Hey guys it's Austorias, yep, you know the drill. I love replying to reviews, so leave me some, and ill be sure to get back to you. If you have any questions for me, or the characters, be sure to leave them, or send them to me!

********************************************ON WITH THE STORY**********************************************************

"Yep, that means more training, which was what I told you!" Francis said with a snide grin as she reached down for Jacks' arm to once again drag him about the building.

Spring quickly interrupted by grabbing Francis' shoulder, causing her to look at him. He then drew one hand across his neck in a sweeping motion, to signify that she should stop. Francis let go of Jacks without even looking at him, she kept her eyes on Spring.

"I have a better idea! We still have that big Sin to hunt right? And there have been a lot of readings for lesser Sin signatures around where we first found it. We could take Jacks with us to hunt this time! He should start to learn what he's up against." Spring said, moving his jaw left and right in anticipation.

Vix's ears jolted up and his eyes grew wide as Spring said that. The hulking behemoth stomped over to the rabbit, and snarled while showing his teeth. Spring showed no emotion as he made a witty remark.

"Down boy! Roll over! Stay! That's a good boy!" Spring said in a baby talk voice, rubbing the angered white fox's head.

The fox shook in anger before exploding his emotions. He an arm pointed at Jacks while holding the other up close to Spring's face.

"YOU REALLY WANT TO TAKE THAT LITTLE FUCK FACE ON ANOTHER HUNT WITH US? THE LAST TIME HE WENT WITH US HE NEARLY GOT FRANCIS KILLED! NOT TO MENTION THAT THE SIN GOT AWAY AS WELL! PLUS, HE HAS THAT SHINY LITTLE JAGGED DAGGER THAT SUPPOSEDLY GIVES HIM UNRIVALED POWER, BUT HE CAN'T EVEN USE IT PROPERLY! HE EVEN JUST SAT THERE AND CRIED AS I NEARLY KILLED HIS BROTHER! HE WILL GET KILLED, AND HE WILL GET ALL OF US KILLED!" Vix continued shouting and screaming about Jacks' follies and imperfections.

Jacks clenched a fist in anger, but nothing was said by him. No one said a thing until the ranting was over. Spring wiped the saliva deposited by Vix's mouth off of his face. He then looked down at his feet, and back up at Vix. He opened his mouth for a second before the words came out.

"Now, Vix, I don't think you understand what exactly Jacks has done here. Looking back to the Earth incident, did Jacks nearly get Francis killed, yes, I can't argue with that. But what I think that you don't understand, is that he also has saved her." Spring said in a low voice.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Vix spoke slowly, still in the rabbit's face.

"Jacks created a moment of dread in the beast, something to think about, it barely realized that it had lost it's frontal lobe until Jacks tried to shoot it. Sin can feel fear, very faintly, but it's there. If Jacks wouldn't have fired that near miss shot, we might have had to drag Francis back in two parts. He did let the Sin get away, yes, but I didn't see any of us thinking outside of the box like he was. So before you tell me who I want to let go on hunts, get YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT, DOG!" Spring raised his voice on the final point, causing Vix to become even angrier. The fox grabbed Spring by his ears before flipping him over onto the dinner table.

Spring quickly backrolled up before taking a fighting stance. The rest of the group rushed forward.

"VIX! SPRING! TAKE IT TO THE ARENA!" Freddy yelled in a deep voice while pointing to the door.

Spring hopped off of the table without even so much as a grunt, and brushed the mashed potatoes off of him. He was carefully scraping every last bloblet off, he looked over his left shoulder and wiggled his cotton ball-like tail to make sure nothing was on it. The annoyed rabbit turned to Freddy with closed eyes and crossed arms.

"No need, the discussion is over, and Jacks WILL…. Be coming with us." Spring turned sharply to Vix whenever he said WILL, with great enthusiasm, albeit negative enthusiasm.

Vix huffed, and shrugged his shoulders in the most 16 year old girl way anyone could imagine. The room was filled with nothing but stares, and awkward stillness, enveloping the room in an absolute quiet. Jacks was the first to break the silence.

"Spring…" He said, turning to the rabbit. "Thanks for sticking up for me, I really appreciate it….." Jacks was not the best at sappy moments, but he tried his best.

Spring tilted his head, causing his ears to flop to the left side of his head. He uncrossed his arms, and pulled Jacks into a hug with a quick, lightning fast motion. Spring placed his head over Jacks' shoulder, they were the same height, even though Spring was a pretty big guy.

"Jacks, you know that that's why I am here, to stick up for you buddy." The rabbit said, shaking Jacks a little bit in the process.

Spring then released the hug and stared Jacks directly in the eyes, he could feel the rabbit's soul piercing gaze.

"That doesn't go for saying that Vix doesn't speak some manner of truth." Spring said in a matter of fact tone.

"Jacks, he doesn't put it as nicely, but you do need to learn to grow a backbone!" Spring said, like a father scolding a child in a loud whisper tone.

Spring let go of Jacks' shoulders and walked to the front of the table, where everyone else, including Foxy, was standing. Jacks gave Foxy a quick glance as to say (You think so too?) and Foxy replied with a nod, he understood. Spring and the group all looked at each other before each placing their hands on the adjacent person's shoulders.

"You can be brave, I know you can, Francis told me! But you have to learn to do that all of the time, not just when you know someone will be there to fix your mistakes!" Spring said with a semi-excited tone of voice.

Jacks reflected on what he said carefully, and devised his answer.

"I know how to be brave, I just, *sigh*, I just get scared a lot okay?! I get scared of what might happen to me!" Jacks yelled, backed into a mental corner.

"True bravery is knowing that you're scared, and pushing on anyway. We do this every day! We do it so often that it's a routine!" Spring said, now almost laughing.

"You guys, are scared of what might happen to yourselves?" Jacks said, finally starting to understand him.

"Every day….. And not only ourselves, of everyone around us! We go into battle all the time, we don't know what could happen to us. Remember what happened to Francis, and what almost happened to you? Do you think that we planned that?!" Spring was now laughing with nearly every word that he said.

"I just thought, I thought that being a warrior meant not being afraid of anything." Jacks said, looking down, and wallowing in his own stupidity.

"That, Jacks, is a machine, not a warrior!" Spring claimed, earning a sharp glare from Grey.

Jacks

"How do you go through it? Being scared all the time?" Jacks asked, looking up at them again.

"Well, I know that we have people beside me who are just as scared as I am, and that they share the same thought." Spring said, looking at his friends who were locking arms with him.

"So Jacks, if you really, really want to be a Knight, can I ask you, to be afraid WITH us?" Spring said, reaching his hand out to shake Jacks'

Jacks grabbed Spring's hand, and joined the group.