"Right," Hange called from the far end of an empty training field. In between her and Levi, stood a newly made obstacle course of the normal military variety with high walls, rope swings, nets, and many other items all stretching across a large part of the open space.

'Those two nut jobs must have worked through the night to build this. ' The new Yin thought to himself, silently impressed by the speed in which they must have erected the structure as he prepared to move.

"On my mark Levi! And… Go! " she hollered and the man charged.

Agni and Moblit watched in awe from the sidelines as he sped through the course with staggering speed, deftly flipping over beams and dancing through nets with astounding grace. For someone who was using no magic at all, he really was amazing to watch.

"You're very fit Mr Levi." Moblit praised as the man came to a stop. Only a light perspiration upon his brow indicated he'd done anything physically exerting at all.

"Back to the beginning, let's go again!" Hange's loud excitement cut off anymore conversation between the pair, her bright and loud personality was a stark opposite to Levi's as he trudged back to the start grumbling under his breath. He flashed the fairy a glare before going through the motions, again, and again, and again.

Agni wasn't about to question the scientists methods, when she explained about Levi's prowess in a fight, the estranged woman all but dragged the poor fellow behind a curtain to do a full and intrusive physical, ignoring his obvious reluctance and constant complaining. 'Not that I think she needed a whole 5 vials of blood mind you…'.

The sun was beginning to change the colours of the sky as it encroached on the horizon, and Agni had long lost count of how many times Levi had run the same course, but it was definitely showing in the way he moved now. His speed had dropped drastically, his arms visibly shaking as he heaved himself over the wall for the umpteenth time, his legs were dragging like lead weights, his silky locks dripping with sweat and his breathing coming out in short pants. Agni couldn't believe he hadn't dropped dead yet, but it was obvious he was done. She passed him a towel and water as he got to the end of the course, which he immediately downed before taking a shuddering breath as his lungs desperately tried to bring in more oxygen. The mage looked over to her friend whom was currently scribbling manically in her notes, seemingly oblivious to how spent Levi had become. But as Hange got her stop watch ready once more, Agni caught the glimpse of dread that flashed across Levi's features. Agni knew that she needed to say something, preferably, before Hange literally ran him into the ground.

"Is that not enough Hange? He is exhausted. " she called out to the woman as Levi scrubbed his face and hair of sweat, his breathing slowly beginning to calm once more.

"How is this obstacle course training even supposed to help him activate his magic?" Agni grumbled to the fairy, and she could see that Levi was probably thinking the same thing, if the furrowed brow he sported was anything to go by.

"Ahh yes! I should have explained! What we're doing is completely draining Levis physical energy until his body has no choice but to utilize his dormant magic, but I suppose we could move on now, " the fairy concludes, throwing the device towards an unsuspecting Moblit as he clambers to catch it.

"Okay, Levi, Agni, square off. I want you two to fight to the death!" both parties raise a brow at her blatant enthusiasm and emphasis on death to which she laughs out right at. "… or until one of you passes out. which ever comes first! " she finishes brightly.

They do as they're told not questioning the woman further. They get into fighting positions but as soon as Agni's fingers begin to glow, Levi falters.

"No fire." He glares at the mage causing her to also stop, a confused expression taking over.

"But that is how I fight Levi, how else will we spar?" she inquires.

"With your fists. " he grinds out between clenched teeth.

"I do not fight with my fists, I use fire. That is how I fight. "she firmly states matching his venomous stare.

"I don't care, I'm not fighting you, with you using fire. Use something else. " the Yin was quickly losing his patience.

"I am a fire mage Levi, fire is who I am!" Agni's voice raises with her frustration.

"Then change who you are, cause I'm not doing anything with you while you're using that fucking death inferno!" he snapped at her. Agni was taken back by his response and the pure hatred appearing in his grey orbs. Only earlier had he said that she shouldn't change for others, and now he was saying the complete opposite, what changed? And why did it hurt so much?

"What?! Why? What is so bad about my fire that you will not allow me to use it?!" she all but screeched at the man allowing the hurt to dig in his fingers.

"I don't fucking like fire! I've already told you this!" he fought back his voice rising with hers.

"And I have already informed you that I will not harm you with it!" she spits back, the two scientists watch the fighting pair, when Hange said she wanted them to fight, she hadn't quite meant this. They had a long way to go when it came to team work.

"Then how will you fight me, if it won't hurt me?" at this the mage pauses realizing the obvious.

"I...- It is all I know Levi! Hange can heal any injuries you sustain-" Her reasoning is cut off.

"-No. No. Fucking. Fire! "he roars back, he'd long lost his patience with the young woman.

"Then tell me why?! Explain yourself! Fire is a large part of me, telling me to stop using it is like telling you to not use your right arm and leg! " she doesn't know whether she was still arguing or pleading with the Yin by this point.

"Why? Cause I fucking said so that's why!" He wasn't budging but, even in his red haze he saw how her face scrunched up like he'd just slapped her.

She stared at the ground angry and frustrated, he'd completely shut her out, he clearly didn't trust her enough to even give her a reason and that seemed to hurt even more. 'Weren't Yins and Mages meant to have a bond? To be two halves of a whole? Why was it that mine hates me so!' she thought angrily as the image of another Yin flashed behind her lids. Fighting the tears, she quickly shook the image away.

"Fine. If I cannot use my fire, then I will not fight at all." And with that she storms off back to the dorms, not letting anyone see the salt water stubbornly falling from her eyes. Levi watches her leave grinding his teeth so hard that Hange and Moblit feared they'd shatter under the force.

"What's next?" he eventually grounds out to the two, his fists still clenched as he continued to stare fixatedly at the last spot he'd seen her.

When Levi returned to their shared living space just after dark, a hot meal and tea awaited him on the table, which he promptly ignored in favor of a hot shower and clean clothes. When finally sitting down, he read a note shoved under the plate. Gone to bed, I have a job tomorrow so I will not see you until late afternoon. He sighed and ate his meal in silence, he knew she was upset with him and that was likely the true reason she had retired so early. 'She still made you dinner though, and tea to go with it, even though she doesn't drink it.' A small voice reminded him. She didn't understand, how could she when he gave her no reasoning for his blatant hate for her magic. She doesn't see the devastation fire causes, she could never have known what Nightmares his mind conjured with its wicked flames starring the show and his master the oppressing orchestrator.

Agni was abundantly aware of him long before he decided to knock, he'd been passing outside her door for the last half an hour making concentrating on her current novel impossible. Just when she had read the same two lines for the 5th time while mentally preparing to tell him to go away did she hear the firm sound bounce around the quiet room.

"Brat, I know you're awake and probably still pissed-" He started, 'state the obvious much' she thought bitterly. "-don't say anything, just listen. Cause I'm only telling this once… " His sigh was completely audible in the heavy silence.

"When I was a kid, I'd go for walks round the block while my mother was with a client. I'd been gone for about 2 hours just walking aimlessly around the park, when I decided to walk back to check if she had lit the candle on the window to let me know it was safe to go back inside. On my way back, I noticed a number of fire engines rushing down the road but, I didn't realize until I turned the corner to our street what they'd been for." His voice shook slightly as his mind opened up to the past. "My building was engorged in flames, many of our neighbors stood on the streets as the firefighters attempted to put the flames out, but the fire was too large, it'd already engulfed half the building. I remember looking for her frantically among the masses but when I heard, "has anyone seen Miss. Ackerman? I heard that's where the fire started. " from our elderly neighbor next door and another respond "No, probably wasn't in." But I know she'd been in there and if she hadn't come out… then she'd… so I ran. I ran and ran until I finally passed out in the park under a bridge. I wandered the streets for weeks, but always finding my way back to the burnt remains. Stupidly hoping that she might be waiting for me. I eventually made friends with two other homeless kids. They were kind and taught me how to survive the cold winters. They were like a second family. We stole most of the time to get by, but sometimes we'd get jobs here and there. By the time I was 12, I had a lot of the street folk working for me, there were rival gangs but I was damn good with a switch blade so we didn't get fucked with too often. We were saving up for a flat, and we were almost there, one final job and we'd be off the fucking streets, just one more job. And it was easy, too fucking easy but we were fucking idiots we didn't realize the trap we'd willingly walked into, until it was too late... He burnt them alive in front of me and then forced me to serve him. I watched as he did the same thing to countless others. Sometimes, just to amuse him, always stating "that could be you, if you're not a good boy Levi." Like I didn't fucking know that already!" his fist made a loud thud as he punched the wall next to the door, his head hanging as he breathed himself calm, the new silence heavy with emotion . "…Now you know, that's why I don't like fire." He finished quietly, his voice raw with unshed tears. She heard his hand slide down the wall as if in defeat before walking away and back to his room.

Agni sat there for the longest time, her hands clasped tightly over her mouth while her wide eyes poured like rivers, her body racking with silent sobs as her heart bled for the man.

When she finally managed to calmed down, she made a decision and reached for a large book from under her bed. She blew the dust off its untouched leather surface, it was given to her for her birthday, her mother's last present before she had left her. She'd never even opened it, too angry at being left behind to even bother with it, tossed under the bed where it had stayed for years. "Maybe you can help me… " she whispers to it as she runs her fingers over its ridges.