-1Chapter 1: Signing of the Tournament

Class was in session, and Juudai had recovered after a week to return to class. Sho had loosened up since Juudai bombarded him with questions. Juudai nudged his friend's side, and looked nicely at him. "You entering the Battle Royal?" Sho's blue-green eyes grew wide behind his small, side less glasses. He rapidly shook his head 'no'. Juudai smiled brightly. "I'm thinking of entering!"

"What? But why?! You're not a Zoanthrope!" Sho grew fearful.

"Yeah, but you aren't either, and you're in the academy!" Juudai started. "Sure your brother is, but that doesn't mean much. I just have a power like one. So I'm here! You must have it too, or else you wouldn't be here."

"Yeah… But I don't know what my power is…," Sho looked at his book on the desk in front of him.

"I know what you are; a slacker!" a teen with black, wildly spiked hair poked his head in between the boys

"Jun…," Sho whimpered.

"Heh! I really hope you enter, you rat! I can't wait to whup you senseless!" Juudai bellowed confidently, patting his chest with one hand. Jun just laughed at Juudai's attempt to protect his friend.

"I would love to see you fail, you non-zoan!" he regained his seated position, as the class's door opened, and a bat with mostly human features flew in. It had a flat chest covered with an odd assortment of fur, bat feet, ears, and fangs, and arms that had been contorted into bat wings. It landed on the teacher's desk, and, in a glowing light, transformed into a human male with a long, blond ponytail, odd violet lipstick, small eyes, and a fancy blue jacket.

"Good morning class!" his voice came out nasally. "As you know, it is time for the annual battle season again, and we are going to sign up students for the tournament!" he slammed a clipboard on his desk. "Sign up, you little slackers!" Students stood, and started toward the front of the room to sign up.

"Hey, Sho! Look who's signing!" Juudai pointed out before going. "Ryo, Asuka, Amon, Kenzan!" he smiled brightly. "Ooh! Come on! I'll sign you up!"

"No!!" Sho shouted. Juudai stood stunned.

"Heh. Good idea. He doesn't wanna go against a champ!" Jun smirked smugly.

"Who? His brother?" Juudai replied.

"Ah! No!"

"Amon?"

"No!"

"Misawa?"

"No! Me!" Jun fumed.

"You ranked 5th place. My brother, Amon, Misawa, and Anhiki got higher than you…," Sho started, causing Juudai to smile.

"Grr… Those slackers don't mean squat!" Jun growled. Just as Jun said that, Sho and Juudai froze with fear. "That's right! I rule!" Jun turned around and came face-to-face with Ryo. "Ugh!" Jun's eyes grew wide as silver disks.

"The only thing I see is a dead weight, scum of Earth, and…Oh wait. You are the slacker," Ryo snarled viciously.

"Brother…," Sho looked sadly at his elder sibling, then cowered under his glare.

"I earned my keep here… Earn yours," Ryo glared directly at Sho. With a whiff of wind, he turned off and walked almost ghost-like out of the class. Sho frozen again, and Juudai hugged his friend to keep him comforted.

"Come on Sho, it's alright. I'm sure you're fine…," Juudai pushed his friend away, and stared directly into his friend's teary blue-green eyes.

"Yeah…," Sho wiped his eyes with his extra long jacket sleeve.

"Class dismissed! The people in the tournament will be called tomorrow morning! As soon as you are called down, come to my office for you information!" the teacher bellowed.

"Good bye Chronos!" Juudai waved, and darted out of the room.

"Heh heh heh… It will be 'good bye forever' for you, Juudai!" Chronos thought to himself, picked up his books, and walked out of the room.

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"Aw nuts! I forgot to sign the sheet!" Juudai let out a cry of anguish after her got back to the dorm room shared with Sho and another student, Hayato. He plopped his on his lower bunk he shared with Sho, and let his head droop. Sho sat by him, and let a little whimper out. Juudai looked up at his friend almost drowsy. "Hey… What's wrong with you, Sho?"

"It's my fault, isn't it? If I hadn't had been a coward and stood up for my fault, then…," Sho was cut off as the door opened. Both boys turned to see a heavy set teen with hair short and flat against his head, except for two, jet black spiky puffs that looked like ears. "Hayato…," Sho smiled at their friend wearing a jacket, blue tee, and blue jeans.

"Hey! You two have to go down to Chronos, like now guys!" he said, almost out of breath.

"Huh?" Juudai looked at Sho, who looked at him, then stood up. "O.k. I guess…"

"I don't like the feeling I'm getting…," Sho shook as he stood.

"I'm coming too…," Hayato said, following the boys out of the room. They started to walk along the shore to get up to the school about a mile away. The sky was bright, until after a moment of walking. "Oh boy," Hayato started.

"I knew something bad was going to happen!" Sho whimpered, and hid behind Juudai.

"Grr… Something's coming! I think it's that Unborn again!"

"Is that what attacked you a week ago?!" Sho grew frightened.

"Yeah… I think…," Juudai hesitated. Hayato let out a growl.

"Whatever is coming, it's strong!" he growled. The sound of an injured bird filled the air, and a large raven morph fell to the ground. All three of the teens jumped back startled. Hayato changed into a rabbit morph, with hands, feet, tail, and head of a rabbit.

"Ahh….," Sho covered his eyes until Hayato's transformation light died down. "Huh?"

"Get going! I'll handle it!" Hayato told the boys, turned and hopped off to find what may have attacked the bird morph.

"Right!" Sho got ready to run, but Juudai grabbed his wrist. "Anhiki! Let's go! What's wrong?"

"He needs help…," Juudai let go of Sho's wrist, and bent down beside the bird. "Hey. Can you hear me?" he placed the bird's head in his lap. The bird's eyes opened, revealing golden colored eyes staring back.

"H-Hey solider…," the bird spoke.

"Kenzan?!" Sho spoke startled. In a light, the bird turned to a tan, tall teen with black dreadlocks and wore a blue tee and black faded jeans.

"That's right…," he smiled a wide, toothy grin.

" I didn't know you were a raven Zoanthrope! I thought you'd be a dinosaur!" Sho kneeled by him.

"Nope. I got the bird gene!" he laughed, then restricted in pain.

"Come on! We have to get out of here!" Juudai helped Kenzan stand, and put his arm on his shoulder.

"That's nice of ya…," Kenzan smiled, then looked as Sho helped him by placing his other arm under his shoulder.

"What attacked you anyway?" Juudai ask quizzically.

"An Unborn. A large, silver Unborn," Kenzan sounded like he was fading.

"Ryo!" Juudai growled.

"Brother…," Sho looked teary eyed.

"He signed up for the tournament, so why would he go after looking for a fight?" Juudai asked.

"Because that is his nature…," Sho said quietly. Juudai and Kenzan stared at their friend in awe.

"W-What do you mean?" Kenzan started off.

"Ever since we were little, he had this nature to attack a lot of things. He scratched up trees, buildings, even other much older Zoanthropes. One day he got so out of control, he even lashed out at Mom…," Sho's voice started to crack.

"Oh man. Talk about loose cannon…," Kenzan said. Sho grew quiet, and Juudai sensed the sadness. "I'm sure it's just a phase," he continued.

"I hope…," Sho looked down sadly. Kenzan moved his hand up onto Sho's head, and began to gently pet him.

"I'm sure of it solider," Kenzan smiled brightly at the younger of the three. Sho returned the smile with a bright one of his own.

"Right! Now let's get you out of here!" Juudai started to pick up his pace to get out of this odd storm.

"You're not going anywhere, prey!" a large, silver, metallic looking beast landed, with Hayato in his rabbit form slung over his shoulder; out cold.

"Hayato!" Sho cried out in distress.

"What have you done, Ryo?!" Juudai yelled. The beast smirked, and threw Hayato at his friends' feet; detransforming as he hit.

"Hayato!" Sho dropped down to his side, crying. Juudai started growling.

"I'll be your opponent!" Juudai, first letting Kenzan sit on a rock, stepped forward and glared directly at the beast.

"Heh heh heh. Fine then…," Ryo detransformed. "I'll start in this form, since you have yet to have seen yours!" he smirked viciously.

"Fight!" Juudai charged at Ryo, eyes burning with hatred. Ryo side stepped, making Juudai run past him. Then the brother is Sho jumped, and did a spin kick right into Juudai's back. "Ahh!" Juudai flew through the air, and skidded across the ground.

"Anhiki!" Sho cried. Kenzan tried to stand, but stumbled. "Kenzan, relax…," Sho stood, and helped Kenzan sit upright.

" Sho! Duck!" Kenzan shouted, eyes growing wide.

"Huh? Augh…," Sho stood, a blade slashed him across his back.

"Sho!" Kenzan caught Sho, who fell onto his side, bleeding greatly. The raven glared at the beast. Ryo stood with blood on his transformed arm, and growled.

"He doesn't belong here…Spurious…," Ryo vanished, his voice still ringing in Kenzan and Sho's ears.

"Sho…Hayato…Juudai… I gotta get help…," Kenzan raised his head to the sky, and started to let out a cry of the raven. "Someone, please come…," he whimpered. Within moments, a wolf's cry shook the injured bird. "Help me!" he cried out. Three shadowy figures were running up the beach; two on alkl fours. "Who's there?!" he tried to stand, after placing a highly injured Sho on the ground by his friend. Juudai started to open his eyes, and saw the figures up close. One stopped; the upright one.

"Juudai. My goodness, what happened to you?!" a teen with short, deep brown hair bent down and helped Juudai to his feet.

"It was Ryo. He…Where's Sho?" he asked worried.

"Over there, I pressume," the boy pointed to where Kenzan was helping Sho onto a wolf's back, and Hayato to a lion's back.

"Sho! Hayato! Kenzan!" Juudai tried to run, but the boy stopped him. "Misawa let me through!"

"You are still very injured!" he got Juudai onto his back. Juudai gave in, and let Misawa carry him. Misawa's jacket was held against him due to Juudai's weight, and the bottom of his loose jeans started to blow in the wind.

" You don't have to carry me, Misawa," Juudai said weakly.

"Save your energy, Yuki. I'm going to take you to Chronos…," Misawa started walking. The wolf and lion Zoanthropes came behind him walking with the injured on their backs. "How is Sho, Johan?"

"Fine Misawa. Bleedin still, but not as much as before," the green haired wolf looked up to Misawa.

"What about Hayato?" Misawa continued.

"Holding up as well," the red haired lion said. Kenzan pet the lion's head.

"At least I know my call went far," Kenzan said.

"Be grateful! Amon heard you!" Johan said.

"Wait! Why did you respond then?" Kenzan looked confused.

" Because my voice is shot…," Amon's voice came out scratched.

"Ouch…," Kenzan said, rubbing his throat. Juudai turned his head, and smiled at Amon.

"I have to thank you! We would have probably died if you didn't hear Kenzan!" he laughed.

"How can you laugh when two of your friends are out cold?" Johan looked to Sho on his back.

"Because, they are strong. I know they could heal. Hayato is a Zoanthrope, he can heal quickly. Sho is strong. I could sense it…," Juudai looked to the darkened sky, which was slowly getting brighter. "With the rising of the sun, comes a new power. Sho, Hayato, Kenzan, take its warmth and heal…," Juudai's eyes closed.

Sho's eyes opened only slightly. "Anhiki…"