The Heart of a Howl

Light Expires

For the first time in months, maybe even years, I fell asleep comfortable, and safe. This weekend alone was, perfect almost. I woke up with Horkeu in my bed, his bigger stature overtaking my slightly smaller size. His body felt cold, but nice. He held me in his arms all night, and his steady breathing lulled me to sleep each night. It's strange really, the contrast of his warm breath on me, while still feeling his chilled body. The morning sun shines through the curtains, almost blinding me when I'm still waking up, but also half asleep. I turned to my side while in Horkeu's gentle grasp around me from the night. Estelle, Reina and Blair stayed at the guild for the weekend, so it was just Horkeu and I at home the whole time. It felt, weird, feeling so secure. I managed to lift myself off the bed, seeing the silver wolf sleeping soundly, I smiled. A yawn escaped me as I was still waking up, this whole weekend, has just involved a lot of dancing. I stood up from the bed, only wearing a plain light grey hoodie and my underwear. 'Mmmm... where did I put them?' I thought to myself, still out of it, searching my nightstand for my glasses. I found them, seeing that they were under Horkeu's headband. It's design still intrigues me whenever I look at it, knowing it's clearly from a culture I know nothing about. "Hm, I should ask him about it at some point. I mean, he's sleeping in my bed after all." I yawn again, closing the curtains in a way so they don't shine on the wolf while he's still sleeping. I look at him for a few seconds, another small smile coming across my lips, hearing his faint but still audible breathing. Sitting on the edge, his sleeping figure is almost too charming, and I plant a small kiss on his forehead, seeing a small curve grow on his lips as well. I grabbed my phone and walked to the bathroom, still half asleep, and well, admittedly, I do bump into the wall a few times. The window still lets the morning light through the smaller bathroom, cloaking it in a warm golden light. Brushing my teeth, washing my face, I noticed something about myself. "Hm, I think I outgrew my hair already." I looked at my reflection in the mirror, seeing the long wolf tail style haircut that Estelle gave me all those months ago. In a quick motion of my hand, I created a smaller size of Hikari, like an ordinary pair of shears. I spent a few minutes cutting my hair to a shorter length, like how it was before Es had a hand in it. I finished washing up, picking up all the loss hair and throwing it into the trash can. I looked in the mirror again, running my fingers through the back of my head, a sigh of contempt escapes me as I'm satisfied with my new look. "Just like before huh? Hah, sorry sis." Dismissing Hikari, I walked out the bathroom, still a bit sleepy, but noticing Horkeu is still asleep. I smile again, and walk downstairs, seeing the morning light all through the living room. The kitchen was mostly lit up, so there was no need to turn on any lights. The kettle was sitting on stove, still untouched from nights before. I turned it in, and filled it with water. I opened the backdoor to let some air in, and I could already feel the cool air from the cold season coming. A few minutes pass and the kettle starts screeching, and I have a cup of coffee in just a few seconds. "Honestly, I don't think I'd mind this kind of life." I said to myself, laying against the patio and taking a sip. "Still, I never thought I'd relive myself the way I did Thursday.. but." I take another sip, genuinely smiling right after. "But I think it was a better time as any." "So, how's my little rose doing this morning?" The voice came out of nowhere, and suddenly I had strong arms wrapped around me from behind. A chill went up my spine for a second, and I felt Horkeu rest his chin on my shoulder, a smile on his face. "Well, it is a little chilly for my tastes, but it's not all bad. Honestly, I've grown used to the cold over the weekend." He smiles again, gently nuzzling my cheek with the side of his face. "You know, you sleep like a little puppy in my arms Vio." "Uh- okay now, you don't have to go saying that! I haven't slept with anyone else before so how should I know?!" "Ahahahahaha! I'm just teasing is all. Well, admittedly, it was still very cute to see you so vulnerable. Before, you were always so, tense. Now it's like you're a completely different person." Tense, huh? Well, he's not entirely wrong. "Oh really now? I've only recently accepted your confession and now you can't seem to take your hands off me." "Heh, you're just very important to me now. I want to make sure you're safe, and that you're not hurting in the way you were before." I raised an eyebrow, and the wolf held me tighter. "Even after I told you how I felt, some days I'd still see, a kind of sadness in your eyes. Like, you're looking for something you've lost, but never find." "Hm, well, you're not wrong Horkeu. In a way, I kinda am looking for someone." His ear flicks up as I speak. Holding my hand out in front of me, an orb of light appears in my palm and slowly takes shape of a pair of scissors. "This, is Hikari. A part of my sacred artifact. It's, the last thing I have from my mother. Well, you have seen it before, but not when it's completely covered in light." Horkeu gazed at the sharp weapon in my hands, astounded to how heavy it looks, how I can carry it with almost no problem. "So, this is what you used when you battled Macan that one time?" "Mhm, it belonged to my mother, so I inherited it from here. She called it the Blades of Balance, and, it's only half of what I have right now. Before any of us, she was a summoner, and a damn powerful one at that." I placed down my cup on the small table next to us, and I walked to the clearing between the patio and the cherry blossom tree. I let go of Hikari, and it floated peacefully in the center, a soft glow slowly enveloping it. I walked to the tree, bashing the bark a few times to get some of the flowers to fall off. They did, in a beautiful manner, almost like pink snow fall. Small flickers of light appeared from me, as I start a simple dance, surrounded by the falling flora. "She was a dancer in France, and she had control of two incredibly powerful spirits. Two wolf spirits, one named Amaterasu, and the other, Tsukuyomi. She was known as the "Fleur du Ciel. The Flower of the Sky." My chest shone brightly, a small burst of light surrounding me as I keep my movements in tune with the petals. The light takes on a form, a wolf, walking around me, as if surveying the area. It's eyes a beautiful orange, as if they were the sun itself. "Vio, you're, a summoner?" Horkeu questioned. "No. Not even close really. This is Amaterasu, one of the wolf spirits my mother used to control. I don't know too much about her powers, since she passed away soon after Blair was born. I've had to learn how to tame her all on my own, but of course it did take a long time though." The white spirit walks towards me as I lower down to my knees, petting it's head and chin. "That dance, is my summoning rite, I guess you can say. It's one of the two ways I can use Amaterasu's full power. It's kinda identical to my mother' dance, Dormir au Soleil, Sleep in the Sun." "Hmm, it's strange. I just have this feeling I've heard of them from somewhere. But, what's the other method?" "If I overexert my power, she'll come in to provide any additional strength to me. Like last time, I activated Okami, that state where I'm using my power to its fullest. My entire body turns white, and my eyes turn blue. But well, even now I still have some trouble trying to call it without being in those two situations." "Wait, you said this power is only half of what you have now. Where's the other half?" "Oh, Tsukuyomi. He's my mother's other spirit, but she told me that when I was born, there wasn't another vessel that could handle his power. Estelle didn't inherit him, instead she was born with Amaterasu's flames. So after I came up, he just, disappeared. No one knows where he is or what happened to him. And well, that's what I'm looking for. Tsukuyomi is the last piece of my mom's legacy, and I feel like since I inherited Amaterasu, it's my responsibility to find Tsukuyomi and get the pair together again." The light around me began to dim down, and the wolf made of light faded back into my chest. "Wow.. more and more, you amaze me everyday." I looked away embarrassed, hoping Horkeu didn't catch my blush, although a slight one. "Oh right, I forgot to tell you. Claude called me this morning. He wants us to come to the guild today for a small meeting, I'm not sure what it was for though." "Hm? This early? It's not usually like him to schedule something so out of the blue." "Well, whatever it is, we'd better get there soon. Apparently he wants you to train a newcomer, although I didn't catch their name." I sigh after hearing him. I'm not a good teacher, hell I'm still trying to figure out how to control my own power let alone the sharpness ability the app gave me. Horkeu and I walk back into the house and promptly get dressed. Over the weekend, I decided to leave my old black coat behind, seeing as it's in the past with all my secrecy from Horkeu. I leave it in my closet, now covered behind the rest of my clothes. I walk out my room, seeing Horkeu standing downstairs by the door waiting for me. "Oh!" He looked surprised when he saw me, now sporting a new and completely different attire. Still keeping my dress shirt, vest and tie, I'm wearing a white long coat now, with a rose and thorn pattern adorning the left sleeve as it goes along the back of the jacket. I forgot Horkeu hasn't seen me with my glasses on, since I'm usually wearing contacts instead. "Oh.. wait, do I look too weird? Agh, it's the jacket isn't it?" Horkeu stayed silent, just, looking at me. "You, look, really good, actually. And the coat suits you, Rosewood." I blush slightly, and let out a small laugh. We both head out the house while I lock up, feeling better than ever, not feeling like the burden I'm carrying is as heavy now. The air was cool, signaling the coming winter season. It's childish really, feeling like I'm so vulnerable now, since I just, removed myself with Horkeu the other night. "You're taking your first steps into renewal Vio, it's okay to be a little nervous. You can still be as stoic and secretive as you want, as long as I get to see the real you." He said, gently holding my hand in his. I was reluctant at first, but the cold, familiar touch brought along a sense of comfort, so my body relaxed after a few seconds. We made our way through town, just, feeling free. I've been out for as long as I can remember, but never like this. Just, holding his hand like this in public was a whole new challenge for me. We got all kinds of looks from people as we continued our walk to the guild, and well, admittedly, some did catch my attention. "Don't worry Vio. You don't need to be afraid of what people think." I smiled gently at his words, feeling secure again, but only ever around him. "Oh my! What a handsome couple!" A woman said behind us, smiling and tugging at her friend's arm. "Oh you're right! Awww look how the one in white sticks so close to the other, it's so charming!" My face turned red, so I covered what I could with my other free hand, and Horkeu just laughed. "It's okay to be a little nervous Vio." He places his thumb at my chin, and looked me in the eye. "Besides, it's nice to see this side of you." He completely silenced me by planting a kiss on my lips, easily catching me by surprise. The women swooning over us shriek like school girls seeing the high school hottie take his shirt off during gym class or something. "H-Horkeu! What the hell?!" "Hah, what? I'm just getting you out of your comfort zone!" He runs away before I can even think of what else to say. I chased after him all the way to the guild, my face probably still blushing from the silver wolf's little scheme. I slowed my pace a bit more once I noticed signs strewn all over the neighborhood. "Seasonal Cultural and Sports Grand Festival! Enter the Tournament of the Wards!" I walked closer to the sign posted in front of the guild, displaying the message in large words and two silhouettes battling in an arena. Horkeu and I looked at each other confused, and for some reason, I got a bad feeling in my stomach when I looked at the sign. I held it on instinct, but the reason why evaded me. "Hm? Hey, are you alright Vio?" "Y-yeah, just got a bit nauseas is all. Haven't really eaten anything today I guess." He holds my hand gently and leads me inside the guild's from doors, only to be tackled by Blair and Reina. "Big brother! This place is amazing! They're so many books in their library! They even have "The Heart of a Howl"! Do you know how long I've been waiting to read this book!?" "Seriously! Bro! You have to teach me how to summon a weapon! After seeing Bathym spar all weekend with other members I wanna be the best here!" Hah, well it certainly looks like they had a fun weekend at least. Oh boy, if only they knew what went down two days ago. "Hah, looks like the two of you had a fun weekend?" "Hell yeah we did! There's even gonna be a tournament here! Or at some other place. Oh! Bro! Are you gonna enter?!" "I uh-." Before I could finish my sentence, I noticed something out to the side of my vision, like a small shadow hiding behind the wall. Just before I pointed it out, Estelle came running towards us, as if she was out of breath. "Oh gosh, you two are always running around aren't you!? Blair! You even left Marcy in the dust!" "Yeah! What's up with that?!" "Well, you two were busy swooning over Bathym and Nomad while they were in the gym! Reina and I wanted to keep exploring!" I laughed at their bickering, honestly, more than I normally do. I won't say it's because of Horkeu, it's still too early for me to say such things but, he has made it easier just to smile more. Marcy jumped on me next, practically expelling the air from my chest. "Hey Vio! Is it okay if I start calling you Onii-San? Ever since you showed up here I've always wanted to learn how to use a scythe the way you do!" My ears perked up from the sudden remark, I can expect a lot of things, from the festival signs outside, to Nomad discovering my identity, but not this, at all. "O-Onii-San? Why? Look, you're cute and all Marcy, but why that of all things?" "Because look at us! Dark and white fur, similar fur patterns, and purple eyes?! We're basically twins! That, and my sacred artifact is a scythe, but I don't know how to use it exactly. So can you teach me?!" "Oh god if it's not one thing it's the other. I'm supposed to train someone new here and now you want lessons from me too? Fine fine, I'll help out then, but you owe me for this cat." Marcy jumped on me again, this time hugging my neck and squealing excitedly. "Oh thank you so much! I'm ready to start whenever you are!" I laughed softly, but not before Estelle catches my attention for a moment. "Actually, I'm glad you're here little brother. I ran into Claude a few minutes ago, he said he wanted to see us in his office for some reason, but he didn't tell me why though." 'Hm? Claude wants to see me? And her? Well that's unusual.' I think to myself. I get back up on my feet and tell the others I'll be right back with Estelle. This is the first time in a while we got to be alone and just talk like we used to honestly, I kinda missed this. "So how was it? Your stay here?" "Oh! It's been great! Bathym showed us all around the place! The architecture here is definitely first class, and the cooks and the foods they make are ace! And not to mention the gardens here are extravagant! There's so many, I'm sure grandfather would love this place." "Yeah, I wonder if the space rifts affected Karuizawa too. But hey, any idea what Claude wants to talk about?" "I'm not sure exactly, but if I had to guess, maybe it's that tournament everyone is going on about here." Hearing her mention the tournament made my stomach churn again, and a wave of discomfort washed over me, although only briefly, but I shrugged it off believing it was nothing more than me not having breakfast this morning, deciding I'm just hungry. "Well, whatever it's about, I hope this doesn't take too long. I haven't had breakfast yet, so a wolf is starving." "Oh! Heh, so how was your little weekend away with Horkeu, hmm?" My entire posture almost collapsed as I just stared at her, with her damn smirk and my flustered face. "Uh- what do you mean?" She put on finger on her close to her bottom lip, as if she's trying to recall something, only to grin again and laugh in a teasing manner. "Oh come on little brother it's obvious! You had a great time with him didn't you!? All alone with him all to yourself at home. My my, oh the things you've must've done with him." My face probably grew even more red from her remark, but I got distracted when she covered her mouth and whispered to me. "Little brother! Did you two have sex?!" "What?! No! What the hell!? We didn't do anything like that sis! Seriously?!" She immediately bursted into laughter, and all I did was cover my face and put my hood on so no other guild members would see me so embarrassed. "Pardon me, My Lady Estelle, and Mr. Rosewood." A sudden voice caught our attention, and it was Snow standing before us, waiting patiently. "Oh, Snow. I'm guessing you're here looking for us." "Astute observation Violet. Yes, Master Claude has indeed requested a meeting with the two of you. For whatever reason, he failed to inform me. Please, right this way." The white lion turned and motioned us to follow him, and we did without much thinking. We've grown to know and be comfortable around most of the guild members by this point, to where we even consider some acquaintances. "So, any idea why Claude needs us?" "I cannot say. All he asked of me was to collect you two this morning, that was all." "Hmm, if I had to guess, it's probably about the sports festival, right?" "Yes madame, that's most likely the reason." I looked at the two completely confused at what they were talking about. Admittedly I've been out of the loop for the weekend, so I shouldn't be too surprised. "Oh right! You probably wouldn't know. In a few days is the Cultural and Sports Grand Festival! We've been to one I think two years ago just to check it out, but never really stayed for too long. Anyway little brother, near the end of the festival is a tournament between all the wards in Tokyo! And the winner will win a huge cash prize for themselves and their guild!" Hmmm, a cash prize huh? I could use that actually, maybe finally quit my job at Black Hollow and open a coffee shop. A few seconds past until we made it to the offices, walking into Claude's room, seeing him looking at a billboard with an intense expression. He didn't notice us in the room, even when Snow exited, until I closed the door to get his attention. "Hm? Oh! My friends! Apologies for my negligence! Please, do have a seat! I had Snow warm some tea waiting for you two to arrive, please, help yourselves." Estelle and I sat down on the couch, pouring ourselves a cup. 'Hm, smells like, green tea? Hm, what were the odds of that?' "So, how can we help you Claude?" Estelle asked politely. "Ah yes, as you may know, the Cultural and Sports Festival is upon us. And our guild along with another one have been selected to be this years contestants." "Oh right, Es mentioned that earlier. But why do you need to tell us in private? You could've just done an announcement like always with the intercom." "Well, yes, I could have done that, but I do need your help. The beginning of the festival will have a ball. A dance, to show unity and sportsmanship to the audience. Bathym has informed me that both of you know how to dance like angels themselves. So I wanted your help to organize the dance!" I almost choked on the tea I was drinking when he mentioned me helping with something like that. Yeah, I know how to dance because my mother taught me from a young age, but not too much. "Uh, why me? I barely know how to, at least not as much as Es." "Now my friend, allow me to finish. I wanted to ask Miss Estelle to organize the Floral Ball, and wanted to ask you if you could be the team leader for the tournament!" "Me, a team leader. Why?" Claude leaned back in his chair, a large smile strewn across his face. "You intrigue me Mr. Rosewood. Almost like you remind me of someone I used to know long ago. Now, I have a feeling you will lead our guild to victory Vio. You know of the recruit I've asked you to train, yes?" "Yeah? What about them?" "Well, this is your chance to learn leadership. And I'm sure you still have much to teach us, just as we can teach you." Claude smiled with his hand together in front of him. "Of course my friend, you'll be paid for both jobs, the training and the tournament, win or lose. Do we have a deal?" "I think you should take it Vio. We could use the extra money." I shake my head and sigh, crossing my arms. "Alright, it's a deal." Claude smiles widely and stands up, arms out stretched and walking toward us. "Excellent! Now, your trainee should be in the sports field behind the guild. It's right next to our own coliseum." "Miss Estelle, if you please." Snow walked to the side of the couch, holding out his paw to my sister. "Allow me to show you to our ballrooms so we can begin preparations my dear." She stood up, holding Snow's hand and walks out the office. "I'll see you at home later tonight little brother! Oh my, Snow I already have so many ideas to try out!" I smile gently, knowing her, she'll probably talk his ears off with what she's thinking about. "And one other thing." Claude says next to me. "I thank you, for being into our HorkeuKamui's life." I look at him and raise an ear, clearly confused by what he means. "Horkeu doesn't know why he was brought here, or even remembers his family back in his home world. Come, walk with me." He opens the door and leads us out the offices, and into the lobby. There were far many members than I remembered walking around, honestly now, I don't think I've noticed how lively this place really is. Marcy was waiting for me in the on one of the sofas in the lobby, and she springs up the moment she sees me. "Onii-san! I've been waiting for you to get out! Now, when do we start training?!" 'Right, I forgot I promised her I'd help her with training.' "We'll start in a few. I just need to get to the sports field so I can meet the new recruit." "Oh! Okay! I'll tag along too!" Marcy followed next to Claude and I, and for once, it felt like I was having a normal conversation with him. "So as I was saying, as you probably know, our HorkeuKamui wasn't always social. He was usually quiet, reserved, and would immediately stop a fight if there was any blood spilled. He's a good man, so I thank you for caring for him. I've never seen his eyes as lit up as they are." That catches my attention. Notably, I've never really been one to end up making people's day. "What do you mean by that?" "Well, Horkeu always was somber, and used to be a loner. I, don't remember if I can recall correctly Onii-san, but he would always talk about looking for someone he could call a hero." I look at the snowflake mark on my hand, gently pressing my thumb against it, sighing lowly as I do. 'So, he really was alone before me. And he did choose me to be his.' "Senpai!" I sprung back into reality, hearing Sora yell out to me in the distance. He was waving at me from one of the doors, a bright field behind him, along with a silhouette. "Now, I'll leave you here my friend. If you ever need me, please, my door is always open." Claude said, before walking off. 'Hm, I guess he's not that bad a guy after all.' Marcy smiles and laugh as she pulled my arms and leads me outside, almost being blinded by how bright it is. The fields were full of other members running and training, most likely for the tournament that's coming up, and I don't blame them really. This guild basically lives off of battles. I noticed a new face next to Sora, but he was looked nervous if anything. "Hm? Are you the new recruit here? I'm supposed to be testing your skills. Uh, I'm, not professional at this at all. So, what's your name?" "Oh, um, my name is Zephyr." He looked at me quite nervously, as if I was intimidating him or something. "Hah, he's a little quiet, but he's really fast! Maybe almost as fast as you are Senpai!" I laugh embarrassingly, scratching the back of my head. "Sora, I know I use light, but I'm not as fast as it. Anyway, Zephyr. What can you do?" "Uh, I can use, electricity. Well, at least channel it through my body." "Hmm, so you'll be focused on speed. Alright, how about we do a quick spar? We can see how much you know as of now." I swiped my finger down, opening the menu from the app, and send a battle invitation to the newcomer. "Uh, are you sure we should fight? I'm not, exactly used to that kind of thing." "Hm? Well, this guild is designed around battles, kid. Look, just show me what you can do alright? Any method of self defense would be enough." The brownish grey accepts the requests and a duel zone appears around us. "Mmmmm! I can't wait to see Onii-san fight again!" The countdown appears between me and Zephyr, and he gets into a stance, a bit unorthodox, but he looks somewhat composed. "Okay, Marcy, I'm gonna use Chrome, so take notes alright? But don't copy me." "You got it Onii-san!" The clock goes down as I create Chrome in my hands, spinning it around me with precision and holding it behind my back. The alarm goes of, and Zephyr rushes me with almost blinding speeds, sparks of lighting flashing around his body. 'He isn't out right attacking me. He's just moving. Hm, what's he thinking about?' Zephyr is keeping his distance, until he starts to shoot smaller bolts at me while he's moving. I manage to dodge most of them, even my reaction speed isn't enough to avoid lighting. A few sparks grazed my coat, seeing a bit of steam rise from my shoulders, singed black from the shocking heat. 'Okay, he certainly knows how to defend himself. Maybe Chrome wasn't the best choice for this, I should've used Solaire instead, at least I could attack from a distance.' I spun Chrome around me, closing my eyes and emptying my mind. I felt Zephyr zip and zooming around me, but I picked up on something he probably hasn't. I opened my eyes again, and held the handle of the scythe out to my side, catching Zephry and he ran into it face first. "Hah, gotcha." He fell down and covered nose, trying to stop his nose from bleeding too much from the sudden impact. "A-Aagh! How did you- aaagh!" "You kept moving, which in a fast pace is really good, but I picked up on something. You had a pattern. You moved around in the sky about a few dozen times, and about ten times on the ground. All I had to do it catch you unawares or at least interrupt you." I held out my hand and helped him up, his nose slowly healing from the battle zone. "Now, how about we do a standard battle? Just weapons." "Oh, okay. I'm okay with that." We distance ourselves again, now his wounds fully healed from the app's regenerative system. A new countdown appears, and two bolts of lightning zap horizontally and vertically behind Zephyr's back. They shrunk and took upon a solid form, a pair of twin daggers. 'Hmm, so he's going to be really up close. He obviously has the advantage in sheer speed, but I have better reaction timing and probably more experience in fighting. He looks to scared to really fight back, but I guess now he's trying to make himself stronger. I'll be the judge of that.' The clock begins to lower, from ten, to nine, to eight. Zephyr readies himself in a stance, his right hand on the small blade on his back, and the other in front of him. 'He's keeping his palms open, alright. Let's see what you can do kid.' The timer goes off, and we both rush each other. I attack first, swinging the scythe around me to keep him from approaching me, but he's quick. Managing to avoid my attacks, he jumps in the air with little to no resistance. He spins and dives at me, but it was very telegraphed, so dodging his assault was easy. 'Using Chrome wasn't the best idea. I should've stuck with katana pair, or maybe even the bow Solaire. Hmm.. how do I approach this?' Zephyr's onslaught was impressive, and he gave me little time to think. I wouldn't say his speed was impossible to challenge, but it was certainly giving me one. I started to go on the offensive again, now involving my body more since the scythe on its own wasn't going to be enough in this match. A quick jab forced him to back away quickly, but a good prediction managed to net my weapon behind his foot. I pulled the scythe towards me, causing him to trip and fall. I attempted to stomp on him, but his agility enabled him to avoid my attack. He rolled backwards and flipped into the air again, keeping his distance from me. 'Mmmm, just a few seconds into this fight and I'm already getting annoyed at this.' I should've kept my mouth shut, because the moment I got lost in the thoughts for a second, he rushes me again, quick, and precise slashes come at me. He's holding his blades backwards now, using his agility and speed to out maneuver me. Sparks of electricity start to flash around his body, even from his twin daggers. I closed my eyes again, taking in a deep breath. Again with the same tactic from our last battle, emptying my mind and getting a stronger grasp on my surroundings. I felt him moving all around me with incredible speed, but he took my advise into account. "You're smart kid, I'm not picking up on a pattern anymore." I opened my eyes quickly, spinning my scythe around my hands before slamming the large blade into the ground where I expected him to land by me. I was right, but he must've also expected my chance to retaliate. He stopped his movements just before my blade hit its mark, it barely grazing his face, and crumbles of dirt and grass flying past him. He stepped on it quickly, using it as a foothold and forcing it more into the earth. He began kicking in quick succession, the lightning around his body forced me to back away, using various flips to avoid the small zaps that followed behind me. I landed, and the pressure from my movements caused me to slide a small distance away. He placed his hand on the handle of Chrome, and zapped it with electricity. It's steel pole now a conduit for the lightning running through it. 'Damn, now he's made it untouchable. And I can't dismiss it because the electricity will shoot all over the place.' He already put me in a difficult position, and I doubt he'll give me the luxury to make a new weapon now. He hops off my scythe and begins to rush me again, accompanied by quick jabs and slashes, most of them I avoid, but a few hit their mark. My health bar started to dip lower, he hits a lot, but not too hard. 'Agh, I don't want to use Amaterasu unless I have to, c'mon Vi think!' An idea pops into my head, and it's possibly dumb enough that it could work. Zephyr dashes to me again, moving side to side so I would be confused of his movements, but I tried my hardest to keep a sharp eye on him. I turned around slowly, and waited for the exact moment to counter attack him. The moment he got close to me, launched him in the air with my shoulder and back, preforming a stationary tackle. A quick snap of my fingers and the whip I used during my battle with Garmr flashes in my hands again. Immediately I snap it at Zephyr, wrapping it around his ankle and dragging him back to the ground with a loud thud, a small cloud of dust and dirt follow and he makes the impact. I turned around again, raising my leg in the air to stomp on him to end the match. He face first in the ground, so he shouldn't have enough time to move out of the situation. "This ends now!" I shouted, bringing my foot down at a thundering pace, only to miss my mark, Seeing Horkeu in the distance, and distracts me. I hit the ground next to Zephyr, and the timer goes off, signaling the end of the battle. The battle area slowly disappears and all the rubble and colateral was gradually restored. "Man.. that really hurt.." Said Zephyr as he was rubbing his face. Although the app does restore any and all damage, pain isn't one of those things. "Hey, you did good kid." I held my hand to his and helped him up. The results showed, and he won the battle. I lost by just a bit of health. "Winner, Zephyr. Win conditions, disarming of opponent." 'Hm, he's really fast. Good use of his own power and mastery of his weaponry is pretty good. I think he'd be a good fit here.' "Hey kid, you did good. Pretty quick thinking on your part to deny me my weapon so early into the fight. Good job." He looked at me embarrassed, and scratched the back of his head. "Hah, uh, thank you. I'm, just really honored I got to spar with you! I'm, a pretty big fan." "Uh- what?" "Yeah! When I heard of you sparring with one of the guild's best your first day here! And making him forfeit the match?! I want to learn so much from you!" I was surprised, very surprised at his drive for being here. I tried to calm things down, and if it wasn't obvious, I was incredibly embarrassed. "Onii-san!!" I heard Marcy call behind me, and felt a smaller body jump on my back and hug around my neck. "Vio! That was amazing! The way you handled the situation when Zephyr disarmed you was so cool! And Zephyr! When you made it so Vio couldn't use his scythe so quickly in the match was such a smart idea!" "Awww.. thanks, you're sweet." Said the smaller wolf. "I have to say, I never took you for a teacher, Vio." Horkeu walked behind me, hands on his hips and a gentle smile on his face. I looked behind me, trying to look past Marcy, and the sight of him caught me off guard. He was sweaty, shirtless as always, and bandages wrapped around his hands, suggesting he was working out a few minutes ago. My face turned a faint red when I noticed his slight disheveled breathing, droplets of sweat slowly falling down his heated chest. 'Man, life really isn't fair huh?' "W-well, today was just a sparring match to see where the new kid is. That's all!" "Onii-san! You gotta spar with me too one day! I wanna learn from you first hand!" "Hah, fine fine, I'll be sure to give you lessons when we can find some time, alright?" Marcy smiles and cheered loudly, until the larger wolf intervenes. "Heh, Marcy, mind if I steal him for today? I'll help out with your training as well." The small black cat hopped off my back and smiled again, holding her hands behind her back. "Alright! But you better keep your promise! Ms. Estelle texted me during you fight to meet her at one of the ball rooms. So I'll see you two later! Sora! Zephyr! You two can come with me! Let's give them some privacy!" The cat teased and ran off with the other two, and admittedly I did face palm. "Hah, you should already be used to her teasing Vio." "Yeah I know, just annoying I have to deal with another Blair. Anyway, what did you need?" Horkeu smiled gently and grabbed my hand, but didn't say anything. He walked me inside the guild's main building, now holding my hand in a more loving way. I caught onto it and tried to hide it between us, a little embarrassed, I attempted to hide my face behind his shoulder. "No need to be so nervous Vio. No one is going to say anything. Besides, your hands looked so cold, so I thought I'd warm them up." 'Cold?! Your body feels like a freezer sometimes! Hell if I wasn't used to it by now I'd be shivering just by being near you!' "Anyway, I've been meaning to take you some place nice. It's been while since we've gone out together. Why don't we go out for lunch?" My stomach growled as he spoke, and I realized I haven't eaten anything all day. Last time I did was probably late night, and even then, the noodles were pretty light. "Hah, sounds like you worked up quite the appetite. Give me a few minutes to wash up, I'll meet you in the lobby when I'm done." My face was still red from him holding my hand, but he gained my attention by placing his thumb on my chin and pointing me to his direction. "I want to keep looking at those gorgeous eyes again as soon as I can, with or without your glasses." He placed a soft kiss on my lips and his chilled breath made my back shiver, causing my lenses to slightly fog up. Unintentionally, my body started to glow a faint light and my tail started wagging. Of course, he noticed and laughed, leaving me only feeling a bit embarrassed. "Oh don't worry, it's cute. I'll see you soon, okay?" "F-fine. But you better not take long." He laughs again and walks away, his strong figure disappearing into the crowd of guild members. 'Geez.. that man.' My phone vibrates in my pocket and snaps me out of my slight trance, and it was a text from Estelle. "Hey little brother, would you mind coming to east ball room? There's something Marcy and I want to show you." I know where to go, but the problem is I don't know where exactly the ball rooms are, and I doubt that any of the grunts would know either. I walked around kinda aimlessly for a few minutes, and a remaining thought still stayed in my head. "Where the hell am I going?!" "Vio?" The sudden voice behind me made me just, but seeing Vessel as I turned around eased my nerves a bit. "Hah.. thank goodness. Hey Vessel." "Are you okay? You look a little confused. Trying to find your way around here still?" "Hahh.. yeah. I've been here a few months and I still can't get my bearings. Do you know where east ball room is?" "The east ball room? Sure, follow me. I've been meaning to talk with you anyway." Talk with me? What am I? Being sent to the principal's office for bad behavior or something? We walked the halls, and honestly I forget how vast this place can be. The murals of gladiators doing battle with each other are strewn all across the walls like grand painting. "So, why did you start working here? Haven't you found a better job yet?" Her sudden question catches me off guard at first, but I just answer it like any other. "Well, my old job as a, bartender was alright. I did make some decent money, but I've grown accustomed to being here. All the fighting hasn't bothered me, if anything honestly, it's helped me figure out how to use my powers in different ways at least." "Hm, I see. But, can I actually, ask you something?" "Hm? What's up?" "Just, I haven't told Marcy about this, but, do you know of a man named Error?" "Uh, Error? I, can't say I've heard of the name before. Is everything alright?" The lynx looked down as she was asked, even lowering her ears. I probably pushed a touchy subject, even if I was the one who was asked first. "It's just, I think, Marcy and I might be in danger. You see, Marceline and I belonged to another guild, before this one. It was the Roppongi Tycoons guild, this guild's main opposing one for territory. As I'm sure Bathym has told you, we weren't found by this place, under the best conditions." "Right, he told me that he found you two pretty hurt." "Yeah, and if anything, Marcy probably had the worst of it. She, has two scars, both mentally and physically. The hoodie she wears as the fur for a reason, and it's to cover up a scar on the back of her neck. It was made from, someone we knew back at our old guild who battled with glass." "Mm.. I, can only imagine how much that would've hurt." "Yeah, but it's nothing compared to, what I had to do to her. She, has a twin sister, in a way, named Mina. She was influential to her, and I didn't want that life for her. So, while she was healing here, she asked me to erase her memory. Only of our time in the guild. So, now she just has a blank spot in her mind. And I hope she never has to remember that place again. But, what really bothers me, is how similar you are to someone I knew there." I stopped for a moment, confused almost entirely at her statement. "Someone similar to me? How so?" "I, can't explain it. It's just like, you, but, like a twisted echo of you." 'An echo? Master, what could she mean? Could it be Tsukuyomi?' Amaterasu spoke time me in my thoughts, but the idea of just the sheer coincidence seemed uncanny. A small but noticeable feeling of dread came over me. 'I don't know Ama. Just her bringing up someone like me already has me uneasy. We'll talk about this later.' The wolf spirit's voice turned quiet, but the thought stayed in my head. "Anyway, I'm sorry for picking your brain, and kind of venting on you Vio." "Oh no, it's alright. I'm just glad you can trust me to talk about what's on your mind Vessel." She smiled at me, and showed me to a large pair of double doors, design as ornate as the walls decorated throughout the whole guild. "Here's the east ball room. Please, if you need anything from me, don't hesitate to ask Vio." I make a small smile like she did to me, and we parted ways from each other. Vessel looked as I walked away and into the grand hall, but a somber look appeared on her face. She watch me from my back, and a thought popper into her head. She immediately took out her sketchbook and began flipping through pages. Paper after paper she went through until she slapped her hand on a page, halting her progress. She looked closely at the figure drawn with both pencil and some charcoal. She tore out the page with her recently drawn image of Vio she made days before, and compared it to the one of the similar wolf near the start of the book. "They, look almost identical. Facial structure, their fur patterns, physical structure. Everything is just so, familiar. I, have a bad feeling about this." The door behind me closed and the view of the ball room my breath away. Before me was Marcy and Estelle sewing clothes and Sora was helping Snow put up floral decore along the windows that show the various gardens outside. The small cat noticed me walking towards them and ran to me excited! "Vio! I'm so glad you're here! Come with me! Estelle and I want you to be our model!" "Uh, model? For what?" Estelle laughs and stands up, holding a half sewn jacket with a wolf design on the base and a starry print along the left sleeves. "While you were training who ever you were, Claude asked me to be the designer of your tournament uniform! The selected participants wear a skin suit, while the team's leader wears a jacket. For us, you're supposed to wear a white outfit, so I think this would look good on you! So take off yours!" I already know how this is gonna go, so I just submit to them. I take my coat off and place it on the chair next to me. "I'm only wearing the jacket sis, I'm not stripping into my underwear." "Oh calm down, I just want to see if it fits you." I grabbed that garment from her, and it seemed like it was a short sleeved jersey with 'Ikebukuro Berserkers' on the back with a rather comical font. It's pretty much a perfect fit. The jacket itself is a light blue color, and the font was a darker shade to contrast it. "Oh! Vio you look great!" Marcy cheered. "But, doesn't it look a little, I don't know, flashy?" "It's supposed to little brother. You'll be the team leader so you need to stand out. You use so many weapons on your own, people are already calling you the 'Grimoire Wolf'. Almost like a spell book, he summons weapons and falls enemies in a literal flash! Hahah, oh! That reminds me. Marcy? Did you want to ask Vio something?" "Oh! Me. Estelle you're right! Onii-san! Spar with me!" "Uh- Huh?!" "Yeah! C'mon! After seeing your fight with Zephyr, I wanted to see what you think I can learn! I can use a scythe, but not sure how to fight with it exactly, but you can teach me!" "Uh, Marcy. You know I'm not a teacher. I was just evaluation Zephyr's skill!" "I know I know! But watching you had me so pumped! Come on! Let's do it! I wanna get stronger too!" I placed my hand on my waist and the other on my brow, sighing in between, only to see a battle invitation appear in front of me, and Marceline smiling. As expected, I accept it, and a zone begins to generate around us. I remove the new jacket as the area develops and hand it back to Estelle. "I'm not gonna go easy on you Marcy. This may be a little bit of practice, but I'm going all out." "Oh! Don't be! I wanna experience a real fight! And, can you use that power you have?" Her question catches me off guard for a second, trying to think of what she means exactly. "Horkeu told me that you can make your whole body turn white, and doing that unlocks a new fraction of your power! I wanna see it! Amasara? Or something like that?" Estelle looked at me surprised, almost in awe but with a mix of confusion. "Vio, you told Horkeu about Amaterasu?" "I'll, tell you after the fight, okay?" The countdown starts, and Marcy channels a rather ominous energy around her, a purple and pink aura surrounds her body. "Okay, just like how Vio does!" 'So, she really is trying to copy me, huh?' She holds her hands above her head and a draconic looking scythe materializes in her palms, with a reptilian skull on the end connecting the blade and the handle. The blade itself looks like a pink crystal, with two more protruding at the back on it. 'Well, she definitely is passionate about becoming stronger.' Amaterasu spoke to me. 'Yeah, I suppose she does.' Without meaning to, I smile slightly, and create Opal in my hands. "3.." The countdown went, and I took a close look at Marcy's stance. 'Hah, yup. She really isn't used to fighting, is she?' She held her scythe clumsily, holding it horizontally next to her, the blade pointed at the floor behind her. "2.." The countdown spoke again. Marcy looked at me with determined eyes, and the moment the countdown hit one, she dashed towards me, sparkles of pink light enveloping her body. "Black Override.." Said Red, a dark energy slowly surrounding his being. "Hey, you sure you wanna fight me like this? Hell, I don't really have much control over myself when Tsukuyomi activates our rule." "Yeah! I mean, I'll have to prepare myself for the tournament right? Why not take you on while you're going all out?" The brown wolf laughed under his breath, and walked back, black sparks surging around his body. "You're move kid." Xoiro held his childlike weapons in his hand and began rushing the wolf. Red smiled grimly as he avoided each punch and kick from the monkey, just by making small but quick movements. Xoiro quickly unrolled his yo-yo and wrapped it around Red's ankle, pulling it towards him and causing the wolf to fall over. "Agh! Damn smartass!" Red jumped back onto his feet in quick succession. His foot was stilled tied up, and before Xoiro could wind it back in, he stepped on it. "Okay, let's already get rid of this damn thing." The wolf summoned his signature weapon Blight, spinning it in his hand. He quickly slashed at the titanium string, cutting cleanly through it, now free from the monkey's grasp. Xoiro recalled the string quickly, making another loop around his finger. "You know, it gets really annoying when you never let me do what I planned out Red." "Well sometimes you gotta improvise kid. Like hell I'll make things easy for you." This time, Red dashes at Xoiro, he turned his back to him, and quickly turned again, roughly spinning Blight around his neck, hitting Xoiro on his waist. The monkey lost balance and he was spun around forcefully, and was immediately shoved down onto the dirt of Red's personal training yard by his foot on his ring blade. Red stood back up quickly and backed away, knowing something was wrong at the moment. The wolf glared at the monkey as he stood up, slowly fading away. "Alright, enough of that already. Get rid of the damn clone." Red placed his ring blade on his shoulder while slumping over, but his compatriot was behind him, holding the titanium string in front if his neck. "Using a fake to take the hit, then showing up when I least expect it? Not bad kid, using my own screwed up tactic against me." "Hah, well having you as a sparring partner has helped me thing of new ideas in the middle of a fight." Xoiro backed up, smiling at Red as usual. "But c'mon, you said you'd go all out, and all you did was a few attacks. Seriously, I wanna see how I hold up against you in your dark form or whatever it's called!" "Hah, really? You seriously want to fight me in my strongest state?" "Hah, well, considering I survived the last time you were like that, I think I can at least put up some kind of challenge." Red grinned, and began spinning his deadly weapon around his wrist violently. "Heh.. well if that's how you want it.." Red turned around once, as if dancing with Blight, and slashed at his chest. A dark energy spreading from his self-inflicted bleeding wound, almost like a visible infection. His seeping blood turned black, and an aura of red and purple energy surrounded his body. Xoiro noticed an interesting feature about Red's weapon, notably the white jagged curve in the design of the oversized ring. It began glowing, and a howl was heard around them. 'Hm, that must be Tsukuyomi's howl.' He thought, seeing his compatriot's body change color. Red was enveloped in an orb darkness, until it finally implodes, revealing Red in a foreboding state. His once crimson colored eyes, now an ominous gold. The pony tail he had was now loose, likely from the pressure ripping the hair tie to shreds. His clay brown fur now a pitch black, and his body is highlighted in a darkened red aura. "If that's how you want it, then it's time to party.." Red slumped over, arms hanging in front of him with Blight floating behind his back. "This, is completely different from when we first fought!" "Well, you asked me to go all out didn't you? This is all my own power, Tsukuyomi just keeps me in check. Our first fight was just a fraction. That was just me givin' you a little scare. Now, ready to really party?" "I've been waiting, haven't I?" "Oh? Oh you're in for it now kid.." Marceline rushes me, swinging hey scythe in attempts to attack me, for the most part they were easy to avoid. Her style is so bizarre and unknowledgeable it's hard to really get a read on her. She goes for a horizontal slash at me, but I block it quickly, holding my katana to my side, one hand on the side of the blade itself for a more secure hold. "I'm not gonna give up until I can be strong like you Onii-san!" Her body continues to sparkle in a small but faint pink light. She's pushing hard against me, but she jumps back, using her weapon to slow herself down. "I want to be strong like you, and Horkeu-sama, and Vessel, and for Nomad! They both keep me safe, but I don't want to be the damsel in distress forever!" Her scythe then shatters, and shes covered in a thick cloud of purple dust. I kept my eyes sharpened on her general location, still blind to where she actually is. A small flash of pink light flickered, and a huge orb of energy shot towards me quickly. I sliced through it with my blade, but it still grazed my shoulder. The dust cloud subsided, and Marcy was visible again. But now, a dragon skull was by her side, floating with black and pink eyes, a pink aura flowing out from the back of its skull. "I.. I won't give up until I get my chance to beat him! Innocence Drive!" 'To beat him? Who is she talking about?' I have to save my thought for later, her summon charges at me with a fiery mist in its mouth. I'm forced to block it, but it pushes hard at my blade. "Agh.. back off will you?!" I pushed it back, hard enough to send it flying back to its master. I outstretch my arm and spin it in circles, placing my hand on my shoulder feeling like I must've pulled a muscle. "Alright, I don't know what your drive is Marcy. But if getting stronger is what you're sincere about then.." I close my eyes for a moment, and a circle of light appears behind my back. A crown and rose motif adorn it's white and yellow design. The circle of light fades in and out, at the same rate as my breathing. 'He's, using his power? He.. did Horkeu get through to him, while we were gone?' Estelle thought. 'Master, are you truly ready to release yourself? It's been, years since you've chosen to use your own power, rather than my own. And you're still trying to hide your-' 'Amaterasu, I'm, not going to hide myself anymore. Besides, people only know the Fatal Rose as a fading but shining light. That's not my power. I'm, not hiding, from Horkeu anymore. I want to be myself around him. So, I'll shine on my own, Ama.' My body began to glow a bright light, and a faint aura surrounded me. I felt a mixture of warmth and cold, from where I wasn't sure of. I wasn't used to my own power, so I was afraid of going all out at one time. I focused my light into my palm, creating my weapon from birthright. The shine around me subsided, and my fur was a pure white, almost like fresh snow. Sora looked at me in awe, along side Snow spectating as well. "What, is this power?" Snow says out loud to himself. I opened my eye again, and they were no longer violet, but a vibrant blue. 'I have three more weapons I can summon, but that's only when both Ama and I are using our power. Let's see if Marcy can get me to that point.' Red laughs maniacally under his breath, and stares at Xoiro. "Now.. let's get serious!" The wolf dashes at the monkey, leaving behind small specks of darkness as they float away from his body. Red places himself inside his weapon, and slashed to the monkey's left. Xoiro used his thread to block the attack, but Red continued his assault with five more slashes to the right, spinning the ring blade around his body like a demonic hola hoop. The last slash sent Xoiro a few feet away, glad his titanium string was strong enough to withstand the brutal attack. Red didn't stop, as the monkey saw his compatriot running at him again. This time, attacking with a flip in the air. A single somersault and he presses his ring blade harshly against the floor with his foot, but missing his target. "Agh, you little pest!" Red shouted. Xoiro was ready for Red to continue his string of lethal attacks, by the time Red stomped on the ground, he was already behind him. He unraveled his yo-yo and grabbed Red by the neck, and dragged him to the ground with a harsh and strong thump as he collided with the dirt. "Calamity Alteration!" Xoiro called out, pressing his weapon against the ground next to Red, several threads and strings launching the large wolf into the air, piercing through his body numerous times from every direction. Red was tossed into a glyph made of light, and four more appeared around his wrists and ankles. Xoiro brought his hand down, and the wolf quickly followed, slamming into the ground, sending dust and gravel into the air. A faint cyan colored aura emitted from Xoiro's thread, but the body that was face first into the ground vanished. A quick puff of black smoke was all that remained, and Xoiro jumped back immediately. "Damn it, I knew he was trying something." The monkey put himself into a defensive position, but slowly relaxed his body, and dismissed his weapon. "Alright alright, you win." He said, and a sharp gleam shining right across his neck, and Red's ring blade materializes around both of them. "You know damn right I do." The area started to rebuild itself, and the app reset the training yard. Red's fur returned to his usual clay brown color and a hairband was sticking out of his teeth. "Not bad kid. You're getting stronger, and smarter. Admittedly a little too much because now you're getting annoying when it comes to your damn tactics. But I'll be honest, that last trick of yours wasn't half bad." He said while tying his darker hair back into his standard messy pony tail. Marcy and her summon rush me again, attacking in unison. But even now, they were easy to dodge, albeit a tad bit harder now since there's two instead of one. Marcy attacked from one side, and her dragon attacked me from the other, but just before I blocked both of their attacks. I kept my hands crossed in front of me, palms open towards them both. They were blocked by, seemingly nothing, just an empty space between my hands and Marcy's scythe and her summon. "Violet..?" Estelle said under her breath. I breathed in, and out. The space between myself and my two assailants began to fill with solid matter, and I pushed them both away. Streams of light filled with color appeared on my hands, and two separate blade became visible, splashing the light around me. Hikari was split into two individual blades, one named Faith, and other, Oath. The pair of scissors resides in my hands, and I let out another breath. "What, is this power?" Snow said out loud, Sora cheering both Marcy and me on. Marcy slid away on the ground, her dragon summon floating behind her to slow her down. The light around me began to dim, but still give off a faint glow. "White Override." I said lowly, small specks of light gently floating off my body. "Alright, Marcy! Let's get serious!" My twin scissor blades were fully visible, and she smiled. "Hahah! Alright, let's go!" Everyone cheered on, Estelle, Snow, Sora, and Horkeu, when I saw him standing against the wall, arms crossed, and a proud grin on his face. The black cat and I dashed at each other, my duel blades clashing against her crystalline scythe, flashes of sparks of all shades of pinks, purples, and whites flying past us both. Her dragon rushed me from the back, but I managed to block its strike with Faith by holding it backwards. I knocked it back, but Marcy created glyph of light beneath me, and it sent me into the air. Her dragon skull flew towards me and chomped on my side, sending and pushing me back into the ground. The marble floor cracked below me, and my health bar went down a hefty chunk. I pried it's mouth open and shoved it away from me, twisting my body to get back up quickly. Faith and Oath reappeared behind me, and I held Oath in my hand, focusing a red light through it. I slashed once, a beam of energy flying towards Marcy, and just as quickly, she sliced right through it. We both dashed at each other, trading blows. She held her scythe in a similar way I did, but it seemed almost weightless in her hands. She swiped at me foot from behind and tripped me, the same way I did to Horkeu when we first fought at the underground arena. Her dragon quickly tackled me and pushed me back with a lot of intensity, causing me to roll against the marble floor. Thinking as fast as I could, I threw Faith behind me and it stabbed the flooring. I angled my feet to land on its handle and I slid across the ground, tearing up the surface. Back on solid ground again, I took a second to think. 'I'm fighting two enemies at one time. Nothing I haven't done before, but they're in perfect sync. I swear, she wants me to teach her how to fight, but she's anything but frail.' I looked at the clock above us. 'One minute left.' I called both blades to my hands, catching a breather if only for a second. "Twin Singularity." I said, and both the blades flew to each other, locking in place with a bright shimmer once they connect. The handles changed to a slightly blue color, and the weapons themselves were pure white. 'This is it, I'm ending this fight now.' A burst of energy surged behind me, and I dashed towards Marcy, her dragon moving in front of me to cushion the blow in anyway. The lights in the corridor flickered, and the flowers beneath the statue began to glow gently. A small flicker danced around the dragon, catching his attention away from books and tea. "What, is this?" Ophion stood up, following the lights as they led him to the statue, the purest of white roses glowing in mixtures of blues, yellows and purples. Ophion stared at the majesty of the marble human, gazing in awe and in disbelief. "My love.. there's no way. Could, our little light, still be alive?" "Master? Is all alright?" Said Error behind him. Ophion stayed silent, eyes still fixated on the sudden glow around him. "This, isn't possible. The only one who can, have this effect on the flowers is, was.. my amethyst." I thrusted Hikari towards Marceline, her dragon taking the blow, but it's resistance didn't last long. The tip of the scissor blades carved deep into the spectral skull, cracking near the point of impact. I pierced right through, and bone and cartilage disintegrated in front of me. I kept up the momentum and kept running toward Marcy. She spun quickly, and her scythe followed. She aimed for my throat, and I aimed for her chest. Both of us were merely millimeters from each other's vital areas, then the clock ran out. We held out positions for a few seconds, breathing deeply and intensely. Marcy fell to her knees in exhaustion, and I followed quickly after, staying on one and using Hikari to hold myself up. "Hah.. so.. who won.?" Marcy said with a gasping voice. "I.. don't know." We both looked up to see the results, and our health bars matched perfectly. It was a tie, both our health at ten points to a total knock out from either end. The colateral around us begins to restore itself back to how it originally was. The colored energy around both Marcy and my body began to fade away, her eyes that were glistening returned to their normal sight, my snow white fur darkening back to its usual charcoal grey. "You guys.. were incredible!!" Sora cheered as he ran toward us. I took this second to catch my breath, Hikari's light slowly fading until its reverted back to its original state. "Hey.. Onii-san! That's, you're sacred artifact?" "My.. how intriguing." Snow followed behind, fingers on his chin, inspecting the weapon from afar. "Master Rosewood, may I?" He held out his arms curiously, and I stood up, handing him the scissor blade. He continued to analyze it, fixing his monocle while looking from various angles. "My how marvelous! The craftsmanship, the detail in its design! It's almost weightless! Like there's no restriction in movement while wielding it! It's- oh! Look at that! I barely grazed it and it cut through my finger so cleanly! Violet! This weapon is extravagant!" Horkeu walked briskly behind me, wrapping his arms around me. He smiled gently and warmly, and I followed suit. "Well done Vio. Color me impressed." He nuzzled my neck, and well, it did catch me by surprise, and my face turned to a blush when Marcy and Estelle laughed and awed at us. "Apologies for my unwarranted interest Master Rosewood." "Hah, please Snow, just Vio is fine." "Of course sir. My Master Claude has messaged me the standings for the up coming tournament. If you'd like, I can send them to you as you can select your teams members. Of course, after all the festivities are finished." "Oh right! Tonight's the winter festival by the park! We all have to go!" Marcy yelled in joy. "Oh that would be lovely! It's been a while since I've worn my yukata to a festival." Estelle smiled and clapped her hands together. A thought just occurs to me as I looked around the grand hall a bit more. "Hey, um, where's Blair and Reina?" "Oh! They're with Bathym. He's just showing them around the guild more. We all planned to meet back up at the house after today. I still need to get your outfit ready for the ball, so you should go and check out the park! It's about time we make use of that suit you have in your closet, little brother." "Wait, you mean dad's wedding suit? Dad was a human, sure he had a wolf genus but I'm already taller and bigger than he was." "Oh shush! All it needs is a little love and attention, and it'll be custom tailored just for you! Besides, I'm sure Mom and Dad would've loved to see you in it." I smile a bit, only able to imagine how they would've looked on their wedding day. "Ms. Estelle." Horkeu said as he broke my train of thought. "Might I steal Vio for a bit? I wanted to take him along with me for a while." "Heh, of course you can. Just make sure not to lose him." My ears droop from Estelle's remark. "What am I, some lost puppy or something?" Horkeu places his hands on my shoulders, pulling me closer to him, basically hugging me. "Hah, I'll be sure to keep you safe and sound. I've wanted to show you something anyway, and I'm sure you'd love it." The icey wolf grabbed me by the hand and tugged on me to his direction. I smile again, looking away and slightly embarrassed. His cold palm felt comforting, but I didn't let go. The monkey stood up, looking at his compatriot fixing himself up, dusting off his already tattered clothes. "So Red, got any plans on going to that festival by the park in Toshima?" "The festival? Why the hell would I go to that? All that time could be used for me to forge even more weapons for my own amusement." "Oh come now dear.." The black cat spoke behind the two partners, legs crossed with a lacy, black floral umbrella draped over her shoulder, resting and sitting at the roof of Red's workshop. "Our dearest Crimson, you must learn how to take some time for yourself you know. I'm afraid all your time in your forge has made you, rather reclusive, my dear. You could surely use some sunlight for your dried fur darling." "Please shut your mouth. I don't need beauty tips from you, witch. I'm not goin' to some stupid festival, got it? I have better things to deal with." "He's right you know." The sudden, disembodied voice sounded scratched, like nails on glass. Atop the black cat's umbrella was the cracked wolf, sitting as if he's defying gravity, now dawning a new attire, his whole right arm strangely wrapped in a grey bandage. "Besides Crimson, Master Ophion has already ordered Mina to design a kimono just for you." Red's eyes glare at the arrogant duo, almost as if his gaze pierces through them. "I swear to god, if he makes me wear some stupid damn outfit-" "Oh, my dear, your cold, deadly gaze is so alluring.. but no, allow us to finish. You may wear it, not ordered. And don't worry our ruby, our master has informed me to not make it risqué. It's just a simple white kimono with a black cloud motif, nothing to be so malicious about dear. Only thing that would really stand out would be the bandages addition that would wrap around your chest. It's just to make you look more grunge, and add to your already attractive edge, like the sexually provocative psychopath you are." Red glares at the black cat again, this time, summoning Blight, spinning it around his wrist. "If you want to keep what little life you two demons have, I implore that you both, shut the hell up!" The wolf quickly tossed his ring blade at the pair with expert precision. The weapon collided with the two, but their bodies shattered into glass fragments, and slowly faded away upon hitting the ground. The wolf caught his blade in his palm, dismissing it as he heard Mina's disembodied voice loom over him. "Heheh.. oh come now my dear, getting all hot and bothered like that simply won't do. You must learn how to control that temper of yours. My darling and I must go anyway, we have some work to finish. The two of us simply must be the center of attention at the festival!" "Heh, I live only to serve my demoness. Don't have too much fun you two." Error said. Their ominous laugh filled the air for a few seconds until finally subsiding. "Ugh, Succubitches.." "Hah, there's no need to be so harsh Red. Honestly I've gotten used to their teasing." "Okay, how about you live with them your whole life, then try talkin' to me." The monkey laughed, and smiled at the wolf, while he just snorted and rolled his eyes, arms crossed. "Anyway, I have paper work to finish, and assign who's going to take part in the tournament. You go and check it out without me kid." "Aww, really? I thought it would've been fun to relax a bit before all the fighting." "It's cool, besides I need to get all that done before Hakumen gets on my case for lazing around." The wolf places his hands in his pockets and walks off, waving one with his back turned to Xoiro. "You go have fun kid. I'll see you there." The monkey smiles and trots off, already thinking of how many mini games the wolf would get frustrated at playing. I stood there, waiting on a picnic bench, my mind wondering where Horkeu went in the crowd of unfamiliar faces. The sun was already halfway in the sky and my body was exhausted from this mornings battles. The sea of inaudible voices surrounded me, playing with a small orb of light I created to keep me entertained, the roster with names of those who would be appearing in the tournament. "Hmmm.. I think, I'll have Sora and Zephyr in the opening team. Then, maybe Marcy and Horkeu on our round two, and I'll be the anchor. Mmm, I'll look over it later. I wonder who the other team is gonna have though, odds are they'll end up countering us really hard." I've done a generalization of everyone's abilities, and most of us are well rounded. So far it's Marcy who would need the most practice. My thoughts get interrupted when I feel a hand softly land on my head. It was cold, and I knew immediately who it was, followed by a kiss planting in my hair. His touch admittedly got me a bit excited, and my tail did start wagging just a bit. "It's cute when you're lost in thought like that, are you hungry?" Horkeu smiles next to me and he holds out a small plastic bag while setting it on the picnic table. "Hm? What's with the bag?" He smiles again, and waves his hand towards it. "See for yourself." He said, laying his fist on his cheek. I opened the bag as instructed, expecting much of nothing, ended up being a small gesture that caught me by surprise. It was freshly made dango, flavored bite sized dumplings, usually in a set of three or five pierced with a wooden stick, and my favorite snack when I get around to cooking them. "Where did you get these? I thought these weren't being sold at stores anymore!" Horkeu smiles again, taking one stick from the bag and biting one dumpling off. "Well, the winter festival is starting tonight, and most of the vendors have already set up shop in the park. Earlier this morning I saw a vendor who sold treats like this, and I remembered you have quite the sweet tooth. Besides I think you've earned a little reward from all the fighting you did today. Honestly I didn't think you would use your power today. I thought you'd keep it a secret." I stopped my chewing for a second and swallow, looking at the small orb of light I left floating around. "Someone told me not to be nervous anymore, or at least not as much." I point my finger at the transparent object, opening my palm and it bursts gently around the ice wolf. He holds his hands out, smiling while trying to catch the fading specs of light. I placed my hand on his, catching his attention as he looks at me. This time I had my fist on my cheek, keeping my eyes on him. "Hah.. what? Is there something on my face?" He said, looking away a bit embarrassed, scratching the side of his cheek. "No.." I said simply, letting myself get lost in the sea of gold that's his eyes. "I just, can't seem to stop looking at you." He looks at me again, almost in surprise, his eyes widen. "You know, I was about to say the same about you." He says, staring at me. "Hey, may I ask Violet?" My ears perk up for a moment, a bit surprised at how sudden his question was. I've learned to trust me more than most people, so I make a straight face and let him ask. "Yeah, what's on your mind?" "Who thought you how to fight? And, your parents passed away close to when Blair was born, yes? Who raised you?" I take the treat away from my lips and look up, a small sigh exiting from me. "Well, we stayed with our godfather in Karuizawa. It's a quiet town in the country side of Japan, mostly known for its tourists attractions like hot springs and forests. And also that it's underneath an one of Japan's most active volcanos, Mt. Asama. But thanks to a lot of transients that control fire, the village is always safe from eruptions, but I'm getting off track. Our godfather, Shiroi Hana? He's the one who raised Es, Rei, Blair and myself. He's an old soldier, a brilliant botanist, a great caretaker, and an excellent teacher. He showed me how to summon Hikari, along with basic battle techniques. With or without using light, I've always been light on my feet, so he's always told me my speed is one of my biggest advantages. To be honest, I hope he's doing okay." "And.. what of Lannister?" I stayed silent for a moment, breathing in and out before I started talking again. "Gone. Dead or alive, I don't care. He's out of my life, and I have no intention of letting him be a part of it ever again." I held my hand into a fist, but immediately calmed down after feeling Horkeu's gently on mine. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked about a topic like that." "No, it's fine, no need to worry too much." The ice wolf stands up and holds his hand out to me, a smile on his face as usual when he's around me. "Let's go, I believe Estelle and Marceline are finished with everyone's outfits for the festival by now." A smile comes across my face, and I gladly hold his hand, the familiar cold feeling gave me a sense of comfort. We walked out the park together, and again I felt safe with him. "Viiiooooo!!!!" The sounds of my name being shouted across the street caught me off guard, and the small black cat cam running to Horkeu and I. "Vio! Horkeu! I didn't expect to see you two here!" Marcy shouted with joy, already wearing her kimono. "What do you think of it? Miss Estelle and I did amazing jobs! You're are already done! She's such an amazing seamstress, I think Horkeu's looks the best! Vio's looks so calming too! I'm sure you'll love the designs on them! Now I have to go find Nomad and give him his outfit, I spent weeks working on his so he'd better like it!" "Hah, I'm sure he will Marceline! And if he doesn't just let me know, I'll set him straight." Horkeu says with a smile on his face. "Oh! That's right! I need to meet up with a friend of mine! He's new around here, and doesn't really know his way around the place. And what's even cooler, he's a golden lion monkey! You don't meet that many primate transients around here! Anyway, I'll see you guys later tonight!" The small black cat runs off, running into a taller character walking to one of the corners of the park. A smile appears on my face again, and I hear a laugh behind me, knowing well enough it's from my wolf. "Come, I want to show you something." He takes my hand in his and walks me through the park again, this time on a different path, a separated on that looks like a nature trail. Trees arched over the pathway's entrance, the archway completely covered in green and snapped twigs, obviously made to look creative. He walked through, a bellows of wind following him as his jacket flaps in the wind. Mine follows suit, and petals from flowers of all kinds flow around us. Horkeu laughed slightly, letting the petals and pollen swirl around his other hand. "Hah, let's keep going." I keep following him through the trail, the chirping of birds, and flapping of leaves against each other, and the wind whispering through the air. "It, really peaceful here, actually. Are you sure you know where we're going? I don't remember the park having this road before." "Well, I know of it. It's out of the way from the usual paths the park has. No one knows it's here and it's obstructed by a lot of foliage, so I use it as my private meditation spot. And now, you can use it whenever you'd like." The pathway was riddled with leaves, both withered and freshly fallen on the ground, crunching under our feet. The air was cold, and I even felt it through my coat. The walkway itself was beautiful, quiet, and almost perfect. Nearing what I assumed was the end of the path was a small deconstructed gazebo. Flora was growing all over it, vines dominated the support beams, the cracked wood flooring made way for growing plant life to thrive where the sun shines its brightest. The chilled breeze made the flowers and trees dance, and Horkeu walked to the center of the decrepit structure. "May I ask for a dance, Vio?" He held his hand out to me, his golden eyes glistening in the light of the sun. He just smiled at me, and this whole little trip to the park, my favorite snack coming out of nowhere, the specifically designed arc we walked under, started making sense to me. "Hah, I didn't take you as a romantic Horkeu." His face blushes, and he pulls his arm back, scratching the side of his face trying to look for an answer. "W-well, I'll admit. I, don't know how to be romantic. I'm still surprised the bouquet I gave you was enough to get you to smile." As he was talking, I removed my coat, hanging it over the more sturdier part of the fence I could find, and held his hand in mine. "You don't need to do too much to catch my attention Horkeu. Heh, this is just enough." He looked at me in surprise and quickly moved back to remove his jacket, setting it next to mine. In his hands, he creates a small crystal, using the cold air blowing past us. It begins to glow, and float in the air above us, and he looks back at me. He holds his hand out to me again, the same smile on his face. "May I?" I smile as well, placing my hand on his palm. "You may. But, what's with the ice?" "Heh, you'll see." He says, sounding contempt. He wrapped his hand around my waist, holding my other near his chest. Feeling his heartbeat, my body started glowing, a quiet, unused ability that only happens when I'm, feeling genuinely happy. The soft light emitting from me reflects off the ice above us, showering is a vast sea of color. Variations of blues, reds, yellows, greens, almost everything surrounded us in a symphony of shades. He held me close to him, gazing at me like this would be the last time he would get the chance to. One small movement at a time, he began dancing slowly, the shuffling of our feet in tune with the dance of the trees around us. He spun me around gently, as if I was something so delicate. I started laughing, genuinely. His body was cold against mine, but it didn't bother me, and I just kept my body pressed against mine. He spun me around him this time, although a bit faster, and stopping me onto his chest, both his arms wrapped around my waist and back. He kept his eyes on me, that, vivid, resolute gold, looking as though it's burning through my spirit, encasing it in a warm embrace. 'I, still don't know why I'm so drawn to him. Am, I really listening to myself, or do I still want that clarity I had before?' I thought to myself, but I closed my eyes and shook my head, dismissing these thoughts from my mind. We separated for a moment, and pulled each other back, the sound of instruments playing from a live band. A grand ball, tapestries of gladiators, transients of all kinds filled the hall, dancing to the tunes of the music. He kept me close to him, the applause surrounding us as our dance finished. We bowed to each other and walked off the dance floor. "Big brother! You two danced so perfectly!" Blair said, jumping and hugging me. She was wearing a small black simple dress with a ribbon tied around it, while also wearing my suit's jacket. Mine was a pure white coat, with a white tie and black vest, followed by gold embellishments on the right sleeve to my chest in a tribal pattern. Horkeu slipped his hands around my arms, encasing me in a hug from behind me, a smile on his face as he settles his chin on my shoulder. His black suit complimenting the lighter pattern on his fur. "He's an amazing face partner, and in so little time he taught me this whole routine as well!" "Heheh, it looks like I'll have so competition, little brother." Estelle laughed. Her dress was marvelous, pure white as well, while it follows a flame design near the bottom, looking as though it could really catch fire. Her heels were a dignified black, almost like charcoal burning in the way it went to form a flame rising up her leg. "Truly, you two moved so brilliantly! Like ice dancing on an aurora!" Bathym said jauntily, holding Estelle's hand, practically dancing with her. Marcy was in the center of the ballroom, Nomad holding her close as they dance, small flames flowing around them, following their movements. "Tell me my friend, are you looking forward to the tournament?" The dragon asked the human, a glass of wine in his hands, drinking to a toast. "Oh indeed my friend. It's fantastic to know we have such a chance to have a splendid night for both our guild to coexist peacefully! Might I ask? How is your son? Will he be joining us this evening?" Ophion looks from the balcony, towards the hall filled with all kinds of species, dancing and drinking, and eating their fill. "I told him if this event of course, his mother was a beautiful songstress and dancer, so I urged him to come along with me, but it appears he didn't like the atmosphere. But of course, he's a grown man, so I won't force him to come if he chooses not too." "Milord, you know he's always been a rather rebellious one. Makes me wonder where he got it from!" Hakumen chimes in, a glass also in her paw. "Well, I was a fairly rebellious young man, you should've seen me in my prime. The bachelor, the one who always broke the rules, and made his own." The dragon laughed. "Surely, do you believe he'll be joining us?" Clause said, filling his glass again, Snow behind him holding a new, untouched bottle. "As I said my friend, it would depend on him." The monkey ran through the hallways of the Roppongi guild, fixing the tie around his neck, rushed and slightly annoyed. "Agh.. where is that damn wolf? Hakumen already told me they just started! Man.. and Error and Mina already posted their outfits for the ball." Xoiro continues his walk through the halls, still fixing himself up. He turns a corner, close to his compatriot's room, but he hears shouting from the other side of his door. "Hey Red! Are you showing up or not? Xolotl is waiting outside for us-" "The HELL do you mean I'm not the anchor team?! Do you know how long it's been since I've shown off?!" "I picked you for the exhibitions because that's what I decided. I was already assigned to be in the finale battle when the whole tournament ends. Vega, bitch all you want but my father chose me to decide where everyone goes. You should be glad I chose you at all. Now get the hell out of my room." The door then slammed open, a pure white wolf with a dark blue mane walked out, his heavy footsteps echoing through the hallway. He had various burn marks on his face, mostly around his left eye, but it was covered with a black blindfold. His piercing black eyes were fixated and filled with anger. "What the fuck are you looking at?" He said in a deep voice, glaring at the monkey. Xoiro looked away, the tension of the sudden situation making him uncomfortable. The wolf walks away, practically seeping with hatred. Before he turned a corner, Xoiro noticed something on his black jacket. An insignia on his shoulder, of what he thought was a flower, or some sort of flame. He was gone, the loud thumping of his footsteps began to recede. "Damn it.. I don't know why Dad won't just kick his ass out already." Red said, fixing a cuff on his white dress shirt. "Agh.. what a pain in my ass. Hm? Oh, so you saw that, huh?" Xoiro snapped back into reality, shaking his head and addressing his compatriot. "Huh? Oh! Yeah, just, who was that guy? I don't think I've seen him around here before." "He's a grunt who's been here for a few years. His name is Vega Lannister, and I hate to admit, he's one of our best, but one hell of a nasty attitude. I out rank him, not because of my father, but in general tactics and prowess. Anyway.. agh, are we going to this?" "Uh- well if you didn't take a century getting ready we would've been there already! And my friend Marcy texted me saying that she and her group left the banquet a few minutes ago!" The wolf sighs, placing his fingers on him temples. "Look kid, if I go, will ya' let me make it up to you or not." Xoiro crosses his arms, fixing his eyes on the wolf he's befriended. "Three boxes of mochi ice cream, you making my coffee every morning for the next month, and training lessons every Monday." The wolf looks at him, his eyebrows raised, and a small laugh escapes him as he holds his hand out. "Heh, take what you can." "Xoiro laughs as well, grasping Red's palm with his own. "Give nothing back!"