What I Wouldn't Give

How and Why?

"Why is there a ribbon in your hair?"

Someone yanks on Phi's braid, and he whirls around to glare at them. "Is there a problem?"

The guy standing there looks like a complete dork, wearing pink facepaint and dressing like he found those clothes in a dumpster. "Yeah, there's a problem. You have a ribbon in your hair. You look like a girl."

Phi stares at him, completely unfazed. "And how does that affect you in any way?"

The guy looks stunned. He then shakes his head and says, "Because I can't stand having to look a guy with a ribbon in his hair. Like I said, you look like a girl."

"Maybe I want to look like a girl."

The guy is stunned once again, and quickly forces himself to recover. "Well, that doesn't matter to me. You look like a girl. I have every right to mock you for it. Freedom of speech, pal."

He yanks the braid again, causing Phi to let out a rather loud yelp of pain. The guy then rips the ribbon off the end of the braid, and Phi stares as the guy holds it high above his head.

"Give that back," Phi says, "A little girl put that in my hair for me."

"Aw, a little girl? Was it you?"

At that moment, said little girl runs up. "HEY! GIVE THAT BACK TO HIM!"

The guy looks down at her with such a snooty expression that it even makes Phi glare. "Aw, are you the little girl who braided this guy's hair?"

"Give it back!" Naru shrieks and dives for him. The guy effortlessly pushes her off, but Naru dives for him again and again.

At last, the guy picks her up by the back of her shirt and flings her against the wall.

"Augh!" She falls to the ground, starting to whimper in pain.

Phi stares at her, and then glares at the guy standing there, still holding the ribbon out of Phi's reach as if he expects Phi to jump for it and whine.

"Big mistake," Phi says.

He reaches into his pocket and feels his Bey, feeling the pulsating energy radiating from both Phoenix and the Vortex.

"Really, really big mistake."

The sclera of Phi's eyes go black. The guy's eyes widen, and he stumbles back a step. Phi raises a hand.

"Say goodbye. Forever."

At that moment, a flaming vortex appears in the air behind Phi, one that the guy could apparently see, based on how utterly terrified he looked. He felt as his feet began to scrape along the ground, as he's yanked closer and closer to the black hole. Terror radiates from his face, and he falls down to his hands and knees, clinging to the ground for dear life.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He shouts.

"How dare you do that to a little girl!" Phi sounds more angry about that than about anything else.

"I'm sorry!" the guy shouts. "Please, forgive me! I don't wanna die!"

"Phi, stop it!"

Phi looks over to see that Naru is up again, sitting there against the wall, cowering in fear. Instantly, his eyes return to normal, and the vortex vanishes. The guy lets out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Here!" he throws the ribbon to the ground. "Take your stupid girly ribbon! I'm out of here!"

With that, he scrambles to his feet and sprints away at a record pace. Phi gracefully bends down and picks up the ribbon. He walks over to Naru and sits down beside her, against the wall.