Six years had passed since P and Rain's mother left them but her last words were never far from any of their thoughts, nor any of the other words that had been spoken that night. Rain was now fifteen, one of the oldest girls on the street and along with Lala many of the younger children looked up to them.
Lala was a natural when it came to looking after the kids, acting as much as any big sister could. She never got tired of taking care of them when they got hurt or sick and gave them little trinkets that she'd pick up when she ventured into the surrounding night markets, much to Smoky's disapproval.
She also loved telling them the stories that she remembered Rain's mother would tell them, some traditional and others that had been made up on the spot but were no less memorable.
While Rain also cared for the children, she couldn't hold a candle to Lala's nurturing personality which just seemed to come naturally to the other girl. Rain instead spent most of her day's looking after the Nameless Street in her own way as P and Smoky still wouldn't let her patrol with them.
One late autumn afternoon this argument came to a head when the boys were about to do another run through the deeper parts of the factory, "Remind me why I can't come with you again?" She had cut them off coming out of the entrance to the basement levels of one of the power supply buildings.
"Because Rain every time you've come with us you've gotten hurt and our parents would't like that you keep putting yourself in harms way like this. I'm the oldest, therefore what I say goes, we've already had this discussion before." "Only a couple of times," she retorted.
"Listen to your brother Rain he just want's whats best for you and your safety," Shion tried to interject and diffuse the tension, but Rain's focus was solely on her brother. "P! I'm fifteen soon to be sixteen in a week, mom and dad are gone I can look after myself. Besides it's not like you or any other of you boys haven't gotten hurt before, sometimes worse than me."
She gave a cold stare to each of the boys who she knew had had worse injuries than her standing behind P. "I remember just last week Smoky sent you back early because of a twisted knee."
She now looked to Smoky who was standing overhead on makeshift walkway with Takeshi and a couple of the other boys. "And you? What's your reason for not letting me come with you?"
Over the last few years while Lala was becoming more of a big sister for the children of the Street, Smoky had become more and more of a protector. He still had his stoic disposition there was no doubt about that. He inspired many of the older boys to follow in his foot steps to keep the Nameless Street safe from outsiders who'd want to exploit it.
P, Takeshi, and Shion were all great protectors as well but non had that spark of leadership that Smoky manifested. Whenever there was a disagreement Smoky was always the level headed one everyone listened too and his drive to protect their home was an inspiration to all that witnessed it.
Rain knew that if she wanted to join their little gang, getting approval from P wasn't all she needed. She also needed and actually wanted Smoky's approval as well.
There was a long pause before Smoky spoke down to her, "It's not my place to say. If you bring others into the Nameless Street or keep insisting on accompanying Lala off to other streets than it'd be by business. P is your brother therefore I'll respect his wishes. Stay here and help Lala with the kids. Don't create more inconvenience than you already have." His tone was soft but the harsh quality of how he said it was not lost on her ears.
"Thank you Smoky!" P was glad to have him backing his decision. "Jeez, you don't have to be so rude about it," she turned around and walked back down the street to where Lala was preparing a large stew for the kids.
The sun was just beginning to set when the boys showed up again for what was left of Lala's stew. Rain came to sit down between Shion and Smoky and with new found determination made them an offer.
"I've been thinking, what can I do to try and convince you guys to let me run and spar with you... How about we race?" The boys looked up from their bowls, she smiled now that she had spiked their curiosity and continued, "Tomorrow, whoever can get all the way to the other side of the Nameless Street to the tallest point on the power plant's tower wins. If I win, you let me join you when I want. If any of you win, I'll stay down here and you wont hear me talk or ask about this ever again...So, do we have a deal?" She knew P wouldn't agree so she focused the question towards Shion and Smoky, but it was Takeshi who spoke first, "Why not? What do we really have to lose?"
P knew his sister was good at baiting him and looked apprehensive about the whole situation, his eyes meeting Smoky's urging him not to take the deal. Smoky was fair and his mind began accessing the proposition Rain put forward before she had even finished.
The chances that one of his boys, including himself, would win was very high. He really didn't have any problems with Rain. In fact he admired her determination in the matter but the idea of this constant issue never being brought up again was promising.
He placed his bowl down beside him and looked to the center of the circle, to no one in particular, "Fine." He couldn't see it but he could feel Rain's excited energy start to build from beside him.
He turned to her and finished, "But, you have to promise me and the rest of the boys whatever the outcome, you will accept it. We win and you don't bother us anymore when we are on patrols."
In an almost cunning tone that revealed she thought she already had them beat she gracefully accepted his response, "You've got yourself a deal." Smoky's face never changed but he couldn't help but feel like a small grin would creep over his face if he let it. He instead opted to finished his stew and with one last sip proceeded to help Lala clean up.
From where she sat, Rain could feel her brother's cold glare of disapproval, but she didn't care. Tomorrow she was going to prove those rude boys wrong, she was confident. No longer would she have to hear their rude tone and remarks, no matter how good they or Lala said their intentions may be.
She didn't want to be looked at in this way, she never had been when they were younger, but with the passing of her parents things had slowly changed. Now this was the chance she had been waiting for for the last five year, those boys weren't the only ones who could defy gravity.