Hauru wandered through the streets of Twilight town the next day. She had been neglecting her hair in some respects since she started living with Riku, DiZ and Naminé. Refusing to cut it. It had gotten down to her shoulders now, but she was not bothered by it. She was still thinking about that Invisible she fought. She did not want to stay in the mansion any longer than she had to. She needed to get to the usual spot, but she could not keep her mind still. Was growing claws in battle a sign of gaining control or losing it? It was close to a full moon, but she never changed without one. Maybe purebloods were different. Maybe they developed on their paths faster than the ones that were bitten. It was not like she could ask a pureblood. After all, the only other known pureblood perished in the Great Blaze almost six centuries before. At least according to the stories her mother told her. Was this normal for lycans? Or was she special? She headed off into the alley and looked down at her hands. She tried to see if she could make it happen again, trying to summon the emotion she felt in that moment. She even tried making slashing gestures with both hands to see if that would do it, but it was for nothing.
Maybe it was just a fluke. Hauru sighed. Most lycans took a century to be able to change at will and be free of the influence of the moon. Why would she be able to do it at her age? Hauru wandered into the Usual spot and met her pack there. Pence greeted her with a smile and handed her a Sea Salt Ice Cream bar. Hauru took it and smiled, taking a seat on the broken radiator as Hayner graciously moved to the couch.
Of Course, For Hauru to live long enough to gain control over the change itself, she would certainly outlive everyone. Her mother, her friends and even Riku. She tried not to think about it. But a clawing doubt began to form in her mind. One she had to voice. "Hey," she said. "Do... do you guys think we'll always be together like this?" She regretted asking the second she did. Of course, they would not be together like that forever. They could not. Lycans, being immortal, will always outlive their human friends. But it was a nagging question she had to ask.
"I hope so," Said Olette.
"Huh?" asked Hayner "Where'd that come from?" Hauru looked over at Hayner and clutched at her necklace.
"Thinking out loud, I guess".
"We probably can't be together forever," Hayner said. "That's what growing up is about, isn't it?" Hauru and the others nodded. Hauru took a sizable bire out of her ice cream. "What's important isn't how often we see each other, but how often we think about each other, right?" Hauru nodded and took another bite.
"You get that off a fortune cookie?" Pence asked with a grin on his face. He finished up what was left of his bar and tossed the stick aside.
"That's it," Hayner snapped. "No more ice cream for you". Hayner looked up for a moment and sighed. "Today's turning out to be a real drag".
"Because of the thief from yesterday?" Olette asked.
"I JUST got the last few photos back to their owners," Hauru said. "It was tough, but I was able to convince them that we didn't steal them".
"No. You know what it is?" Hayner asked. Everyone else shook their heads. Hauru looked to the side… that scent, that fickle scent that seemed to follow her, it was back. But Hauru was too distracted to get a fix on it. She pondered Hayner's question for a bit. Then it dawned on her and she snapped her fingers.
"We don't want Summer vacation to end," she said. Hayner flashed Hauru a smile. "So... we should go to the beach!" Hauru got up and walked to the center of the room. "Summer Vacation's nearly over and we haven't gone once". Hauru could almost picture it.
"That's a great idea," said Hayner. "Blue seas, blue skies... We should just get on the train and go!" Hauru smiled at the prospect but Pence and Olette were less than enthusiastic.
"Maybe you forgot," Pence said. "But... we're kind of completely broke".
"Maybe you forgot, but I'm smart." said Hayner. He broke out into a run and the rest of the pack followed close by. Except for Hauru, who left the Usual Spot and sniffed around the back alley for a bit. She did not have to for long. Leaning on a nearby wall was the source of that enigmatic scent. She wore a torn and sleeveless cloak, not unlike those worn by the Organization. She wore a black midriff top and thigh-high boots that went well with her shorts. Her exposed arms had dark skin and intricate white and black tattoos. Her hood was up, keeping her face hidden. A mantle of white fur was draped around her shoulders similarly to the tan fur on Hauru's jacket.
"Why do you keep following me?" Hauru asked impatiently, looking right at the strange woman's face.
"Kind of rude, don't you think? I was told to keep an eye on you. I hear you've been having some munny troubles". The woman reached into one of the pockets on her cloak and tossed a pouch to Hauru.
"What's in it?" Hauru asked. She gave the pouch a shake and put it in her own empty munny pouch, acknowledging its contents. "Who are you?" The strange woman chuckled and walked past Hauru.
"Suffice it to say I am a dear friend of the family… a friend of your father". Hauru was taken aback, but before she could question the strange woman further, she opened a Dark corridor and stepped through just before it collapsed.
"That was weird…"
Once they got to Station heights, Hayner stopped in front of a large poster on the nearby wall. Hauru walked up to take a look. The poster was advertising the struggle tournament. "Oh, yeah... That's just two days off, isn't it?"
"Yeah," said Hayner. "We should all enter. The whole pack".
"You sure?" Hauru asked.
"Yeah. Best chance one of us wins," said Pence.
"Otherwise, why would you have taught us to fight. Hauru?" asked Olette.
"Good point," Hauru conceded. "At least two of us have to make it to the finals. That way we can split the prize no matter who wins".
"It's a promise," said Hayner, putting his hand before him. Olette and Pence placed their hands atop Hayner's and Hauru was the last to put hers in.
"The strength of the pack is the wolf," said Hauru.
"And the strength of the wolf is the pack," they all said in unison as they lifted their hands high and howled. It never ceased to amaze Hauru how her little outburst when they all first met became this sort of ritual. A show of unity. Even if she was a little surprised how readily the gang accepted the wolf theme.
"Alright," said Hauru. "Back to brass tacks. Train tickets to the beach are about nine hundred munny each, so we need thirty-six hundred for all of us..."
"We'll need munny to spend when we get there, too," Pence chimed in.
"On what?" Hauru asked.
"Pretzels, obviously," said Hayner. "And you don't have a swimsuit, do you?"
"Yes, I actually do now. But your right. So... I figure three hundred each to spend. So, a total of about forty-eight hundred should do," Hauru explained. "So, how much have we got?"
"I'm flat broke," said Hayner.
"I've got eight hundred on me," said Pence.
"Six hundred and fifty," said Olette. Hauru nodded and checked the munny pouch on her belt.
"I have three hundred," said Pence.
"I've only got fifty," Hayner answered.
"I have… Whoa… fourty-three hundred munny!"
"Awesome! We can TOTALLY afford to go with that," Hayner shouted.
"I just need to go get my bag from home," Hauru said. "Olette, you hold onto the munny, okay?" Olette nodded and Hauru gave it to Olette to store in her pouch while she made her way to the old mansion as quick as she could. Her mind was still focused on that mysterious woman. Who was she? Did she know who Hauru's father was or was that a lie? She could have been anyone. Not even connected to her family. What if she was… no. She could not be a Death Dealer. She stood in the light of the sun and suffered no harm for it. Moreover, she did not stink of fresh blood as the vampires in her nightmares did. Hauru put it out of her mind as she headed inside to get her bag before making her way to the Station plaza. When she got there, she saw all her friends waiting for her at the entrance to the station with smiles on their faces.
"Come on! The train leaves in five minutes," said Hayner. Hauru nodded and followed her friends inside. Olette went to the ticket counter to get the tickets while the others waited by the platform. "This is gonna be great".
"Yeah," said Hauru. She sighed and boarded the train with her friends. As they all took their seats, Hauru elected to remain standing as the train got underway. She looked lost for a moment. In thoughts and memories of the Islands. Of her friends
"Hauru?" Olette asked. Hauru snapped out of it to face her friends. "Something wrong?"
"No. Nothing's wrong. Just... thinking of home. That's all". The rest of the ride passed in silence as the train grew nearer to its destination. The doors opened up and Hauru lead her pack out of the train and out to the waiting sands. It didn't take long for Hauru to find a Cabana so her pack could take turns changing into their swimwear. Olette came out wearing a tasteful orange swimsuit that mirrored the floral pattern on her regular outfit. Hayner, oddly, didn't seem to change short of removing his shirt and jacket. "Hayner? Were you wearing your swim trunks the whole time?" Hauru asked. Hayner nodded, gesturing for Hauru to head into the cabana. She came out wearing a black and read one-piece suit fitted with a sort of skirt arrangement. She smiled and did something of a twirl to show it off. Pence went into the cabana next and emerged in his swim trunks and his jersey. Hauru gave him a polite smile and they went out to secure a spot. A few sniffs of the air, and Hauru smiled wide.
"Hauru?" Hayner asked as he approached Hauru from behind laid a hand on her shoulder. "What's up?"
"Follow me, guys," was all she said before darting off. Her friends all followed close behind. She came to a stop in front of a man with something of a stout build, blonde hair, a well-trimmed beard and who smelt of leather and parchment. He was reading what looked like an old book. "Aeon! It's good to see you out here". Aeon adjusted his glasses and moved his gaze to Hauru.
"Hauru? Fancy meeting you here," he said. Aeon closed his book and rose to his feet, looking over Hauru and her friends. "And who are these fine youths with you?"
"These are my friends," Hauru answered with a warm smile. "Well, they're more like my pack. This is Hayner, Pence, and Olette". Hauru gestured to each of them as she said their names. "Guys, this is Aeon. He helped me out with some stuff a while back".
"They seem to be some fine upstanding folk. 'Lit,' Is that your parlence?" Hauru shuddered at Aeon's attempt to "fit in with the youth".
"Not quite," Hauru said. She lifted her head to howl and her "pack" followed suit.
"Goodness. If I'd asked any of my schoolmates to do that, I'd have been beaten to within an inch of my life". Aeon leaned in to whisper into Hauru's ear. "Hauru, please tell me you didn't..."
"You know me better than to even ask that," Hauru said, visibly appalled at the suggestion.
"We're not sure why she does it," Olette said. "But it's fun. Started when we took her to the clock tower after she helped us out against Seifer and his friends".
"I don't like bullies," Hauru said as if rushing to her own defense.
"I imagine very few people do," Aeon said.
"Well, Seifer... kind of reminded me of Viktor from The Tragedy of the Crownless king". Aeon knew what Hauru was talking about, and it showed on his face. Hauru wasn't ready to tell her pack about what she was. And less ready to explain the flashbacks to memories that weren't her own.
"That is troubling. A shame there are still those like him". Aeon's expression grew a bit sullen as he spoke.
"Uh... What's 'The Tragedy of the Crownless King'?" Pence asked, providing a welcome change of subject.
"Would make for a fascinating history lecture, I suspect," Aeon answered.
"It was my favorite book growing up," Hauru said. Her expression brightened as she was reminded, by her own words, of better times. Before she left the Islands, before she turned for the first time. "It's weird, but I feel really connected to some of the characters. Especially Lucian..."
"Well, what's it about?" Olette asked.
"Well," Hauru began, "it's... about creatures of the night. It's also a story about forbidden love. Lucian was a lycan slave that fell in love with a beautiful vampire princess named Sonja".
"That sounds so romantic," Olette said. Hayner feigned gagging before getting a swift elbow from Pence.
"It's got some action bits, but... Well, I won't spoil it". Hauru's expression changed, seeming a bit dour as she hung her head a bit. "But I still find myself reading it when I can and hoping that it'll turn out differently. Actually... Aeon, do you have a copy I could lend to the pack?"
"Hrm..." was all Aeon could manage before he went over to his bag and began to rummage through it. "Let's see... Folly of the Pelucid Kings, Equestrianism and You, A Guide to Shields... Ah! Here it is". Aeon returned to Hauru carrying a blue hardcover book. The cover showed a picture of Lucian and Sonja, sharing a tearful embrace as all around them seemed to crumble. "This is the only one I have, so do be sure to bring it back, alright?" Hauru nodded and gave it to Olette, who ran her hands over the bittersweet image on the cover.
"I'll make sure it gets to you once the whole pack has had the chance to read it".
"Or once Olette's read it and explained it to us," Pence said with a laugh. "Thanks, Aeon".
"You are quite welcome, lad".
"Come on, guys," Hauru said. "This day's not going to enjoy itself".