Ursa Decapitation.
Atsuya would never, ever admit it-but he hated bears. No, hate wasn't the word. He was scared of them.-there, he said it, now don't anyone expect him to own up to it later!
He only struggled through watching that silly show about 'Caring Bears' because Aniki seemed to like it. But this particular seven-year-old found the idea of colourful bears with searchlights in their tummies horrifying.
He liked soccer far better, even if the school ground was next to a forest, and Oto-san told spooky stories about bears over there. But his mind wasn't on bears while he played soccer-winning and scoring cool goals was all that mattered on the field, right?
That is, unless the ball flies off the field…and into the forest.
"Can you go get it, Atsuya?", the boy heard his brother ask. Since they had a rare joint PE period today, he could play with Aniki, but even he seemed tired. And tired people took forever to bring the ball back, he knew. So the boy nodded and bounded into the woods, intent on finding the ball as soon as possible.
After wandering for just a minute, he found the ball, alright-but he found someone waiting for him with it.
A very large, very elderly grizzly bear towered over the youth, crushing his ability to move or speak with a single stare. Atsuya clutched at the soccer ball shakily, looking around-doing his best not to look like a cornered animal.
The bear took a step forward.
The seven-year-old stumbled back, dropping his ball in the process.
"D-D-Don't you come any closer!Or…or…", Atsuya glanced around-and his eyes fell to the fallen soccer ball.
"Or I'll shoot the ball at you!", he threatened, trying to stop his shaking long enough to stand up.
The bear took another step forward, not taking any notice of its Prey's antics. The child would have taken another step back, if not for thetree directly behind him. He gulped-now what? Stories of people getting mauled and eaten alive by such beasts came to the boy's fevered mind now: this big old bear would shred him to pieces! Then gobble him up! And then-
The beast took another step forward! Desperation to survive mingled with his hatred for giant beasts, and Atsuya let out a scream before…well, he doesn't entirely know what.
He remembers kicking the ball, but floaty, red glowing stuff came out from the ball, and from his hands and feet: that had never happened before.
The ball hit the elderly bear squarely in the head, and the beast was thrown backwards before it hit another tree, leaving a trail of red behind it. The ball slowly rolled back to Atsuya, who was, like the ball, splattered in thick, quickly freezing crimson.
He doesn't remember much after that for a while, only flashes: Aniki screaming and running over to him, crying. Being dragged back to Hakuren. The school nurse giving him some kind of extremely bitter medicine, which soon brought him back to his senses.
He was immediately greeted by a crushing hug from his Mother, and his Father's voice:
"No injuries?! What so ever? So whatever killed that old grizzly didn't touch him at all? Are you sure, not even a scratch?", Oto-san sounded so surprised. Weird.
Shirou sat quietly in the corner, biting his lip and peering at the nurse and at his brother alternatively, at the verge of tears.
Atsuya lay awake that night, thinking about the incredible surge of power that had coursed through his veins. He wanted, no, needed to feel that again.
No matter what.