Well I should be studying for my exams instead I'm writing so here you go.

Do It Arie Style

Ana once more sat on the grass as she waited for the other two to arrive. Classes for the aspiring children of the family had just finished and she got here as quickly as possible. She was quick to rush from the Academy building where classes were held to her room. She grabbed the sword handed to her by Vicente from there and then come over here.

She had hidden it along with the note under her mattress. When she left, she eyed anyone who came her way in the hallway, tightening the grip on the leather sheath tucked away underneath the jacket she wore.

When she finally arrived her shoulders sacked and she took out the blade from its cover. She traced the leather with the palm of her hand. There was a white sword embedded right in the middle. The symbol of the family. She frowned at it before shaking her head. It didn't matter! It was a well-crafted sword that's all she needed!

Now as she sat there, she took out the sword. She held it up in the sunlight twisting it around in her hand she observed how the light reflected on the silver surface. She smiled to herself. Ana would really need to thank Vicente for giving her such a weapon! Actually, she wondered where he had gotten such a good sword.

At the thought of him, Ana looked up. There was still no sign of either Hoaqinor Vicente. They sure took their time again today. Their lessons should have already been over as well. Should she already start? She might as well get something done before they arrived.

With her resolve set, Ana stood up stretching her arms, careful not to cut herself. She walked over to a tree once there she bend over searching through the bush underneath. Her hands stopped rummaging when she felt a rough surface under her hands. Ana grabbed ahold of it and pulled.

A wooden dummy came to light, it's exterior lined with many strike marks. She grabbed it with both arms to pulled it over. Then careful to keep it steady, Ana placed upward sticking it deep into the earth.

Ana eyed it critically. It had seen better days from when she had first crafted it. She had no one to train so she roughly stuck together what she found around the clearing until she had something somewhat resembling a dummy. If you could call the half-broken mess even that.

Now it missed one arm and its head made out of straw had lost half its face. Not to mention the many lines crisscrossing it from where she recently tried her new sword. Ana sighed. It had to do for now. She hoped Hoaqin and Vicente would come rather quickly.

A few more scratches onto the dummy and the other arm gone as well Vicente and Hoaqin finally showed up. The latter ran at her in hurried strides, waving frantically her way his face beamed.

"Ana! Ana!" He shouted when he was within earshot.

Ana raised an eyebrow. She sheathed her sword fully turning to face the incoming Hoaqin. Her head shot backward her eyes went round when Hoaqin didn't stop in front of her instead he grabbed her by the shoulders invading her personal space with his face.

"We have to fight right now! Come on!" His eyes sparkled.

Ana's face scrunched up. She grabbed his hands lowering them from her shoulders as she took a step backward. She sighed out. "Yes, we can fight. No need to get this excited Hoaqin."

"No, you don't get it! I have got to try it out right now! Please! Please! Come on!"

"Do you mind explaining what you mean?"

"No need! You'll see! Now pull out your sword and let's fight!" He drew his own weapon keeping it ready!

"Come on!" He demanded.

Ana shifted her weight to her left foot crossing her arms she looked to the side. "Would you care to explain Vicente?"

The person in question had arrived as well book in hand as always. He turned to Hoaqin with a sign. "We learned something new today in class. That hothead wants to try it out on you."

"And what did you learn?"

"You'll see."

"Vicente I asked for an explanation. Not more riddles!"

"It would be difficult to explain to you."

"Are you calling me stupid?!"

He continued on. "It's best that you just see for yourself. Plus, it would take too long and Hoaqin won't wait anymore." He sat down opening the book he brought with him. "I'll take my turn when you're finished." He laid down on the grass crossing his legs.

Ana sighed out again. She seemed to do that a lot with Hoaqin. "Fine." She drew her sword holding it relaxed at the ready in one hand. "Come at me."

"Alright," Hoaqin cheered.

Hoaqin came at her, she parried his first strike coming low to aim at her side. He followed suit with another blow aiming opposite from the first. She blocked it easily enough too. Hoaqin kept the attacks up never letting up the onslaught. She let herself fall back concentrating on the defense and blocking rather than outright attacking.

She narrowed her eyes. She wondered what did Hoaqin have up his sleeve?

A hit from above she grabbed her hilt with both hands to withstand the force of the blow. Hoaqin smirked down upon her. "If you keep that up I won't even need to use it to beat you."

Ana's forehead creased. She pushed him off this time sheturned to attack. She parried his next attack twisting around to slash at his open side. He was quick to change direction, his blade stopping hers inches from his skin. She unleashed a flurry of strikes on him. Now Hoaqin was being driven backward.

She grabbed her blade trusting it forward with all her might. Their swords ended in a stalemate. Hoaqin shoved her away, she was quick to catch her footing readying herself to block the next hit.

But all of a sudden the blade that came from the right vanished! Instead, it appeared on her other side. Ana's eyes widened. Her arms shot up her blade moving to intercept. However, that too was futile because the next second the Hoaqin's blade vanished again from her sight.

She felt cold metal press against her exposed neck. Ana's eyebrows rose when she looked down to see Hoaqin's blade at her temple.

"That's a deathblow! I win!" Hoaqin cheered, pulling away his sword raising his fists in victory. Once Ana got her bearings together a deep line appeared between her brows.

"What was that?!" She asked the jumping Hoaqin. He calmed down turning her way with a smirk.

"It's what we learned today! They started teaching us Arie Techniques!" He told her his hands shaking in excitement.

"That's how your sword changed directions? How do you do that? I haven't heard anything about this!"

"What? But every one of Arie's blood knows at least something about our technique! It's the pride of our family! Of the whole Arie name!"

"I'm not everyone Hoaqin. I have never been told anything about it." Her eyes flashed to the side. She crossed her arms quick to change the topic.

"Anyway, why have you guys started to learn it already when in our classes it hasn't even been mentioned!"

Hoaqin stared blankly at her. "Because we are older than you? They start teaching it once we are old enough. You'll probably start in a year or so."

Ana rubbed her head sheepishly. "Ah yeah, right makes sense!"

She glanced at him. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her. "Can you…?" She hesitated. "Can you teach… me how to do it?

Hoaqin stared at her for a while then he grinned. "Of course!"

Ana's lips tugged upwards ever so slightly. "Thanks!"

So-." She started. "Can you explain what you did?"

Hoaqin "Ehm… I don't really how to explain it!"

"Then what did they tell in your lesson?

Hoaqin looked to the side not meeting her gaze. "I didn't really pay attention…"

Ana's brows knitted together. "Then how did you even use it?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I just sorta know it!" Ana's eyes bored blankly into his.

"Ok! Just ask Vicente! He knows it!" Ana turned to him. Vicente looked up at the mention of his name silently closing his book.

"I can do that. But in return, I want to first spare with you. Afterward, I can tell you anything you want."

"Deal. But only one round and you're not allowed to use that technique! It's unfair to use it when I don't know it."

Hoaqin snickered at her. "Didn't you tell me that no fight is fair?"

"…"

"Argh! Fine! You can use it." Ana told Vicente.

"Ahhh!" Ana groaned out as she let herself on the grass. Her body welcomed the rest, she felt heavy like she couldn't move a single muscle inside her body. She opened her eyes to look heavenward. Clouds passed by in the blue sky.

"I don't get it! What am I doing wrong?!" She growled out.

Vicente came to sit cross-legged down beside her. His eyes drifted towards Ana.

"You have to concentrate on the Shinsu around you and imagine your sword-" He started to reiterate

" 'And imagine your sword becoming the space itself'." Ana finished for him sitting up. "Yes! You've told me so countless times by now! And I'm telling you I don't get it!" She complained.

Vicente blinked at her wordlessly as she sighed out again to look once more upward.

"Maybe if you told me I could help-"

"I said I don't get it! So how do you expect me to explain it!" She shouted at him.

"…"

"Sorry.." She turned away.

"Perhaps it's best we take a break for a while. You're understandably frustrated but don't expect immediate results it'll take some time and patience for you to learn this."

Ana pulled her legs up resting her head on her arms. Her nose wrinkled. "Then what about him and you?" She pointed over at Hoaqin who trained to slash at an invisible opponent then back at Vicente. Vicente's gaze followed it.

"He's a genius." He simply stated. Then after a brief, pause he added. "At least when it comes to wielding a blade. For anything else, he doesn't have a keen mind."

Ana snickered. Vicente continued. "Besides we are both from direct-lines of the family. Naturally, our father's blood runs strongly in both of us."

Ana's smile fell at his words she felt her spine going rigged. "What?!" She asked as she stared at him her forehead creased. "What did you say?" Suddenly she saw the boy in front of her in a new light.

Vicente met her eyes unflinching, brows raised. "I said we are from direct-lines…. Is something the matter?"

Ana looked off to the side avoiding his piercing eyes. "No, it's nothing!" She hoped he couldn't see the sweat running down her neck. But Vicente wasn't one to fool she felt his eyes on her rigged form analyzing it. Ana felt like nothing could escape that watchful eyes.

"Is about your status? "Demon" of the family?" Vicente said out loud what Ana had already feared him saying. All at once the little perfect world she had had with Hoaqin and Vincente shattered. The truth was out now. Vicente knew now who she was!

Her legs tensed up in preparation to run her already tensed back muscles further tightened. She expected a great many things when she finally mustered up the courage to peak at Vincente from the corner. A scowl. A sneer. A disgusted look on his face.

But like Hoaqin before him, Vicente surprised her with his next words.

Vicente sighed out. "Rest assured whatever you think I would do I won't. I can guess from what I have heard but-" He looked her in the eyes. So there could be no doubt about his words. "-I'm not like those guys. I have far more important matters than such childish matters.? I reassure you you can trust me."

Ana's brows drew together as looked uneasily away. Vincente sighed out again. "If I had any ill intentions I wouldn't have given you either the sword or sheath."

Ana looked to the side cheeks tinged slightly red. She scratched the back of her head. "Yeah… right…"

"I don't expect you to warm up to me immediately. I can only imagine what you went through but be assured that neither I nor Hoaqin will ever do something like that."

Ana's lips twitched at his words. She bit her lower lip to stop the trembling. Her eyes wandered over to Hoaqin. "Are you sure?" She looked back at Vicente.

He nodded. "I am."

Silence reigned afterward between the two of them. Each not sure how to continue the conversation. At last, Ana uttered. "Thank… you…"

"Pardon?"

"Thank you… for the sword… and the sheath." Ana didn't look at him.

"Ah… no problem."

"…"

"Can I see your sword?" Vicente asked

Ana's hand moved to grab the sword lying on the ground beside her. She hesitated when her fingers came around the hilt. She stared at the sword than at Vicente.

"Why do you want it?"

"You still don't trust me?"

"…"

He heaved another sigh. "I won't take it away from you. I only want to inspect it."

Ana handed it reluctantly over. She watched as Vicente pulled it outlying it on his lap. He carefully took it into his hands. Vicente turned it to one side then over again his eyes each time wandering along the glinting edge. Finally, he put it in his lap again.

"This isn't good." He said.

"What isn't good?!"

Instead of answering her question Vicente, in turn, asked her. "Do you have any oil?"

Ana's eyes narrowed. "No, obviously not. Why? Is that important?"

Vicente took the sword in his hand putting it back in its sheath. He held it out for her. "It's important to clean your blade sometimes to maintain its edge and to stop it from rusting. If you don't have any oil for cleaning I can get you some the next time we meet."

Ana frowned. "I don't need it-"

Vicente held up a hand. "I insist. You have more need for it anyway. My family can afford to lose a little bit of oil that won't even make a dent in our expenses. It's only right for me to help you with a little bit I can offer."

Ana's lips smalled a small smile "I didn't know you were such a righteous person Vicente."

"You're my friend. It's only natural to help each other." He stated whilst standing up. He held out his for Ana. "Are you ready to continue?"

Ana looked at him with wide eyes. She nodded.

She took his hand and he pulled her up.

Hope you liked it.

Thank you for the support.

Adios :D