Edge opened his eyes to see that the boy was staring him dead in the
face, awaiting a response of some kind.
	"Um... er..." Edge stammered, and instantly realized that he could
speak.  I don't recall being able to speak in any of my dreams, Edge
thought, but then again I don't recall needing to speak, either.
	The boy smiled innocently at Edge.  "Are you alright?" he asked,
hoisting the rusty sword triumphantly in the air and admiring it.
	Edge nodded, then said, "You can see me, boy?"
	"I HAVE a name," the boy said, and pouted.  "You'd think you know
what it is by now..."
	Edge raised an eyebrow.  "Yes, I recall... Timon, isn't it?"
	Timon nodded.
	Edge continued, "And why should I know who you are?"
	"Well, sir, I thought everyone knew about the curious stranger who
came to town and brought nothing but trouble."  Timon grinned and rolled his
eyes.  "Like a twelve-year-old can cause any trouble."  He giggled, and
flexed, trying to look mighty.
	Edge smiled.  "No, I'm not from around here, you see..."
	Timon cut in, "No, I thought not.  You don't look like anyone I
know.  You're probably wondering why I'm talking to strangers.  Well, noone
else wants to talk to me... I have a few friends, but they only hang around
me during school.  In fact, I was on my way home from there when I thought I
saw something shine downstream.  I leaned over that bridge..."  Timon
gestured to the log bridge, which could barely be seen from this
distance, "...to see what it was, and fell."
	"I saw you fall.  That fall would have killed any normal twelve-year-
old..."
	"Yeah, well, that should tell you something, shouldn't it."  Timon
shrugged, and swung his rusty sword a couple of times through the air.
"Wait 'till I show this to the guys... betcha they'll like me now."
	Edge glared at the rusty sword, trying to determine its type and
possible value.
	"By the way..." Timon added.
	"Yes?"
	"Why is it that you're a ghost?"
	Edge blinked.
	"A ghost?" Edge asked.
	"Yes," Timon replied, "A ghost."
	"What makes you think I'm a ghost?"
	"I can see through you."
	Edge looked down at his hands and, indeed, found that he was semi-
transparent.  He looked down at his feet, and found them to be about an inch
off the ground.  Edge shook his head in dismay.  "No, this can't be..."
	Timon sat on the rock from which the sword was drawn, looking down
at Edge.  "I'm sorry, sir.  I didn't mean to make you sad."
	Edge looked up at Timon, and floated up to meet his gaze.  "It's
alright, Timon... I had to learn sooner or later."  But deep inside, Edge
felt pain, sorrow, grief.
	Timon hopped off the rock and into the shallow water behind it.
"Well, I hafta get back home or Grampy will worry about me... you can come
if you want."  With that, timon climbed on shore and began to follow a path
through the trees.
	Edge hovered in place.  "So I'm dead.  Swell.  The bastard went and
killed me.  'I merely wish to remove you from my life', he said.  Hah.  If I
had a gold piece for every time I've heard that from..."
	Timon's shout seemed to come from nowhere.  "Are you comin' or what,
sir?  I can't stick around long!"
	Edge looked down the path.  Maybe I can figure out where I am...
	"I'm comin', hold yer horses!"  Edge called.  Edge then floated to
shore and jogged down the path.

	As the two walked, Timon told Edge all about his school, his Grampy,
his hopes of being a wizard someday...
	"So, Edge... where ARE you from?  You never did tell me."  Timon
smiled as he speed-walked down the path.
	"I am from a place called Eblan, Timon.  I am king there."
	"Hey, wow, royalty!  So do I call you your Highness, your Majesty,
or what?"
	"Edge will be fine, really."  Edge smiled.  "Now where is it that
you are from?"
	Timon shrugged.  "I'm adopted.  All Grampy told me is that he
took me in when I was a baby.  He never mentioned where I was from."
	Edge nodded.  "And what is the name of the place we're going to
again?"
	"..."
	Edge blinked.  "Pardon?"
	"..."  Timon said again, waving his hands for emphasis.
	"I can't seem to hear you, Timon."  Edge strained his ears.
	"...!" Timon appeared to bellow the town's name.
	This is very strange, Edge thought, strange indeed.
	"Are you deaf or something, Edge?  Sheesh.  Old people."
	"Don't worry about it Timon.  Maybe I AM getting a little
old."  Edge managed a dry chuckle.  I guess if I were meant to know, I
would.
	The two entered a large clearing.  Knee-high tufts of grass
covered the field.  A path turned toward the waning sun and led to
what appeared to be a small village.  "Not much farther now,"  Edge
commented.
	Suddenly, something jumped out of the brush and just as quickly
jumped back in.
	Timon drew his sword from his belt.  "D.. did you see that, Edge?"
	Edge nodded.  "Do you know what is was?"
	Timon scratched his head in thought.  "Umm... lemme think..."
	The thing leapt out of the grass again, and hopped in the pair's
direction.  It vanished again in the tall grass.
	Timon snapped his fingers.  "A Rabbite!"
	"A what?" Edge said in a monotone.
	"It's a little yellow rabbit, kind of.  There shouldn't be any
around here, though."
	The Rabbite suddenly leapt into view three feet from the pair.  It
did indeed look like a rabbit... except that is was more bulbous, like a
slime.
	Timon looked to Edge, "What do we do?"
	Edge looked at the little creature, then grinned.  "Is it really
dangerous?"
	"For a little kid it is, yeah!  Should I whack it with this sword?"
	Edge nodded.  "That would seem the right thing to do."
	Timon took a step toward the creature and swung a huge arc of sword
at the Rabbite.  Timon struch the creature a glazing blow.  The Rabbite,
angered at this sudden pain, leapt at Timon.
	Timon cartwheeled out of the Rabbite's path, and the Rabbite landed
softly on the ground.
	Edge shouted.  "Now, Timon!  Dive at it!"
	Timon spun around and lunged at the Rabbite, sword extended.  Timon
impaled the creature to the hilt with the rusty blade.  The Rabbite wheezed,
then fell.
	"Way to go!"  Edge congratulated Timon.
	Timon smiled.  "Maybe I'm good for something after all."
	Maybe indeed, Edge thought.