Anise wasn’t exactly sure this was going to be good at all.  How was she supposed to find a nice rich man when she had a baby sit the Fon Master?  Nevertheless, her Score had told her that she was to be Fon Master Ion’s guardian, and her father and mother were so excited she couldn’t help but feel excited herself.  She was THE Fon Master Guardian, replacing that annoying, whining Gloomietta.  All that training finally paid off!

She adjusted Tokunaga, who was recently modified as a gift from her “friend” Dist (more like “half friend”, but that was beside the point).  What was taking Mohs so long?  She blinked wonderingly when the door opened and the fattened Maestro entered, leading a boy just a year older than her into the room by the hand.  He seemed very unsteady.

“This…” Ion murmured, staring wide eyed about the room, “this will take… getting… used to…”  The Fon Master suddenly tripped over his two feet and was sent sprawling to the floor.  He didn’t hit the tile, however, as Anise had quickly caught him.

“Fon Master, are you alright?” Anise asked, her brow furrowed in confusion, “You… you can’t even walk well?”

“How long has the Fon Master been ill?” Mohs said, glowering at the girl.  Anise glared at the man, “he’s been bedridden for three months.  It’s only natural that he can’t walk.”

“Poor Ion…” Anise murmured, “are you okay?”

Ion looked up at the girl, his eyes wide, “I… I’m Ion,” he said, almost mechanically.

The Fon Master Guardian giggled, “I know, Ion,” She helped the boy stand, and she took his hands in hers, “Come on, I’m sure some time outside would be nice.  My name’s Anise.  I’ll be your guardian from now on, alright?”

“Anise…?” The Fon Master asked, as if trying the name out on his tongue.  He suddenly smiled, “Anise… can we go to the… the… book room?”

“The library?”

“Right, the library,” Ion’s smile faded.  He looked rather sheepish now, “Sorry.  I just…”

“That’s fine, Ion,” Anise replied.  She understood he was still a little groggy.  She led the Fon Master off, feeling mighty proud that she was able to lead THE Fon Master by the hand.  Ion seemed to walk much better with Anise leading him rather than Mohs, “Let’s go read lots of books, alright?”

Ion’s eyes brightened at the proposition.  At first they seemed so dead… now they were alive and shining, “Yes, yes, Anise, that sounds wonderful!”  Anise blushed.  He was absolutely perfect…

---

The Replica tripped over his two feet.  Mohs practically growled, “It’s not so hard to WALK, is it?  Just remember, you CAN be replaced…”

“I can… be replaced…” The child (in mind) murmured, as if it were a fact.  No matter how much of a fact it was, he still didn’t want it.  He didn’t want to be a replacement…

Mohs pushed the door open, and the Ion replacement leaned on the Maestro as the two walked into the room.  Ion stared intently at the girl that stood up from her chair.  He did his best to gain his footing as he tried to release Mohs and walk on his own, “This…” He murmured, staring wide eyed about the room, “this will take… getting… used to…”  The Fon Master replica suddenly tripped over his two feet and was sent sprawling to the floor.  He didn’t hit the tile however, as the girl suddenly leapt up to attend to him, catching him before he hit the floor.

“Fon Master, are you alright?” The girl asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.  She looked the boy over, “You… you can’t even walk well?” He gulped.  He WAS just a replacement, after all…  This girl was smart.  She’d figure it out.  He wasn’t Ion…

“How long has the Fon Master been ill?” Mohs said, glowering at the girl.  Her eyes shot up at the man, and the boy shuddered lightly when her fingers gripped his arm involuntarily, “he’s been bedridden for three months.  It’s only natural that he can’t walk.”

“Poor Ion…” She murmured.  The boy, no, Ion looked up at her, staring into the eyes that bore no hatred, no contempt, but only kindness, “are you okay?”

Ion, who was not just a replica according to this other person, looked up at her, his eyes wide.  He wanted to drink her in, he wanted to look into the eyes of the girl that treated him with gentleness, “I… I’m Ion,” he said, hoping that she would accept it.  Mohs only called him Ion around other people.  He was just a replacement.  Perhaps, however, this girl thought differently.  Perhaps… to her… he was more than that…  

She giggled in response, “I know, Ion,” She helped the boy stand, and she took his hands in hers, “Come on, I’m sure some time outside would be nice.  My name’s Anise.  I’ll be your guardian from now on, alright?”

“Anise…?” The Fon Master asked.  Any new word was foreign to him.  It took him a moment to recognize that he could indeed speak it.  He suddenly smiled, “Anise… can we go to the… the…” Ion felt beads of sweat break out on his forehead.  He didn’t know the word!  How was he supposed to be a Fon Master if he didn’t know words?  He grasped ineffectually for the right word, and came up flat, “book room?”

Anise blinked at him; smiling at him as if he were a simple child (as indeed, that was what he was…) “You mean the library?”

“Right, the library,” Ion’s smile faded.  He tried to hide the sheepish blush on his cheeks with his free hand, “Sorry.  I just…”

“That’s fine, Ion,” Anise replied.  She led the Fon Master off, and the Fon Master smiled.  Simply being touched by such a wonderful girl made him walk much better than if Mohs were leading him, “Let’s go read lots of books, alright?”

Ion’s eyes brightened at the proposition.  At first he was scared that she wouldn’t accept him, he COULD be replaced, after all.  However, looking at her as she led him carefully from the room, he felt lighthearted.  What was this perfect feeling?  It made him feel alive.  When he looked at her, he knew he wasn’t a replacement.  He was ION, “Yes, yes, Anise, that sounds wonderful!”  Anise blushed at his words, and he smiled brightly.

Thank you, Anise… Ion thought to himself as he put one foot in front of the other, willing himself not to trip, My most cherished…