Twilight Town was starting to look a lot busier. More people were walking around and living their lives. It made sense why. Hauru could feel it. Summer had officially begun. And with it, Summer Vacation. School was out, and it showed. She could control her werewolf form almost completely, but certain quirks remained from her days before that younger Xehanort sent her to Eraqus's doorstep. Certain habits that would take time to break. Those habits formed for a reason, though. Before she learned to control herself, she was dangerous. Even with the monkshood calming drought, she would rather not have her true nature become public knowledge on any world. The whole day, though, Hauru felt like she was being watched. She kept picking up an unfamiliar scent. Like the Heartless, but faint. Something you'd have to focus on to notice. But every time she did. It had gone away as quick as it appeared.

Hauru tried to get it out of her head as she rode the train out of Sunset Terrace back to Station Plaza. After all, her true nature aside, there wasn't much she could think of about herself that would draw much interest. She began to fidget with her necklace. That meeting with Riku could have gone a lot worse, if Hauru was being honest. He could have decided to leave her, or just not show up. But that left one more person who knew what she was. She knew she could trust him. She had to. If their relationship was going to work, there couldn't be any secrets between them. She worried she was rushing into this relationship, that it was too soon to show him her true nature. The train stopped at Central Station and Hauru was again torn from her musings. Hauru walked out into the afternoon sun once more amid the people walking all over Station Plaza, but it felt nice. Like a weight had been lifted. Ever since her first change, being a lycan felt like a curse and nothing besides. With the control she gained, it seemed there might be more to it.

"Can't you see this is a gift I'm giving you?" The voice was unfamiliar. But try as she might, she couldn't pinpoint the source. The thick accent and arrogant tone sent a shiver down her spine. Hauru shrugged it off. Again she smelled the unfamiliar scent of whatever was watching her, but she paid it no mind. She wanted to see the town, now that she had time to. She made her way to Station Heights, still wondering where that voice had come from? Was it a manifestation of another memory? Was it from her father? She couldn't say for sure. She wanted to clear her head. It had to be a memory. Nothing else. From her father? The lycan that turned him? And why could she merely hear it and see it as she had with some others. Could it be that going off the calming draught meant she would be getting more of these memories?

"All I was saying was that you can't take criticism," said a voice coming from a nearby ally. It was a boy's voice. But it almost sounded distressed.

"So I can't take criticism huh? That's rich coming from you, you do-nothing punk". A fight was going to break out. Hauru began to run toward the voice when she heard another in her mind, the same as before.

"You have stung me, lycan, with your betrayal". The same voice. Haughty and arrogant. Like the one she heard at Central Station moments ago. Hauru gasped and took a quick turn toward the alley. She saw a short boy in a red Dog Street jersey and a girl with brown hair and green eyes. The two were watching, helpless as the blonde boy in camo pants was being struck repeatedly with a struggle bat by an ill-tempered boy in a white coat and black hat. Each blow registered in hauru's mind with the sound of a cracking whip.

"The reviews are in! You're full of it". The ill tempered boy was not alone. A rather muscular boy with a padded Struggle Staff and a waifish girl with silver hair and red eyes what wielded a rather large Chakram. Hauru waited from a distance, wondering how it would play out.
"Stop this," said a voice in her head. A different one. A man, but calmer and more measured. "He is one of our protectors".

"They are but beasts themselves," Said the arrogant man from before

"You will stir up the others".

"Let them stir. Do you fear them? Believe me, it will be worse if we do not punish them. Do you see now, Korriman? You would trust them outside the walls when we cannot even trust them inside". Without even a second's thought, Hauru decided to rush in. The blonde boy was putting up a valiant fight, but he was getting his backside handed to him on a silver platter. Before the boy in the white coat could get another blow in, Hauru summoned Starlight to block the blow, standing between the blonde boy and the one in the coat.

"Enough," Hauru said, fighting back the urge to growl at the boy.

"So says the master's dog," The boy in the white coat seemed to say. "You will not always be his favorite".

"What did you say?" Hauru asked.

"You want to take his place?" asked the ill-tempered one.

"I'd be glad to show you a lesson in manners".

"Careful," said the blonde boy. "Seifer fights dirty". While Hauru was distracted, Seifer lunged toward her, but she managed to parry the blow in time, shoving him back with a kick to the chest before dismissing her Keyblade. She wanted to teach the boy a lesson, but not at the expense of his life. She looked to blonde boy and he tossed her a padded Struggle bat. She took a moment to acclimate to the balance of the thing and entered her ready stance.

"Holding back?" Seifer asked. Hauru shook her head.

"No. Just don't want to break you".

"I'll put you in your place all the same," Seifer said with almost palpable anger.

"Street rules," said the red-eyed girl. Seifer went in first, eager to strike the first blow, but Hauru dodged it altogether, but she had no choice but to block his follow up. Seifer fought with such fury that, if Hauru didn't know any better, she might think Seifer was a lycan as well. Hauru stayed on the defensive until...

"You defiled my daughter!" Seifer seemed to say. But it sounded more like the arrogant man from the other times.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said. Seifer paused for a moment, which opened him up for Hauru to lunge in and attack. Seifer groaned and was sent back a bit.

"You need help, yo," said the large boy.

"Stay out of this, Rai!" Seifer snapped. Rai didn't listen. He moved in, lunging with his staff, but as Hauru braced for the blow, she heard it impact something else, turning to see Olette blocking him and starting to fight him back.

"We'll take care of the others. You focus on Seifer," Olette said. Memories flashed in Hauru's mind, of battles long ago, bonds forged on the battlefields as the lycans stormed Castle Corvinus. Hayner had already gone after the strange red-eyed girl, trying to power through her defense. They were fighting for her. Or were they? No, she just stepped into their war, one that looked like it was going on for a while. But the fact that she was willing to step in for those she didn't know must have inspired them. As if she was in it with them now, through one act of defiance. With Seifer bereft of backup, Hauru was on the attack. She unleashed a flurry of swift attacks. When Seifer finally regained his bearings, Hauru saw something else. In her eyes, the boy had been replaced by an older man with icy blue eyes, grey hair, sharp fangs and a black long coat. And Hauru only got more furious. She kept the man, no, the vampire on the back foot, not relenting. When her foe finally managed to block one of her attacks, their bats locked, seeming to transform before Hauru's eyes into silver swords.

"I should have crushed you under my heel the day you were born," said Hauru's foe. Hauru shoved with her bat, sending her foe back a step and dropped down, sweeping his leg and knocking him onto his back. Suddenly, in Hauru's eyes, the foe before her changed back into Seifer and their swords back into bats. She was hallucinating. Or was she remembering. She held her bat pointed at Seifer and, from beside her, heard the flash of a camera. She turned to see the boy in the Dog Street shirt shaking a photo to let it develop.

"Tactical retreat," said the red-eyed girl. Hauru helped Seifer up and he ran off with the red-eyed girl and the larger boy called Rai. Hauru heard a voice in her head as she watched them leave. Hauru turned to face the blonde boy and tossed him back his struggle bat. "So, what got him so angry he just wailed on you like that?"

"Oh, him? He's just mad that I beat his grandstander record. Oh. Where are my manners? I'm Hayner".

"Hardly seems like a reason to just wail on someone who can't fight back".

"Well, thanks for stepping in," said the girl. "I'm Olette". The heavyset boy in the Dog Street shirt stepped forward.

"I'm Pence," he said. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?" Hauru rubbed the back of her head.

"Oh, I... picked up some moves here and there".

"I don't think he'll ever live it down. Beaten by a girl," Hayner said, slapping Hauru on the back.

"He sounded... like someone... I remember from a long time ago..." Hauru said, rubbing the back of her head. "Oh. Right. I'm Hauru".

"Nice to meet you, Hauru," Pence said with a smile.

"I love your necklace. Where'd you get it?" Chimed Olette.

"I... mom gave it to me. It's been in my family for centuries".

"That's so cool. It must mean a lot," Said Hayner. "You new in town, Hauru?"

"Not technically. I usually just pass through. I might stay a bit longer, though".

"Well, maybe you could hang with us until it's time for you to go," Olette suggested. Hauru nodded. It's been too long since she had friends. Not since that fateful night in the Land of Departure. Even after the other apprentices learned her secret, they refused to give up on her. But this time, the risk would be minimal. She had enough control now that an accident like the last one wouldn't happen. But the less who knew about her true nature, the better. That said, it stood to reason that lycans were social creatures by nature. Maybe the reason she cared so much about Ven, Aqua and Terra was because they were her pack. And if she needed a pack, it looked like she could do worse.

"Sure. You guys seem pretty cool, honestly," Said Hauru.

"It'll be great to have another girl in the group," Olette said with a laugh.

"I need to get something from the armor shop. Wanna come with, Olette?"

"Sure. I need to get something from the accessory shop anyway. Can I have the camera?" Olette asked. Pence nodded and handed it over.

"We'll meet you at the tower later, okay?" Asked Hayner. Olette turned to him and nodded as she led Hauru to the Tram Commons. When the two stood before the armor shop, Olette seemed surprised to see the owner. "What happened to Martin?" The man behind the counter smiled at Hauru and Olette.

"Oh. He quit. I'm Biggs. What can I do for you?"

"I've been looking to replace these old cloth bracers," Said Hauru. "They don't handle claws so well". Biggs paused for a moment before pulling something off the shelf and setting it on the counter. A pair of black studded leather bracers adorned with a familiar looking wolf's head emblem. It was nearly identical to the Fenrir charm she used for her keyblade. "The buckles aren't silver, are they?"

"Nope," said Biggs. "They're also padded, so they're perfect in the winter".

"Great. How much are they?" Hauru asked.

"About five hundred munny," said Biggs. "But since you're my first customer, I can give you a ten percent discount". Olette playfully jabbed Hauru in the arm.

"You hear that? His first customer". Hauru nodded and paid for the bracers, removing her old ones and putting on the ones she bought. "We should get a photo to remember this".

"I... I really shouldn't. I don't photograph" said Hauru. Hauru turned to Biggs.

"Come on, Hauru, those new bracers look GREAT".

"I... If you insist," Hauru said with a sigh. "If you don't mind".

"Not at all," he said. Hauru got closer to the counter, facing the camera with Biggs behind the counter and to the left of Hauru by Olette's view. Olette picked up the Camera and snapped a picture of the two. Olette plucked it from the camera and handed it to Biggs after shaking it to let it develop.

"Here," said Olette. "So you'll always remember your first customer". Biggs smiled and put the picture up on the wall.

"Thanks. You enjoy those bracers, now". Hauru nodded and followed Olette to the Accessory shop. Olette browsed through everything on the counter and sighed.

"They still don't have it..." Olette said, looking more than a little disappointed. "Oh well. It's around that time. Let's head to the clock tower". Hauru nodded and Followed Olette up through Station Heights to the big clock tower that overlooked Station Plaza. Hauru looked to the Horizon to see the sun going down. "Hurry!" Olette shouted as she led Hauru to the tower entrance and up the winding steps. When Hauru stepped out onto the balcony, she saw Pence and Hayner waiting there. Hayner handed Hauru a popsicle and Pence gave one to Olette. The pale blue reminded Hauru of the water around her home as she took a seat on the edge with the others.

"What is this," she asked, still staring at the treat. Even the scent reminded her of the islands she left after the first time she went through the change.

"Sea Salt Ice Cream," Pence answered. "Take a bite. It's really good". Hauru nodded and gave the popsicle a tentative lick before biting down. She couldn't stop a smile from forming on her face. But it was bittersweet. The smell and the taste reminded her of home. All her friends that must have forgotten her. Her mother who must have given up hope that she'd see her again. "So, how long you think you're going to stay?"

"Oh. I might head away for a day or two here and there, but I'll probably call Twilight Town my home for a while yet".

"Well, now that we have a new member, Clock Tower Trio doesn't exactly work, does it?" Hayner asked. "And since Hauru beat Seifer, I think the honor should be hers". Hauru paused for thought, but then as the sun began to set and the sky turned a deep crimson red, she had her answer.

"How about the 'Red Sky Pack'?" Hauru asked.

"That's perfect," Said Olette. "All in favor?" Everyone raised their hands in response. Hauru was happy. And why shouldn't she be. She couldn't keep the friends she had before, but she vowed she'd make this friendship last. As if to commemorate the moment, Hauru threw her head back and let loose a long hopeful howl. Rather than question it, her "pack" joined in. Hauru laughed with her new friends afterwards. And as the night fell, they made their way back down to street level and parted ways for the evening. Again, Hauru could feel and sense a seemingly dark presence watching her, but she paid it no mind, preferring to relish in her situation. She had Riku, and she had a pack. Things, at last, were looking up for the young lycan.