Fairy x Adventure

by Magnafeana

In a new era after the Alvarez War, Lucy, Natsu, and the rest of Fairy Tail not only face new challenges but watch as their kids go on new journeys, learn new powers, and battle new enemies and old! Join Luna, Nashi, and the upcoming generation of Mages on Fairy Tail and more on their never-ending adventure!

114. Adventure 114

Disclaimer: I do not own Hiro Mashima's Fairy Tail, any work professionally associated with it, nor any pop culture or classical references. All original plots and characters are mine.

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In a land far, far away lies the kingdom of Fiore, a small, peaceful nation of 17 million, and a place filled with Magic found in every home, bought and sold in every marketplace. For most, Magic is merely a tool, a mundane part of everyday life. For some, however, Magic is an art, and they've devoted their lives to its practice. These are the wizards. Banded together into magical guilds, they ply their skills in search of fame and fortune. Many such guilds dot the landscape of Fiore. But there is a certain guild in a certain town that soars high above the rest, one from which countless legends have been born. A guild that will no doubt continue to create legends well into the future. Its name...is Fairy Tail.

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LAST TIME, on Fairy Adventure: Ellie and Ines roped our spring breakers to see a play about Fairy Tail's older generation and the Black War, but the depiction of how the adventures happen might not have been the most accurate. Pacer and Jasmine still have a lot to figure out when Jasmine's loved ones aren't accepting of Pacer—or their twins. Paige comes to a realization Silver's dead obsession for her might've been based off an assumption. But if she never saved him all those years ago, who did? Fairy Tail and the Heir to the Throne had its quirks, but what was the real kicker was Zeref's glorification and the need for the true heir of the throne to take their place. Nashi's memory served as to how she freed Luna, Luke, and herself from a life of suffering—but was that enough to keep them out of Alvarez's clutches?

"I believe I have found my Eve."

So we finally get a glimpse of the Pope of the Holy Eye and his blossoming cereus. But who is the Eve to his Adam? And Elis, I'm afraid to say it, but if you keep pushing like this, Ace might not be there to hold Justin back next time.

---

Chibi-Nashi appears with a grin and a wave. "Hi, everyone! Ready for more Fairy Adventure? To keep your eyes safe, make sure you read with at least one light on in a low setting!" She winks. "And see you at the end of the episode!"

---

CHUN-CHUN…!

Crows from the birds sailed across the night. Boats roped onto the docks for a sleepy night. The bright lights in the big cities had noticeably dimmed. Caracoleans were notorious for catering to tourists, yes, but they much rather preserve their natural beauty on land and in the sky.

KAN-KAN-KAN…

The forest-compacted hill did not scare the band of young adults with the Bug Spray Lacrima working like a charm against nature's blighters and biters. But that did not mean all were happy to be out in nature at an obscene hour.

"Ugh! My hair…!" Justin whined. "I wasn't made for all this…nature."

"I know. I'm the one carrying you," Ace dryly reminded as he adjusted his piggyback grip on Justin. "You could walk in the sand but grass is somehow too much."

"Sand is hardly nature on gorgeous beaches like that," Justin sniffed. "Grass has dirt. No thank you."

"You are such an enfant gâté," Ellie muttered with her fingers drifting across the welcoming trees. "I was next to you when we went to Gloss and Glow for mani-pedis before the trip. Grass can't kill you."

"But I could, like, step on a snake or something." Justin nuzzled against Ace. "And why should I have to risk myself when I have a sexy manservant to walk for me?"

Ace grunted. "You really are a brat." A wicked smirk followed. "Now I won't feel bad using nipple clamps on you."

"Traitor," Justin grumbled.

"I'll take nipple clamps if Justin isn't willing," Tesla quipped. She pressed against the brooding Jaxton and teased, "If Jang-ta does it to me, it'll lead to unspeakable pleasures."

"Because he can't keep his dick in his pants," Gary muttered under his breath. But his jibe transitioned into a high-pitched whine when Jaxton socked his shoulder with a nasty punch. "Don't take your sexual frustration out on me, you abuser!"

"I wasn't," Jaxton growled. "You just annoy the fuck out of me." Darkness drank in Tesla, blackening with desire. "I plan to take out my frustration on the source of it." He caught Tesla's hand when she teased his lower stomach. "I have patience, baby girl, but I'm not above sleeping away from you."

Tesla pouted, but she stopped her childish attempts to drive him mad. "Fine." Squinting, she glanced around at the forest. "So where are we going again?"

"There's an abandoned lighthouse at the top of the hill," Gary explained as he swung his and Nashi's joined hands. It was the little things like this that made him happy. "It's pretty much a whole tradition with the locals to break in and see if you can survive the witching hour in the lighthouse since rumor has it, it's haunted."

"Really?" Ines had reason to be skeptical. "I didn't think Ghosts exist with all the debunkings on haunted areas."

"Ghosts exist," Gary assured her. "But it's a little hard to explain—"

"Some souls with concrete and intense attachments to something or someone bind themselves to that object or person," Jaxton droned. "A Ghost has a soul and spirit that they can project into a physical form, use powers, and maintain a sense of self and agency. A soul can't and that's why they have auras and are called Auras. A Spirit is a creation to embody a concept or the ascension of a select few people. A Poltergeist is a Rogue Ghost, or a volatile ghost, but they aren't Cursed—yet. Then you have Spectres and Phantoms, but they touch into demonic and Black territory."

"Right." Gary sheepishly chuckled as he rubbed his neck. "I guess it's not that hard to explain…"

"No, it isn't when pissants pay attention to their lessons." Jaxton's hiss made it feel like an arrow plucked into Gary's head. Repositioning his fingers within his handhold with Tesla, he explained, "There was a story locals passed around that a Poltergeist haunted the lighthouse decades ago and after a few disappearances and accidents, they closed off the lighthouse."

Justin frowned. "But can't a Soul Meister or a Shadow Charmer or a Whisperer de-haunt the place?"

"'Whisperer'?" Ace echoed.

Justin elaborated, "They're the people who 'hear things', basically, but it's hard to verify if the person is Whisperer or if they have a mental illness."

"What about a 'Medium'?" Ace asked.

Nashi snorted. "That's a Spiritless thing. Spiritwalkers don't exist anymore, but they were like 'Mediums' in a spiritual setting. But for anyone who is dead, Occults exist as conduits. But it's some pretty dark stuff and the toll to pay to be an Occult isn't worth the reward." She shrugged. "But people crave power, so, y'know, Occults exist. They just carry a bad rep."

"And it's not that the locals haven't asked for someone to help figure out what the Poltergeist wants," Gary inputted. "But there haven't been any takers. Shadow Charmers aren't do-gooders. Being a Shadow Charmer naturally isn't a good thing but to become one is even worse. Soul Meisters work strictly with souls unless you're like Pearson and Penelope, but they can only travel to the Ghost Realm via Ghost Train. They can't send anyone in by force and they can't make contracts. And Whisperers are too hard to know if they're quacks or actual Whisperers."

"I see," murmured Ines. "So it's a tradition with the locals to spend the night here and out-bitch a bitchy Ghost."

"Pretty much," Gary chirped. "It's a rite of passage sort of thing the locals do."

Nashi looked up at him, curious. "Have you done it?"

"I have." But Gary's smile and grimace meant the memory was not a cherished one. "It was, um…pretty fun, I guess." He caught Jaxton's tense back, and those blues flitted to the ground. I know, Jang-ta. Believe me. I remember.

"I think we're almost there." Tesla pointed up ahead to the ominous tower of a deserted lighthouse that broke through the canopy. Wriggling with excitement, she murmured to Jaxton, "This is going to be…!" Her words faltered seeing a hardness set in his face. "Jang-ta?" She stroked his arm. "Zen me le?"

"Méiyou." But upon seeing her worry, he kissed her temple. "Zhēn de méiyoushénme hǎo dānxīn de, tián xīn."

Eyeing him, unconvinced, Tesla dropped her questions.

Jaxton sighed and promised her, "Wǒ yǐhòu gàosù nǐ." He looked up at the abandoned lighthouse with dark eyes. Just a pesky memory.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • — • — • —

kazoekire nai hodo no omoi wo

itsu made mo okuri tsuzuke te kun da zutto zutto sen mo

•

kurikaeshi gokoro ni chikau yo

te wo nigiri zutto soba ni iru n da soshite kesshite hanasa nai yo

— • — • — • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The door might have been "locked", but it was clear someone could easily take the lock off and put it back on again. It gave way, and Nashi conjured a ball of light to illuminate the dank and dusky ground floor. Locals who visited this place left behind their misdeeds with crumpled crisps backs, apple cores, bottles, and unused condoms.

Justin sniffed in disgust. "Ugh. It's so gross."

Ines pointed at the staircase. "Can we go upstairs?"

"Unfortunately, no," Gary replied. "They completely blocked the upper levels off. Every year, someone tries to get up there, but there hasn't been a single success." He pulled off his backpack. "We should start setting up here."

With some finagling, blankets were laid down on the stone floor around a large crate, empty of its contents. For good measure, Nashi added another ball of light to give them a better scope of the room. But she snorted when Justin put down an Ouija board.

"You know those things aren't magical, right?" she reminded him.

"So?" Justin started unpacking a chalice and a candle. "If we're going to summon a bitchy ghost, we have to do this right. And that includes an Ouija board, the elements"—a wide grin—"the blood of a virgin."

"Counts us out," Tesla laughed.

Justin made short work of arranging the elements. A candle for fire, a few rocks for earth, a chalice of water, and a closed jar for air. Satisfied, he sat back. "Guess our pretty Poltergeist will have to make do with the blood of sluts then."

Ines frowned, checking the time on her Compact. "We still have some time left until the witching hour, you guys. What are we supposed to do?"

"Oooh!" Ellie gasped. "We can do a bottle episode!"

Ace arched an eyebrow. "What?"

"Basically," Tesla hopped in to explain, "it's a dramatic episode where we're all trapped in one location and all we do is talk and we get to delve deeper into each other's minds."

Gary's brow scrunched. "Like Clue?"

"Yes, but without the murders," Jaxton said dryly.

Justin added thoughtfully, "I mean, we could do a murder mystery." Those sky blues gleefully looked at a sweating Gary. "I already know my victim."

Nashi sighed as Gary used her as a shield while he whimpered. "How about a scary story instead, huh? Let's not murder my partner."

Justin pouted. "Aw."

"What a missed opportunity," Jaxton muttered.

Gary wanted to cry. What did I do to deserve death!

"I'm down for a scary story," Tesla decided. "Who wants to tell?"

"I'll tell," Nashi offered with a growing grin and a glint in her eye. "So brace yourselves. This story is called My Little Brother is a Werewolf."

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Fairy Adventure 114

•

The Bottle Episode

•

瓶のエピソード

•

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • —

My Little Brother is a Werewolf

— • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

PIN-PON…!

It was not that every class followed the "bell schedule" OSU set—labs were the rebels who stuck it out until halfway after the third bell—but most classes on campus started and ended around the same time, which meant the diluted hallways swelled with students. Lunchtime arrived and some hurried to get to one of the better mess halls before it was overrun while others had limited time to make it to a sandwich shop for a quick bite and had to their next class on the other side of campus. Summer semester was a natural avenue many students took in Fiore with summer half-term break, a proper summer break, and a gap between summer learning and fall semester.

Igneel stretched as he and Luke merged with the students. "It's always nice to sleep through lecture."

"It'd be nice if you stayed awake for lecture," Luke mumbled as he cradled his book to his chest while adjusting his messenger bag. "You're on our professor's bad side as it is."

"She's just mad that when she tries to make me look stupid, she's the one who ends up looking like a dumb ass," Igneel dismissed. "It's not my fault I know the material. It sucks I have to take the stupid lecture and not the lab."

"That's because the school can't afford to keep rebuilding the labs you destroy with your experimentation," Luke recounted, tone dry. "You're fortunate you haven't been expelled from the school. If it wasn't for Mom, no college would want you with your track record."

Igneel snorted. And Ma's track record to keep me in school is just as bad. He remembered how those old and balding administrators on the board were loosening ties and blushing all throughout the meeting they had with his mother and how she clung to him to both stop him from lighting something on fire and to keep herself in check from using her whip on those men. Poor Ma.

Luke paused at an intersection. "I have a meeting at my advisor's office. I'll see you later." He paused. "And maybe for Mary Jane's sake, you shouldn't go over—"

"See ya! Off to MJ's!"

Luke sighed as he watched Igneel bounce away. He'll never change. Poor Mary Jane. Heading down the corridor, he managed a few quaint helloes to a few students he tutored and actively avoided a few gazes from the female students. I still have to fill out do my graduation application, but I wanted to see if I could sneak in one more class since I have another money to handle it. Sensei thought it'd be a great class to help me when I apply for the Tower of Learning. He smiled to himself. I hope I can become just as accomplished as Sensei one day.

"If it isn't Little Lukey," came nasty leer.

Luke clammed up as first-year students approached him with broad shoulders and big mouths. Holding his book against his chest, he kept his head down. "I-I, um… I just need to get through—"

"Don't look so afraid, Little Lukey," the taller of the two sneered with a buzz cut and a letterman jacket. "We just want to talk is all about what you owe us."

⌜ORCHID STATE UNIVERSITY

Name: Saul O'Conner

Age: 18

Occupation: Year 2 BSc (Business Administration) Student, Midfield (Football)

Likes: football Dislikes: anyone talking to his girlfriend

Special Note: Saul is the son of a business tycoon, but that doesn't mean business sense runs in the family! ⌟

Luke heavily swallowed and shuffled back. "I-I don't owe you anything—"

"Don't be like that, Little Lukey," the other mocked as he grabbed Luke's shoulder. His piercings were attractive features and so were his yellow eyes, but his colored hair looked like a mess. "We just need you to send us what you owe us."

⌜ORCHID STATE UNIVERSITY

Name: Taylor Maxwell

Age: 18

Occupation: Year 2 BSc (Marketing) Student, Defender (Football)

Likes: praise Dislikes: frat politics

Special Note: Taylor is a legacy at his fraternity and is a cousin to the president! ⌟

"B-But I—" Pushing up his glasses, Luke shrunk back. "I-I-I told you, you should do the work yourself—"

"But we're friends, aren't we?" Taylor reminded, pressing down on Luke's shoulder. "And you help out your friends, right? C'mon, it's not like a kid like you has anything better to do."

Luke tried to find his voice. "Ac-Actually—"

Saul leaned down to Luke's height with a smirk and warning eyes. "Don't be so stuck up. We're classmates, right? So help us out and we'll help you out." He tore the book out of Luke's hand. "And since we're good buddies, how about we help you carry this?"

"Pl-Please," Luke asked, reaching for his book, "give it b-back—!"

"Whoa, whoa, hey, no need to get all upside, man," Saul crooned. "I'm just looking at it."

"Like I'm looking at this." Unceremoniously, Taylor plucked Luke's glasses and feigned interest inspecting them. "Wow. Your eyes are shit, Lukey-boy."

"I need those!" Luke blindly reached for his glasses and ended up shoving Taylor. "Give them back!"

"Oops!" Taylor dropped the glasses with an innocent look. "My bad. Sorry."

Frantic, Luke dropped to all fours with his vision beyond blurry and groped the ground for any sign of his glasses. I can't see. I can't—

"Nnngh!" Pain set in when his hair was grabbed. "Ow! Let go!"

A raging snarl. "What the Hell is going on here?"

Luke dropped to the ground without a lick of grace. Without his vision, his nose picked up spice and embers. Igneel?

Igneel stood before his fallen twin with clear intent burning in his eyes. "Don't fuck with my brother." His fist burst into flames and he snarled, "Or else I can't control setting you on fire—and I'll play roulette to see which one of you burns first."

Fear passed between both students as they backed up and cleared their throats. Saul muttered, "Whatever. We were just talking with a friend." He smirked at Luke and dropped the book on the ground. "See you in class, Lukey-boy." But his smirk dropped and his face paled when both of Igneel's fists combusted.

Once the footballers left, Igneel put out his flames while Luke sighed in relief. "Thanks, Igneel." He sifted the ground to find his glasses.

"You can't let those guys bully you, y'know," Igneel warned his twin. He crouched to swipe Luke's glasses, but he was gentle in spilling them back into his brother's hands. "If you just become a doormat, they'll just keep tormenting you."

Luke shoved on his glasses, grateful, but his smile tinged with self-loathing. "Y-Yeah, I know." It's easier said than done.

"You just have to show 'em who's boss, dude." Igneel gave his trademark grin as he offered Luke's book back to him. "Just do what I do and they won't mess with you anymore."

"Right…" Luke reclaimed his book with his eyes on the ground. I'm nothing like you. Fingers clenched the book's edges. And I don't want to be a threat to you. He choked when Igneel roped an arm around his shoulder. "W-Wait—!"

"C'mon…! Your advisor's room is down this hall, right?"

"Y-Yeah, but—!" Luke pushed up his glasses. "I thought you were going to Mary Jane's house?"

Igneel passed off, "It's quicker for me to go in this direction. Don't worry about it, all right?"

Luke blinked. Igneel… Softening, he looked at the ground. "Thank you."

The walk to the counseling office did not take too long. Once Luke made it to the door, he turned and told his brother, "I'll be okay from here on out. I just have my appointment and another lecture then study group and tutoring."

Igneel snorted. "I don't get why you tutor or do study group."

"Because teaching the material helps hammer in the lesson," Luke recited. "Sensei—"

"Ugh, I don't want to hear another quote from 'Sensei'," Igneel grumbled. "Don't stay out too late, okay?" He punched Luke's shoulder. "And don't take anyone's shit. Just threaten to turn 'em to ash if it gets that way."

Luke sweatdropped with his smile twitchy. "Um, yeah. I'll do that." And promptly get arrested.

"Good." A switch flipped and a happy-go-lucky Igneel was back. "I'm off to MJ's to see if she'll finally let me sleep with her!"

"Don't say such controversial things!"

Igneel whistled as he locked his hands behind his head and walked off, but Luke shook his head in exhaustive amusement. He really is trying to stay in her life. A chuckle. Even if he's going about it in such a weird way. His skin prickled and honeyed ambers darted around to catch the speculative looks from a few other students. Anxiety racing his heart, he ducked his head. I can't wait to go to the library. And he slipped inside.

°•°•°•°

"You're leaving again?"

Luna lay in her parents' bed with Actaeon and Lelantos surrounding her like hot water bottles. She would move them off since it was hot as sin, but they were too adorable for their own good.

Lucy packed away a dress before thumbing Luna's cheek. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but this conference is important since I'm a keynote speaker and your father will be doing a live workshop for Fire Mages."

Natsu threw a shirt into his suitcase to grin and loudly whisper to his daughter, "And I'm totally fighting all of them."

Luna giggled while Lucy huffed and smacked her husband's arm. "You can't fight them, Natsu."

"How am I supposed to know they learned something then?" Natsu complained. "It's my workshop!"

Lucy rubbed her temples. "Luna, if you ever want a husband, make sure he's not a brawler, or else this is the sort of conversation you'll constantly have." She smiled when Luna's laughing intensified. "And besides, we'll be gone for only a couple of days. On an unrelated note, Levy says Gale's home from his assignment."

Luna flushed, but Natsu grew suspicious and told his daughter, "But that doesn't mean for you to go visiting him. He'll be catching up on training with Metalhead."

"I'm sure Gajeel wouldn't mind seeing one of his favorite bakers," Lucy inserted with a quirked eyebrow. "And if Gale happens to be there…"

"He better not be," Natsu darkly growled.

Nashi burst into the bedroom, harried and tightly smiling. "Hi, Mama, hi, Papa." She kissed her surprised parents' cheeks. "Bye, Mama, bye, Papa—!"

"Hold it."

Nashi froze with only three steps left to the door, internally cursing.

Natsu narrowed his eyes. "Turn around."

Slowly, Nashi turned to face her parents, geared up in her PDP and Fairy Tail shirt. Upon seeing that look on her father's face, it was better for her to plead her case. "Okay. I know how this looks, but please, Papa—"

"No."

Nashi pouted.

"Still no," Natsu deflected.

"But this is a great opportunity!" Nashi whined. "I never get to go on S-Class assignments, so this could be my chance—!"

Natsu retorted, "You do too go on S-Class assignments!"

"Yeah. With you." Nashi made a show of rolling her eyes. "And you barely let me do anything." Upon Natsu's puff of smoke, Nashi turned to her amused mother and pleaded, "Please, Mama, please…! Please say I can go?"

"Is a certain Ice Devil heading this S-Class mission?" Lucy teased.

A blush worked over Nashi's face in both embarrassment and annoyance. "Maybe." A huff spurned her when Lucy arched an eyebrow. "Okay, yes, fine, he's the S-Class Mage, but it's whatever. He promised he'd be on his best behavior and I really, really, really want to go!" She hugged her mother's arm. "Please, please, please, please…!"

"I said, 'no'," Natsu growled. "I know what his game is. That ice prick is going to run off with you!" He could already imagine chibi-Gary with his devilish horns and maniacal laugh kidnapping his innocent princess. "I won't allow it!"

Lucy chuckled and patted Nashi's head. "Mind your papa, Nashi. If Master approved it, I don't see why we'd object. You can go."

"ThankyouIloveyousomuchbye!"

Natsu snorted smoke when Lucy laughed as Nashi skittered out of the room. "Lucy…!" he whined. "You were supposed to take my side!"

"And Nashi deserves to gain some more experience." Lucy came before her pouty husband with a simper and slid her hands onto his chest. Feeling his arms wrap around her and a pleasant heat climb up her spine. "We've known Gary since the day he was born. He fought against you and won. And he cares about Nashi. That's all I need."

"But she's my princess," Natsu mumbled, still pouting. "He's going to steal her away."

"And that won't be happening for a long time, you big baby," Lucy promised him. She pecked his pout away. "She'll be fine, Natsu. And she could be worse. She could have stolen an S-Class job like someone I know."

"You got a key out of it, so don't go pinnin' that all on me." Upset or not, Natsu could not resist grinning at Lucy's tinkling titter. "Fine. I guess it's okay she can go."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Lucy threw back her head and laughed when Natsu kissed her neck. "Natsu…!" A heated smile pressed against her flesh and she laugh-gasped when he bit her. "Hey!"

"Ugh, gross! I'm right here!"

Snickering, Natsu pulled away from his wife to give a disgusted Luna a lazy grin. "Don't be like that, Lu. I was just showin' your mom how much I love her. But if you think that's gross…"

Luna grew wary when her father prowled towards her. "No… Papa, don't—! No…!" Giggles broke out as Luna tried and failed to fight off her father tickling her.

Lucy shook her head at Natsu's antics and went back to packing. This is what happens when your husband is a boy who never grew up. A frown marred her features. If Nashi's gone, then we'll need someone to come watch the kids. She dismissed the thought as she fondly watched Luna and Natsu. I suppose Luke and Igneel can handle everything for a few days.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • —

And that night…

— • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

HOO… HOO…

An owl swooped low and caught a field mouse for dinner. The forest this time of a night was nothing scary for those who consistently traversed it, but considering the shadows moved, gleaming eyes picked from the trees and bushes, and the pitter-patter of paws went every which way—it would make sense to be a wary traveler this time of night.

A yawn foiled Luke's plan to stay alert and awake. Truth be told, he was more exhausted than he cared to admit with his messenger bag heavy on his shoulder and his takeout still warm, thanks to a spell. Another yawn came about. "Hnngh… I told Yuuma I'd meet up for a side quest, but all I want to do is sleep." He rubbed an eye, shifting his glasses. "I'd ride my broom, but I'd fall asleep flying." Another longer yawn.

Maybe I can convince Sensei to have a later start to lessons tomorrow. But he deflated. What am I thinking? Sensei would chew me out if I even suggest that.

"You think you're special?" He could imagine a looming Mystogan with thunderclouds around him. "You think I'm not tired too? Rest is essential but so is pushing our limits. You should have thought about your morning lessons before you decided to act irresponsibly and stay up late. And don't think I'll go easy on you for this. In fact"—he pushed up his glasses and those chilling dark oaks were laden in sternness—"we're going to push you even harder."

Luke hung his head. Sensei can be so cruel sometimes, even in my imagination. He wedged out his Compact. Shoot. I forgot to tell Mom I'd be home late. But before he shot off a message, he saw a loaded thread from Igneel.

⌜MESSAGES

Igneel

You think Lu's old enough to watch that one Minstrish werewolf movie?⌟

⌜MESSAGES

Igneel

Yeaaaah, so we're watching it whoops. Rationally, if she could handle Gein's Motel…⌟

Luke's eyebrows twitched. Dammit, Igneel, Nashi could handle Gein's Motel and The Summoning, but she can't do haunted houses. Luna can do haunted houses, but she can't do scary movies. We've discussed this. His fingers furiously moved across the keyboard to relay his ire.

He groaned over what Igneel's actions meant. "This means one of us is going to have to stay with Luna until she falls asleep tonight," he bemoaned. "And I'm so tired as it is…" He raised his takeout with his mouth watering. But awake enough to enjoy my mango cauliflower. Come to Papa, fried rice and—

RUSTLE.

Luke stopped.

RUSTLE.

Honeyed amber sharpened. "Who's there?"

Silence.

Luke scented the air. They must be downwind. He closed his eyes, pricking his ears. I detected footprints… Paws, it sounds like. Something…big…

RUSTLE.

Ever-so-carefully, Luke brought out a Star Coin. His eyes slid from one side to the other as he took in the scenery and planned several routes he could take. He readied the coin in his hand and tensed. He waited.

RUSTLE.

There you are. Luke whipped around as the Star Coin went into the air. "With this coin, I summon the bow of fire and Jupiter Chiron of the Archer, Sagittarius!"

The moment the coin landed in his hands, it exploded into light. Luke was quick to grab it as the bow formed and he pulled back an arrow. "I've got you! Star Shot!" The light arrow gunned for a bush, but whatever had hidden frantically shifted in the shadows. Luke was not one to give up and strung back another light arrow. "Come out!" he demanded. "I know you're hiding in there!"

Silence.

Luke leered past the trees and bushes. Something's here. Something big. I can't let it get to the house. Ears twitching, he caught large footfalls behind him. He snarled, "You really think you could sneak up on me?" He whirled around with his arrow at the ready. "Star—!"

Honeyed ambers widened.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • —

AAAAAAAAAH!

— • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Igneel winced as Luna tightened her grip on his arm. Darkness doused the entire house, but the glare from the LV was strong to show Igneel and Luna on the couch with their cleaned dinner plates on the coffee table. Actaeon and Lelantos snorted through Luna's wild scream, and with Igneel beside her, he was left to deal with the aftermath.

"Lu, don't break my arm," he laughed.

"Shut up," Luna mumbled, but her lash back ended in a squeak as the terrifying wolfman crept upon an unsuspecting couple.

When she buried her head in Igneel's chest, he threw back his head to cackle. "Relax…! It's just a movie!"

"It's scary!" she insistingly whined. "A werewolf is going around killing people!"

Igneel snorted. "Yeah. A fictional creature is going around in a movie killing actors." He took a little pity on his shaking little sister and rubbed her back. "Don't be such a baby," he teased. "If you can't handle this, I'm not taking you to see any movies with me."

"Fine," Luna muttered into his shirt. "Gale can come with me."

"Fuck no," Igneel growled at her. "I'm not having him take advantage of you being a wimp." He huffed. "You're such a scaredy-cat."

Luna yanked her face away with a puffed cheek. "Jerk. Keep this up and I'm telling Mama and Papa you nearly made me watch one of those spicy scenes—!"

"I covered your eyes and made you cover your ears, so you can't use that against me," Igneel loudly reminded her, cutting her off. When she stuck her tongue out and gave him a middle finger, he barked a laugh. "You're such a…" His face dropped, pale. His bottom lip trembled. "It's… It's…" He pointed to the window and cried, "Werewolf, werewolf!"

"Where!" Luna looked around wildly only to realize Igneel duped her—again. "Igneel…!"

Igneel cracked up and kicked his feet up onto the coffee table. "Oh, don't be like that, Lu. Werewolves died off, like, literally before our current calendar era. Don't be dumb." But his words brought tears to Luna's eyes and made him groan. "I didn't mean it like that, Lu, c'mere."

Luna begrudgingly let Igneel guide her closer. "It's not funny," she mumbled.

"It's a little funny—Hey!"

Her tears were cleared, satisfied by her punch. "That's what you get for being a jerk-butt." But her smile fell when she saw the terrifying werewolf clamp down his jaws on an innocent woman, and a scared shriek tore from her mouth. "Ah…!"

Igneel winced at the volume. "Lu, for gods' sakes, it's just a mov—!"

BANG!

Luna and Igneel screamed, clasping each other. When everything registered with Luna, she shot her brother a smug look. "You were saying?"

Igneel straightened himself up and reached for the remote to pause the movie. "Never speak about that again and I promise I'll sneak you in double milkshakes for a week."

"Deal." Luna threw off the blanket with curious eyes to the hallway. "But what was that?"

A low groan.

Igneel's left ear twitched. "Luke?" He got up and sped over to the hallway with Luna hot on his heels. The moment both saw him, their eyes widened and Luna took off back into the living room.

Igneel dashed for Luke, who was hunched over, and bits of blood splattering onto the foyer floor. "Luke, what happened? Are you okay?"

The second Igneel got to Luke, Luke nearly collapsed in his brother's arms. "S-Something atta—" He broke into a cough. "Big dog," he croaked as he wobbled even more. "Ambush…" Without preamble, Luke lurched and his weight was in Igneel's care, glasses falling onto the floor.

Shock paralyzed Igneel "Luke? Luke!"

"I have the first aid kit!" Luna came barreling down with the box in both her hands. Chocolate widened at the sight of an unconscious Luke and she was on her knees in front of Luke, hands going to his face. "What happened? Huh?" Her eyes caught his arm to see a deep gash in his arm. "What are these?"

Igneel took a look at the marks. "Those look like… Are those bite marks?" He took a good sniff of his brother. Damn. None of this makes sense. I can only sense his Magic, Zen, and Celestial Spirit. What the Hell happened? Why can't I scent his attacker?

Shaking off the thoughts, he commanded, "Lu, there's no time to analyze." He shifted Luke's weight to be able to carry him like a bride. "I'm takin' him up to his room. C'mon. We'll fix him up there. Since Mom and Dad are at the conference thing, text Nashi, okay?"

Luna frowned. "But Nashi isn't—"

"Shit. She's on that assignment with Gary," Igneel remembered. "Whatever. Come on. Let's get him bandaged up." He looked down at his brother as he moved for the staircase. What sort of creature did this to you, dude?

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • —

And then…

— • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Luna wiped her forehead with the back of her head. "I did what I could do, but still…" Worry threatened to spill over seeing the bandaged Luke unconscious in his bed. "Do you think we should go to Granny Porlyusica's?"

"Maybe in the morning," Igneel planned, crossing his arms. "We stopped the bleeding and patched him up, but we still need to figure out what did this to him." Catching the fear splashed on Luna's face, he rubbed his head. "Don't worry. Luke's pretty strong and you fixed him up. He'll be okay."

"But what if what attacked him is still out there?" Luna fretted. "Does that mean the wards are down?"

"I don't think so," Igneel negated. "I would've felt that. He probably started some sort of coyote or something." Onyx narrowed. But I would've smelled a coyote on him. So what attacked him? He sighed seeing Luna shift, clearly stressed. Better not worry Lu. She won't sleep if I say something. "Come on. Let's get you to bed."

"How am I supposed to sleep?" Luna protested as Igneel steered her away. "Can Gale—?"

"No." Igneel scowled as he pushed them into the hallway. "What do you even see in stupid Redfox anyway? You're way too good for him."

Luna giggled. "He's sweet and nice."

"He's a fucking asshole," Igneel grumbled as he closed Luke's door. "Stay away from him. Just stay away from guys. Trust me when I say their brains haven't developed past wanting one thing from you."

Luna blinked and cocked her head. "Wanting what from me?"

"Exactly. Something you shouldn't be thinking about, but they and stupid Redfox are." Igneel nudged her to her room. "Now c'mon."

Luna glared at him. "I'm not tired. We watched your scary movies. I want to watch my movies. You promised." Upon Igneel gearing up for either a protest or a lecture, she pouted and whined, "Please…?" And she sweetened the deal. "I'll tell Mary Jane my favorite brother is always so kind to me."

"I should've never taught you how to bargain," Igneel muttered. "Using my own tricks against me." With one more look at those doe eyes, he sighed. "Fine."

"Yay!" Luna clapped, jumping up and down. "I want to put on my favorite Poko movie!"

"Again?" Igneel might have groaned, but he let Luna guide him away. "Do you hate me that much?"

"Well, if you let me go see Gale, he'd—"

"Don't start that shit again, Lu."

And as brother and sister bickered down the hall, they were none-the-wiser when Luke twitched in his sleep. The first twitch could have been accidental, but the second twitch looked agitated. His expression pinched, his hands flexed and clenched, and his lips quivered until they curled into a fanged snarl.

°•°•°•°

Morning rolled in early during the summertime Magnolia embraced the sunny season with special outdoor events and sales. It was more common for the country to see a warm spring through fall and a quick winter, but something about the summer made everyone feel awake, alert, and ready for a new adventure.

DING-DONG!

Luna opened the door with a smile. "Hi, Misty! Hi, E!"

"Good morning, Luna," Mystogan greeted courteously while Ena stayed behind him, head down. "Where is Luke?"

"I don't think he woke up yet." Luna stepped aside and beckoned. "But you're free to come in for breakfast!"

Mystogan came inside, displeased. "If he's not awake, then he's in for a rude awakening. I told him I don't tolerate tardiness."

"He had a rough night," Luna explained as she got out the guest house slippers. "He was attacked by something in the woods, so he might not be up for—"

"Never the matter." Mystogan took off his shoes and slipped on the house slippers. "If he's wounded, I'm sure I have potions for him to take."

Luna muttered to Ena, "He can't read the room, can he?" When Ena snickered, Luna looked at her in hope. "So does you coming over mean Penny won't torment me?"

Ena shot her best friend an amused look. "You think I can control Penelope?"

"Please, keep me safe!" Luna begged, clinging to Ena. "You don't know what it's like when she hunts me down! She's a monster with a fetish for cosplay!" She wanted to cry remembering all the embarrassing moments Penelope abandoned her after forcing her into sailor scout uniforms and princess attire and she was left traumatized. "You have to stop her!"

"There, there, L," Ena cooed. "You should just give in and let Penny take you."

"That sounds wrong!"

Igneel was munching away on his breakfast burritos when everyone flocked the kitchen and he greeted with his mouthful, "Mornin', Misty." He eyed Ena in distaste. "Ena."

Ena narrowed her eyes. "Igneel."

Luna clapped her hands with nervous laughter at the crackling tension brewing. "H-Hey now! Let's not fight in the kitchen, okay? E, how about some breakfast? Misty? Want anything?"

"No thank you." Mystogan sat at the island with an impatient look at the stares. "And neither will Luke if he keeps delaying it."

"Don't be such a hardass," Igneel crudely said as he chewed his food. "He got attacked the other night. Have some decency." And he inhaled two more burritos before belching.

The pot calling the kettle black, Ena and Mystogan thought dryly.

KAN-KAN-KAN!

Luna perked as she put a few breakfast burritos on a plate. "Luke, you're up! How are you feel…?" Her eyes widened. Luke?

A mouth stretched into a yawn to show sharp incisors. "I feel great! Why?"

"Well, you just look…"—Luna cataloged Luke's lack of glasses and his brutish and unkempt hairstyle, but even with the physical traces, something about him was simply…—"different."

Luke shrugged. "I don't feel too different. But thanks for looking after me last night."

"What attacked you?" Mystogan asked. "Your wards are still up, so I can assume it was a common predator."

"I don't know," Luke answered, but he did not sound troubled with no explanation. "But it's gone now, so who cares?" Taking a deep sniff into the kitchen, he groaned. "Breakfast smells good."

"And I made you lunch since you have lecture today," Luna chirped.

Luke smiled, pleased. "Thanks, Lu! Could you add some of the leftover bacon to it too?"

"Bro." Igneel shot him a weird look. "You're a vegetarian."

"Oh." Luke frowned. "Right."

Mystogan rose, adjusting his glasses. "Either way, we need to get started for our lesson," he reminded. "I'll be out front. Luke, come quickly."

"Yes, Sensei." As Mystogan took his leave, Luke bounced onto the breakfast burritos, and, to everyone's surprise, he wolfed down what he could.

Ena's lips curled in disgust. "Since when did you scarf down your food? I thought you were the brother with etiquette."

"Hey!"

Igneel's protest was ignored as Luke swallowed his mouthful with another burrito in hand. "I'm really hungry. I wasn't able to eat the dinner I bought." He ripped into the next burrito and groaned, "So good…!"

"Have some manners, dude," Igneel said with his mouthful as he munched on his next burrito. "Don' tal' wi'h yer mou'full."

Ena and Luna recoiled. Like you're the one to talk!

Luke finished his meal with a surprising burp. "Oh. Excuse me." He made sure to wipe his hands down with a paper towel. "I better head out with Sensei—"

"Wait, your lunch!"

Luke threw away his paper towel, but his affectionate smile grew when Luna presented him a brown paper bag. "Aw. Thanks, Lu." Sniffing it, he frowned. "No meat?"

"Ah, well…" Luna's smile fell. "You don't eat meat, Luke."

"Right." Luke accepted his lunch. "Thanks, Lu. I should go. Sensei's probably annoyed as is." He kissed her forehead and made to leave when his nostrils flared passing Ena. He swung back around for a deeper sniff.

Ena arched an eyebrow. "Can I help you?"

"You smell nice, Bambi." Luke offered a wolfish grin that showed his canines, and he winked. "I couldn't help myself." Before Ena could try to produce a response, he pivoted and abandoned the kitchen. "See you on campus, Igneel!"

Ena blinked before looking at Luna. "What just happened?"

"I don't know," murmured Luna, befuddled. "He just…winked. When does Luke wink?"

Igneel finished a burrito only to freeze when both girls bombarded him with looks heavy with suspicion. "Well don't look at me," he said in his defense. "I don't know why he's acting weird." He leaned over and experimentally sniffed Ena only to narrowly dodge her backhand. "I was just checking if you actually smelled good," he huffed with an edge in his voice. "You just smell like regular Bambi. Nothing special."

"Considering you sniff dirty laundry, your opinion of my natural smell is rendered moot," Ena snidely remarked. "What a shame for Mary Jane to put up with someone so uncivilized."

Igneel growled as emerald bled through onyx. "You lookin' to start something, Bambi?"

"A lady never starts fights"—Ena commanded Lunagr'an to her hand—"but they most certainly finish them."

"Oh-kay…!" Luna cut in. "I think we can all agree something weird is going on with Luke, right?"

Ena sent Igneel a final glare, but she dismissed her blade and looked away, chin high. "Yes. You said he got attacked last night. Perhaps the change in mood reflects him processing the attack?"

Igneel wolfed down another burrito. "I don't think so." Those odd gashes on Luke from last night came back to Igneel. But it still doesn't make sense what could've attacked him to hurt him that badly. He shrugged it off. "Whatever. I'm sure it's nothing." A beam was thrown at Luna. "Thanks for the grub, Lu! Is there any more left?"

"If you're asking if I set some aside for Mary Jane since I knew you'd be going over to her house and if I made you lunch too?" Luna showed off the Tupperware with two breakfast burritos carefully wrapped and a brown paper bag. "Then you'd be right."

"Awesome!" Igneel swiped the food and kissed her cheek. "You're the best! MJ will definitely eat this once I tell her you made them." A pout. "She trashes everything I make her, but she loves whatever you make her."

"Maybe because I don't harass her twenty-four-seven?" Luna guessed, sarcastic.

Igneel blinked. "Who harasses her?"

Ena and Luna sweatdropped. Poor Mary Jane.

"I'm off!" Igneel gave his sister a stern look. "Don't even think about running straight to stupid Redfox. I'll know. And he knows not to fuck around with you."

Exasperation and disbelief splayed on Luna's face. "Why? He's just a friend!"

"A friend you cuddle with every chance you get and you have two of his sweatshirts," Ena muttered as she primly ate her breakfast.

"E!" Cheeks rosy, Luna tittered nervously in the presence of Igneel's scowl and squeaked in explanation, "I-I-It's not like that, Igneel, I swear—!"

"We'll talk about it later," Igneel growled. He softened seeing how upset Luna had become and murmured, "Just stay away from him while I'm gone, okay?"

"Yeah," Luna mumbled. But even she could not hold back her giggle when Igneel ruffled her hair. "Hey! You'll mess it up!"

"You look cute either way, Lu." Igneel grinned and dodged her swipe. "Luke and I will be back before dinner, so we'll see ya then!" He left with a shout of farewell.

Disgruntled, Ena huffed, "I hope Mary Jane calls the Guard on him."

"You say that every time," Luna laughed. Dishes needed to be done, so she strapped on her gloves and got to work. "About Luke, though… Maybe he's just in an extremely good mood lately and decided to wear his contacts. I'm sure we're overthinking things."

Ena remained unconvinced, but it was best to let the subject die. "Maybe so."

As Luna scrubbed the pan, she remembered Luke's wounds. But I still wish we knew what attacked him… And the fact that he asked for meat even though he's been a vegetarian most of his life? A deep frown set. I wonder…

°•°•°•°

Luke stepped out from his professor's office and gave a bow. "Thank you for your time, Professor. See you next week." And he turned down the hall to head up the ramp and back to the main floor.

Today's been a pretty great day, he thought to himself, merry. I just need to drop by the library and I can head home and play some League with Yuu.

Students loitered on the main floor of the building. Some waited for their class to start and shot texts off to friends or complained about a hardcore professor. Others procrastinated in their studying. PALs and notes displayed themselves, desperate to be of use, but the students' conversations of theory wandered into joshing around.

Luke held open the door for a few students before leaving the building with renewed purpose on his shoulders. Maybe Igneel and I can take Lu to Nevereverland for dinner tonight so she doesn't have to cook. His Compact laid deep in his pocket, but he wormed it out. I'm sure she'd like that—

"Ope! Thanks, Little Lukey."

Panic busted into Luke's chest when his Compact was ripped away from him. "H-Hey!" He reached for Taylor, who dangled his Compact. "Give it back!"

Taylor threw it to Saul. "Sorry. I don't have it."

"Wow, your lock screen is pretty lame," Saul remarked as he looked at the League skin of a foxy woman with nine tails and whiskers. "But I guess you really are a furry to be into this sort of shit."

Luke lunged for his Com. "I said give it back!" Honeyed ambers darkened into a vengeful glare. "Or else."

Taylor and Saul exchanged taunting laughs and smirks. "Taylor, I think Lukey-boy needs a lesson in how to respect his friends," Saul jeered. "Your psycho brother isn't around to help you out this time. Which means you better give us what we want."

Luke batted away Taylor's hand. "Don't touch me!" he barked. "And I'm not doing your work for you. Do it yourself."

"Looks like Lukey-boy think he's so big and bad today," Taylor mocked.

"I'm going to ask you one more time." A flicker of something lethal went through Luke's glower. "Give me back my Com or else."

Saul and Taylor chortled at the audacity of such a threat. Saul threw Taylor the Compact and decided to face Luke. "Since my dad tells me I need to do a lot more for charity, let's see what your 'or else' means, Lukey-boy." He shoved Luke's chest—

Excruciating pain seared through his body when Luke's hand caught Saul's own with a grip like a constrictor's, ready to break bone.

Saul hissed, but it was not going down without a fight. Anger was a by-product of the pain when he saw Luke's cold expression. "Oh. You think you're that tough, huh?" He reeled back a fist. "Then try this!" He punched—

Luke caught the fist and never wavered. Without a word, he yanked on Saul only to knee him in the chest. Saul stumbled back, disoriented, but Luke refused to give him one breath in peace when he delivered a clean sidekick to Saul's chest.

THUD!

Eyes wide, Taylor look in horror when Saul plummeted to the ground with head lolling and his eyes closed.

"Well then, Taylor."

Taylor looked up to see Luke in a fighting stance and a dangerous smirk pasted on. He crooked a finger and challenged, "Decide quick."

°•°•°•°

GATSU-GATSU-GATSU.

Nevereverland hit its peak with the dinner rush. Snow White, Rapunzel, Tiana. Moana, Mulan, and Merida rotated through the crowd with their smiles and accents and little songs.

ZURU-ZURU-ZURU.

Luna, however, could not enjoy any of the spread before her or the joy Nevereverland emanated. She watched as Luke wolfed down his entrees without a thought. It did not matter what was in front of him—he would have eaten the burgers and wings Luna and Igneel ordered had Luna had not moved them to the far corner of the table—he inhaled everything and anything.

And it was…disconcerting.

"Oh, you should have seen it!" Luke raved as he chewed on his dinner. "It felt so good to stand up to them like that!" He inhaled more vegan wings with sauce all over his lips and, to Luna's gut-wrenching disgust, he wiped his messy mouth with the back of his hand. "They even tried to report me, but the campus security was on my side! Can you believe it?" He slurped his drink.

Luna's eye twitched. "Igneel, did you and Luke switch personalities?"

"I'm a lot cleaner than that."

Luna shot Igneel and his sauce-covered fingers a withering look. "I beg to differ." Her nose scrunched when Igneel licked his fingers clean. "Oh, ew, that's so gross and unsanitary!"

PORO-PORO!

To Igneel and Luna's surprise, Luke mimicked Igneel's habit and lapped his fingers clean. Burping once he was finished, he grinned. "Man, this is hitting the spot!" He gestured to the onion rings. "Lu, are you eating these?"

"I, well, um… No…"

"Awesome!" And Luke heartily dug in with a groan. "So good!"

Luna gave the thunderstruck Igneel a look. "Do you think something is wrong now?"

Igneel could not deny it. "Hey, uh… Don't you think you should slow down a little," he cautioned Luke. Grabbing the edge of the basket of onion rings, he tugged it away. "Maybe you should—"

Honeyed ambers reddened. "Don't fucking touch my food."

Luna was none-too-impressed when a terrified Igneel retreated closer to her while Luke kept eating, but he guarded his food like a Dragon hoarding his treasure. Or a Demon guarding its spoils.

"He's scary," Igneel whispered. "He never swears!"

Luna sighed and observed Luke's obscene devouring of his dinner. This is so strange. He might eat a lot, but he's pretty civilized and embarrassed about how much he eats. But he's acting like Papa and Igneel. Or, well, whenever Igneel isn't having a bad day or a texture issue.

Igneel sneezed.

Luna asked aloud, "Luke?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you remember anything about your attacker last night?"

"Yeah." GATSU-GATSU. "It was a huge"— GATSU—"dog." Luke swallowed his mouthful and finally managed to pluck napkins to wipe his face. "What of it?"

"A dog?" Luna frowned. "A stray dog did this to you?"

An idea came to Igneel and he taunted Luna, "Or maybe it was werewolf…!" And he snarled to emphasize his point, making her jump.

Luna swatted her laughing brother away, vexed. "That's not funny. That was a really scary movie." When Igneel would not stop laughing, she sniffed, "I'm staying with Gale tonight."

"Like Hell you are," Igneel growled, his amusement gone.

Luna hmphed. "We'll see." Turning a deaf ear to Igneel's grumbles, she focused on Luke. "If a stray dog attacked you, maybe we should get you to the hospital for rabies or something?"

"He could be a zombie…!"

"Igneel!" Luna snapped, shoving him away when he started moaning like a mummified monster. "That's not funny!" Fed up, her eyes watered. "You're being mean."

Igneel laughed and swept her into a side-hug. "C'mon, Lu, I'm joking."

Luna angrily wiped a tear away. "It's not funny to me."

"Fine, fine, no more teasing," Igneel promised her without a hint of mocking. "If you're still scared from last night, you can sleep with me, okay? Don't go crawling to stupid Redfox." He added in a mutter, "I don't trust him to keep his hands to himself."

"Hey, are you going to eat that?"

Luna's eyes widened when Luke reached for her burger. "No, that's mine!" She held her plate away and smacked Luke's hand. "No!"

WHINE.

Both Luna and Igneel were taken aback when Luke gave ridiculous puppy eyes as a whine filtered out. He lowered his head, eyeing the burger, and kept whining in the back of his throat.

"Uh…" Igneel looked too weirded out for this. "Bro? You know Lu isn't Dad, right?"

Luke kept whining.

Luna blinked twice. "Um… It's okay? I know you didn't mean anything by it, Luke, so really, it's okay."

Her words must have resonated with Luke for he stopped whining and perked up before merrily chomping down on his food.

Igneel and Luna shared a look before staring at Luke. Something is seriously wrong with him. And we better figure out what.

°•°•°•°

HOO… HOO…

Night settled over Fiore with warm skies and a waxing moon. An ominous threat lingered in the air, but the natural power of the darkness overshadowed it.

Igneel remained dead to the world with his bedroom organized (a surprise to all those he knew his hyper side). His snores could quake mountains and he threw off his blanket an hour ago. The intermittent mumbles of "MJ' made it apparent where his dream wandered, but the happy grin and blush on his face made this good dream of his seem suspicious and possibly perverted.

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK.

Very few people could wake Igneel and live. His parents could because he loved his mother and his father proved time and time again that trying to murder him for rudely shaking him awake would result in a lost fight. And it always overjoyed him when Mary Jane woke him up. To be fair, she did it by throttling him out of her room when he climbed into her bed, but he would take what he could get and was pleased she smelled like a mixture of her sweetness and his spiciness.

And lastly—

KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK.

His snores made a noise like a car backfiring, but his dream of Mary Jane slipped away and he was half-awake. Like a man possessed, he stumbled out of bed to make it to his door. Glowing emeralds ruled his eyes as he swung his door open. "What."

SNIFF.

His exhaustion snapped away seeing the tears staining Luna's eyes as she clutched her Poko bear and her blanket swathed her. "Hey…" He cleared away the wetness on her cheeks as the green faded for onyx in his eyes. "What's wrong, Lu?"

"I had a nightmare," Luna hiccupped. "I-It was really b-b-bad—"

"Aw, Lu, c'mere." Igneel engulfed her in a hug and could feel her shaking. "What was your nightmare about?"

"Th-There was a werewolf—HIC!"

Igneel sighed. Last time I'm letting us watch a monster movie. "Come on." He pulled her inside, still cursing himself. Making sure she was settled and wrapped in her blanket, he laid down on his back. "You said there was a werewolf?"

Luna sniffled. "Mmm-hmm."

"Luna…" Igneel thumbed away a few tears for her. "You know there aren't actual werewolves anymore, right? I promise. They all died out at least a thousand years ago. And I'm sure everything we saw last night wasn't even how werewolves actually acted."

"B-But—!" Luna sniffed again. "It was so r-r-real and"—SNIFF!—"so scary."

"I'm sure it was scary," Igneel soothed and cuddled her onto his chest. "But I promise there are no such thing as werewolves anymore. None of them can hurt you. And if there was one still around, you think I'd let it hurt you?"

A wet giggle. "No."

"Exactly." Igneel brushed back Luna's bangs. "Actaeon and Lelantos are outside guarding the house against that weird stray dog. They'll howl if something's wrong and I'll hear it. But you need sleep." He kissed her temple. "Go back to seep, all right? No werewolves. And if you see them in your dream, just imagine me and I'll kick their asses for you."

Luna simpered. "Okay."

"Good." Igneel closed his eyes. "Sleep." A chest-raising inhale and a deep exhale. His ear twitched as he listened to Luna's erratic heartbeat calm into a steady rhythm until it bottomed out. She's asleep. Another sigh. I didn't think she'd have nightmares. I'll have to make this up to her. A long yawn. Maybe I should—

GRRRRRRRR…

His eyes shot open, alert. A growl? From the dogs? He decided listening was better than investigating.

GRRRRRRRR….

No, that…that's coming from Luke's room. Igneel shifted to sit up—

"What's wrong?"

Mentally, Igneel cursed. "It's nothing, Lu," he placated. "I just need to—"

GRRRRRRRR….

Luna shot up and clung to her brother. "What was that?"

"Nothing." Igneel ruffled his hair. "It's coming from Luke's room. Maybe he's just having a bad dream." He scooted off the bed, but Luna latched onto him. "Lu, c'mon—"

"I'm coming too," Luna determined.

Igneel decided the fight was not worth it. "All right. Come on." He brought Luna up with him and out of his room. The muffled growls and snarls did Luna's fear a disservice and Igneel's eye twitched when her nails were close to breaking his skin. He approached Luke's door and knocked. "Luke, dude, you okay in there?"

BANG!

GRRRRRR!

The Wild stirred and Igneel's greens burned. "Luke?" He put a hand on the knob. "Luke, we're coming in."

CLANG-CLANG!

GRRRRR!

Luna took a shaky breath.

Igneel twisted the knob and was slow to push open the door. The moon left the room untouched which meant darkness cloaked everything within reach. Thuds and snarls bounced around the bedroom, all thanks to a shadow.

Luna pressed into Igneel and whimpered, "Luke?"

Glowing honeyed ambers pierced through the shadows.

Igneel pulled Luna behind him as the Wild sounded with a warning growl, his throat vibrating. Emeralds burning, Igneel sunk into a low crouch. Those light browns kept a lock on him and the Wild rose up to the declaration of challenge.

GRRRRRRR!

Luna gulped. "L-Luke?" She moved past Igneel and ignored his disapproving growl. "Luke?"

GRRRRRRR!

"I-I'm going to turn on the light, okay?" Luna groped for the switch. Flicking it on, light touched the room to show Luke's messy domicile, from books on the ground to his clean laundry still in baskets. But she focused on her brother with shock hitting her. "Luke?"

Fluffy ears and a tail had been gifted to look with fur the same tint of pink as his hair, but that was enough for physical changes. But the way he moved on all fours like he was a natural was concerning and so was that woeful look in his eyes. A whine came from his lips as he made himself smaller with his tail curling.

"Holy shit." Igneel rose to his full height, bewildered, and stepped into the room. "Bro, is that you?"

Luke flinched away from Igneel with his whining growing louder.

Luna put a hand on Igneel's chest. "Don't get any closer. He's afraid." She set down her Poko stuffed animal and extended a hand. "It's okay," she soothed. "It's okay, Luke, it's Luna, remember? It's just me."

Luke, curious and cautious, let his nose guide him to sniff her fingers. Recognizing her scent, his tail furiously wagged and he tackled Luna for nuzzles and licks.

"Okay, okay, don't lick me!" Luna laughed, nose scrunching as she tried to avoid Luke's face. When she finally got a handle on Luke, she scratched behind his ear and his tail thumbed as his leg twitched. "Good boy," she crooned.

Luke barked and his tongue rolled out, happy.

Igneel scratched his head. "All right then… So… This is unexpected."

"You mean that Luke turned into a werewolf when you said they died out a thousand years ago?" Luna asked dryly as she switched to scratching underneath Luke's chin. But when Luke rolled onto his back, she laughed at him. "I'm not giving you belly scratches."

Igneel came in closer. "I just don't get how this happened. I mean, yeah, movies talk about how werewolves can be made or some shit, but I didn't think it was real." He sat in Luke's desk chair and pulled out a pen. "Here, fetch!"

Luke perked when the pen flew and eagerly jumped to get it with his teeth. Proud, he walked back to Igneel on all fours and laid down the pen at his feet and barked, tail wagging.

Luna settled on Luke's bed as Igneel threw the pen again for Luke to retrieve. "He's cute," she noted. "He's like a werewolf….teenager, then?" She gasped. "Maybe that's why he was eating like that. And why he got into a fight today."

"Those fucktards deserved a beat down," Igneel groused. "This is totally not awesome." He waved the pen in Luke's face and scolded, "You always get on my case about not fighting and then you go ahead and do it. That's not awesome, Luke. Bad boy."

Unlike when Luna had said it and he whined, Luke bared his teeth and growled.

Luna giggled behind a hand when Igneel scooted back, freaked out. "Come here, Luke. Come on, boy." Luke obediently came to her and settled his chin on her lap, tail thumping when she scratched his head. "Maybe werewolves aren't so bad." A worried frown became of her. "But what are we supposed to tell Mama and Papa?"

"We don't tell them anything," Igneel said. "We'll just have to figure out how to turn him back to normal before they come home."

Luna hummed. "I wonder what it'll be like to have a werewolf for a brother…"

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • — • — • —

Oh, brother, brother, tell us

What's gotten in to you lately?

— • — • — • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Luna had not expected anyone to interrupt her. A Poko episode was on and she thoroughly enjoyed the shenanigans of Poko and all his friends as she lounged on the couch. No warning was given when her legs were rudely thrown off the couch. Blowing her hair out of her face, to her dismay, Luke had sat in the middle of the couch as he ate chips from the bag and put up his feet. He sent her a smirk as he turned the LV to watch a trashy beach movie with promiscuous women.

And left Luna to huff and glare at him.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • — • — • —

We're beginning to think that there is

Nothing in the world that you can't do

— • — • — • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Igneel was beyond shocked during intramural dodgeball when he had no time to throw anything. Instead, Luke had single-handedly defeated the team and spun his dodgeball on a finger as ladies fawned over him.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • — • — • —

You're getting stronger and faster and bigger too

People keep on asking, "Is there something wrong with you?"

You're acting weird and talking rude and wolfing down your food

Everything lately brings the monster out in you

— • — • — • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The changes within Luke were so drastic and yet only the ones closest to him took note of them.

Running with Luke proved to be a challenge for Igneel. Luke was naturally the faster of the two of them, but Igneel's jaw dropped when Luke streaked past him and left a cloud of dust in his wake.

Ena was the unfortunate victim of Luke's flirting when she came over. It had started with Luke teasing her about his muscles and it ended with Luna holding back a furious Ena from trying to stab him when he had taken off his shirt to flex his abs.

Mealtimes became an event as Luke devoured anything in front of him in such an animalistic way that Luna and Igneel had to be careful stealing back their food lest Luke snarl at them and feign to bite their hands.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • — • — • —

How do you do? What's up with you?

Little brother, Mister Hyde

How come you're howling at the moon tonight?

— • — • — • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Taylor and Saul bumped into Luke in the hallway and even with their height and brawn, one glare from Luke had them both cowering. And when he pretended to lunge for them, they ran off like the hounds of Hell were on their heels. Maybe Luke saw the crass amusement in it and he winked at a first-year who stared at him with admiring eyes, but Igneel frowned.

GAO…!

If his daytime personality shift was not enough, the nighttime proved worse. Igneel and Luna covered their ears as the wolfish Luke howled at the window with Actaeon and Lelantos howling alongside him.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • — • — • —

We don't know what you're going through

We just hope you're gonna be alright

Now tell us, tell us, what should we do

Now that the monster is out in you? (in you, in you, in you, in you)

— • — • — • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Even so, Luna could not help her worry when she peeked into Luke's room. Whatever nightmare he had made him snarl and whimper as his claws tried to scratch at the dream monster attempting to wound him. He tossed and turned, raged and whined, but nothing worked for him as his nightmare intensified.

Igneel peeked in with her and could only shrug about the situation, but both siblings worried for their brother.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • — • — • —

And now we're not so sure

We like it that things are turning out this way

We'd rather have our little brother back

Than a werewolf for a brother any day

— • — • — • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

For once on campus, Igneel was no longer the "problem twin" between them.

He had come to collect Luke from his lab so they could head to their lecture together when students in lab coats and goggles screamed, fleeing the room like madmen. He peeked inside to a large snake on one of the lab benches, only for it to poof and turn back into Luke. A few of the delinquent students who stuck around gave Luke high-fives, ragging on him about the performance, and Luke laughed with them.

At home, Luna was stuck trying to make sure Luke did not tear up anything, but to her horror, Luke had ransacked the shoe closet and his teeth marks left no shoe unscathed in the massacre. She balked when Luke looked ready to tear into her Poko bear and scooped it up, scolding her sorry werewolf for a brother.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • — • — • —

You're getting stronger and faster and bigger too

People keep on asking 'Is there nothing we can do?'

You're acting weird and talking rude and wolfing down your food

Everything lately brings the monster out in you

— • — • — • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Ena was at her wits' end with Luke's behavior.

He popped up where she was in the Dragneel house with a flirty grin and laughed when he startled her. But he dodged her angered sword swipes and Luna had to hug her from behind as Luke danced away, taunting her.

The refrigerator had been trashed—no thanks to Luke. Igneel protected Luna as Luke gnawed on raw meat and the glow in his eyes was nothing short of inhuman.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • — • — • —

How do you do? What's up with you?

Little brother, Mister Hyde

How come you're howling at the moon tonight?

— • — • — • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

That fact that Igneel and Luke had gotten into a brawl was a reason to think the world was ending.

Luke sparred with Igneel, but he refused to fight. Igneel was the brawler between the two, but he knew better than to pick a fight with his brother. That was why when Luna came downstairs in the evening and saw the scuffle from the kitchen window, she rushed to break it up. And it took her back when Luke targeted her with a nasty snarl and would have clawed her had Igneel not punched him away.

Luke panted with his legs turning more and more wolfish and raised his head to the moon to howl.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • — • — • —

We wish we knew what you're going through

We just hope you're gonna be alright

Now tell us, tell us, what should we do

Now that the monster is out in you

— • — • — • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Luna nearly had a heart attack when she heard a crash in the middle of the night. Rushing to the hall, she saw Igneel had already bombarded Luke's bedroom and turned on the light. Nausea and anguish rose up when Luna looked at a wounded Luke who whined and licked his bruises and scrapes like an injured animal, his window wide open.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • — • — • —

Sha lala, sha lala oooh! Ah!

Sha lala, sha lala oooh! Ah!

— • — • — • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Their mother's study became a designated safe room, and Luna and Igneel were not proud about that.

Books and their PALs spelled any mention of werewolves. Though it might not have helped much that all the books their mother had on the subject were racier stories about an "alpha wolf".

Igneel nearly had a coronary when Luna asked him about a steamy passage she did not understand. He burned the novel right then and there.

"It's hopeless," Luna lamented as she sifted through the LacriNet. "How do we even know what will work to change him back?"

Igneel put down another book. No dice. "We just need to find consistency. There was to be something." He moved over to her PAL and looked. "See this? Almost all the books I browsed talk about silver in some way, shape, or form, right? Well, so do all these websites. Maybe that's it. Silver should work then."

Luna frowned. "But all these methods talk about shooting silver bullets. We can't shoot Luke." A hit was delivered when Igneel looked thoughtful. "We can't shoot Luke," she forcefully repeated.

"It was just an idea," Igneel said in his defense. "So we can't shoot him. We have to find a way to use silver against him, though, right?"

Luna rolled her lips. "How do we even know this will work? We're just going off what every werewolf story we've come across says, and this could be lies."

"Well we have to do something," Igneel told her. "Maybe they are pieces of fiction, but it's better than nothing."

"But if we believe what these stories say, then… We only have until the full moon when Luke fully turns into a werewolf," Luna feared. "And the full moon is tomorrow, Igneel."

"We've got this then." Igneel had his resolve locked down. "We're going to get back our brother, Lu. No matter what."

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • —

And that evening…

— • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

"C'mon, Bambi, don't be so stiff."

Dinner tonight included Ena, and she regretted it with her eyebrow twitching as Luke tried to feed her. "No thank you," she gritted, stabbing her steak. "I prefer to eat my food by my own hand."

Luke's cocky smirk broadened. "Oh, c'mon, Bambi, live a little and say, 'ah'."

Luna held back Ena from stabbing Luke with a nervous giggle. "Now, now, E, let's mind our manners."

"I will if he does," she hissed. With Luke snickering to himself, Ena swung a look at her best friend and venomously growled, "What the Hell has gotten into him? He was the brother I liked to be around."

"I can hear you, Ena," Igneel warned with that feral rumble.

Ena pinned him with an acidic glare. "Oh, believe me, I wasn't being quiet for a reason, Igneel."

Igneel's hackles raised as he stopped eating and the Wild pierced through his eyes, claws out. A growl fluttered his throat—

"H-Hey, now, let's not fight!" Luna pleaded, waving her arms. "Igneel, E, please, don't do this—for me, okay?"

Both shot the other a nasty look, but the aggression seething off them dulled into a manageable simmer.

Ena huffed. "So are we all ready for the plan tonight, then?" She gave both siblings a serious look. "We're all going through with it."

Luna grimaced and looked at her lap, but Igneel nodded his approval. "Yeah. We're going through with it." He narrowed his eyes as the ravenous look destroyed his dinner. "Time to get our brother back."

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • —

PO… PO…

— • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The waxing gibbous moon warned of the full moon's return to the sky. The forest catered to the heightened energy with stirred activity.

Ena, Luna, and Igneel had quietly crowded around Luke's door. Igneel armed himself with silver knuckles, Ena had enchanted her sword to wield the properties of silver, and Luna's silver bat would have to do the trick. Both girls looked to Igneel to make the call.

He clenched his fists. Sorry, Luke. But if this is the only way… He forced open the door, ready for a fight, but all his tension was for nothing when the room was abandoned. "What the…?"

"His window is open," Ena noticed. She glanced between brother and sister. "Do you think he…?"

Luna gulped. "You think…he went into the forest?" She caught Igneel's locked jaw and tugged on his shirt. "Igneel? What are you going to do?"

"We'll track him down; that's what." Igneel softened seeing the blatant worry on Luna's face. "Hey, don't sweat it, Lu. We'll find Luke and change him back. Easy. Nothing to it." But That's if we catch him before he catches us.

The trip out of the house and to the edge of the tree line was a quiet one. Igneel took point and made sure the trio took careful steps along the brush and the graces. Nose high, he scented the air before tasting it. His ears pricked to catch the furious paw steps of a few mice. I can smell he went this way. No draft but I don't scent any blood in the air.

"Igneel?"

"Stay close to me, Lu," Igneel hissed softly. "Bambi?" He swiveled his head so vibrant emeralds clashed with dark browns.

Ena nodded and held Lunagr'an at the ready.

Deeper into the forest, they went, where a few glowing eyes peeked from the underbrush. Luna kept a tight hold on her brother's hand and tried to cover her mouth to keep her startled squeaks muffled. Flaps would suddenly come and go as nocturnal birds took off for their hunt of the night. Rarely did animals wander close, but their venture crossed paths with a salty badger, a coyote who knew better than to challenge a higher predator like Igneel, and a fast hare trying to get back to her two little ones.

Heart racing, Luna gulped. Where are you, Luke?

DONDONDON!

GASHAN-GASHAN!

EEEEEEEN!

The breaking of branches and that pained howling cry was what stopped the three in their tracks. A trembling Luna hedged closer to Igneel and she whispered, "Luke?"

CHOKON.

Silence.

Then—

TATATATATATA!

Something was headed for them and fast!

With a warning growl, Igneel's greens glowed in the dark and he readied his silver knuckles. "Bambi."

"I know." Ena came to his side readied her sword. "L, don't move." Magic gleamed in her hard stare. "And close your eyes."

Luna stayed sandwiched between the pair and tried to track any movement in the forest. Her breath hitched when she caught the glow of red in the distance. Lower branches and brushes were broken and shoved aside as those reds came in closer and closer and a large silhouette could be made as the culprit. None of them was prepared when the fast-moving shadow came just before them to rear onto its hind legs. Incisors bared and reds prominent, its tail swept back and forth to loom over the trio.

Igneel and Ena were ready for it while Luna paled and screamed—

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • —

AAAAAAAH!

— • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Justin raised an eyebrow when Nashi finished her tale on a dramatic note. "Are you implying that Luke killed Igneel, Luna, and Ena? Because as I remember, all of them are very much alive."

"He didn't kill them," Nashi grumbled.

"But did the rest of that actually happen?" Ines questioned. "Your brother turned into a werewolf?"

"And he howled at the moon?" Tesla emphasized to a quietly displeased Jaxton. "I think it's adorable all werewolves howl to the moon. Don't you think, Gary?"

Gary snickered. "They're assholes too."

SMACK!

Gary was knocked out while Jaxton remained in a much better mood.

"That did happen," Nashi insisted. "My granny Anna has the Celestial Spirit of the Wolf, Therium, but he's really skittish and likes to travel during the night since he doesn't like to be around people and he's really, really shy."

She remembered the buff and brawny wolfman and how nervous and shy he was, yet he acted like a lovesick puppy around Anna, eager to please with his wagging tail. Poor Therium. Granny uses him as eye candy and he laps it up.

• — • — •

"Um, Granny?"

With her teacup in hand, Nashi sat in her grandmother's living room while Therium looked straight out of erotica with his defined upper body exposed as he wore a bowtie and cuffs and high-waisted tight pants that certainly curved his backside. But Therium was none-the-wiser how he looked, with his adorable puppy eyes that screamed praise-me-praise-me only for his mistress.

Nashi sweatdropped. "Why is Therium, um…dressed like that?"

"Doesn't he look amazing?" Anna gushed, and Therium blushed, tail wagging ridiculously. "I'm thinking of putting him in a fire force costume next—!"

"Don't exploit him like that!"

• — • — •

Nashi put her cheek on a propped hand. "He didn't mean to attack Luke, but he got scared. He poisons people temporarily into monsters with his claws and fangs, but he said Luke didn't necessarily turn into a werewolf." She waved a hand. "He was the 'stray dog' that Igneel, Ena, and Luna found. He was just trying to give the antidote and ended up surprising them. But I guess Luke was out in the woods and Therium accidentally knocked him out."

• — • — •

"I'm so sorry!"

A clocked-out Luke with foam bubbling out of his mouth laid on the ground with his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Igneel and Ena had matching dreary auras while a passed-out Luna was in Igneel's arms.

"I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" Therium—this gentle giant of a man with his canine ears, tail, and incisors—had gotten on the ground to grovel with his face red and tears in his eyes. "I'm so very, very sorry!"

• — • — •

"Mister Therium is actually pretty nice." Gary revived himself with a sizeable bump on his head. "He might be pretty shy, but he's really good at cards. And he's really taken with Miss Heartfilia."

"Didn't you nearly attack him?" Nashi remembered. Red burst upon her face when Gary embraced her. "H-H-Hey! What are you doing?"

"I thought the bad wolfman was attacking my precious Angel," Gary cooed. "I'd fight off every monster to keep my Angel safe and sound!"

Nashi tried and failed to shove Gary off, but he clung to her like a koala bear. "I know, I know, but you don't have to hug me! Get off me!"

Gary squeezed her tighter and laughed. "Angel is so cute when she acts like she doesn't want me to embrace her!"

"BECAUSE I DON'T!"

Tesla dreamily sighed. "What a man, what a man, what a man. If you're telling me there is a sexy as sin man out there with a tail and ears, I want to meet him and make him blush." But Jaxton's murmur in her ear had her blushing and giggling.

Ellie shook her head. "Does anyone have a scary story to tell?"

"I do, I do!" Gary enthused. "It was so terrifying—!"

"Pass."

Gary shot a disinterested Jaxton a disapproving pout. "But you haven't even heard it!"

"Because I know every story you have is Nashi-related," Jaxton said flatly while Nashi reddened.

"Of course all my stories are Angel-related!" Gary wrapped around a horrified and bashful Nashi and cooed, "Because Angel is all I can think about! My cute, cute Angel!"

The group sweatdropped as a powerful love aura bloomed around Gary and Nashi was torn between dying in embarrassment or killing him. Does he know how cringey he sounds?

Justin looked over at Tesla and prompted, "I'm sure you have seen some ish, bitch. What'cha got?"

"Sorry." Tesla raised her hands in surrender. "I'm clean. Not much scares me and I'm not that big of a scary storyteller. Oh!" She looked at Jaxton in remembrance. "There was that one time Jang-ta went mad-dog on this lacrosse player. That was pretty scary—for him, anyway." She leaned against her boyfriend and cooed, "The way you beat him up was so hot."

Jaxton blinked. "Really?"

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • —

⟪ Evil Jang-ta Mode⟫ unlocked. Would you like to acquire it?

『 YES 』— • —『 NO 』

— • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

"Yeah!" Tesla cheered. "No one even saw it coming. The look on his face when you punched him was so, so hot. It was like something straight out of a movie! You liked like a total badass, sexy villain!"

Jaxton blinked again. "It was?" A sexy villain… Red worked on his ears. I like hearing her say that…

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • —

⟪ Evil Jang-ta Mode⟫ has been selected.

Currently loading at…24%...

— • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Tesla enthusiastically nodded. "Mmm-hmm, mm-hmm! It really was! That fuckboy didn't even see it coming! I couldn't stop bragging to my friends about how awesome my boyfriend is! I had no idea you were going to put that asshole in the hospital!"

Everyone had a dark and dreary aura hanging over him (sans Gary, who still had the power of love compelling him). How can she laugh at that?

Ines' eye twitched. "What did he do to land in a hospital because of you?"

"He'd been speaking about Tesla like she was property," Jaxton relayed. "My friend Ricky confronted him, but the lacrosse player shoved him away and kept running his mouth about Tesla in such a disgusting way." Darkness glinted. "So I shut him up for good."

"Jang-ta, you're so amazing!" Tesla claimed while everyone else looked freaked out. "You're a prince among men! So, so sexy!"

"Oh." If you squinted, you could see perked dog ears and a wagging tail from Jaxton. I want…to hear her say that more. "I promise to send more people to the hospital if they speak badly of you."

Tesla's eyes sparkled. "Really?" She nuzzled his arm. "Oh, Jang-ta, you're the best boyfriend ever! I hope you bring this energy when you become my husband!"

That word echoed in Jaxton's mind. Husband… Husband… Husband… And it was all it took for him to imagine Tesla wearing nothing more than a silk robe and a ring as she knelt on their bed, braids pulled to one side.

"Welcome home, Mister Yang," Fantasy-Tesla purred kittenishly and flashed her ring as her hand teased opening her robe. "Aren't you going to make love to your missus?"

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • —

⟪ Evil Jang-ta Mode⟫ has been acquired.

Allegiance has changed to Villain

Proceed with caution.

— • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Everyone gawked, horrified, while a quietly pleased Jaxton held onto his overly-happy Tesla. What type of couple are these people!

"How exactly did you two meet, by the way?" Ace wondered. "I don't think I've ever learned."

"Oh, that's easy!" Tesla chirped. "I met him at one of OSU's libraries for the first time, but he was stalking me way before and plotted to meet me there!"

Thunderstruck around the group. Seriously! What type of couple are these people!

Nashi choked. "You liked that he stalked you?"

"Hell no," Tesla put down firmly. "That's creep shit behavior and anyone who romanticizes that shit should be in prison."

Arrows pierced the backs of both Gary and Jaxton's heads.

Tesla lovingly stroked Jaxton's cheek. "But he proved to me he wasn't creepy by being straightforward with me."

Ines grew curious. "What did he end up saying?"

Tesla beamed. "He wanted to wait three dates before he chained me up, fucked me, and made me his bitch."

Wide-eyed stares went to Jaxton as the group cried, What is wrong with you!

"I didn't say that," Jaxton assured. But before sighs of relief could be passed around, he deadpanned, "I told her I wanted to get to know her intimately over the course of three dates." His nose brushed against Tesla's and his dark regard flared with desire. "Afterwards, I had planned to take my time stripping every piece of clothing off her to worship her body and remember her taste on my tongue."

Tesla bit her bottom lip, entranced. "And he kept to his word all night."

"Eso es porque me tanteste demasaido, princesa," Jaxton rumbled and his head dropped so he could kiss the pulse on her neck. "No puedo tener suficiente de ti."

Blushes spread at how intimate Jaxton and Tesla looked (Ace quietly stole Justin's Compact before he tried to take unsolicited photos). They're so mature.

Gary loudly coughed and reminded, "No sexy time, you two. Remember?" He snarkily added, "But it makes sense Jang-ta might not be able to keep it in his pants since he's a dirty pervert."

TICK!

Gary hid behind Nashi for protection and Tesla controlled Jaxton from lunging at his target with ease. She smiled at Ines and Ellie and asked, "How did you two meet?"

Ellie blushed with red peonies crowning her while Ines looked adorably smitten. Tucking a lock of Ellie's hair behind her ear, Ines explained, "It was a work function, actually. Mister Sequen introduced Eliana to me since she was new in being under his wing." Her eyes softened. "I just hadn't realized I met my future girlfriend then."

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • —

Floral Fiesta

— • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Garden parties might have felt stuck up, but they were a treat to attend.

Azalea Hills was never to shy away from the finer things in life. The giant dome paired with rocks and smaller trees with its "world tree" inside and the asymmetrical architecture of how all the levels and plants and animals were blocked off felt like a dream come true to botanists, ecologists, and animals lovers. Powered off wind and sun and water—thanks to the lake in front of it that churned through watermills—Azalea Hills was the place to visit for any occasion.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

« This is Azalea Hills, an animal care center and garden in the middle of the Azalea Botanical Garden of "The Greens". Azalea Hills hosts many magical and non-magical creatures and plants and has its own research center inside to help foster a better understanding between nature, animals, and people. »

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

With it nighttime, a special section of Azalea Hills had been opened up for the well-dressed guests. Suits and pantsuits and dresses mingled in the patio where the air had let the natural darkness shine in. But make no mistake—the garden party was not a shadowed festivity. The section opened was held especially for iridescent flowers that looked normal in broad daylight, but when nighttime came, their petals glowed and glowed in ethereal blues and violets and greens.

Imported Stellanium had been strategically crafted into sculptures catering to the legendary nymphs and fallen Nature Gods. One sculpture had been an ode to the legendary Tāne of the Boundary Forest and another commission was a cloaked and crying woman with her hands clasped in prayer as a bandage covered her eyes. And the streams of water had their own bioluminescence about them.

Ines sighed as she sipped her drink. "As much as I love work parties, did it have to be here?"

"Don't be so sour, Ines." A young man, scrawny and meek, in a blue bespoke suit and big circular glasses smiled as he fed his harnessed ramidreju—a light green-furred cross between marten and weasel with a long body and yellow eyes with no visible irises present—a few treats. "You're just upset because you're remembering taking your ex here and how she broke up with you."

⌜WYM GREEN DESIGNS

Name: Remy Lombard

Age: 21

Ability: Tamer

Occupation: Horticulturist Consultant

Likes: Hiking Dislikes: napping

Special Note: Remy might not be the biggest or the strongest, but his Taming ability is powerful! ⌟

Remy stroked down the spine of his ramidreju. "Right, Boot?"

Boot made an adorable chattering sound and nuzzled his owner.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

« Boot is a ramidreju, which is native to the forests of Sin. Ramidreju have Earth Magic, which enables them to make intricate tunneling systems. They can sniff out gold and rare gemstones and when they have a strong bond with their Tamer, their fur can heal any ailment their Tamer has. »

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Ines huffed. "I'm not upset about it." She added under her breath, "Anymore."

Remy paid attention to Ines' mood and murmured, "For what it's worth, she wasn't enough for you anyway. It's fine that she was questioning, but she doesn't deserve to be a memory to you when she used her questioning as an excuse to cheat. She's not worth another nanosecond of your time."

"Thanks, Remy." Ines looked down at her drink. "I swear. I just need to swear off women for a while. I always get the shit luck when it comes to girlfriends." She nudged her friend. "Maybe it's time to follow your footsteps and try being biromantic."

"Other people can suck too, y'know," Remy reminded dryly as he scratched under Boot's chin. A long sigh. "And it's not like I have better luck than you." He smiled at his ramidreju. "Boot barely likes anyone I have a crush on, and I don't want him to feel angry around anyone I bring around."

Ines looked behind Remy and upwards with a grin. "Well, there's one person Boot feels okay with."

Remy frowned. "What do you—?"

"Here."

Remy looked up and balked when a man stacked like a brick house was behind him. Even his gray suit, his muscles were barely contained and it did not help to see razor-sharp orange eyes among his dark brunette hair slicked back.

⌜WYM GREEN DESIGNS

Name: Mori Plisetsky

Age: 22

Occupation: Arborist

Likes: watching ballet Dislikes: drinking

Special Note: Mori might not speak that often, but it's because he's shy about his Minstrish and is an awkward person! But it still makes him seem intimidating! ⌟

"Food," Mori spoke with his Gordost accent heavy on his lips. "Eat."

"O-Oh!" Remy gulped and looked at the snack place prepared for him. It was tastefully arranged with some fruit, a pinwheel of salmon and cream cheese, devilled eggs, and brie, apple, and honey crostini. "W-W-Well, u-um—"

"Food." Mori showed the plate to Remy. "Eat."

I feel like he poisoned it! Terrified, Remy shakily took the plate. "Th-Thank you, Mori." He felt Boot fidget and scolded, "Boot, hold on—!" But his words stopped when Boot leaned off him and nuzzled Mori's hand for pats.

Mori caved and his large hand was gentle in scratching Boot's head. He hummed. "Good."

A bout of fear hit Remy. Does he mean Boot looks good enough to eat? A plethora of comically frightening images plagued him of Mori stealing Boot and putting him in a cauldron of hot water for dinner. He flinched back and blurted, "Don't eat my Boot!"

Silence.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • — • — • —

Wow ~

— • — • — • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Ines held back her laughter while innocent question marks floated around Mori and Remy clutched Boot close like a protective mother. Remy, I think you're misunderstanding what Mori meant.

Remy froze when Mori's heavy hand landed on his hair. Something softened in Mori's eyes. "Cute."

Remy wanted to cry and was shaking like a chihuahua on the inside. He's going to eat me too!

While Remy had an internal crisis and Mori remained oblivious and stoic as always, Ines swept a lazy gaze around all the coworkers who had joined for tonight's gathering. Most met up with friends from other departments. The new hires had mentors who helped show them around or they clung to their training class.

She sighed and checked her watch. It's not like I didn't want to be here. I barely get to see Remy outside of work with how busy we're getting. And I already made my rounds with my other friends. Dark toffee softened. And as much as I don't want to think about it, I do remember my ex breaking the news here that she slept with men to see if she was an actual lesbian. She pushed back her bangs. Harley was right. Maybe it's time to put off dating for a while.

"Yo-ho, my saplings!"

Ines, Mori, and Remy turned to see Warrod had approached them with his jovial smile with a beautiful Terumiho in her Pink Rose Mode faithfully at his side with a bow in her fur.

Ines and Remy greeted, "Good evening, sir!"

"Oh, there's no need to be so formal tonight!" Warrod assured. "After all, we're all birches of a feather!"

Mori's expression never changed, but Ines and Remy sweatdropped at Warrod's wheezing laugh, dreary. Sir, please don't make those puns in public.

"Now, now, make sure you go mingle with all your coworkers," Warrod encouraged. "You never know when you'll create a budding friendship!"

Ines and Remy further sunk into their moods. This is getting embarrassing, sir. Please stop.

Warrod felt his Terumiho nudge his hand and cooed, "I know, Blossom, I was getting there." He stepped aside and said, "I did have a meaning to come over, Miss Sharabi, Mister Lombard, Mister Plisetsky—I'd like you to meet my newest philodendron, Eliana."

Ellie fidgeted with all eyes on her. The dress she had chosen was a conservative number with long sleeves and a scarf cape. The deep navy of her dress brought forth the bright blue of one of her eyes. And thanks to the insistence of her mother, her mixed hair of light brunette with white streaks was down in rivets. Offering a shy smile to the three, she waved. "H-Hello, everyone. You can call me 'Ellie'."

Remy chirped. "It's nice to meet you, Ellie. This is my friend, Boot."

Boot leaned towards Ellie, curious, and when she raised her hand to be inspected, it surprised her when Boot bunted her hand and nuzzled it.

Remy beamed. "Boot likes you!"

"I'm honored," Ellie breathed, awed. "It's nice to meet you both." She turned to Mori and was not an ounce intimidated at his size. "You must be 'Mister Plisetsky' then. It's nice to meet you."

Mori nodded. "Mmm."

Ellie smiled cutely at him before turning to Ines. "And you're 'Miss Sharabi', I take it?"

"You can call me 'Ines'." With a cursory eye over Ellie's ensemble, Ines concluded, She's a cute one. A little uncomfortable, though. But then again…

Warrod said, "I've been introducing Miss Strauss to her new coworkers so she can say aloe!"

As Warrod burst into his signature laugh, Ines's mood towards his puns darkened. …it's easy to see why.

"Sir, i-i-it's really okay," Ellie insisted. "You don't have to introduce me—"

"Nonsense, Miss Strauss! I can't very well leaf you alone at a party like this," Warrod told her. "We've got to take you all clover the party so you can get used to all these names and faces and same to them with you!" He laughed at his own puns as he guided Ellie away.

"O-Oh!" Ellie managed to a shy wave at the group. "It was nice to meet you all! I'm excited to work together!"

Remy adjusted his glasses. "Well, it looks like Mister Sequen finally found an apprentice. Eliana Strauss…" It hit him. "Oh! She's that Green Mage from Fairy Tail, isn't she? No wonder Mister Sequen took such a liking to her!" When Ines gave a noncommittal hum, he tracked her gaze to Ellie as Warrod introduced her to another group of people. A teasing grin tugged on his lips. "Anything you want to add about Mister Sequen's apprentice?"

"She's cute," Ines confessed. "But I'm not looking for anything, remember?" Raising her flute of champagne to avoid further conversation, she allowed herself a weakness and slipped an appreciative onceover towards Ellie's profile as she aimed that charming still towards someone else.

Since she's Mister Sequen's apprentice, I doubt I'll see her around the firm. Her lips quirked upwards seeing Ellie flush over the exaggerated praise Warrod showered her with. Hm. She has a cute blush.

"Cute."

Ines blinked up at Mori. He nodded over to Ellie and repeated, "Cute."

Ines' cheeks heated a bit and she grumbled, "Shut up. I was just looking."

"You totally checked her out!" Remy ragged. "We are at a party, you know. I'm sure you could talk to her again when Sir isn't making her want to die with all his puns."

"And what am I supposed to say?" Ines dryly asked. "That I think she's cute."

Remy nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! You should! It's a great ice-breaker and she might take the compliment well to want to talk more! And—!" He stopped when a hand landed on his head.

"Remy."

Remy peeked upwards—

—and his soul nearly left his body when he saw Mori's dangerous orange eyes amplified by the shadows.

"You – are – cute," Mori got out with his accent thickening.

Remy wanted to die and internally whimpered. He thinks I'm like a cute little bunny he can kill! He could vividly imagine it with Mori as a ferocious wolf and him as a meek rabbit trapped between his paws. I don't want to die…!

Ines sighed and shook her head. Between the stoic Mori giving off quiet content vibes and Remy shaking like a leaf, she did not know what else to do. No matter how many times I tell Remy Mori is trying to get to know him, it won't sink in. She finished her glass. Well. I guess I'll try and grin and bear it for another hour before I bail. It's not like much happens here anyway.

Ines showed her empty glass to Remy and Mori. "I'm going to the bathroom then head over to the bar for another drink."

Remy gaped. "You're leaving me alone?"

"Not alone." It was not that Mori wanted to come across as intimidating, but his attempt at a smile looked like a villainous smirk that promised suffering and his accent did not help. "I stay with you."

Ines walked away with Remy looking ready to break down. Don't go! he sobbed (and he remained oblivious to Mori's quietly pleased aura). I might not be alive when you get back!

°•°•°•°

Ellie sighed as she trailed after Warrod and kept a tight grip on her clutch. Warrod noticed her sigh and frowned, worried. "Is everything okay, Miss Strauss?"

Ellie managed a smile. "Yes, sir! I'm okay!" Glancing about the swarms of people, she admitted with a bit of a strain, "I just didn't realize there were so many talented people here." And I'm not so sure I fit in here. Hazel-blue ducked to the floor. I'm not as talented as half the people here.

"Miss Strauss." Warrod softened his voice. "Here, at WYM, we all start as humbled saplings." A little sapling sat in his palm. "And with nurture, attention, and care, we commit to making sure every person here"—the sapling sprouted to grow its first stem and bud—"blossom."

Blossom—in all her pink fur with pink roses circling her ankles, her neck, and lacing all nine of her tails—yipped in agreement and nuzzled Ellie's hand to comfort her.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

« Blossom might be a Terumiho, but Blossom is showcasing her Pink Rose Mode. Kumihos can access different modes based upon their diet, bond with their owner, or their environment. Coordinator Tamers often have their Kumihos use different modes for their coordinator events and pet parents might do so for the aesthetic. Battle Tamers may have their Kumihos access different mods for different power-ups. »

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Warrod chuckled as he misted away the tree sapling. "Even my darling Blossom agreed." When Ellie tittered, Warrod told her, "You'll find your place at WYM like you have found your place in Fairy Tail. You will blossom. Your parents, your master, and I all know you will."

That warmed Ellie's heart and set aside some of her nerves. "Thank you, sir."

"Of course. Now. Why don't you take a little break?" Warrod suggested. "We have plenty of time to make our rounds and I wouldn't want you bushed."

Ellie sweatdropped as Warrod laughed at his own pun. "Th-Thank you, sir." He really does make those sorts of jokes often, huh?

With a shy pardon, she left Warrod and Blossom to traverse around the garden. I was so nervous about coming here. I'm not that big of a fighter. I like to train and I love doing assignments, but becoming S-Class or going to the GMGs isn't my thing. I was so worried I'd have to quit Fairy Tail. But having a one-on-one with Master introduced me to Mister Sequen. I hope I can make everyone proud.

She blinked when she saw the quaint bar and debated. Maybe… One drink would help me out? Decided, she made her way over to the bar and perused a few of the specialty options.

One of the bartenders circled to her. "What can I get for you?"

"Hmm… How about a Zombie?"

"Coming right up."

Ellie went to thank him when she felt the vibrations of her Compact. Reaching into her clutch, she saw Justin's contact come up and answered exasperatedly, "JJ, I'm at a work party. Now is not the time to talk about weed plants."

"For your information, I wasn't about to talk about it, but if you would like to re-negotiate at this time—"

"JJ…"

Justin huffed. "Well if you must know, I called because Chi-chi had to head out somewhere, so you're more than welcome to come here after your work party and spend the night."

Ellie could not fight her smile. "Sure. I'll let you know when I'm on my way."

"And one Zombie for you."

"Thanks!" Ellie took a sip of her fruity cocktail and hummed at the flavor. "This is good!"

"El-bell…" Justin warned. "I love you and all, but you get knocked out six sips into a mule. Are you sure you should be drinking?"

"I'm not that bad," Ellie mumbled. "Nashi's worse. She gets knocked out on wine and is a stripping drunk. I just get a little lovey. I'll be fine."

Justin snorted. "Chi-chi nearly had a heart attack when White Mom Wasted Nashi came out. I've never seen him so red." A long-winded dramatic sigh. "If only he'd let me set him up with someone—or at least find out what type of person he likes. He's so…virginal."

"I think he's good at hiding his turn-ons from you because you can, will, and have used it against him," Ellie reminded dryly before taking a long sip of her Zombie. "I think he's still traumatized when you took him to that all-men's strip show."

"He refused to go to a strip show with women," Justin said in his defense.

Ellie shook her head. "JJ, please don't permanently scar Orochi. Mara doesn't need her brother going catatonic."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Justin dismissed. "Anywho, come see me when your work thing is over. Kisses to all! Bye!"

A light laugh left her as she stuffed her Compact back into her clutch. Poor Chi-chi. I guess this is what happens when you have JJ for a roommate. It took Ellie by surprise when she realized she was three-fourths that way done with her Zombie. This is really good. As she sucked down the rest, she thought, Maybe one more?

°•°•°•°

Ines came over the bar with a drained look on her face. Before the bartender could speak, she ordered, "I'll take a honey deuce. Thank you." Leaning against the counter, she massaged her temples. This will be my last drink. One last round for goodbyes and I'm out of here.

"Hey, you're pretty cute for the new apprentice?"

Ines perked, curious, and looked over to see two accountants she recognized had flanked either side of—

Dark toffee widened. Is she drunk?

Ellie had red painted all over her cheeks as she wove together a daisy flower crown with her powers. A hiccup left her on occasion and each hiccup sported her a few more daisies. Three tall Zombies had been cleared out with their empty glasses reminders of her drink count.

One of the accountants grinned and leaned closer to her. "You're a shy one, aren't you? We're all under the same company. It's okay. We won't bite."

Ellie hiccupped and kept making her daisy flower crown.

The other man frowned, annoyed they were being ignored. "Hey. Just because you're Mister Sequen's new apprentice doesn't mean you get to be all stuck-up."

"Now, now, boys," Ines coolly intervened. "Let's not get carried away at a work function." Her glare narrowed. "It'd be a shame if Mister Sequen found out you were harassing his newest apprentice, wouldn't it?"

Both men shot her glowers, but they abandoned Ellie and slunk off with their drinks.

Ines pushed back her bangs, irked. Seriously. Even at a work function, people think they can get away with this shit. Her gaze swept to Ellie, who swayed and kept constructing her flower crown. Yeah, she's drunk as a skunk all right. If she was such a lightweight, why did she drink so much?

Coming closer, she offered a gentle shake of Ellie's shoulder. "Hey. Ellie was it? I think you need to go home," she urged. "Do you have someone you could call to come get you? Do you need me to call someone?"

Ellie lazily blinked and looked up at Ines. For a moment, she looked out of it. Then, a sweet smile played on her lips and she giggled. "You need a flower crown." She showed Ines the one she made. "I made one. You can have it."

Ines' brow furrowed. Daisies? She stopped Ellie from trying to crown her with a gentle capture of her wrist. "Thank you, but I'm okay." Dammit. She's really drunk. "Look, maybe you have a friend or a roommate you could call to take you home. You really shouldn't—Mmmph!"

Blank shock hit Ines like a freight train when Ellie's lips crashed onto her own. The fruitiness could not negate the sting of alcohol that drenched her lips and how aggressive the one-sided kiss turned out to be left Ellie sweeping her tongue against Ines' own. A few moments past before Ellie slowly pulled away with only breaths between them.

"Mmm, yummy," Ellie mumbled. "I don't…feel so good…"

Ines did not know what startled her more. The kiss, the fact that Ellie landed headfirst onto her chest, or that last sentence. Wait, wait, is she about to throw up on me? She started sweating and panicking. Shit, shit, shit, if she throws up, I—!

GUU… GUU…

A dark aura loomed over Ines when it turned out Ellie had fallen asleep. Why is this happening to me?

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • —

⟪ Pause ⟫

Wait a minute!

— • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Justin stopped the story and threw Ellie an incredulous look. "Bitch, I told you not to get wasted and you did just that?"

"Je suis désolé!" Ellie whined, burying her head in her hands. "The drinks were so good that I didn't realize how much alcohol was in them!"

"It's the drinks that don't taste like alcohol you have to look out for," Ace reminded.

Ines laughed as Ellie groaned. "She still didn't learn her lesson when there was a new hire dinner and then informal drinks afterwards. I had to take her home since she was drunk." She tossed her girlfriend a sly look. "Except that time, she did throw up after she tried to kiss me."

Nashi tsked. "Wow, Ellie, your track record sure is something."

"Says the one who burst into tears when she got drunk when we did a Soho bar crawl and kept whining about how you wanted Gary," Ellie shot back.

"She did that?"

Nashi gulped while Gary looked too gleeful for her tastes. "H-H-Hang on a second," she stammered, nervous. "I was drunk and wasn't in my right mind! I was talking crazy—!"

"Angel does get crazy over me!" It was no use to calm down an excited Gary when he tackled his flushed partner into an embrace and nuzzled her. "Angel calls out to me when she's drunk! So cute!"

"Get off me, you perverted dog!"

Everyone made a unanimous decision to let Gary and Nashi be—it was better to avoid watching Gary's cringey display of love than anything—and Tesla asked both girlfriends, "So wait. What happened next?"

"I didn't have much of a choice but to take responsibility for her when she fell asleep on me," Ines went on. "Mister Sequen was doing a speech with the board. My friends Remy and Mori said they'd cover for me, so I took her back to mine to sober up. I was hoping she'd wake up so she could call someone…"

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • —

⟪ Play ⟫

— • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

THUD!

Ines panted a little as a sleeping Ellie splayed atop her comforter. Geez. This is not how I wanted my night to go. She spent a few moments working her pillows so Ellie was shifted in recovery position. But the least I can do is make sure she's comfortable. Once she was finished, she grabbed a hair tie from her dresser and scooped up her locks into a messy ponytail before taking off her blazer. At least Harley won't be home to see this. She'd probably yell at me.

She could imagine her ears being blown out by chibi-Harley's sternness as she scolded, "Ines, what is wrong with you? Don't you know how bad this looks? She's drunk! What if she thinks you did something to her—?"

Ines waved away the imagery. Yeah, I don't need that.

"Ez…ra…"

Ines's gaze flashed down to Ellie, but it surprised her when tears pressed against the corners of her eyes.

"Ez…ra…" Ellie breathed. "Don't…leave…her…"

'Ezra'? Ines shrugged it off. He might be a boyfriend. I hope she can call him when she wakes up. I don't want to go through any misunderstandings. She headed out of her room and grabbed the doorknob. But with a backward glance, she contemplated her next actions. I shouldn't leave her alone since she's still drunk. Should I just sleep on the floor or something? Maybe bring in a chair? Damn. She scrubbed her face. Of course my night turns into this.

Tracking down an aspirin and stealing one of the Laterades were simple enough, and she scribbled on a stick note who she was and where this place was, but it still felt weird once Ines was finished. Ellie had not shifted in her sleep, but that did not mean she would not in the future.

"I feel like that's everything," Ines murmured. To be honest, I never really deal with drunk people. Remy is the only one I've seen trashed, but… She recalled how loopy Remy would get as he was carried in Mori's arms. I don't think he's ready to hear Mori is the one he clings to when he gets drunk.

Crossing her arms and cupping her elbows, her expression softened watching Ellie. I'm sure she was just nervous. There's a lot of talent at WYM. It can get really intimidating. I know I was nervous when I started working there. A sigh through her nose. I better go get a chair and watch over her in case she throws up. She turned away—

THWIP!

Ines blinked down when she saw a wine was wrapped around her wrist. What the—? "Ah!" Never did she expect to be throttled back into her bed and she wriggled when more wines latched onto her other wrist, her waist, and her ankles. What the Hell is this?

A tinkling giggle. "You're not wearing the flower crown I made." Ellie sat up with a slight slouch and a smile on her face, flushed. "I gotta make you another flower crown, okay?"

Ines' eye twitched. She woke up for that? "Hey, now that you're awake, is there anyone I can call for you to come get you or…?"

"Teeheehee, look at my crown!"

A dreary aura sunk over Ines as Ellie preoccupied herself with her flower crown. What did I do to deserve this? Taking a deep breath, she murmured, "Listen. I'm sure you want to get back to your home so you can sleep this off. I'm happy to drive you to wherever is a safe place for you, if you'd just—"

"It's done!"

Ines sank deeper into her depression as Ellie straddled her with a victorious flower aura shining off her. She's not listening to a word I say, is she?

Ellie leaned over to crown Ines with her work. "There! All done!"

Ines was flat-faced when Ellie's thick locks hit her face. Perfect. This is perfect. Her nostrils flared on her inhale. Huh… She even smells like daisies too. Dark toffee connected with half-lidded hazel-blues. And her eyes are beautiful too. So unique…

"Hey…" Ellie splayed her hands on Ines' cheeks with full lips parted. "I…"

Ines swallowed roughly when Ellie started closing the distance. Oh gods. Is she going to kiss me again?

"I… I…" Ellie licked her bottom lip with only a hair between her and Ines. "I…" Her cheeks puffed and a sickly green took over. She choked, "I don't feel so good."

Ines panicked. Oh, no, please don't tell me she's about to—

GE…

A blank look overtook Ines' face when Ellie turned and retched off the side of the bed.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • — • — • —

Wow ~

— • — • — • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

When Ellie finished, she collapsed on top of Ines and slipped back asleep.

Unable to move—thanks to the vines—Ines blanched. Why did all this have to happen to me?

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • —

In the morning…

— • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

GLUG-GLUG-GLUG.

Light poured into the kitchen, thanks to the blinds Ines had opened up. She slammed back down her morning smoothie and wiped her mouth with a napkin. But that did not take away from the circles under her eyes and her haggard expression. I couldn't sleep at all last night.

Her entire evening consisted of cleaning her bedroom, panicking when Ellie looked ready to wretch again and carrying her to the bathroom, helping her to the toilet, and being suggested as an unwilling body pillow since every time she moved, Ellie's vines would rope her back in. Suffice to say, it was a long night.

She ruffled her hair and sagged over the counter. Thank god it's Saturday. All I want to do is catch up on sleep. For a girl that small, she has a lot of strength. Thank god I got to her before any creeps did. She put her head in her hands as she remembered Warrod's introduction of Ellie with her shy smile. She was definitely adorable to meet. But when she's drunk…

All those memories of Ellie's handsy vines came back to haunt her. She turns into an aggressive monster.

KA… KA…

"U-Um. Excuse me?"

Ines turned around to witness a blushing Ellie in her rumpled evening gown as she played with her fingers. "You're awake," Ines said simply. "Good morning. Do you remember much from last night?"

"S-Sorry. Not too much," Ellie admitted with regret. "I know I had a few drinks at the bar…I think…"

"Try three," Ines told her, dry. "The bartender told me you got three Zombies. I'm surprised a lightweight would drink such a high-proof drink."

"I guess it didn't help I hadn't had dinner either…"

"No, probably not." Ines examined the young woman before her, frowning. She didn't eat before drinking? Is she new to alcohol? Maybe that's why she didn't realize a Zombie is pretty high in alcohol…

Cocking her hip and crossing her arms, she said, "Look, it's fine. I'm sorry I had to bring you back here. You were never sober enough to tell me where you lived, so this was the best I could do."

"O-Oh! Thank you!" Ellie hurried to appreciate. "I, um… I-I'm sorry for all the trouble last night. Did I…?" She swallowed. "Did I…do anything weird last night?"

Ines thought back to last night and all the lunacy she endured. I could tell her the truth, but… She sweatdropped when all she saw was a cute little spaniel who looked at her with puppy eyes. Somehow, I feel like that will make her feel worse. "No," she decided to answer. "You needed to use the bathroom a few times, but you were fine."

Relief relaxed Ellie. "Oh. That's good then." She tried to meet Ines' gaze before skittering hers away. "Thanks for taking care of me again. I'll have to make this up to you."

"It's no problem." I doubt I'll see you after this. A flash of red caught Ines' attention and her eyebrows raised when she saw a patch of red peonies blossom around Ellie. "Uh… It looks like you have some flowers around you."

"What?" Ellie's eyes widened in disbelief when she saw the flowers." Oh, no!" Red steamed her face as she dispelled her flowers. "I-I-I'm so sorry!" she blubbered. "I never do this! I'm normally better at controlling my powers than this!"

She wanted to crawl under a rock and die. How can this be happening? I have airtight control over my Magic. She probably thinks I'm a freak—!

A snort.

Ellie blinked up to see Ines laughing into a fist. She's… She's not mad?

"Sorry." Ines could not wipe the smile off her face. "It's just… You were making daisies the other night. I didn't realize you weren't a one-trick pony."

Ellie gawked, and internally, she was freaking out. I did that last night too? What else did I do?

"Honestly, it's pretty cool you can make plants like that," Ines complimented. "My friend said you're a Green Mage, like Mister Sequen."

"O-Oh." Ellie brushed her hair to one side and combed through her. "Yeah. I'm a Green Mage. I used to accidentally make plants all the time. I got better at controlling it. Or at least I thought so until now."

"Hey, it's fine," Ines soothed. "It's a pretty cool power to have, in my opinion. Red peonies…" She caught her chin with her thumb and pointer finger as she thought about the flower. "If I'm remembering flower languages correctly, red peonies mean shy and bashful. Interesting." She tossed back her hand with a hand and had to smirk. "At least your flowers keep you honest, Daisy. I think that's adorable."

Ellie blinked as she took in Ines' expression before heat worked over her cheeks—

When more red peonies piped up, Ines poked fun. "Aw, looks like you're getting shy again…!" She cackled when Ellie's eyes bugged out and she quickly dispelled her plants. "See? Adorable."

"It's not adorable," Ellie mumbled, hugging herself and eyes downcast. "It's embarrassing when you can't control your powers like this. It just means I'm not ready to be Mister Sequen's apprentice."

A frown. "I don't buy that for a second."

Ellie sighed. "You wouldn't get it."

"Maybe not." A few steps. "But I still think it's pretty adorable your Magic keeps you honest. In fact…" Gentle fingers caressed Ellie's jaw to tip up her head and dark toffee connected with hazel-blue. "I'm curious about all the flowers you could make, Daisy."

Ellie felt tongue-tied. "U-Um…"

Ines took into account the purple roses blossoming and her smirk broadened. "I see. So purple roses… In flower language, that means you feel spellbound…interested…"

"That's not it," Ellie weakly countered. Her expression flinched and her eyes closed when Ines came in closer. Is she going to—?

"That's a shame."

The loss of Ines' warmth was a shock. Ellie's eyes opened to see Ines had taken a few steps back. "What…?"

"I'd just think it'd be cute to see all the flowers you can make, but if your flowers don't actually match up with your mood, then that's a bummer." Ines shrugged, but her roguish grin teased Ellie. "Still though. I'm sure the flowers you make would be worth watching blossom."

"I…" Ellie could feel her Magic flailing and did her best to control it. Why is this happening to me?

"It's been a long night for both of us," Ines drawled. "I'm more than happy to drop you off wherever you need to be. If you want to freshen up before then, that's fine too. Spare toothbrush and towels are in the bathroom, so knock yourself out. Seriously. I don't mind."

"I-I…"

"I can lend you some clothes if you need them." Ines strode forward, about to brush past Ellie, but she paused and her grin broadened. "And just for the record, Daisy, coriander means you're thinking something about me you really shouldn't. In case your flowers are keeping you honest."

Ellie grew mortified when she saw coriander had popped up around her and Ines' echoing laugh did not help anything. Sinking down with a red face, Ellie could not fight her powers when mauve carnations and orange roses entered the mix with her coriander. Seeing the flowers yield a physical representation of her emotions, she covered her face. Something is seriously wrong with me.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • —

Aw…

— • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Ellie was in her personal shame spiral while everyone else had matching grins during the tale. Ellie lamented half-hearted, "Ines…!"

"I could have told them about what happened after your first day," Ines teased her. "How suddenly you chugged all those drinks and started flirting with me right then and there—"

"Bouce-la!"

Tesla clapped her hands and praised, "Girl, that was smooth as Hell though! Ellie, lock her down. She still called you 'cute' even after all that mess happened."

Ellie looked up to pout at her girlfriend. "Why didn't you tell me I did all that?"

"Because you looked embarrassed enough," Ines explained. "I thought it'd be better that you didn't look even more like you wanted to throw yourself out of the window."

Justin tutted. "El-bell, I warned you to go easy on those drinks. But if you hadn't, you wouldn't have a girlfriend, so I guess all's well that ends well." He wiggled his eyebrows at the couple. "But I totally want to hear a very detailed story of how domme El-bell came out to play and slay pussy."

Ellie shot him a sour look. "Ta gueule."

Justin feigned a gasp. "Well, I'd never! Language, young lady!" He snickered at Ellie's middle finger. "Well, that was some cute shit, but we still have a little time left before you up this bitch with ghost juju. Oh! I feel like I have the scariest story to date."

Ace was not convinced. "Really?"

"Yes. Really," Justin mocked. "It was a nightmare I had when I was prepping for this house ball in NAC Honey and I were attending with a few other friends as a favor to Supernova. They had a voguing competition, so I decided to compete, but I fucking lost to one of those house-jumping loose ass twinks. It was traumatizing."

Everyone gave Justin flat looks, but he whipped out his fan and sniffed, "That's a terrifying story. Me losing to a party bottom? You know how much shame I would carry? Honey would never talk to me again."

Everyone sighed and shook their heads at him.

Glancing around, Ace asked, "Anyone else want to tell an actual scary story?"

As everyone looked at each other, debating, Jaxton spoke up, "I have one story to tell."

Surprise flittered from everyone and even Tesla was stunned. "You have a scary story to tell?"

"Yes." Jaxton shifted and his darkness briefly met Gary's blues. "It's a legend we tell in Zhōnguá. In Minstrish, the story is called 'The Painted Skin'."

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • —

The Painted Skin

— • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

As a note:

For this story, the characters will be assumed to be speaking an ancient dialect of Zhōnguánese.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

The rain never stopped—not here.

Built upon rivers and buried in a valley, the village could have attracted settlers. The stone bridges had been tastefully designed and sampans (flat-bottomed boats) would glide down the rivers to parade the restaurants and markets and artistry. The finest reds golds and greens once painted this village and the stone statue of Báihǔ welcomed all into this sanctuary.

But the rain would not stop.

Bluish-gray clouds bound to the village and wept and wept like there was nothing in this world that could make them happy enough to depart. The proud reds and greens and golds stood not a chance against nature's tears. The lanterns—once guides and good omens—drooped without care. The denizens that walked the streets with their silk hanfu and fans and smiles kept inside from this accursed rain. An occasional woman and her young darted out if the need to travel was great and maybe a man if you squinted, but the streets were barren, hopeless.

Thick straw boots grazed the wet pavement. The rain did not touch the traveler's saffron robes with his black belt tied neatly around his waist nor did it touch his laced socks. The drops glided off his dǒulì (rice hat), but they plunked to the ground and missed the linen back he tied onto his back.

The walk along the desolate streets would phase any person, but the traveler strode like he had a purpose being there—being in this rain-cursed village—and yet you got the feeling from him that he also did not have a purpose. He was a wary contradiction.

Full pink lips pulled into a smile. "You there. Traveler."

The traveler stopped hearing this dialect of Zhōnguánese and how casual it was. His head turned, rice hat low, and he drank in this beauty of a man. The rain had not tainted such a gorgeous soul as him with his hanfu giving away health, wealth, and happiness. His black hair was long—too long to keep up with the rain—but he parted it in a feminine hairstyle with a lotus and Báihǔ comb. A matching lotus parasol shielded his eyes from view.

The traveler bowed in respect, but he said not a word.

"I'm surprised to see a traveler come here," the beautiful young man remarked. His voice felt like a spell, a song, melodious and calling. "There has not been one traveler to cross paths in this village in a long time—let alone a man such as yourself."

The traveler tilted his head, but he did not speak.

The young man adjusted his parasol. "You must be tired, Traveler, and are in need of rest and food. Come. I'll take you to a place where you can gain all those things." The young man stepped out into the rain, yet not a drop dared to touch him. It was as if the clouds had unanimously decided to spear him from their sobs and cries.

The traveler followed the beautiful young man with measured steps and measured breaths. Not even his footsteps could be heard against the rain running amuck. But he fell into time with the young man. Each step was taken at the same pace, same length, as though they rehearsed it a hundred times before.

The young man stopped and allowed the traveler to meet him, shoulder to shoulder. A circular archway entrance with wet lanterns was a few steps away. The curtains had been shut, but warm lighting glowed onto the pavement.

"You will find the innkeeper's wife here," the young man informed as he pointed. "Ask her for a single lodging and that you will repay her with something she thought was lost." He ducked his hand into his robe. "This will be the payment."

The traveler looked at the crafted topknot crown with a white jaw hairpin that captured Báihǔ's head. He accepted the offering.

"The restaurant owner's wife shall give you a free meal," the young man advised. "She is a kind woman who pities lonely souls. And you, indeed, are lonely."

The traveler offered no confirmation or denial.

Full pink lips softened their smile. "I wish you well, Traveler. I'm sure we will meet again." With the grace of a butterfly, the young man turned with his parasol and glided away into the rain.

The traveler offered no glance back. He made his way to the restaurant and parted the curtains. A scratchy broom swept the dust and dirt from the stone floor and most of the tables and pillowed chairs were void of customers. The lanterns gave a seductive red light and innocent white glow. A few guests stationed were young women, a few children, and a man sat at the counter as he drank the night away.

The traveler headed to the counter and settled a seat away from the man. Silence was his friend.

The tipsy man drawled in informal Zhōnguánese, "Liying, you've got a guest."

A robust woman in commoner's dress and an apron parted from the curtains behind the counter with exhaustion wrinkling her face and her newborn swaddled in her arms, fussy and threatening to break into a cry. She took in the traveler and her sadness depressed further on her features. "Oh. A man." She came closer to the traveler and sighed, "This restaurant owner's wife apologizes to you, but this restaurant owner's wife suggests you move on from this village. You will only know misfortunate if you stay in our home."

The traveler spoke, deep and emotionless, "What troubles have come down on this village? Do you mean the eternal rain?"

Liying shook her head and bounced her baby in the hopes he would not cry. "The rain is not what troubles of this village," she told him. "Once the rain set in, we were grateful for the surrounding farmland to have watered crops. But soon, the men started disappearing."

"'Disappearing'?"

"Yes." She looked upon her son in grief. "My husband disappeared right before I have birth. Our son has never known his father." Tears crowded her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She nodded to the other women and children. "All of us here have lost our husbands, our brothers, our fathers—even our sons if they have turned of age."

"Not all the men are gone," the tipsy man reminded. "I'm still here, remember?" He sloshed around his drink with a blush on his face and slipped to the traveler, "All the men who love a feminine touch end up disappearing. But those of us men who prefer a masculine hand remain." His eyes went half-lidded as the memories came back to him. "My no-good fiancé ended up leaving me as well. I guess he left me for a woman."

Liying sighed, but she spared a tired smile from her quiet son. "San Lang, I'm sure your fiancé will return. As will the rest of the men of this village. I know my Junjie never would have left us without reason. As Li Hua said—"

"She said a 'Ghost' took our men. Bah!" San Lang shook his head at such a notion. "If that's the case, then there is no hope for any of us having our men returned to us."

"That's not true," Liying shushed. "Báihǔ will return them to us—"

San Lang snorted and slammed down his mug. "Báihǔ is good and dead. You know that. The Great White Tiger of the West abandoned us all. Cultivators are gone." He gulped down the rest of his ale. "Our men up and left us. We have to accept that. We're alone in this damned village." He looked at the traveler. "You should leave while you can. If there really is a Ghost out there, you should pass through here as quickly as you can."

The traveler smoothly said, "This weary traveler is a man who loves men the way a woman can love a man. This weary traveler has nothing to fear."

"Then we welcome you with open arms, weary traveler," Liying greeted with a slight bow. "You must be famished traveling all this way. I'll make a warm meal for you and, please, do not worry about the cost. We all help each other around here."

"This weary traveler thanks you," the traveler appreciated. As Liying marched back to the kitchen, the traveler asked San Lang, "Where can this weary traveler find a temporary lodging?"

"You lookin' for a place to stay?" An older woman hobbled over to interrupt the conversation with a country accent in her Zhōnguánese. A mole rested near her right eye and her crooked teeth refused to hide, but she had an iron stare about her. "How long you plannin' to stay in our village?"

"This weary traveler would like to stay for the rest of the night and into the morning," the traveler explained. "This weary traveler must continue on his journey, but he has come a long way and needs rest."

The older woman hummed, suspicious but not so wary that she told him off. "Where'd you say you were from? And where are you headed? And no need to speak for formally, boy. None of us are the Empress."

"I come from a small village in the mountains near Wu Xing," the traveler explained, switching to informal speech. "I am training to become a monk at the northwestern temple. But with the loss of my grandfather, I have been permitted to travel back to my village to care for my grandmother. I fear her despair will ail her further. My grandfather was her most precious treasure and the raid upon our village left her with not a reminder of him."

That resonated with the older woman with a flicker of anguish in her eyes. "I understand your grandmother's woes. I, too, have not a thing left behind from my husband upon his leave." She clutched her cane. "How I miss him with my every breath."

The traveler gave plausible pause. "I had meant to gift this to my grandmother in the hopes it would remind her of my grandfather's headdress. However…" He retrieved the top knot crown and presented it to the woman. "Perhaps you would find it more of use."

Shock and awe burst onto the older woman's face when she saw the item. "Is…? Is that…?" Receiving the top knot crown like she was handed a newborn, grief crept up on her. "This… This is my late husband's family heirloom. We thought it was lost." She looked at the traveler in great despair and gratitude, conflicting emotions that coexisted in this moment. "You found it? But how…? You don't even know us."

"I did not realize this belonged to you," the traveler assured her. "It was a lost item gifted to me and in turn, I planned to gift this to my grandmother, for my grandfather had one similar. But I give this to you and am content to return a lost item to its owner."

"I…" The older woman lost her words as she cradled the last symbol of her late husband. A trembling swallow. "I keep the inn in the stead of my husband and would be honored to host you, Traveler."

°•°•°•°

Leaks and wet spots and cobwebs—it would be easy to repair all wrongs in the inn, but that would mean the struggling villagers would have to give up their imperative issues. Never the matter. The traveler made no complaints as the old woman unlocked his door and showed him a room that would work for one night.

"I'm sorry I don't have more for you," the old woman tried to apologize.

The traveler stepped in and surveyed his lodging. "No. This is perfect for my stay." Turning back, he bowed low to her. "This weary traveler thanks the innkeeper for her hospitality."

"Ain't no reason for you to be using that dialect around here, traveler," the old woman hushed him. "You don't have any neighbors and our staff got all cleaned out once the rain didn't let up. But anything in the inn is yours to use for your stay." She bowed slightly towards him. "Have a good night, Traveler." And she closed the door upon her leave.

It was no surprise a village demolished in rain and weak in resources could only offer textile and straw seating mats and a short-legged table and a kang (mud bed). Commoner furniture that the northwestern cities and the emperor of the west would shun. The traveler took no issue with humble dwellings. Sitting crisscrossed on a textile seating mat, he shucked off his pack and set to work.

You might find it boring or dull when all he unpacked was his bián dang (Zhōnguánese version of a bento box) and a corked bottle. Spark rocks had been provided with some candles that would burn out any day now, but light was light, and he needed it for the moment. Dim oranges highlighted his jaw, but he dared not take off his hat. Instead, he focused on the quaint meal Liying gifted him—rice, an egg, vegetables, and whatever meat she could scrounge up and afford to ration to him.

HUÁ HUÁ…

The rain played its somber orchestra for him as he ate with straight shoulders and graceful movements—

DONG-DONG…

The soft knocks did not bother him, and he continued with his rice—

"Sir?" The lilt of a lady. "The innkeeper told me there's another guest here. Could you assist me? I don't have any spark rocks and I'm hoping your room has some."

His head tilted. After a moment of deliberation, he boxed his meal with care and abandoned his table. Swinging open the door, he saw—

Wide steel grays.

The intruder had her looks, her pretty face, and one must not forget her body language. She looked like a sculpted porcelain doll—a courtesan—with her sensual hanfu and her unusual chestnut hair she capitalized on and let down in a forbidden style. A pink blush spread across her lips. Lips puckered in innocent worry, she hugged herself beneath her chest.

"I'm terribly sorry, sir." Such a soft voice she had, one meant for intimate conversation. "I don't mean to trouble you at all. I suppose I've had one too many. It's just awfully dark in my room and I was hoping you could spare your spark rocks."

The traveler nodded and stepped aside.

The word "beautiful" was an understatement for her smile. "Thank you, sir." She glided into the room and looked around with open curiosity and a sway in her hips. "Your room is so much nicer than mine, sir." She pointed at his food and drink. "Were you having dinner? I'm so sorry to disturb you."

The traveler spoke not a word as he gathered his spark rocks—

"Oh." Her fingers crossed his chest. "You don't have to go that far." Her blush darkened as her eyes dropped to half-mast. "I could've gotten them."

The traveler stilled.

"I think I'm feeling a little dizzy," she throatily tittered. "Could I sit with you for a moment?" She thanked the traveler when he offered his seating mat with a vague gesture and retrieved another to sit across from her. "I'm sure you got your dinner from that amiable woman down the road. Isn't she sweet? She gifted me something a little too strong for my taste, but it's divine."

The traveler uncorked his bottle and took a few swallows.

The intruder watched him with a lazy smile that men could fight over with her cleavage spilling forward. "I overheard that you're a traveler. You must've been to plenty of fascinating places." A light laugh. "I can't really travel myself. So forgive me for envying you."

The traveler slightly nodded and licked his lips, but he did not contribute any more to her conversation.

Her fingers trailed down her neck, her chest, then reached for his bottle. Her pointer slowly danced along the rim, but those grays of her watched him in tipsy interest. "It must be so lonely traveling all alone without a companion. But a man with your looks… I'm sure you never hurt for company." Her fingers let go of the rim to breach his personal space and slid against his cheek.

"A strong man like you… I'm sure you're already engaged and paid the dowry. How could no woman have a hold on you?" Her fingers pedaled to his hat. "If only I could see your eyes—"

The traveler daintily took hold of her wrist before she could take his hat.

A simper and her lazy smile widened to show white teeth. "You must be shy. There's nothing to be shy about," she promised him. Smoothly, she leaned across and captured his jaw between her hands. "Not at all. You're"—her lips slanted only centimeters from the traveler's—"a perfect man."

The kiss was one-sided. Her actions might have been intimate and enticing, but the traveler stilled for every moment she poured into him. He obliged and parted his legs and her tongue aggressively swept atop his own, but he never reciprocated her fervor. She tried again and again in the hopes he would respond, but she cut her losses on her seventh attempt and slowly drew away breaths apart from him.

"You really are shy," she huskily said before licking her lips. "But you taste amazing." She stroked his cheek. "There's nothing to be ashamed of it I'm the first woman you've kissed. I can teach you—"

PI-PI…

She blinked. Her focus left the traveler's inviting lips to understand what the dripping noise was.

PI-PI…

Peachy drops of paint had landed on the table. More drops fell and the understanding did not set in until she watched a drop come from her. Shakily, her fingers pressed her cheek and painted smeared her fingers.

PI-PI…

"No!" She shoved herself away as she palmed her face. Horror struck her as more paint pasted her hands, some her skin tone and some the color of her lips and eyelashes. "No, this can't be…! My skin! My beautiful skin!"

Pure fury overrode her panic and that gray gaze blackened until not even the whites of her eyes remained. Paint slid from her face in spades and those chestnut waves fell from her head.

"You!" she snarled as two voices spoke at the same time. Those pearly whites were rows upon rows of yellowed teeth. "You did this to me! But that's impossible!"

The traveler stood. With a gesture of his hand, a sword came to his clutches, curved and beautiful with a gemstone in its hilt that had a mind of its own.

This took her back. "What? But you can't be—!" The truth of her situation hit her in that instant.

And before the traveler would smite her, she launched out the window and into the train. Her dainty feet grew into monstrous claws as her curves jarringly bumbled and broiled into a monstrous creation, but she had to flee into the rain. That's impossible! They're all dead! The Ghost King said they were dead! She hobbled over as her hanfu melded into a fleshy robe and all that peachy skin yearning to be touched burned into ugly greens.

The traveler landed onto the pavement with his sword at the ready. Without a moment to use, he sprinted after the woman-turned-cretin and not a splash kicked up with each step he took. His sword raised as he closed in on her, but tentacles with teeth of their own ripped from her head to combat his sword strokes. With each tentacle he sliced, three more popped up like a vicious hydra. But all his slicing and hacking made way for her fading beauty to rot into exacerbating vileness.

Puss and fluids oozed from her open boils and diseased wounds. Skin a raggedy green, her teeth overcrowded her mouth, and she vomited more and more of her painted skin. The tentacles served as her mane and arms and she slingshot herself across the river and onto one of the roofs to scramble for her escape. Her taloned feet spat the roof shingles in every which way, but the liquid dripping from her mouth burned like acid to anything she touched.

The traveler jumped onto the roof and bounded across the wet rooftops like he had done so hundreds of times before. His lips quirked down when she prepared herself to leap off with her tentacles. Sword cutting empty air, a white slice of energy squealed through the air. The moment she launched into the air—

FWOOSH!

Her screech could end a war when the slice cut clear her tentacles and her mangled body toppled into one of the rivers.

The traveler landed with a flourish, blade at the ready, and he watched the water for any sign of life. He listened and he waited—

CRASH!

Her tentacles came at him first in mass.

It was her offense and her defense, and he combatted each tentacle with practiced precision. Her inhuman screeches and lunges could not counteract all the times she spewed more and more steaming liquid.

I don't understand, she panted as she wretched again. What did this mere human poison me with!

SHING!

Eyes wide, she could barely recognize the traveler had gotten the drop on her.

His sword plummeted through her stomach.

Her mouth could not keep it in. The instinct to regurgitate was too much to ignore. She hawked and hacked, and that liquid coughed up until she choked out what she could not keep in.

SPLAT!

A heart.

A frantically beating human heart dripping with black sludge plinked onto the ground.

The traveler spoke: "You will release the hearts of the men you have taken, mogwai." He ripped out his sword. "And your spawns will die with you."

The mogwai could not comprehend as a cleansing disease constricted her throat and gurgled her stomach. That lurching feeling of nausea that made your heart hurt and a gag bob through your throat consumed her. It was as if she was compelled to expel what she kept inside her. Shrieks and retching left her another human heart regurgitated, beating like its life depended on it. The traveler did not make a move as she vomited one heart after the other. She gagged and tried to swallow them down, but her stomach and throat refused to burden themselves with stolen organs.

And the traveler watched as she spat up dozens of hearts dripping with black sludge.

Weakened and exhausted, the mogwai could not lift a claw nor teething tentacle to defend herself. She splayed onto the ground wheezing and black ooze dripping from her mouth and eyes. "You…" she heaved in her dual voices. "You…are not a human…"

The traveler did not acknowledge her words. Instead, he sheathed his sword and, in a spiritual wave, a calabash gourd bottle appeared in his hands. He knelt next to the mogwai and uncorked his gourd. Smoke expelled and denounced the mogwai an evil entity. She could not fight as the smoke crowded her and ate away at her body.

She gave a wet wheeze, ooze from her mouth dripping onto the pavement. Hatred burned in her demonic eyes as she looked at the traveler, still fearsome and raw. "I could not tempt you like those other weak men for you have no heart for me to consume. I know what you are now. You are an abomination that no realm would accept. And no woman will ever love you for the creature you are for you will remain unlovable by all."

Even in her final breaths as the smoke caged her and pulled her essence back into the gourd, she dared to laugh and let her eyes turn into those grays. "And should such a woman appear that tempts you into giving her your heart, you shall suffer a thousand times over for what you have done to me—as will that woman." Those grays burned. "I swear to it."

That was all she could afford to say as the smoke banished her into the gourd. Carefully, he corked the calabash and let it evaporate into thin air. But his problems were not over as he looked at the dozens of hearts and the weeping sky. Without a word, his hands poised and a glowing guzheng appeared, floating and eager to be plucked.

And so he spun his song.

It was not as if the sobbing sky stopped at the first note, but gradually, the rain gentled and gentled until it cleared up. The grayed hue from the skies broke apart with a relieved son peeking through the canopy. It beamed a gentle glow onto the traveler, but not even the sun was worthy to see the traveler's eyes.

The black sludge that drenched the beating hearts burst into harmless smoke. And the hearts that tried to stay strong could not fight anymore and silenced themselves. As the rise and fall of the melody drifted over them, one by one the red hearts filled with a white essence and transcended into nothingness. It looked so ethereal that you could almost see the spirits of those men forming with tears in their eyes that they were free from the wrongful deaths the mogwai gave them and they were happy to ascend into the afterlife.

One particular Spirit stopped before he ascended and looked at the traveler with kind eyes. Thank you for saving us. I am Junjie, Liying's husband. We are in your debt for releasing us from the mogwai, traveler.

A sadness dampened Junjie's eyes. Please tell Liying I will be there when she takes our son to the temple for Baihu to bless him. I would not miss his blessing for anything. And even in death, my family holds my heart and I will watch over them. With every word, this man faded more and more until he was stolen from this world.

He was gone.

All the murdered men were all gone.

The traveler closed his song on a clean note. His guzheng spirited away as though aware its work was finished.

CHIRIN-CHIRIN.

"Miaow."

The traveler looked across the street to see a black and white striped cat sitting with vibrant yellow-amber eyes. The tomcat dipped its head before turning around and disappearing in a beautiful display of white particles, as though it was nothing more than dust in the wind.

CHIRIN-CHIRIN.

Hidden behind one of the street corner, the beautiful young man in his silk hanfu watched from beneath his parasol as the traveler bowed in the direction that cat has disappeared before summoning his pack and walking away like nothing happened. Pretty pink lips tugged into a smile.

So this is who the spiritual son of Baihu is. A hand came out from under the parasol and hanfu sleeve to capture the last drop of the accursed rain. How interesting.

°•°•°•°

With the sky bright and the leery rain gone, those who took shelter with broken hearts and weary spirits crept out into the streets. Disbelief was shattered for overwhelming joy that they could see the sun. Smiles and tears and laughter pranced about the villagers. Children ran about, excited they could play outside again. San Lang, tipsy, could not help the grin on his face. Even the innkeeper could not help but rejoice as she coveted the top knot crown in her hands.

Liying had happy tears in her eyes as she rocked her baby. Baihu did come to save us. The rain has stopped. We're free from this curse. She perked seeing the traveler from before walking her way and called, "Good sir! Can you believe it? Baihu has finally stopped the rain!"

The traveler stopped before her and shouldered his pack. "That is great news. But I need to be continuing my journey."

"What?" Liying frowned. "But you just arrived here…"

"Your meal and my short rest was enough for me to continue my journey," the traveler assured. "Thank you for your hospitality." He added, "And know that upon taking your son to the temple to be blessed, your husband will be waiting there for you and for your son."

Liying did not know what to say. "I…" How did he know I haven't taken my son to the temple? Too many questions and emotions delayed her from noticing the traveler was moving on until he was a fair bit away. "Wait! What's your name, Traveler? Can't you stay so we may get to know you properly?"

The traveler paused. "I have a long journey ahead. I cannot stay. But my name"—he turned his head and showed yellow-ambers—"is Bái Láng."

Liying blinked as she ingrained that name into her memory. Bái Láng… I don't know how you knew about all this…and I'm sure that's not your real name, but—she watched her son blink up at her and give her one of the gummy smiles that made her heat swell—something tells me you are no ordinary man.

A gentle wind picked up—the winds of change—and stroked against a neighboring lantern with dangling wind chimes.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • —

CHIRIN-CHIRIN…

— • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Quiet surrounded the group as Jaxton finished his tale. It was not that everyone was in disbelief. But a weighted silence pressured everyone.

"What happened to those men?" Ellie dared to ask. "What was that creature?"

"A mogwai," Jaxton named. "In my culture, they are demonic creatures who pray upon men. They can only come out when it rains to seduce men and breed. They paint their skin to look so beautiful, it's hard to ignore them. Because of that, they can lure unsuspecting men into their trap. And once they successfully breed, they kill the men and eat their hearts, trapping their spirits." Dark eyes pitched darker than black. "They haven't been seen in my homeland for a long time."

"What happened to the traveler?" Justin wanted to know. "Was all that true? And that Bái Láng guy? Is he real?"

"Who knows?" Jaxton wondered with little care. "There are many legends from my home. Maybe he is a legend as well." Darkness swirled. "But one thing is certain—he is nothing more than an abomination."

Tesla saddened. Jang-ta…

It surprised Nashi when Gary looked despaired as his blues fell to his lap. Gary…

DDU-DU. DDU-DDU. DDU-DU. DDU-DDU.

The pinging alarm startled a few of the group and Justin shut off his Compact, looking at the time. "Well." He cleared his throat. "On that horrifying note, we're approaching the witching hour where all the spoopy shit happens, people." Waving his hand over the Ouija board and the planchette, he purred, "Ready to summon our Poltergeist, bitches?"

As everyone shifted and adjusted themselves and Justin got out the candles to light, Tesla whispered to her boyfriend, "Jang-ta—"

"Wo hao." Jaxton softened seeing such worry on Tesla's face. "Wo hen hao, tián xīn."

Tesla, unconvinced, nodded and turned back to the board.

Upon Justin's nod, the candles were all light, Nashi dispelled her light and everyone was drenched in the ominous oranges the small flames could provide. The moment the witching hour struck, it felt like a new sort of quiet deadened in the air and gooseflesh prickled skin. Justin was the medium while Ellie would record any longer answers needed. Everyone else gathered their hands on the planchette of the Ouija board.

"Oh, mighty Poltergeist," Justin called. "We summon thee from darkness. We've come tonight to hear your anguish and receive your guidance. But please refrain from turning into a bitch and murdering us all—"

Nashi hissed, "Justin—"

"Hush, child, Mother is speaking, "Justin shushed. Ignoring Nashi's eye roll, he gathered himself to maintain the atmosphere. "Anyway. We hope you hear our questions and we thank you for any answers you give us. Let us begin." He cleared his throat again. "Poltergeist, are you aware your lighthouse has been abandoned?"

Silence.

It shocked most of the group when their hands guided the planchette to one answer:

YES

Gasps and disbelieving looks were passed around. The Poltergeist had come!

Justin clapped his hands, giddy. "Oh em gee, yay! You answered! Thank you so much!" Upon Ace's amused look, he collected himself back as the medium. "Poltergeist, another question for you. Are you aware that you're dead?"

The planchette pushed around until it answered:

YES

Ellie whispered, "As the Poltergeist what their pronouns are?"

"Shit! My bad!" Justin called, "Poltergeist, what pronouns would you like us to use to refer to you?"

The planchette stilled for a while before it shifted across the alphabet to forge:

HE / HIS

"I love we're so inclusive to a literal ghost," Tesla muttered. "Should we ask if the ghost is part of the rainbow?"

Justin gaped—

"No." Jaxton was the one to shut down the suggestion, but something in his expression looked off for some reason. "We should ask his intentions for haunting the lighthouse."

Justin grinned in approval. Excellent point. Oh, he-Poltergeist," he trilled. "What are you going haunting the lighthouse? What's your motive for doing so?"

The planchette moved and everyone remembered each letter with Ellie jotting it down. Once she finished, her face paled. "Um…"

Ines frowned. "What did it say?"

Ellie showed her notepad to the group and it read:

I SEEK REVENGE

A dead quiet frightened the group.

Justin gulped and asked in trepidation, "Wh-Who do you want revenge on?"

The planchette moved to spell a three-letter word.

YOU

The candles blew out.

No one moved.

An eerie silence thickened with dread laced the room.

Nashi swallowed and whispered. "I'll put on some light." Conjuring a small sphere of white light into her hands, she shifted it around like a flashlight for all to see nothing was out of place at first, but she double-backed quick when she saw a man standing on the stairs.

Hearts pounded as everyone looked at the back of the main cloaked in shadows.

Justin broke the silence with a shaky whisper, "Are you the Poltergeist?"

A silver butterfly landed on the man's shoulder with intricate wings and light flaps. The shadowed man made no noise as he turned around to show a pale face—

—with no eyes.

The group moved as a unit, but it was too late when the no-eyed man of shadows dropped his jaw in such a sickening way and silver butterflies flew out from his mouth in droves to wreak havoc. Wizard or Spiritless—nothing mattered as screaming filled the air when the bivouacs of these ethereal butterflies that looked beautiful docile turned into invasive monsters battering faces and clinging to skin.

Tesla screamed, swiping left and right to clear her eyes and tried to figure out the best way to run like Hell away from here, but she felt something touch her waist and a familiar warmth coddle her. All her fright and panic dispelled for a sense of calm and déjà vu.

Wait… I've felt this before. With new eyes, she looked at all the silver butterflies terrorizing the lighthouse and driving her friends out the door. And these butterflies… Her finger lifted and one silver butterfly graced her with its presence. I know them…

Silky silvers.

Tesla blinked in shock when she could see through the bivouacs of butterflies. They swarmed around the focal point—a man cloaked in shadows that covered his mouth. But his eyes returned to show those silky silvers as a few of his docile butterflies kept close to him. Her mouth opened, but she had no words to say. Huang Chun?

The ghost nodded to her before he folded back into tumultuous shadows that his butterflies hid. Tesla was left in disbelief when the butterflies flushed from the lighthouse and left behind her friends in frantic disarray with wide eyes, harried breaths, and rumpled hair and clothes.

That… That was…

Steely grays met blues.

Tesla blinked when Gary put a finger to his lips as he hugged a terrified Nashi. But… She looked up at her boyfriend and caught an amused glint in his eyes and he winked at her. So that really was him. But why…?

"Oh my gods!" Justin gaped. "That…! That was…!" his eyes sparkled in glee. "That was so fucking amazing!"

Ace coughed and patted himself down, frazzled. "We just… We just saw a Ghost."

"I know, right?" Justin was positively sparkling. "Isn't that so fresh?" Wiping out his Compact, he started texting. "Carlisle is going to love this. He watched a ghost-hunting documentary and promised if I spot one, he'd send something promising." He pouted. "Damn. Such a missed opportunity to hug that cute ass while he clings to me in fear."

Ace dryly told a fantasizing Justin, "I hope you'll remember to share his ass with me."

Ines held onto a shaking Ellie and snickered when she saw a bunch of St. John's Worts had cloaked the floor in their yellow beauty. "I think Daisy was what drew it off with all her flowers."

Ellie babbled in broken Perench as she clung to her girlfriend.

"I'm never sleeping with the lights off again," Nashi shakily breathed, looking like a scared cat.

Gary rubbed his cheek to hers and cooed, "Don't worry, Angel. I'll protect you from all those spooky ghosts!" Those blues gleamed. "I'll use my body to protect Angel."

Justin and Ines sweatdropped when they saw steam puff from Gary's nose and poor Nashi was oblivious to how much she looked like a rabbit caught by a hungry wolf. Yeah, but who's going to protect her from your perverted thoughts?

°•°•°•°

The group made it out of the lighthouse with a love-drunk Gary nuzzling his still shell-shocked girlfriend as he bridal carried her (it would hit Nashi eventually of all the perverted ideas her boyfriend was cooing to her under the fallacy of "protection"). The moon was still high in the sky with her little stars playing about with their light and a warm breeze whistled through.

Justin stretched himself out, satisfied. "I think that was a successful summoning." He whirled around with a beam. "What do you say we do this again tomorrow night?"

Ellie rushed him and gathered his collar to whisper in threat, "Justin, so help me god, I will not hesitate to murder you in your sleep if you think I should be traumatized tomorrow."

Justin sweated as he nervously tittered. "R-R-Right. My bad. Maybe we can revisit this in two days?" He shrunk when Ellie's presence loomed over him and she started sprouting whipping vines with thorns ready to impale their target. "Once! Once doing this was good enough!"

Once Ellie let him go and Justin mumbled how scary Ellie was, Tesla hung back with Jaxton with a slight smile. "You wicked bitch."

"What?" Jaxton arched an eyebrow. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Tesla snickered and rubbed his chest. "Whatever. Tell Huang Chun he's free to ogle my tits as payment for this."

"No." But Jaxton's grunt and annoyance faltered underneath Tesla's laugh.

"Seriously." Tesla shook her head in incredulous amazement. "I can't believe you set this up. Huang Chun's been haunting this lighthouse this whole time as his side hustle? Genius! Look at you being a good boss and letting his freak flag fly, and…!" But all her fun faded when something in Jaxton's expression shifted and he stopped their walk altogether. "Jang-ta?"

Jaxton looked on. "Gary."

Gary paused and tilted his head back to Jaxton. Darkness clashed with blues until Gary nodded. He called to the rest of the group, "Come on, guys! Let's get back to the house!" He nuzzled his still terrified Nashi and cooed (though it sounded like a lusty threat), "It's time for me to protect my Angel."

Ellie wanted to cry, But who will protect her from you!

With the group gone into the forest, Jaxton guided Tesla forward before he settled beneath the moon's glow. Tesla had meant to sit beside him, worried, but she put up no resistance when Jaxton put her between his legs and held her taut.

Another variant zephyr breezed over them.

"There was once a Poltergeist who lived here."

Tesla stilled, alert and listening.

Jaxton rested his chin on Tesla's shoulders and relaxed the black in his eyes to their natural yellow-ambers. He would know if any life came to close and he needed to change back. "She'd been in that lighthouse for three decades. Her husband was an Alvarez soldier and was stationed in Caracole as security for an informant before the war between Alvarez and Fiore. When it was time for the war, he had to leave. But he promised his wife he would return by boat. She came to the lighthouse every day to wait for his boat."

Yellow-ambers darkened. "But he never came."

Tesla sensed this was more than a simple death. "What happened?"

Jaxton tightened his grip. "He never died. He lived through the war. But rather than return to his wife, he came back to Alvarez and had an affair. He never told his wife. She ended up hearing about the affair by accident when she asked another Alvarez soldier who had come to Caracole."

"Oh my," Tesla softly gasped, stroking his hand. "She must've been devastated."

"She was," Jaxton murmured. "She rooted herself to the lighthouse and committed suicide here."

A sharp intake of breath from Tesla.

"Gary was young when we found out about the Poltergeist," Jaxton went on with his story. "My superior tasked me with teaching Gary about the world. It wasn't that his parents were unable. But his parents didn't know about the Ghost Realm. They didn't know…what sort of darkness really lies within this world. And as the last Devil, Gary needed to be informed."

"I understand."

Jaxton's eyes fell closed when Tesla's hand came up to his cheek. "I had sensed something was wrong here. The spiritual pulse was warped. The Poltergeist, had she been left alone, would have turned into a Phantom with no hope of ever being given a chance to live in the Ghost Realm or cross over into the afterlife. Her rage was strong. I had no choice but to put her down."

Tesla let Jaxton take a moment to breathe.

"Yuán Fèn and my flute help calm wrath. I played them both to soothe her and make her docile enough to agree to return back to the Ghost Realm." His eyes opened for a fury to light his eyes. "I hadn't expected her to attack Gary."

Horror crept up on Tesla. Oh no.

"I had told him to stay outside. It was no place for a child, Devil or not." Jaxton's jaw clenched. "He told me he had been worried. I didn't realize he was with me until she lunged. I couldn't think. She would have hurt him. No. She would have killed him." His teeth showed. "I have no regrets killing her first."

All his ire faded for remorse, however. "But… I have regrets Gary had to witness it," he confided. "It's difficult to kill a Ghost and it's brutal. You have to kill their soul and their spirit. You can hear their shrieks as they die. Most succumb to madness since many consider it a Taboo to kill a Spirit. Most Cultivators aren't advanced enough to kill a Spirit outside the Grandmaster of a sect and with the risk the remains of the Spirit could possess you or blight you, many don't take the chance. I didn't hesitate, but…"

Wide ceruleans drowned in fear.

Tesla felt Jaxton's hands loosen around her.

"I…" Jaxton pulled away from Tesla to look at his hands. Hands that had drowned in the blood of many, human or otherwise. "I remember…how terrified Gary looked when he saw how she shrieked during her death. How he looked at me."

Blues rained in terror.

"It was a reminder to me…that I am an abomination." Faint words with no sadness, no regret, no emotion to them. "I am what my mother guided me to be. I am nothing else."

The moon veiled herself, unwilling to intrude on such confession.

Jaxton closed his hands into fists. I am nothing more than a humble servant to the Venerable One, to Immortal Yang—to my mother. I am what she willed for me to become. Lips pressed together. I am what my grandmother never wanted me to be. He blinked when smooth fingers glided onto his rough ones. What…?

A smile. "Ni shī ni, xīn gān."

Jaxton looked up—

The moon peaked through her clouds and those steely grays shined.

"I think you'll find if you ask Gary what he thought of that night, he'd tell you he never saw you as anything more than his hero," Tesla told him, facing him as she curled her fingers with his to move his hand. Once his hand was open, she threaded their fingers together. "Because I know he looks up to you." Her smile widened when Jaxton looked away. "Yang Jang-ta. You talk to me all the time. Why can't you talk to him?"

"It's not the same—"

"It is."

Jaxton sighed. "You don't understand." He leaned into her touch when her hand glided his cheek and he met her soft regard.

"Then make me understand," Tesla coaxed. "What makes it different? I know you care about him. And I know he cares about you. He admires you, Jang-ta."

Jaxton snorted. "He has poor taste in who he admires, then."

"He admires Nashi, so I'd say he has excellent taste." She refused to let him pull his gaze away when he had no argument. "Jang-ta? Gào sù wo."

He forced a sigh again. "He's so young in so many ways…and in other ways, he can be as old as me." His memories took over of a younger Gary. "It was a pain to deal with him when I was tasked as his mentor. I had limited time with him. You were my priority. But I was still his mentor."

• — • — •

The memory forged of schooling Gary in a foreign language. It was back to the basics. The romanized alphabet had been learned and now it was on to children's vocabulary and basic sentence structures. But Jaxton snapped his marker in half when he noticed Gary's attention was no longer on the lesson and rather doodling in his notebook. "You…" he growled, "stupid pissant!"

SMACK!

Gary laughed and rubbed the bump on his head as Jaxton seethed, "Don't you think I have better things to do than to teach you! Don't sit there and waste my time, pissant!"

"R-Right!" Gary laughed with his expression pinched in nervous apology. "I won't, sir! Sorry, sir!"

"I told you not to call me 'sir'!"

Another memory drudged up of Jaxton sitting through Gary's piano lesson, almost like the stereotypical Selan parent looking only for perfection and judging anything less. His eyebrow rose when the music stopped. "Why did you stop playing?"

"Um…" Gary sheepishly laughed as he showed the sheet music overridden with runs and chords. He scratched his cheek with a finger. "I think I forgot how to play this, sir…."

TICK!

Jaxton ground his teeth and stomped over to the piano. "Don't waste my time trying to play something you clearly can't." He stole back the sheet music, agitated. The sheet music for Chopin's Étude Op. 10 No. 4. He clutched the sheet music and barked, "How can't you play something like this?" He huffed before Gary could answer. "Forget it." Ruffling his hair, he thought it over. "I guess I'll give you something even easier than this."

"Oh, wow…" Gary clasped his hands as he looked at Jaxton like he was a god among men. "Th-Thank you, sir! You're so kind!"

TICK!

Gary could only laugh in his pain when an irate Jaxton shoved down his head and snarled, "And I told you not to call me 'sir'!"

• — • — •

"He was a horrible student to have." Even as he said that, his eyes lit up with the memories. All his frustrations when he was stuck teaching Gary the standards he needed to learn, from the messes in his kitchen from Gary learning complicated recipes to his eyebrow twitching when all of Gary's coding ended up becoming a binary portrait of Nashi. Almost every lesson ended with Jaxton about to ring Gary's neck and Gary knew when it was time for him to bolt away from Jaxton's fury.

"But…he was dedicated."

• — • — •

'Where the Hell did that kid go?'

Jaxton looked ready for murder as he searched the house. 'I don't have time for this. Doesn't Checkmate understand babysitting wasn't in my contract?' He clenched his hands. 'I need to get back to my original assignment. I don't care Checkmate thinks this pissant should be part of her organization. He isn't my problem.' He passed a window only to circle back when he saw Gary outside. 'What the…? He's been out there?'

Like a hurricane, Jaxton raged outside and barked, "Hey, kid! What the Hell are you—?"

He stopped.

It all fell into place when he saw how concentrated Gary looked practicing tai chi. 'What is he…?'

Seconds passed before Gary realized he was not alone. Blushing furiously, he stopped his movement to scurry before Jaxton, twiddling his thumbs. "Good morning, sir—u-um. I mean, Mister Yang," he quickly rectified, a little anxious.

Jaxton narrowed his eyes. "What were you just doing?"

"I, uh…" Gary swallowed. "I wanted to practice the moves you taught me. You told me you feel most in-tune with the world around you early in the morning, so I wanted to try it like you…" He shuffled his feet.

Jaxton did not understand. 'This kid… He got up this early for that?' "You—"

"Oh! And I've been practicing my Sinnish, my Perench, my Arafusha, my Gordost, and my Zhōnguánese," Gary quickly inserted, rambling now. "A-And I practiced 'The Devil's Staircase'! I-I could play it for you! Um…" He fidgeted. "If that's okay…"

Jaxton's brow furrowed. "You've been studying all of that this morning?"

"Y-Yes, si—um, M-Mister Yang."

Jaxton studied Gary. 'I didn't think he'd take it seriously.'

Gary added in a murmur, "I just…want to be cool like you."

That threw Jaxton off-guard. 'He wants…to be like me? He thinks I'm cool?' It irked him when he felt embarrassment paint pink on his cheeks. Not even Marlow could make him feel embarrassed. Weiwei irritated him—most people irritated—but embarrassment? He coughed into a fist and grunted, "I'll…listen to your piano piece."

"Really?" Gary sparkled as he gazed up at him. "Thank you, Mister Yang!"

Jaxton huffed. "Whatever." He turned his back on Gary. "You're responsible for breakfast too."

"Okay, Mister Yang!"

"And stop calling me 'Mister Yang'," Jaxton snapped.

Gary paused, perplexed. "But…what should I call you?"

"Just…" Jaxton growled to himself, agitated about what he was about to do and hating his heated cheeks. "Call me my name. Your Zhōnguánese pronunciation isn't that bad that you can't pronounce it right." He stomped inside. "I'm hungry, so move it, pissant."

Gary blinked. 'Whoa…' And he followed Jaxton like a superfan meeting his idol. 'He's so cool!'

Jaxton's eyebrow twitched as he felt Gary's fanboy aura stamp his back. 'Ugh. I can feel how disgustingly happy he is.' He covered his mouth, cheeks still red. 'Stupid kid.' "Move it, pissant."

"Yes, Jang-da!"

TICK!

Gary kept just out of reach as a furious Jaxton hunted him down. "That's not how you pronounce my fucking name, you stupid pissant!"

• — • — •

Tesla chuckled. "I'm sure he was."

"Yeah." The memories shattered for reality—the present. "But I don't want him to follow in my footsteps."

A slow frown worked over Tesla's mouth. "What do you mean?" She sighed when Jaxton remained tight-lipped. "Jang-ta…"

"He needs a better role model," Jaxton gruffly put. "I don't…" He looked down at their held hands and softened. "I don't have the right to be one towards him."

Tesla did not believe that for a second. "Jang-ta—"

"He's an adult." Jaxton's eyes hardened. "He doesn't admire me. And he doesn't need me to tell him anything, proud or not. He should know it by now." He wanted the subject to drop. "We should—"

"Your parents never said those words to you."

Jaxton stilled.

Tesla felt she hit the nail on the head as she watched him. "I can tell. Not by this. But when I got to know your family—your parents—it was clear to me. You had Weiwei, but from how it sounds, you took care of her once she was banished. Your mother used you as she wanted. And your dad…was silent. But…they never were genuine in how they felt about you. They never told you they were proud of you or loved you. It wasn't worth their time.

"And it was something you wanted," she continued, sad. "You did everything your cruel mother wanted you to do. You killed for her. You gave up wanting anything or feeling anything at her command. You were the perfect son to the point where you sacrificed having your own identity and agency under their abuse. But…none of those words came. And now it's not worth your time to say them to Gary since you learned it was never something you'd hear."

Silence.

Regret filled Tesla and her grays dropped. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "for overstepping and…psychoanalyzing your childhood. You didn't need that from me—especially from me. You don't need me to press and pry like this, and I'm so sorry for doing that to you, Jang-ta, seriously. I won't bring this up again, but I understand you're mad at me and—"

DRIP.

A tear drop landed on her interlaced finger with Jaxton's.

DROP.

Shock filled Tesla. What? She looked up—

DRIP-DROP.

A dazed look overcame Jaxton's face as though he was in another world. But dollops of tears fell down his cheeks and dripped off his chin.

DRIP-DROP.

Tesla froze. Tears? He's…crying…? Her thumb wiped a few stray tears from his cheek. I've… I've never seen him cry.

"I was…being like my parents?" Words nearly lost to the wind. "Is that…what I wanted from them?"

How her heart shattered seeing Jaxton this out of touch with a river of tears flooding his cheeks and how her fury aimed for his stoic father and his plotting mother. But she could not afford anger when Jaxton need her at her calmest.

"I don't know." Pure honesty. How she wished she had the answer. "Only you know that. But Jang-ta… You lived a long, long life under their abuse. I could see that. And it doesn't matter how old you are. It's okay to just wish your parents told you those simple words."

Jaxton still looked dazed as the tears fell. "It's okay…to want that?"

"Yes. It is." Tesla leaned forward and hugged Jaxton. Grays swirled in sadness. I'm beginning to wonder…how happy you truly are in Fiore.

Kuen She's question came back to her. "Is my son…happy…with his life in Fiore?"

He's happy, but… He's sacrificed so much time for his duty that he never had a moment of peace to process much else. I'm sure he's come to terms for many things, but… Her eyes clouded. I can't imagine how many centuries he was used by his mother. For me, I never wanted my birth parents to tell me words like 'I'm proud' or 'I love you'. And I was lucky I had that with my mom. Gary has his family, his friends, and Nashi. But Jang-ta… Who told him that? How could I be so blind?

"I told you in Zhōnguá I'm shit as speeches," Tesla whispered to him. "And I messed up. I didn't tell you something important that day. Something you need to hear. And something that's long overdue." She pulled back to cradle his jaw, a loving tint to her smile, to her eyes. "Yang Jang-ta, xīn gān… For everything you've done, everything you're doing, and everything you will do…" Her smile widened. "You are mine."

Jaxton froze.

"My life." Those grays watered. "My light."

His hands shook.

"My weakness."

His jaw clenched.

"My strength."

A tear shed from Tesla's grays.

"My hope."

His hands fisted.

"My future."

His eyes pinched shut.

"My love." Tesla did not care she had tears running down her face. Nothing could extinguish her smile. "And I am so fucking proud of you."

Yellow-ambers widened, astonished. But when he saw this present, this moment, his Tesla, nothing could sway him that she was not sincere in his every word. Bit by bit, all the fire and the walls and the tensions he wound so tightly around himself for centuries unknotted for this woman, this One of the Gray—his first and last love—and he could not stop it when the blackness of his hair lightened into pure white.

"I…" But no words could be spoken. The tears came, but the words could not. His eyes closed once more and his forehead fell onto her shoulder. Quivering hands reached up until his arms encircled her for a tight embrace. "Thank you."

---

— • — • — • —

Come on now, dance tonight

We can boogie till the morning

There's no plans tonight

We gonna have a Good One

Mizugiwa no playground

Konna kyouku wo play

And we can dance tonight

Hey we gonna have a Good One

•

Wanna see you move like this

I like it, you like it

Side to side, front to back

He likes it, she likes it

Wanna see you move like this

We like it, they like it

Upside-down, inside-out

And it's gonna be a good one!

— • — • — • —

---

It was not that the servants stayed within the prominent palace out of fear. Yes, they were afraid, but they admired their master and it was an honor to work in the imperial palace. They cared out their duties with such precision and dexterity, from polishing armors to keeping the property at its peak beauty. But as sandaled steps clacked through the hall, all the servants of the palace bowed low and wordless in the presence of the young master.

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

— • —

Te Gōng

Hude Mountain

Western Empire, Zhōnguá

Over 800 years ago

— • —

• — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — •

Arrogant doors, tall and handcrafted, pried when he closed in. The imperial study was a sight to witness, wrapped in the finest dressing and painted portraits and even housed its own fountain. The flow of the room peaked to help settle nerves and keep minds sharp. Attendants and secretaries alike were in and out with various scrolls and tombs, but they bowed in the presence of the young master and cleared out of the study without flaw. All but three remained in the imperial study.

The doors closed.

Blood-red lips pulled into a smile without teeth as fingers wrapped in claw-guards continued to write on a scroll. "Beloved. Our son is home. Make yourself a man and not an unsightly beast."

The words were thrown to a large black wolf given silk pillows to rest on. The wolf lifted its head to show gleaming yellow eyes. With fluidity that could rival the water's tides, the wolf transition to the tan-skinned Kuen She in his black regalia, but he dared not sit like those in fear of his wife. He studied his son without giving a thing away.

The traveler came before the short-legged desk and bowed thrice in honor before kneeling on the silk seating mat waiting for him. "This humble son has returned with the mogwai as you have asked, Mother." He brought out the bottle gourd and presented it to her in his bow.

"I see." Ping-Mei allowed her feathered quill to write on her behalf and levitated the bottle gourd close to her. Inspecting it, those obsidians glinted in dark mirth. "And the hearts it ate?"

"They have been released and purified."

"Good." Ping-Mei snapped the bottle gourd away. Her claw guards tapped on her cheek as her lips quirked upwards. "While such a job would have been suited for a lesser Cultivator, none of the remaining Cultivators were suited to take a mogwai skilled enough to cast a Weather Curse and in relation to one of the four Ghost Kings."

"This humble son lives to serve the Grandmaster of the Te Sect," he rumbled.

Ping-Mei hummed. Kuen She did not lift a finger when she stood up in her sanguineous regalia that boasted her status, her wealth, her worth. She came around to her son and let the tips of her claw-guards graze his son. "Such a loyal son to your mother, Jang-ta." Her claw guards seamlessly stole his hat.

Blank yellow-ambers connected with obsidians.

Blood-red lips smiled with teeth. "The matchmaker will be coming with more potential matches, my son." Her claws daintily gripped his chin with a mother's love. "You would do well to sniff the offerings presented to you. Our bloodline must continue to lead the Te Sect and the entire west. As you have rejected females, I've added males. I don't care who you choose. But you will choose."

Her claws pressed into his skin as those obsidians swirled. "You wouldn't disappoint the mother who raised you and gave you this life, my faithful son. Or would you and break my heart?"

"This humble son lives to please his mother." Not a note of emotion carried in Jang-ta's words.

Yet a flicker of emotion went through Kuen She's eyes.

Ping Mei's smile widened, and she stroked his cheek before trailing her claw-guards to thread into his hair. "How obedient for half a beast." Convoluted mocking towards father and son. "The Eight Immortals shall gather at Te Gōng tonight. Go to the bathhouse and get rid of that stench on you. The rain the mogwai cast to breed still lingers on you. It displeases me." Obsidians flickered to Kuen She. "Beloved, does his stench irritate the nose of your beast?"

Kuen She said not a word.

It amused Ping-Mei at this little act of defiance and her attention went solely to her stoic husband. "Jang-ta, leave us. Your father is forgetting his place." Obsidians gleamed. "Even beasts need a reminder of who their master is. Remember that."

"Yes, Mother." Jang-ta bowed to his parents and the doors parted for him. But as they closed, his head slightly turned and he caught a glimpse of how his mother handled his father's defiance when her nails curled his chin. Maybe to others, it looked like flirting, but he saw the way his father's hands clenched into tight knuckled fists.

FWOOSH.

°•°•°•°

HUÁ HUÁ…

Steam saturated the spiritual bathhouse. Ceremonial wind chimes and bells strung together a song to amplify one's Qi and rejuvenate their senses. The steamy bath Jang-ta settled in had conservative acolytes on standby to wash him down and properly finish his demonic cleansing with oils. But for now, he soaked in the effervescent bath prepared for him.

"You are an abomination that no realm would accept. And no woman will ever love you for the creature you are for you will remain unlovable by all. And should such a woman appear that tempts you into giving her your heart, you shall suffer a thousand times over for what you have done to me—as will that woman. I swear to it."

Steely grays.

Jang-ta pushed back his white locks and his eyes cracked open half-lidded to show those yellow-ambers. Gray eyes like steel… Such a unique shade imprinted into his memory. Laying back his head, he settled himself in the bath to rest and relax, but remembering the tint of such irregular grays made him feel…something.

He ran his tongue along his fangs. What a strange color.

And for a moment, his lips curled into a small smile.

---

Voices of Characters in Order of Appearance

— • — • — • —

Justin Justine - Ian Sinclar

Ace Benson – Billy Kametz

Ellie Strauss – Alexis Tipton

Hylia Lynk / Tesla Greer – Galena White

Jang-ta " Jaxton" Yang – Eddy Yeong

Ines Sharabi – Michelle Hendley

Gary Fullbuster – Griffin Burns

Nashi Dragneel – Lauren Landa

Luke Dragneel – Alan Lee

Igneel Dragneel – Bryce Papenbrook

Luna Dragneel – Brynn Apprill

Lucy Heartfilia-Dragneel – Cherami Leigh

Natsu Dragneel – Todd Haberkorn

Mystogan Fernandes – J. Michael Tatum

Ena Fernandes – Xanthe Huynh

Saul O'Conner – Orion Pitts

Taylor Maxwell – Marcus D. Stimac

Therium –

Remy Lombard –

Mori Plisetsky – Mike McFarland

Warrod Sequen – Garrett Schenck

Mysterious Person -

San Lang -

Liying -

Innkeeper -

Mogwai -

Junjie -

Yang Ping Mei – Ming-Na Wen

Yang Kuen She / Mirzam – Mar Diraison

• — • — •

Additional Voices

Opening Narrator – Mary McGlynn

Description Narrator – Mary McGlynn

Closing Narrator – Melissa Fahn

— • — • — • —

OPENING SONG

⟪ Walking with You ⟫

Novelbright

Lyrics by

雄大 / 勇太朗⌟

•

INSERT SONG

⟪ The Monster out in You ⟫

The Chipmunks

Lyrics by

Ross Bagdasarain Jr⌟

•

⌜ENDING SONG

⟪ Good One ⟫

HIRAIDAI

Lyrics by

EIGO, Dai Hirai⌟

---

•

•

•

•

— • — • — • —

Next time, on Fairy Adventure

•

Episode 115

•

THE WEREWOLF IN CARACOLE

— • — • — • —

•

•

•

•

DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE MONSTERS ARE?

---

Chibi-Luna raises her hand to greet her class. "Good day, class!"

"Good day, Teacher!" her students chorus back. "What's our Fairy Lesson of the day today?"

"So glad you asked!" Chibi-Luna uses the remote so the projector to show different a collage of Ghosts, Grimms, Phantoms, Wraiths, and even a picture of Huang Chun with his silver butterflies. "Today, we'll be speaking about the Ghost Realm!"

"Okay, Teacher!"

Chibi-Luna clicks her remote to show more species and even a funny picture of a surprised Cullen. "You see, the Ghost Realm is similar to a pit stop for most people on their way to whatever afterlife is to come. Time and space may be beyond the confines of the afterlife, but that doesn't mean everyone immediately goes to where they need to go. The Ghost Realm is a dimension where many Ghosts and Auras live, but they're normally sorted into different rings of the Ghost Realm."

A hand goes up. "Teacher? Is the Ghost Realm like limbo?"

"Exactly!" Chibi-Luna chirps. "Cultures can alternate what they call certain rings of the Ghost Realm, but they have similar meanings. The Ghost Realm has a few access points to get to for those who can't naturally access through what's called the Ghost Train. Within the Ghost Realm, people can live as they did back on Earth Land."

"So it's like a parrel universe?" a student asks.

Chibi-Luna beams. "Correct! People can continue living their lives as if they were truly alive. But because the lower rings of the Ghost Realm coincide with dark realms, that's why the Ghost Realm is inhabited with Grimms, Wraiths, Ghouls, and other dark creatures." She goes to show a picture of Huang Chun. "The details of how Huang Chun thrives on Earth Land haven't been discovered yet. But for a Ghost to actively live in the living realm without becoming jaded means that Huang Chun has a strong tie to Jaxton."

A student questions: "But what about Ghost? And what about Reapers? Are they a type of Ghost?"

"Right." Chibi-Luna shows a picture of Ghost. "Reapers are specifically picked and are similar in a lot of ways to Grim Reapers in which they're tied with Death. Reapers are deceased people who meet the concept of Death. They're given a choice to work for Death as a Reaper, but in doing so, they lose all memory of who they were in the past. If they refuse the offer, Death sends them off.

"The Reapers attached to the Enchanted Estate all chose to be a Reaper, but they have no recollection of their past lives and, even if they're told about their past life, it won't job any memories until they complete however many tasks Death has for them."

Chibi-Luna ends her slideshow. "That's all today for the Fairy Lesson, but I have one last message from our principal!" She clicks to show the message:

『 While this FF does follow most lore written in the original Fairy Tail and Fairy Tail: 100 Year Quest alongside other canon side stories, I cannot promise it will continue following Fairy Tail: 100 Year Quest down to the letter since I can't predict what will happen to which of the Dragon Gods or the Dragon Eaters. I do keep up with the series. And should a big event happen—such as Gajeel and Levy's twins' official names being released—I will make adjustments. But the fic's saga plots, villains, and the big bad, bigger bad, and the final boss will remain unchanged. Retconning is a given, but I'll do my best to try and stay canon-compliant. 』

PINPON!

"That's the bell!" Chibi-Luna chirps. "So that concludes today's—!"

"There you are." A hand grips the entryway. Steam puffs from nostrils. "I've been looking for you everywhere." Penelope lifts her chin and adjusts her glasses. "My favorite doll."

Luna pales and panics upon Penelope's arrival. "Penny, please don't do this," she whimpers. "I-I have a family—!"

"I need stress relief." Penelope shows the nurse cosplay she brought as steams huffs from her nose. "Running away now will only make me put you in more costumes."

And that was how the students watched their teacher get dragged off crying (again) by a silently happy Chibi-Penelope. Teacher needs a restraining order on her friends…