed up and were standing by a large tree in the corner of the playground. It was old and wide with thick green canopy on top. However, it was very low compared to all others.

"We can't get on it, it's too high" Sam whispered looking at the lowest branch. It was just over her head but it seemed like a mile away.

"Yes, we can" Kirin disagreed, thinking of how exactly to do it. "I'll lift you up and then you'll help me."

Sam wasn't able to share her thoughts of it when she felt herself leave ground and sway towards the branch. Her hands grabbed it instinctively to right herself. "Hurry, I can’t hold you forever" Kirin murmured and she tried to drag herself up. "I'm not you! I can't do it" she whined. "You're not trying hard enough" he said and lifted her a bit more. It helped her to get both her hands over the branch, push on it and throw one leg over.

And she was on.

"I'm up!" she whispered in wonder and her friend beamed at her. "I knew you could do it!"

It was now time for him to get up too.

The girl was too uncertain of her sitting place to be of any use so he went to the sandbox and grabbed a bucket. He emptied it and put underside up under the branch, a little closer to the tree's main body when the girl was. He stepped on it and being eye level with the branch jumped on it.

He lay hanging over his waist and carefully itched himself sideways. It wasn't going to end nicely no matter to which side he fell, backward or forward.

"You broke it" Sam whispered when he was almost sitting on the branch normally. "Broke what?" "The sand bucket."

He looked down and saw a wide line running down the plastic's side. "No one will know it was me" he said in a voice of one assured of his success and the girl nodded. Her friend had a miraculous way of escaping trouble. It was a legend among the kids.

Many asked him how he had never been caught while being one who broke the rules most, but none received an answer. Watching helped none too as all Kirin did was look at the adults' eyes and they turned to jelly agreeing to everything he said. It was magic. And because of it many kids distanced themselves from him. Everyone who had ever been caught held a grudge against him.

Envy is a very strong force.

She watched him standing up on the branch, something she would never have dared to do, and wondered how he managed to put everything behind himself and smile like he was doing now. It seemed like he didn't even remember the bug in his soup or water in his bed. Shouldn't he feel wet even if he had used the blankets only for some twenty minutes until the teacher left and they could sneak out?

Before her mind returned to the matters at hand he was halfway to the tree's top. "What are you doing?" she asked grabbing onto her branch. She felt faint just by watching how high he was, how he wavered slightly before grabbing onto a branch and righting himself up.

"I want to reach the top" he said smiling back at her. "You should come too, there are many handholds here. It's easy!"

"I'm afraid of heights" she answered watching his climb.

He pursed his lips for the millionth time at that answer. He never seemed to understand how a person could be afraid of such a silly thing but knew better than to question her.

"What have you been thinking all that time?" he asked sitting at the top where he was almost wholly hidden by leafs. "You looked somewhat worried. Did anything happen to the kitten?"

"No. I was wondering why you don't become friends with others too. They could be of more help in your escapades than me." Some why when she said it, it sounded like a plead for compliment. She had father for it, she didn't need a boy to tell her anything.

"I don't want to" came an answer from above. And that was all she learned no matter how much she questioned. It was almost like he was hiding something.

She shook her head dismissing the thought. Kirin was too open and friendly to hide anything. It was only she who had skeletons in her closet like her mother said. She wasn't sure what it meant but it sounded important so she remembered the saying.

"Do you think many have climbed up here?" he asked waking her from her thoughts. "I don't think anyone dared" she said with a laugh. "You're the bravest of all!"

"Aye! I'm a mighty pirate watching for enemy ships! Do you think we'll find something?"

"I hope so! The sea is so calm today!" she said and pretended to be dying of boredom coming closer to lean against the tree.

"I don't think it's a pirate ship!" Kirin shouted out and she sat up straighter. "It's Kraken!"

Her hands grasped invisible weapons. "I have harpoons! Which side he'll strike from, captain?"

"From the right, sailor! Pass one to me too! Crew to the sails and cannons! This is going to be a long battle!"

"Aye, captain!"

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Author's Note:

Well, here's a start to another beginning. Hopefully, it's at least as good as the previous ones and paves a good road for the upcoming chapters.

However, there's a big downside to my future release dates. Exams are coming up. My first exam is like... tomorrow! It's English so I'm not TOO worried but after it comes highschool finishing events, other exams such as Lithuanian (going to be fine), math(tragedy, how am I ever going to pass it?), history (will survive although I'm not sure why am I taking it when I don't need it at all) and then IT(scary, how stupid could I have been to decide to study programming..?). So yeah hardly any time to write. In case I'll get some free time I'll upload a chapter but no promises.