Within The Light

Sora's First Friend

Sora's POV

Mitsuki had just finished his battle against another one of the Mist Ninja.  He came out victorious, leaving only four more competitors. Me, Ruri, Moeru, and another ninja from the Mist. Selfishly, I wanted to go up against the Mist ninja instead of Moeru. He was painfully embittering and only Ruri knew how to handle him. She never seemed to be bothered by him. Neither did I, but he still got under my skin without him knowing. There would be a reason for that.

"That counts four of us," Ruri commented, taking her time to examine the other competitors.

"Yeah, let's just hope it doesn't come down to you and I," I replied. Imagining such a thing was painful. In spite of my father's wishes, the last thing I wanted to do was go head to head with Ruri.

"That would be something I rather not witness, Birdie," Tadashi Sensei concurred, resting his hand on my head when the screen started rolling again. I hated the sound of it.

It stopped and I let out an audible groan. Ruri, reacted, "oof..."

Tadashi Sensei said, "damn, that's hell.. I mean, goodluck." He forgot he was a Sensei with the sight of the opponents' names.

Moeru Kasai vs. Sora Hikayu

"Haha, well would you look at that, Moeru?" Arashi laughed. "Isn't that a funny match."

"Funny? More like insulting," Moeru rolled his eyes. With his attitude intact, he walked down the stairs.

"A bully against his bullied," Tadashi Sensei thought. Then, he turned me around, both hands grasping my shoulders. "This is your time to shine, okay? I need you to be a big bean not a smol one."

Both Ruri and I gave him a conflicted look. Was he serious right now? He was...

"I mean, you'll always be one of my smol beans," he added. "But today you're a big bean. No, you're Bird, not Birdie. Your team believes in you and you believe in you. That's all that matters. No one else..."

No one else? My father's voice rang in my head, 'be someone I am not ashamed of.'

"Hey, loser!" Moeru called. "Hurry up, I ain't got all day!" Those words sounded so familiar they made my heart jump.

"Hm," I nodded at my sensei.

"Give him hell, Sora," Ruri prompted before I made my way downstairs.

Moeru stood several feet in front of me. He had always been taller than me. Always louder, more assertive. I became his target and I knew why. It had been all my fault to be honest. It wasn't until Ruri punched him that he began to lay off of me.

Tori flapped his wings, perched on my shoulder. My partner always followed me into battle. There was hardly a time when he wasn't of use. Tori was my wings, my eyes. I would be pretty lost without him.

"Alright, you may begin the match!" TenTen announced.

I wasn't expecting him to move so quickly. Meoru barely gave me any time to think before his feet moved and fist swung. Bold and strong, his every move sharp and swift. My own body rhythmically moved along, dodging and evading. By now, Tori had flown off my shoulder and onto the railing where eveyone watched.