Storm's Break (Completed, Editing)

Chapter 17

Shinra

I head out to track down some slayers. And answers. But the latter is more important. I find myself in front of Taiga High. It’s a rather bland building, dull grey, slightly grimy windows,  three floors. I never would have guessed - were it not for the scent - that there was an entire community of supernatural creatures in the school.

I guess while I’m here I might as well figure out the plan for the whole multi-class combat course…

After all, I’m stuck on guard duty. The real reason Luke can’t go. Course, when you think about it, the sheer number of supernatural creatures that will be participating in this trip… obviously I can’t go
I find myself however, throwing all my weapons into the Rip and slipping inside. Surprise surprise, I run into Jazon right away.
“Shinra? What are you… never mind that! You’re just what I needed - my class finished their fights early and are starting to get rowdy. Think you’d be up for beating down some wild teens?” Jason chuckles, excited.
“Sure, why not.” I shrug and follow him into the annex off the side of the school. 

It’s considerably more lively as I stroll in, barely taking time to glance at the exterior. I pause and wait when Jay motions for me to, listening as he breaks up a fight. His voice causes a shiver to roll up my spine. That is not the Jay I’m familiar with....

On a whim I summon my familiars. Este and silver soar into the room, tumbling over one another. Things don’t really change however, until a mechanical wolf and a shadow wolf tumble head over heels after the birds. My familiars shift, stand up, dust themselves off and apologize for interrupting class.
“Wait… You’re - Holy fuck you’re the Endrin familiars!” someone exclaims.

I can picture the face Aizen will be making, the way his nose would crinkle up and he’d grimace, though his dark eyes would be full of mirth. Este would probably be rolling his eyes and Eld… he wouldn’t change, expressionless unless you know where to look. Fortunately I do. His eyes would have guarded amusement.
“I resent that. We have names you -” he starts.
“I know! You’re Aizen Drazic! You look way hotter in person! And that one is Eld and Este… I don’t know who the last one is though…” a girl interupts.

I bristle at the comment as I pull my jacket out the rip zone and shrug it on. The military/trench coat style is tighter fitting at the top, made of black leather, with a high collar. It’s left open from the hips down, just under an angled belt. It swirls around my ankles as I move into the room, tilting my head.

~Aizen~

Silver-white hair cascades down Shinra’s shoulders, stark against the black jacket with it’s purple details. His steps are light, almost feline. Shi bears no weapons save the Felkit dagger - a gift from Fayne’s brother - strapped down the middle of his back, against his spine. And yet his entire being screams danger. Even I flinch, while going to stand beside him, my rightful place on his right. Este stands on his left, Eld and silver beside.

One student - the one who blatantly flirted with me - flat out faints. Others look shocked.
“I hear you’ve been giving your teacher, my friend, a hard time young ones.” 
“I - we - What?! Young ones?! I bet I’m older than you Vampire!” the student body tries to pretend like they hadn’t been causing trouble for the Isogai and take insult to being called young.
“Vampyre, actually. Spelled with a Y not an I. and believe me, fledgling. You are not older than me. What would you say your age to be?”
“Five-Hundred, ninety-seven.” the student says smugly. 

I just about fall over, I start laughing so hard. Are you kidding me? The fledgling needs to get his brain checked!
“An impressive age…. For your generation. But no, young one. You are not older than me. I am approaching my first millenium. As for causing trouble… I heard you fighting. It’s been requested that my familiars and I… teach you a lesson.”
“Oh?” several heads turn in our direction, excited by the prospect of a fight.
“You heard me. Today, all of you, all together, will go against me. I will not hold back, Este, Aizen, Eld and Malachai will not hold back.”

After that, chaos erupts. Jazon calmly steps onto the bleachers alongside a few students who have no wish to fight. Six or so rush at me and Eld goes down under a dozen or so. Shinra zips around the room so fast I can barely see him. Ducking under one student, I roll to my feet and slam my fist into their solar plexus. They stumble back, wheezing. Another  goes for me, only to scramble back and scream as my shadows erupt. Someone manages to grab me in an attempted choke-hold, so I grab their arm and judo-flip em, then kick at the person attempting to kick me.

A dryad tries to trap Mal with plant roots so I jump, using my opponents heads as springboards, and rip through the foliage. After that I have limited recollection of the battle, having devolved into my nightmare form.

When I finally breach the fog of darkness, having to full on claw my way out of it, it’s to find my head resting on a panting Shinra’s lap. He smiles sadly when he sees me awake.
“Welcome back”

Somehow the room hasn’t been destroyed, despite Eld taking up the better portion of it in his dragon form. A crater is in the center of the floor, exhausted Est and Mal perch on a chunk of iron embedded in the ground and students huddle in exhausted clusters.
“This. This is why you guys need to pay attention when Jazon is teaching. You had no idea what to expect, how to fight, anything. I mean, you fought well, but you fought as single beings, not a powerful, entity. Work together… and maybe, just maybe, you’ll beat us next time.” I sigh.

Unsurprisingly, the class edges back and titters nervously.
“Like hell we’d ever beat you!” one girl exclaims.
“Are you kidding me? That! That is why the Felkit were defeated in battle! They lost their leader and decided they couldn’t do it!” I snarl.

The whole class jumps in fright, like a flock of birds. Its highly amusing, but exhausting.
“I know you are not soldiers in an impossible war, but you signed up to learn how to protect yourselves and we’re damn well going to teach you because one day there will come a time, another war, a fight in an alleyway, and your going to feel like giving up because it’s inevitable. When your body feels heavy with exhaustion and your surrounded on all sides by enemies, nowhere to go, when you think there’s nothing left for you to do but give in. And then you’ll remember this day, this class. And you’ll get up one more time, fight back. And you will be the one to walk away!” I snarl.

~Jazon~

It’s clear that Aizen doesn’t realize the shadows are pooling around him like ink, where he’s on his feet, fists clenched, hair hanging around his eyes and shoulders in a curtain of black silk, longer than normal. 

Clearly, he doesn’t realize that his eyes are flickering slayer black - a deep onyx colour. And he absolutely doesn’t realize the memories are forming around the classroom. I have no clue what to make of it, he’s so angry, so… raw. 

Shinra tries to get to him, but collides with a barrier. A Crystal Rose. Given the time I could undo it, but that’s if I could get near the Drazic Nightmare. And obviously, I can’t get anywhere near him. Not with those shadows and the way that Shinra is flitting around him, panicking. Eventually I just shift forms, changing into a sun dragon. My class jumps, having only seen me shift into a wolf - and likely assume that I am a werewolf.

My light burns away the shadows and startles Shinra enough that he stops. I change back to my normal form and stalk forward, hair swishing around my ankles. Light swirls around me in excess from shifting, dancing along the walls, mingling with the remaining shadows to create flickering patterns. Once in front of the Crystal Rose, I press my hand to the barrier and send my magic dancing along it’s edges, until I find a fissure. Finally, I find one and work my magic through it, widening the crack into a spiderweb shattering effect. 

Beneath my hand the barrier shatters, raining down around me in shards of magic dust. Shinra lunges forward and catches his familiar as Aizen collapses. The group of them disappear in a swirl of smoke and dust, leaving the class gaping. I smirk as the bell rings and my class doesn’t move.
“That’s a wrap, see you all tomorrow!” I laugh.