Chapter 3

Aaron sat at his desk, practicing his magic by weaving several objects in and around each other above his hand. It had been a week since the church, and he had defeated two more witches, both substantially easier than the spider witch had been. He still had a grief seed to spare, and it was floating among the objects he was practicing on.

He sent the objects back to where they sat in his room, keeping the grief seed and his pocket watch in front of him. He opened the watch and stared at it. "There's got to be more to this thing." He mumbled to himself. Green dots signifying his parents milled about close to him. He could also see dots for next door and across the street.

The back of the pocket watch revealed nothing. The sides didn't spin, the lid didn't shoot magical laser beams, nothing. He leaned back in his chair and tossed it down onto his desk. The radar display projected itself into the air, now in three dimensions. "How did I do that?" Aaron said, sitting up and looking at it. He could now see that his parents were downstairs, as opposed to just knowing which direction they were. He touched the projection carefully, and it moved and rotated with his hand. "Awesome."

He spun the projection around, seeing how fast it could go, satisfied that he'd figured out enough for the day. "Aaron?" He heard his name called. He quickly stopped the projection. A green dot was approaching his room. "Aaron, you better not be sleeping!" It was Kiera. He had forgotten it was Friday, the day Kiera always came over to hang out.

Kiera burst into the room, just after Aaron transformed back into his normal clothes. He spun around in his chair. "I've been expecting you."

"And here I thought you had forgotten what today was." She said, trying not to laugh at his cliché.

"There's no way I could forget about our Fridays." He lied, moving to sit on his bed as Kiera sat on his pillow. "So, what do you have for us today?"

She pulled a movie from her purse and held it up triumphantly. "This is the epitome of horribleness."

Aaron grinned. He loved watching bad movies, and Kiera always seemed to find the worst of the worst. He took it from her hands and put the disc into his computer. While he set it up, Kiera settled herself on the edge of the bed closest to the screen.

Kiera looked around while Aaron worked, eyeing his desk carefully. It was neat and clean, cleaner than her desk at home. Her eyes finally stopped their looking and landed on Aaron. Large muscles showed through his shirt, muscles she'd never noticed before. His back and shoulders seemed so large to her now, so alluring. She quickly tried pulling her mind off of it. "So, uh, why the sudden switch to contacts?"

"Better for a computer screen." Aaron lied. He had no desire to tell her that he was a magical warrior. He had no doubt that she would believe him. It wouldn't be hard to prove. She would just be angry that he was nearly getting himself killed daily, and her wrath was not to be taken lightly. "Alright." He clapped his hands and spun around. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw Kyubey sitting next to Kiera.

"What's wrong, Aaron?"

"Sorry, wasn't expecting you to be sitting right behind me." He said, staring at Kyubey the whole time. 'Didn't I tell you to stop doing that?' He thought at Kyubey.

"How would you like me to announce my presence then, oh great master?" Kyubey mocked.

Aaron sat by Kiera and trained his eyes on the opening credits that rolled on the screen, doing his best to not look over at the small creature. 'You're getting pretty sassy, Kyubey.'

"It seems to work better in my dealings with you." Kyubey said, hopping up to Aaron's desk and sitting by the screen. "I have an update on our situation."

'Can it wait?' Aaron thought, glancing at Kiera. She gave him a quick smile, but didn't speak.

"It will be very quick. I know how important mating is to humans."

Aaron turned red. 'This is not mating.'

"With the amount of pheromones she's giving off, you could have fooled me." Kyubey shook his ears and made himself comfortable. "Now, the update. A problem has surfaced in your primary objective."

'Big bad witch not playing nice?' Aaron raised an eyebrow.

"Using the broadest of terms, yes. She has created a powerful perimeter of followers to guard her. If anything tries to approach her, they are immediately…well, let's just say it's not good. My original plan was to allow you to practice on witches, which would create a dent in the perimeter while training you at the same time."

'That sounds like a pretty reliable plan in my book. What's the problem?'

"The perimeter is growing faster than you're able to make dents."

Aaron thought carefully, paying no attention to the movie. He had defeated four witches so far. After every fight, he had come home exhausted. Now, even if Kyubey's estimate was completely off, it would still be him against several witches, not to mention the strongest one coming at the end. He would be worn out before ever making it to the hardest fight.

"You seem troubled."

'Kyubey, I don't think I can do it alone. No one has that kind of stamina.'

Kyubey answered without hesitation. "There will be no backup. You have to do it alone."

'Why? There are other magic girls. Why can't they help me? I get that it's dangerous to go close to this perimeter thing, but isn't sending me in alone basically just me doing exactly what you're not letting others do?' Aaron was struggling to keep a blank face in front of Kiera.

The movie was the only sound for what seemed like ages. Kyubey tried to think of an answer to Aaron's question. He knew that Aaron was unique in that he was picked for skill instead of for the potential energy that could be harvested. There was nothing saying that Aaron couldn't become a witch, but there was no question that any other magic girls sent in with Aaron would immediately be turned. Kyubey couldn't tell Aaron this of course. Anyone under a magical contract was never supposed find out that they had a chance to turn into a witch.

He was spared from giving an answer by Kiera's sudden burst of laughter. She looked at Aaron's confused look. "How could you not have found that hilarious?"

"Sorry, must have zoned out." Aaron said, giving a weak smile.

"Maybe if you sat a bit closer, you'd see it better." She said quietly.

Kyubey walked back towards the window. "We'll finish later. I know better than to mess with a girl in heat. Good luck." Kyubey almost sang his last few words as he jumped out into the early evening air.

Aaron hesitated under Kiera's gaze. He got up and sat down closer to her, giving her several playful pokes. She giggled and grabbed his hand. "Watch the movie, pokey."

The scent of flowers crossed Aaron's nose. Kiera had never worn perfume before, as far as he knew. She had also not let go of his hand after grabbing it either. He let his fingers ease in between hers. He waited for the inevitable complaint or attempt to stop him, but instead felt her thumb gently rub on the back of his hand.

Aaron turned to look at her. His eyes met hers, already looking his way. Her teeth gently bit her bottom lip, waiting to see what would happen. Be romantic, Aaron thought to himself. Girls don't like guys who just go for it selfishly, right? He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it. A light blush found its way onto her cheeks. She hadn't been expecting that.

Aaron got closer, pressing his forehead against hers. He let his hand undo her ponytail and her hair cascaded down over her shoulders, showering him with the smell of flowers. Her breathing had grown a lot faster, and Aaron could feel her shaking with nervousness. "You go through the trouble of putting on perfume and don't even do your hair?" He said, trying to ease the tension.

She giggled and relaxed a bit. Her eyes looked in his for a moment, then closed expectantly. Aaron closed his eyes and found her lips, kissing her gently.

Almost instantly, a horrific scraping sound shook the house, throwing the two out of the bed. Shrieks echoed and the room began shifting around them, leaves appearing from the walls. "Aaron, run!" Kyubey's voice echoed through his mind. "Get Kiera out of there!"

Aaron stood and pulled Kiera up with him, holding her steady till the shifting finished. A jungle had taken the place of his room. Large vines and other foliage surrounded him on all sides. A thick, smoky haze blocked his vision of the sky.

"Aaron, what's happening?" Kiera panicked and clung to him. Tears rolled down her face. Kyubey came out of a bush in front of them and Kiera screamed.

"Shh, it's okay." He rubbed her back, trying to calm her down. "What's going on Kyubey?" He poke aloud, no longer caring to hide Kyubey. Kiera could obviously see the critter now.

"That witch from back at the church had an older sister. She's wants revenge." Flames erupted from the jungle, setting everything ablaze. More shrieks, louder this time, came from all sides.

Aaron immediately transformed, filling the area with bright light. "Kyubey, get Kiera somewhere safe. I'll deal with this."

"Aaron. This isn't anything like you've faced. You're going to die, you're not ready."

"There's not much of a choice, Kyubey. I can't really run if it can hunt me down in the real world anyway. Now get Kiera to safety." He turned and put his hands on her shoulders. "Look here. Listen to me." She looked at him, terrified. "You're stronger than this. You were just caught off guard, okay? You've challenged the football team to a fight and they backed down." She laughed a little. He smiled down at her. "Chin up, and follow my friend Kyubey here. I'll be back soon." He wiped the tears from her eyes. She nodded and tried to compose herself. Kyubey trotted off into the bushes, and she followed, not wanting to take her eyes off Aaron.

Once she was out of sight, he yelled out into the jungle. "I hear someone's got a problem with me! Bring it on then!"

A large, yellow object flew from the smoke and sideswiped him. He staggered backwards, but kept on his feet, trying to see what hit him. Leaves rustled and separated, parting to reveal the witch. She walked slowly towards him, towering over him in size. Transparent wings flickered on her back, making her float every few steps.

Aaron backed away from her, but kept his face a mask of confidence. "So, either you're a giant wasp or you just have a really fat ass."

The witch shrieked and flew at him. Aaron's hand found a branch behind him and swung it, clipping the side of the witch's head. One of the many legs gripped his tie and lifted him into the air, taking flight through the smoke. He was hoisted up into the air, grabbing the leg to prevent being thrown. One of the other legs grabbed his foot and swung him. His face dangled dangerously close to the large stinger on the back of the witch's body.

A bright red magic circle formed on the stinger, spawning flames and firing them at Aaron. He covered his face with his arm and felt his coat catch on fire. His arms flailed about as he tried to get the coat off of him. The second he finally got a decent grip on it, he felt himself falling. The witch had thrown him at a clearing. He oriented himself feet down and braced himself.

The ground came fast, slamming into Aaron and cratering under him. A loud crack, followed by pain, sounded from Aaron's leg. He cried out and fell to his side, looking up for where the witch was. His eyes met Kiera's. She stood on the edge of the clearing, staring at him in disbelief. He smirked at her, feeling the pain being dulled by his magic healing. He forced himself to his feet, but was immediately sent tumbling backwards by the witch's fire.

The witch came shortly after, screaming and slamming her legs on either side of him. Aaron tried crawling backwards, but was pinned by one of her legs digging into his shoulder. "You murdered my sister!" She screamed in rage, her face inches from his.

"My bad?" Aaron said, unable to give up a chance of being sarcastic. The witch brought herself up on her hind legs, screaming at the sky. Aaron quickly grabbed the leg in his shoulder and snapped it. The screams turned to screams of pain, and Aaron took his chance to get up and back away. He didn't make it far before he saw a larger magic circle appear in the air above the witch, flames shooting in his direction. He dodged to the side, using his good leg to jump sideways. A fireball collided into him in midair. He tumbled backwards, landing against a tree. Pain wracked his body. He gritted his teeth and tried to move, but found himself once again pinned under the witch.

She leaned down and showed him her large fangs. A magic circle appeared in the air behind her. "This is where you die." Aaron pushed his hand up against her face and used any magic he could muster. She stumbled back, laughing. "Thanks for moving me out of the way so my magic can do the work for me." She sang out.

Aaron stared at the circle as it burned in the air. He watched as large fireballs appeared in the air, growing larger the longer they weren't launched. He tried to move out of the way, but his other leg had been pierced by one of the witch's legs. Suddenly, an idea came to mind. He focused on the tingling sensation of magic in the air and brought his hand into the air. Finger pointed, he traced the magic circle that floated above him. The circle burned into existence with his hand motions.

The witch, noticing what he was doing, quickly let loose her fire. Aaron finished right as they fired, launching his own. The fire collided, swirling in the air and dissipating. Aaron immediately copied the circle again, with both hands, sending fire swirling in front of him. They collided with the large wasp, sending embers flying across the field. Shrieks of surprise and outrage came from the scorched witch.

Time felt slower as the witch lunged at Aaron. Her jaw opened wide, revealing her vicious maw. Aaron shifted his weight to the side, throwing his arm up and letting it be swallowed. The witch's fangs bit down into his upper arm, with a confused look. Aaron smirked. "Bad move." A red circle formed around the witch's neck. Muffled screams of terror rose from her throat as she tried to back off. Flames erupted from the witch's stomach and mouth. The body shuddered, then disintegrated.

The jungle faded from existence, replaced with the cool, night air and familiar neighborhood. Aaron leaned up against a streetlamp. Kiera rushed over to him, Kyubey close behind her. "Aaron, oh my god. Kyubey, is he dying?"

Kyubey looked over the burns and breaks on Aaron's body. "As long as he's still alive now, he'll be repaired easily. It's all part of the magic."

"Hey Kyubey." Aaron said, grinning wide. "I didn't die. Suck on that."

"Yes, yes. You're amazing. Women should be throwing themselves at your feet." Kyubey said sarcastically.

"Hear that, Kiera? Start throwing."

She shook her head and laughed. "Let's get you inside." She got her arms around him and tried lifting. Pain replaced the numbness all over Aaron's body and he passed out instantly.

A ray of sunlight peeked through the window, shining directly onto Aaron's face. He blinked his eyes, rolling on his side. The boring walls of his room stared at him. Memories of the fight with the wasp witch came rushing back to him. He glanced down at his arms. Scorch marks were left behind from his body healing. He swung his legs out of bed, noticing that he had been undressed. Various other places on him were also scorched.

The door to his room swung open. "Aaron, you awake yet? Breakfast is ready." His mother reached in and flipped the light switch on.

He quickly pulled his shirt on. "I'll be right down, mom."

"When did Kiera leave last night? I didn't see…" His mother cut off mid-sentence. Aaron turned to see what his mother was looking at. His eyes found Kiera asleep in his bed, next to where he had just been.

Kiera rolled over and opened her eyes, only to meet two pairs of wide eyes staring back. "Um, good morning, Mrs. Sato." Kiera realized she was undressed, much as Aaron had been, and quickly pulled the covers up. "I'd love to explain this…" She said, not sure of what to say.

Aaron's mother turned her gaze on her son. "You will walk her out, then we're going to have a talk." The door shut loudly behind her, the sound of her walking down the stairs echoing in the silence.

Kiera and Aaron locked eyes. "Can I have a shirt?" She asked quietly.

"No. You're stuck there till you explain why I'm going to have to go listen to my parents talk about the birds and the bees."

"You were hurt, but the little cat thing told me all that could be done was put you to bed. I wanted you to be comfortable at least."

"And you decided to stay because…"

"I was scared, and I hope you don't try question that too much, Mr. Stay-With-Me-Till-I-Fall-Asleep."

"And you're naked because…"

"This is how I sleep."

Aaron threw a shirt at her. "Fine." The room was awkwardly silent as Aaron listened to her put the shirt on. "I didn't want you to know about all of this."

She stood up, searching for the rest of her clothing. "Why not?"

"You'd be mad that I was endangering myself."

"Well, I guess I am. But not as much as I am relieved and thankful. Just tell me this." Kiera looked directly into his eyes. "Is this job important?"

"I believe it is. According to Kyubey, these witches cause 'extreme despair and grief in humans'."

"I wanted to know if it was important to you."

Aaron didn't let her gaze drop. "Very."

"Then I won't protest. Just know that if you die, I'm breaking up with you." Aaron tried to speak, but no words came. Kiera came up to him and gave him a small kiss. "Unless you were just planning on kissing me and running away."

"No, we're definitely together."

Kiera blushed, glad to hear it out loud. She smiled and opened the door to his room. Aaron quickly threw pants on and followed her down to the door. Closing it behind her, he spun on his heel, ready to get an earful from his parents.