Chapter 6

With a clang, the young Leona's sword went flying out of her grip. Heaving a sigh of frustration, she dropped to the ground, hugging her knees beneath her chin.

"What's up, LeoLeo? You're not concentrating. Did something go wrong in our mad scientist's endeavours?"

"Dari..." Leona glanced up, tears gathering. "No, it's not that."

Dari's eyes softened and he set aside his own sword, crouching down to softly pat her head, waiting until she told him the issue. There'd been an incident involving a friend of hers, who'd gotten hurt.

"...and I couldn't save her, even though I was right there."

"Look, you tried your best, didn't you? So you can't beat yourself up about it."

"But I'm never strong enough," she lamented. "I wish I could be as strong as you."

Dari laughed. "You've got plenty of time, kid. Why are you worrying about protecting others when you've still got me protecting you?"

You're not exactly a grown-up yourself, she thought. "But..." Leona's fists clenched. "You won't always be there," she murmured.

"And why wouldn't I be? I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon." He stood, then held a hand out to help her up. "So while I safeguard you, don't fret and train well."

When she was standing again, he used shinsu to pull her sword into his hands, and handed it back to her. "You may never reach my level though, LeoLeo," he jested. "I'm very powerful, you know."

Swinging her sword, which he dodged neatly, Leona glared. "I told you, it's Leo or Leona!"

Chuckling warmly, Dari beamed down at her. "Now there's that fiery spirit."

When Leona awoke from her afternoon nap, it was to a weight pressing on her collarbone and a beak pecking at her.

"You're gonna be late!" Kai warned.

She usually wasn't that difficult to wake up, but having such a nostalgic dream had made her subconsciously withdraw from wakefulness. The time on her Pocket told her she had fifteen minutes to reach the announcement hall.

Leaping up, she gave her face a quick scrub, ran a comb through her hair, and straightened her clothes before she left.

"Were you also taking a poo, crackpot turtle?" was what she was greeted with when she arrived at the seats her friends occupied.

"You were almost too late," Khun informed her.

"Yup, I was taking a nap. Oh, is this seat open?" Leona shoved the crocodile down and plonked down on his back.

Before she could ask if Khun had succeeded, Lero Ro stepped up to the podium to address the Regulars. Rak was making too much of a noise, so she moved to the next seat.

When the ones who passed were displayed on Lero Ro's Lighthouse, she scanned the list from top to bottom with bated breath.

Anaak scraped it in, she noted, thanks to Endorsi's stunt failing Death Ryan.

By some nasty miracle, that green Spearbearer made it in.

Shibisu and Hatz were obviously fine, as were Khun and Leona herself. As expected, Rachel was failed due to injury, and one of the other Lightbearers was passed in her place.

Finally, from the Wavecontrollers, both Bam and Lauroe were in.

Some Regulars sighed with relief, some celebrated, and some were overshadowed by gloom.

"Wait a minute! Why am I not on the list?" some halfwit contested. The other Spearbearer, it turned out.

As he continued to loudly dispute the results, Hansung Yu stepped forward and beckoned him to the front. "Okay, then, prove that you're talented enough to have passed the test."

"How do I...?"

"It's easy. Just make it out of here without going crazy."

Leona felt a chill. Then the Regular screeched out of nowhere as his shoulder broke. Hansung Yu proceeded to break just about every bone in his body – without lifting a finger.

She turned away and tuned out his tortured screams. He called out to his 'friend', Paracule, for help, only for Paracule to deny any association to him. What goes around comes around.

"Wait, Director," said Khun. "I also disagree with the results."

He did find a way, then, Leona thought as Khun went to the front. The Spearbearer looked at him as though he was his saviour.

"I think he hasn't been beaten enough yet. He hasn't gone crazy."

"I see," noted Hansung Yu. Once the Regular finally lost consciousness, he returned his attention to Khun. "So, Mr Khun. You passed the test with a high score, so what are you unsatisfied with?"

"I want Michelle Light, who failed due to an injury, to move to the next round."

"And why do you care about what happens to Michelle Light?"

"It's important to my friend."

Silence for a long moment. Then the test director began to laugh, becoming progressively more hysterical. "Hahaha, I'm sorry, I didn't think I'd hear the word 'friend' from you!" He wiped tears aside as he calmed down. "But I'm sorry, the rules say that since she's too injured, she can't take the test."

"Normally, yes, that would be the case," Khun stated.

Where exactly is he going with this?

"But I'll meet the Guardian himself, and take his test."

Oh, right. The Floor Guardian was the only one with the authority to override the test administrator's rules.

"If I gain his permission for Michelle to take the next test," Khun went on, "then your rule will be invalid, right?"

Hansung Yu questioned where he'd gotten that information, to which Khun replied that he'd heard about it in his family. He was good at bluffing.

"Then I'm sure you heard why nobody takes that test?"

"It's more difficult than the usual tests, so people wouldn't risk it." Khun grinned confidently. "But not to worry, I'll pass."

"Sorry, but there's another reason. You must fill a requirement to be able to take that test."

"What?" It seemed to be something Khun hadn't expected.

"In order to take the test... You must be an Irregular, like Jahad or Urek Mazino."

That took a moment to sink in. And the second it did, Leona sucked in a breath, filled with a sense of foreboding. While Hansung Yu was dismissing Khun, she turned to Bam.

No! He's going to— Her heart hammering, she reached out over Rak's head, prepared to hold him down and cover his mouth, so he wouldn't say it, but her fingers only grazed his sleeve as he shot up.

"Wait! I'll take the test!" he declared.

Leona froze, her hand grasping his arm, though Bam didn't notice. It was too late.

"Mr Bam, didn't you hear me, I said—"

"It doesn't matter. Because I— I'm-I'm an Irregular."

Silence reigned as the echoes of his voice petered out. Then all hell broke loose.

"I knew there was something odd about Bam, but I never guessed he was an Irregular," said Khun.

After Hansung Yu had led Bam away, the Regulars who passed the test gathered around, sitting in the front of the hall to discuss their choice – take the Guardian's test with Bam, or take the ordinary test.

Leona was leaning against the wall, absently twisting the ends of her hair around her fingers. Khun had been right, when he said it was a Ranker who sent the note to Hoh. And she was willing to bet this had been their aim. But she couldn't understand why they'd go so far. And who was capable of scheming to that extent? Unease pooled in her stomach.

"What's an Irregular?" the short, yellow-haired Scout, Narae, wondered. "Why is everyone so serious?"

Shibisu explained that Irregulars were those who opened the door of the Tower by themselves, instead of being chosen.

"And, is that a problem?"

"Well, it violates the rules of the Tower. And there's been chaos every time an Irregular entered the Tower. People hate and fear them."

"How discriminatory, though," Leona said darkly, scoffing. "Irregulars are just people. If they're hated, it's because Jahad and his cronies want it that way. Hypocritical, considering they themselves are Irregulars. All because they don't want to be challenged, they suppress potential threats."

"That's... A dangerous view you've got there, Leona," Shibisu said nervously.

She didn't care. It's not like anyone would come after her just for saying that here. "And...in what way is Bam a threat? Does he seem like the seed of chaos to any of you? Does he deserve to be abandoned just because of a label like that?"

"Then, what do we do now?" said Narae.

"Of course we won't help!" Paracule piped up. "We can't ruin our lives for him! What did he do for us, anyway?"

It was one shred of patience that kept her from strangling the bastard to death. He was undermining her efforts to win sympathy for Bam, and he was bloody annoying.

"You passed the test because of Bam," Hatz pointed out.

"Yes, but— It would be insane to help him, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I agree," an unexpected voice cut in. "I feel sorry for Bam, but I can't help an Irregular."

Khun? But there's no way he'd abandon Bam?

She watched Hatz argue against him, and noticed the frowns directed at Khun from several of the Regulars. Oh, so that's what he's aiming for.

If those who were friends with Bam saw Khun's 'betrayal', they'd naturally feel sorry for him and would be averse to the 'traitor' and his stance.

Leona stepped forward just as Rak launched himself at Khun, knocking him over, and punched him in the face.

"You're all stupid turtles, cowering in your shells with fear. That's why you're nothing but turtles." Rak stormed off. "I'm following him. I don't care about the consequences, I refuse to let go of my prey."

That's riled them up nicely. Leona wondered if Rak was just being Rak, or if he'd actually caught on. But they were still just staring in shock at the events unfolding. They may need a bit of a push before they actually make their decision.

Following after the crocodile, Leona surveyed them over her shoulder. "A friend in need is a friend indeed. Bam really is pitiful if he has this many fake friends. Oh, but no matter," as her eyes briefly crossed with Anaak's, she grinned confidently, "at least I'd face Jahad himself if it were for him."

Returning to the hall, Leona found Khun lying back on the floor exactly where he'd been when she last saw him. His little subterfuge had paid off, of course, as after the big guns chose to help Bam, the others naturally followed. Now, even if they realised after, that they had been influenced into their decision, they already made the choice and couldn't go back on it.

"Everyone else signed up, so it's your turn now," Leona informed him as she neared.

He sat up, but remained quiet. She eyed the bloody mark at the corner of his lips.

She pulled out a clean handkerchief and some antiseptic from her Lighthouse. "That crocodile really doesn't know how to hold back, huh?" Crouching down, she dabbed gently at the bruised skin, having soaked the cloth.

Khun flinched away at first, surprised. "I can do—"

"Just keep still." Perhaps he was too tired to oppose further, because he allowed her to clean it up. There were so many things she could have said, many things that needed to be discussed, but for some reason the silence was more comfortable in that moment. Enough had happened that day, so it seemed like everything else should wait for another.

It was only when Leona finished that she realised he'd been scrutinising her the entire time. Which made her feel...oddly self-conscious – she had to repress a blush. Her eyes locked with his for a long moment, and it was as though her focus was sharpening with every second, honing in on him. His thoughts were unfathomable behind those deep blue orbs. "What?" she finally asked, partly to break the stillness, and partly to prompt the questions he was holding in.

Khun shook his head, looking away. "It's nothing."

What the heck was that about?

"Hey, turtles, stop taking your time and come!" Rak called out as he appeared at the door.

Khun stood first, offering his hand to Leona, which she took without thinking. But the moment she was on her feet, she let go as though it burnt.

Well, in a way, it did.

Thankfully, they had some time before the Final Test would take place.

The day after the announcement, they held a funeral for Hoh, which Leona only attended on Bam's insistence.

Then in the days following, they all did their best to prepare for the upcoming test. Rak and the Spearbearers had some sort of target practice, which ended up a competition, from the looks of it. They were littering one of the valleys with spears.

Leona, Khun and Shibisu spent days compiling data and preparing strategies based on each teammate's capabilities.

Naturally, Leona also spent her free time tinkering, though she mostly performed maintenance on her existing devices, rather than inventing new ones.

Bam ended up training under Endorsi, which from the sounds of it, resulted in him getting thrown to the ground half the time.

"Hmm. Should I join you in teaching him?" Leona pondered one evening, when Endorsi came over to hang out. She eyed the Princess carefully.

"What? No, I'm more than enough for the job," Endorsi assured her. But was there a hint of annoyance in her tone? "You can concentrate on your planning and all that."

Now, could that irritation have been due to the implication that her skill as a teacher was insufficient, or was it possibly...? "Oh, okay, if you say so. Of course, I now realise you wouldn't want anyone interrupting your time alone with Bam, right?"

A blush rose to Endorsi's cheeks, and she immediately denied it. "What are you talking about, I don't really care about being alone with him!"

How cute. Smirking, Leona drove the point further. "Now I understand your initial reluctance to befriend him, Endorsi, you were afraid to fall in love, huh? But it's too late now, you—"

"Sh-Shut up, Leona!" she wailed, the redness on her cheeks deepening. "It's not love, it..." Suddenly, she whipped her head up. "Anyway, what about you and that blue-haired devil, then?"

Pin-drop silence. Then Leona burst into a fit of guffaws, rolling on her bed and clutching her stomach. "Wow, what a last-ditch effort to change the subject!"

Endorsi was unamused. "Oh, come on, you can't tell me there's going on."

"Me and Khun? Nah! Sorry to disappoint, but there isn't. What would give you that idea?"

"You're always hanging out together. And aren't you quite close? Always on the same wavelength. Sometimes I wonder if you have some secret telepathy."

"We're in the same Position, so we're working together," Leona shrugged. "And we're friends, so obviously we're close."

"So, Bam and I are also friends! Why do you say...that..."

"Because your reaction gives it away."

The Princess, after examining her for a bit, sighed. "Hmm, maybe there's nothing yet between you two, but there will be, I can tell."

Leona shook her head. She didn't know what convinced her, but dismissed it. Regardless of what she thought, she had neither the time and energy, nor the desire to fall in love.

"Hey, are you sure about going through with this?" she sat up and looked Endorsi in the eyes. "There's both Anaak and Bam..." The consequences would be worse for her than any of the others, for helping two enemies of Jahad.

It took her a long moment to reply. "Of course, it's nothing I can't handle. It can't be helped, since these are the people I want to go up with."

Isn't she way too casual about it, though? "Then, does that include me?" Reaching out, Leona pulled the girl into a hug. "Aw, so sweet."

"Who said anything about you?" But Endorsi returned the hug warmly.

With half the people in the room well on their way to being wasted, the noise levels were deafening. But watching their antics was hilarious, so Khun didn't mind staying.

Especially if he could get hold of some blackmail material. Inwardly, he chuckled.

Shibisu had arranged a party for that evening – a farewell for those who would be going home, as well as to unwind before the final test a few days away. While most of the others were letting loose, Khun couldn't help but take note of Leona, quietly observing from one corner. She hadn't touched a drop of alcohol, but was having her fill of snacks.

He creased his brow. He did find it a pity he wouldn't be getting to see her drunken state. But why was he keeping tabs on her?

However, try as he might, he couldn't stop his attention from wandering towards her every now and then. So, he was the only one who spotted her leaving about halfway through.

The night wore on, and ten minutes later, Khun tired enough to leave too. Outside the room, the cool night air was fresh. She'd probably gone to sleep. Or... Maybe she hadn't. She'd seemed to have a lot on her mind.

With that, he was decided, heading not towards his room, but rather a certain haunt of a certain woman's. He wasn't even sure if she would be there, but somehow thought it was worth a shot.

Sliding his hands into his pockets as he strolled on, he thought back on his behaviour. It was like that previous time, after the announcement. His awareness of her. Seeking out her company for no apparent reason. What was he doing?

Ah, but there was a lot he wondered about her. This is the perfect opportunity to ask those questions, he told himself. Still, it felt like an excuse.

Stepping onto the familiar terrace, Khun stopped and stared for a moment. He'd been right. There Leona was, perched on the balustrade and gazing over the shadowed landscape. Her loosely plaited hair, rippling gently in the breeze, looked almost black in the dark.

"You left already? Was it that boring without me?" she teased without even a glance back, when he stepped up behind her.

That hit a little too close to the truth than Khun would've liked to admit. "As if. They're almost all asleep."

"You mean knocked out. Well, at least they're having fun."

"Can't relax?" Swinging his legs over the railing, he sat beside her.

For a while it was silent, then, "It's like the calm before the storm. Even though I know this is the last stretch of peace we'll have, I just can't seem to rest."

It didn't exactly seem like she was nervous for the test. Instead, she couldn't sit still; she was working in just about every waking moment. After all, he'd caught her reviewing their plans late into the night and early in the morning. In fact, that probably would have been the case tonight if Shibisu hadn't pestered her.

"Hey, do you know what's a good way to forget all your worries?" Her tone, a bit brighter, caught his attention.

"What, like get drunk?"

"Nope. That sucks. I have a better way."

"Uh-huh?"

Suddenly, she turned to him and took hold of his hand. Khun widened his eyes in surprise. With that brief distraction, he didn't react until too late.

"Free fall," Leona grinned like a Cheshire cat. Just as she kicked off from the railing, yanking him with her.

"Huh? Hey, what the—" The ground, though a few hundred kilometres below, began to rush up to meet them. "You crazy woman!"

Over the wind rushing past his ears, he heard her joyful peals of laughter. "It's okay, see. Kai is over there!" With one hand still gripping his, she stretched her arms wide and lay parallel to the ground, urging him to follow suit.

What an extreme sport. But in a way, it wasn't unexpected of her. And neither was it that bad, Khun realised, once he calmed down from the initial shock. Although, if he had to choose, he would really prefer not to be dragged into such a thing without warning.

When he glanced at Leona sidelong, it was her brilliant, carefree smile, crinkling her eyes, that caught his breath. Just then, she looked back at him. "Well, have you forgotten all your woes?" she called.

He thought he'd just gained some new ones, but couldn't say that. "I haven't forgotten what will happen if we hit the ground!" he shouted back.

She chortled again, heartily. They were still quite high up, but Kai, in the form of a roc, drew level with them, and she slung herself over his back, pulling Khun behind.

Once they were on Kai's back, their vertical descent was slowed, and they levelled out, sailing smoothly over the tops of trees. Leona had let go of his hand, telling him to hold on. The bird began to rise steadily, so he hesitantly grasped her shoulders.

Her hair brushed over his face as her plait came undone – it was smooth, and had a gentle floral fragrance – but she quickly pulled it over her shoulder, apologising. They settled into a peaceful mood as they surveyed the wide variety of land features, from rivers and lakes to grassy fields to mountains and woodlands.

"It really isn't going to be easy from now on," Leona said after a while. "I'm afraid those guys may have made the decision hastily, to be honest. Haha, even though we had a hand in that. But travelling with an Irregular is no joke."

Khun thought back to the day of the announcement, when Bam declared that he was an Irregular. "You knew, didn't you?" From the way it had looked, she'd tried to stop Bam from revealing it.

And there was also her reaction before, when she'd considered why one of the Rankers might have wanted Bam to fail – she probably feared he'd been discovered.

"Ah. Well, it was something I figured out."

He didn't get to ask how. Kai abruptly veered to one side and dove through a valley; Khun's grip proved too light as he nearly slid off.

"I told you to hold tight!" Leona grasped one of his arms and brought it around her waist. He froze in place, keenly aware of their proximity. He was practically hugging her.

Mentally, he facepalmed. Does this woman not even see me as a man?

To distract himself, he reached for other thoughts. What they'd been discussing before...

Like a bolt from the blue, Khun had a thought that threw all others out the window. "We're birds of a feather," was what she'd said regarding Bam a month ago, and he hadn't thought much of it. But the way she'd defended Irregulars, almost as if... It was just a wild guess, but... "Are you one as well?" he ventured.

It appeared to take her a moment to perceive what he meant, but she didn't react much, even then. "Hmm... What do you think?"

Leona certainly wasn't the same as Bam. Unlike him, there weren't simple things she was clueless about. While she was mysterious, it wasn't in a way that was foreign. She didn't seem to have the fearsome power that Irregulars were often marked by, either. All told, when he thought of it, it seemed like a ridiculous idea. "It seems like you were born in the Tower."

"Right?" she drawled.

Yet, Khun couldn't help but believe that if it was that simple, she wouldn't have avoided giving a straight answer, not to that extent.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" Leona screamed her heart out into her pillow, her face burning red as she blushed.

What the heck was that? She simply hadn't wanted Khun to fall, so she did the practical thing. That should've been the end of it. They were friends, so it ought to have been fine, like reasonable physical contact was with every other friend she'd had.

Thank god she'd managed to suppress her thoughts at the time.

But his arm around her had been warm, and lean but toned, and— "Ahhhh! Just kill me now!"

"I'll do just that if you don't shut it," said Shira dryly. "If it bothers you, just go to sleep and forget it."

"Good idea."

But, easier said than done. Leona actually had to use one of her precious sleeping drafts to fall asleep.

Author's Note

Since I realised Chapter 5 didn't have Khun's POV, I decided it was okay to give him an extra long part here. How'd you like it? ;)

And well, there was some progress at last? They're starting to be more conscious of each other – but not in love yet, though. I hope I portrayed that well enough.

I think in my head it was a lot smoother a transition for Khun's thoughts – I intended to make it a lot more subtle than it turned out. So let me know if you think it was too sudden.