In-tro-duc-tion: a thing preliminary to something else; the action of introducing something
"I think you killed him, Iris."
"I think you're right. Oops."
"You din't ki' meh. Ma tong is super num'."
"He said not to put Sichuan."
"Well, I can't help that Tada-chan isn't a Latino. How was I supposed to know he can't handle spices like us?"
"Again, the fact that he asked you to not put the spice in his food." Iris shrugged.
"Hey, it could've been worse. I could have put ghost peppers in his food." Tadashi looked over at Iris.
"Don't even joke about dat."
"Yeah, even I can't handle spice like that." Iris sighed and shoved a glass of milk in his face.
"Just quit bitching and drink the damn milk." He took the glass and began to sip on it.
"Oh no, Tadashi's drinking milk. What did he eat this time?" Selene walked in.
"Yummy pepper steak with a little bit of Sichuan." I raised an eyebrow at Iris.
"A little?" She sighed.
"Fine... A whole bunch of Sichuan." Selene put her stuff down.
"Iris, too much spice ruins a good dish."
"I'm well aware of that, Aunt Selene. I couldn't help it. It was right there, asking me to use it."
"And this is why you aren't a cook anywhere in Midorijima except for here."
"Hey, I only do stuff like this to Tadashi."
"You aren't helping your case, Iris."
"Fine..." Selene walked over and patted Tadashi's back.
"Just drink your milk and eat some bread. The numbness will stop sooner than later."
"Dank you." She nodded before looking at me and Iris.
"Momo messaged us and told us Diana was back home. How did that go?"
"Well, Di ended up being at her house. She was crazed, though. Not to mention her veins are beginning to heal up more." Iris shook her head. "She was more delusional than usual. She attacked us. Luckily, I fought her and knocked her out."
"Attacked you? Di's done some crazy things in the past, but that's a bit extreme."
"She's gotten stronger. I can definitely tell you that..." Selene nodded.
"You're all okay, right?"
"Yeah. Di has a few scratches, but we're alright." I looked down.
"Ari?"
"I almost got killed... If not by her scythe, then by that aura attack..." I looked up. "If Tadashi hadn't gotten me to the ground, I'm not sure I'd be here right now."
"Sis, that was -"
"I hate being useless! I have the means to protect myself, but I have no idea what the hell I'm doing!" I shook my head. "Sure, I defended myself in Traverse Town, but that was honestly a stroke of luck. Then the alley and Diana... If no one was there for me..." I clenched my fist. "I have nothing... I don't even know who I am..."
"Okay then. Summon Shinsetsu." I looked up at Selene.
"Huh?"
"Summon Shinsetsu." I tilted my head.
"Shinetsu!" The sword appeared in my hand.
"Let's go." Selene took her jacket off and gestured for me to follow her.
"What are we doing?" She stopped and turned towards me.
"You don't know how to fight, so we're going to teach you."
"Seriously?!" She nodded.
"Uh-huh." She gestured again. "Let's not waste time. I have to be back to the restaurant to help Sonia with some things." I followed after her, and so did Iris.
"Ah'm goin' teh join-uh yuh guyzz latr." We turned to Tadashi.
"Okay. We'll see you whenever, then." He nodded as he went back to his milk. I smiled as we continued walking. 'This is awesome...'
"Okay, first off is getting used to the feel and weight of your weapon." Selene held out her hand. "Strength!" Butterflies made of light flew around her hand and then quickly dispersed in a flash. A dagger that looked to be made of pure light was now in her hand. "This is my weapon... Strength isn't the name, but it somehow summons it. I'm not sure how..." She smiled. "But I don't care." She swung it in her hand in fluid movements. "You try." I nodded and took a deep breath.
I grasped Shinsetsu's hilt tighter, and then I swung the sword with one hand. I switched hands, seeing if I could wield it in the other hand. It felt strange, so I moved it back to my other hands.
"Since you use a katana, you may want to use both hands." I nodded, and then held it like you would a baseball bat. 'Okay... Dominant hand over your other hand...' I swung it around, awkwardly, and Selene laughed. "You gotta loosen up, kiddo." I nodded and then relaxed my muscles. I swung again, and it was a much cleaner swing. "See: you're a natural. You'll have this down in no time." I smiled.
"I hope so." I swung it again.
"It'll get easier the more you practice." I inwardly winced at the word "practice". 'Ugh... I hate practicing...' I swung my sword with more force. 'I should be able to get it the first time like everything but art and video games...' I swung to my left. 'The things I love are the most difficult for me to do... It isn't fair...' I let out a frustrated scream as I made a slash that spanned away from me. I startled both Selene and Iris, causing both to have startled expressions.
(The gif at the top is the same movement Ari did when she screamed, except hers was not as destructive. :P)
"Damn, Sis! You're really getting into it." I lowered my sword, relaxed my stance, and let out a breath.
"I'm... just letting out some frustration... That's all..." I held up my hand. "Shinsetsu!" The sword disappeared.
"We'll take a break for now. Honestly, Tadashi, Hasu, or Momo would be better to teach you since they have similar fighting styles with their swords." I nodded.
"Don't worry though, Selene. You definitely helped me. My movements are already a lot cleaner than before." She smiled.
"Glad I could help, even if it wasn't much." She held up her hand. "Disperse." Her dagger broke apart into light butterflies that flew away.
"What do Hasu and Momo fight with?" Selene looked at me.
"Hasu is primarily a magic user, but she uses a rapier on occasion. Momo can use her beast form or she fights in her humanoid form with a sword and shield."
"I guess everyone here is ranged in their abilities." Selene nodded.
"People in Midorijima in general have a varied range of skills. You'll get to meet people from various walks of life tomorrow night."
"Tomorrow night?" She nodded.
"Sukui is a hangout place on Saturday nights for underage kids. Most adults meet up at the 7th Heaven bar run by our friend, Tifa."
"Oh..." I thought for a moment. "So it's Friday?"
"Yeah. You didn't know?" I shook my head.
"I've been a bit caught up."
"That's true. We've all been pretty busy trying to get you accustomed to life here." Selene nodded in agreement.
"That's why tomorrow night will be a great opportunity for you. Iris and Tadashi can introduce you to their friends." I looked over at Iris who grinned at me. I smiled back at her and nodded.
"Sounds great." Selene smiled.
"Good to hear." She sighed. "You can probably get some training in tomorrow since Sukui doesn't open until later in the day. Everyone should be home to help out..."
"She's awake!" We all turned at that moment, to see Tadashi running towards us. He stopped in front of us and doubled over to catch his breath. "Diana's awake. She isn't happy." Selene stepped forward.
"Is Hasu home yet?" Tadashi shook his head.
"No. She said she wouldn't be back until later since there is more work than she thought." Selene nodded.
"If she needs to be restrained, I can only do so much... It won't hold too long." Selene looked over to Iris. "I'll need your help." Iris nodded.
"Gotcha." Selene and Iris ran off, leaving me and Tadashi on the training ground.
"Shouldn't we go, too?" Tadashi shook his head.
"It's safer that you don't for the time being. If Diana goes rage mode, there is no telling what will happen."
"She Hulks out?"
"That's one way of putting it." Tadashi smiled at me. "I think the same can be said about you when you're angry." I smiled.
"Yeah, and I've got a weapon now. Beware the anger of Ari." I grinned. "I can actually kinda shank people now." Tadashi frowned.
"I don't think that's something to be excited about..." I shrugged.
"I don't think I'd do anything like that..."
"Think makes me feel confident in your word..." I laughed.
"Chill out, dude. I'm messing with you."
"Sure you are..."
"So, what do we do for the time being?"
"I could help you train. I think it would help since we use the same weapon type." I nodded.
"Okay... Maybe I'll get less frustrated this time... No offense to Selene or anything..." I sighed. "I just... I want to be stronger..." I looked down. "Everyone back home... Well, most people... they thought I was weak. I always got made fun of because I was weak, sensitive, and naïve..." I shook my head. "I refuse to be that way here." I looked up at Tadashi. "I can't waste time while I'm here. Every moment counts."
"It will take a little bit of time. It won't come to you instantly, but I have faith you'll show immense growth in no time." He held out his hand. "Gisei!" The black and blue sword appeared in his hand. "Let's begin."
"Shinsetsu!" I let out a deep breath. "Okay, so what's first?" He held his katana in the typical samurai way (It's probably the proper way :P).
"First, mirror what I do." I nodded as I grasped my sword with both hands. "This specific stance is called seigan no kamae. I'll simply refer to it as seigan." He moved his left leg back and his right forward. I copied. "Using a katana is similar to normal sword fighting, but some movements are a little different since the hilts and blades are different."
"Makes sense." He nodded.
"When blocking an upper-frontal attack, you'll want to block in this stance." He moved his sword into a horizontal position that covered the lower half of his face and his chest. I moved mine into the same position after observing the stance. "Good. This stance is called tachi no tori, or as I call it, Tachi."
"Now, if you were on the ground it would be the same stance and placement for your katana, but you'd be crouched on the ground." He got down on one knee. "You don't have to copy this, you just need to have this knowledge."
"Okay." He stood back up.
"Now, I'm going to go through some battle movements. Watch first, and then you can try." I nodded. He took a deep breath before he readied himself. He instantly went into his movements, and I watched in awe.
Once he was done, I tried the best I could to copy them. It was a bit stiff, but overall I had them down. He gave me a few places I could improve, and how to improve them.
We repeated that same process again and again until Iris finally came back outside. I collapsed on the ground, panting.
"Ari, you aren't supposed to collapse until you catch your breath." I looked at Iris.
"Does it... look like... I give a damn about that... right now...?" I sat up. "God, I'm out of shape."
"Ari, you're a Saisei believer. You say Aries, not God."
"Seriously... don't care right now..." Iris helped me to my feet.
"I'm just messing with you." She punched my arm playfully, although it felt like a full on punch. Iris is much stronger than she looks. Much stronger.
"Damn, that hurt..." I rubbed my arm.
"You're such a softie, Sis."
"Sure. I am. I don't care... I've heard that so many times back home..."
"You know I didn't mean it like that." I sighed.
"I know... Sorry." Iris waved her hand.
"It's fine. It was my fault, anyway."
"So how is Diana?" Iris blinked at Tadashi's question.
"Huh? Oh, right! Di is physically okay, but she is kinda really pissed right now. She has stopped freaking out, though. Aunt Selene already left to go back to work."
"That's good." Iris looked at me.
"Oh, and she wants to see you, Sis." I blinked.
"What? Why me?" Iris shrugged.
"I don't know. All she said was that she wanted to see you." I frowned.
"Umm, does she forget the fact that she TRIED KILLING ME EARLIER?! Why in the world would I go and visit her?!"
"You don't have to. All I'm saying is that she sounded like she wanted to see you." I took a deep breath before sighing.
"Momo will be in there, right?" Iris nodded.
"Yep. The entire time." I sighed.
"Shinsetsu!" The sword dispersed in light, and I began walking back towards the house. "Let's get this over with..." Iris and Tadashi followed after me as I walked quickly. 'Well, let's hope I don't die...'
"You really don't have to do this, Sis. If I have to, I could just knock her out again."
"Iris, I'll be fine. I'm curious to see what she wants to talk to me about. And Momo's there, so I'll be alright if anything happens." Iris nodded.
"Just be careful, Ari." I looked at Tadashi and nodded.
"I will." I turned to the door and took a deep breath. I knocked and awaited the okay.
"Come in." I turned the knob and peeked inside before entering. Diana was sitting up in the bed while Momo stood to the side with her arms crossed. Diana really did look pissed. "Please close the door. You're letting in the heat from the hall." I nodded before closing the door. I turned back to Diana.
I glanced quickly around the room. The walls were white and the carpet was an off-white. To the left of the bed, there was a white armchair next to large windows lining the wall. The bed had white and blue sheets, pillows, and blankets.
"You wanted to see me?" She gestured for me to move closer.
"Don't stand over there. I'm having trouble hearing after your sister practically killed me." I moved closer, cautiously, and frowned.
"She didn't do much damage." Diana rolled her eyes.
"Whatever. She still owes me an apology."
"You are the one who started the fight in the first place. She doesn't owe you any sort of apology." Diana glared at me.
"God, you really are her sister. You both don't know when to stop pushing people's buttons." She sighed in frustration. "Anyway, I did need to speak to you."
"Why? You almost killed me earlier. Besides, you didn't seem to trust anything I say."
"That's why I needed to talk to you. I've decided for myself that you really aren't one of them." She nodded. "Azazel confirmed it for me." I frowned. 'Azazel again... Who is that...?'
"So, how did they find you after all these years? I just figured you had died or something considering it took 16 years of searching." 'Damn, this chick is really blunt... She has so much faith in people, doesn't she?'
"I'm not sure how I got here to Midorijima, and I don't really remember anything from my past." I shook my head. "I just woke up in Traverse Town one day with no memories whatsoever... I have no idea about who I am, or who I was. And then I blacked out and woke up in my room here."
"So you were in Traverse Town when everything went to hell? What happened?"
"I was in a shop, eating, when this odd looking girl came out in the middle of the square and collapsed. She disappeared and..." I thought for a second, "this black creature with yellow eyes appeared and started attacking other people." Diana's eyebrow rose.
"A heartless?" Even Momo looked surprised.
"A heartless emerged from her... I thought we were rid of them once and for all... This isn't good... If they were there, the chances of them reaching Midorjima is high." Momo's tail flicked. "I need to go somewhere. I'll bring Tadashi in. Try not to kill each other or burn down the house." We nodded. Momo ran out of the room and Tadashi entered in shortly after.
"What was that all about?" I shook my head.
"She went on a rant about heartless and then ran out of here."
"Heartless? How did that come up in the discussion?"
"I was telling them about what happened in Traverse Town."
"There were heartless there?" I nodded.
"Yeah..."
"That explains a lot, then..."
"I'm confused." Diana nodded in agreement.
"You and me both. Mind explaining, Tadashi?" He frowned.
"I love how you two are teaming up on me." He sighed. "Well... to a lot of people nowadays, the heartless are a bedtime story. Midorijima has never really seen any monsters or creatures like them, so here a lot of the population is oblvious to them. To those from the continents, though, that story is all too real."
"Heartless have existed for as long as we humans have existed. They dwell and feed on the darkness in people's hearts. When a heart is released with someone's death, a heartless is formed. They attack other people because they crave the hearts that they lack." He paused for a minute.
"Some areas of the world were able to rid themselves of the heartless through the help of keyblade wielders. In some parts, heartless aren't released when you did. If one heartless was able to pass into these safe zones, though, then they'd make it hell."
"Many places in the continents are protected, while others are not. It depends on the influence of keyblade wielders in those areas... It doesn't mean that every place with keyblade wielders is safe, though." Tadashi looked at me. "If you lived in an area susceptible to their threat, then you may have very well brought them with you." My eyes widened.
"What? How did I bring them? I'm not dead, and I don't think I ever have been."
"The heartless are like a disease. However, the disease spreads without people knowing. If you were around them, you may have caught said disease. It just doesn't appear until you're dead."
"I... I could be the cause of a heartless epidemic...?"
"There is no way to make certain of it. We can't be sure you actually have it in you or not..." I held my forehead in my hand.
"This is great..."
"This is the problem with the continents. They're so dangerous and everyone decides to bring their problems here. It was peaceful here before all these immigrants moved here." I looked at Diana.
"It's not like we're doing this to purposefully screw you over. We just want to have somewhere we feel safe without or way of life being threatened." I knew I wasn't speaking of immigrants from Mezame necessarily. The topic brought my mind back home for a moment. I knew I would get rid of some anger for the situation back home out safely in Mezame.
"That doesn't change the fact that you people have been more of a problem than a help." I clenched my fist.
"It's ignorant people like you that piss me off..." I felt myself all of a sudden getting extremely warm. "You're so caught up in your own little, pathetic world that you don't care about what happens to others like us..." The warmth continued to grow as I clenched my fists tighter. Tadashi put his hand on my shoulder.
"Ari." I turned towards him as I let go of some of the tension in my hand. I felt myself cool off a little. "Calm down. Take a deep breath." I breathed slowly before nodding. I took in a deep breath, and let it out. I then turned back to Diana.
"People like you... There isn't any point in wasting my time on people who will never change..." I turned to leave the room until I remembered something. I turned back to Diana. "Oh, and I accept your apology for almost killing me." She glared at me as I turned and left. Iris, who was sitting on the ground, looked over to me as I walked out.
"Everything go alright?" I looked down and nodded.
"More or less..." She stood up and walked over to me.
"What happened?"
"I was talking about what happened in Traverse Town, and apparently it led to me talking about the heartless who attacked me... And Tadashi explained that I might be infected by them..."
"What? That... No, you're probably fine..." I frowned.
"I don't want to be the cause of something like that... I don't want to get innocent people killed..."
"You won't, okay? I know you won't. Don't worry about that one bit. Try to focus on what is happening in the present. I know you have a hard time doing that, but you have to at least try." She put her hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. "Got that, Sis?" I hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"Yeah... I've got it..." She smiled.
"Good." Just then, Iris got a call on her coil. She blinked as she pressed a button to answer it. "What's up, Sonny?"
"I swear, you're as bad as your aunt... Anyways, is Ari there with you?"
"Present."
"Good. I just wanted to let you know that Akane, Eri, and Nolan will be heading back soon. The rest of us will be out later than normal, so try not to do anything stupid like burn the house down. Also, that means you're in charge of dinner, Iris."
"Yay!" I frowned at her.
"Don't worry, Sonia. I'll make sure she doesn't poison anyone."
"Thank you, Ari. We'll see you later."
"See ya." She hung up and I looked at Iris.
"I wonder what that was all about..."
"Yeah. That's kinda strange for them. They can handle themselves, though. They'll be fine, no matter what they're doing." I nodded.
"I still am wondering where Momo went, though."
"Yeah. And I'm still wondering why all the adults think we're going to burn the house down... No faith, man..." I laughed.
"I can't blame them. I do kinda like fire." I smiled. "Fire is such a fascinating thing."
"I don't think I've ever heard fangirling over fire, unless it was an arsonist."
"I'm not an arsonist, Iris."
"Aren't you?" I shook my head.
"I'm not."
"I can't be sure of that. I don't know what goes on in that brain of yours, since you won't let me..."
"Mostly stress and thinking about fictional dudes."
"Seems legit."
"Or, I should probably say stressing about fictional dudes. Yeah. That seems more accurate."
"You shouldn't stress over fictional dudes, nor should you stress about real dudes. The male of the species is 'special'." She did air quotes when she said "special".
"Well, in their defense, the female of the species isn't any better. Half the time I can't even stand people of my own gender."
"We do get pretty annoying sometimes."
"That's an understatement..." Iris put her hand to her chin.
"I wonder what I should make..."
"Tacos. We should eat tacos." She thought about it.
"Man, Ari. You just want food from around your world, today."
"Tacos are good, though. They're one of the few Mexican stereotypes I allow myself."
"I can make all this crazy, delicious food, and all you want is tacos?"
"Sí, señorita." She sighed.
"Fine. I'll make tacos this one time. But if you want them from here on out, you either have to convince Aunt Selene or go to Taco Bell."
"But Taco Bell makes them soggy."
"Nah. Taco Bell in Midorijima tastes good."
"If I decide to try it, I'll hold you to that."
"That's cool." Iris grinned. "Oh the spices and seasonings I can use..."
"No. There will be none of that. We are not going to destroy poor Tadashi's taste buds."
"You're not fun!"
"I've been told that before. We all know my comedy is great at times, though."
"True. Especially the type when no one sees it coming and they take a minute to process it."
"I am the master of that. Thank you *Mercury in Aries." She laughed.
"I'll go start dinner. Aka's stomach is like a bottomless pit. She's bound to be hungry when she gets home." I nodded.
"Okay. I'll watch, considering earlier events in the day..."
"Aw, Sis. You don't have to watch me. I'll be good."
"Yeah, I don't trust that."
"Yeesh. You're such a goody two-shoes."
"Please don't call me that..."
"I forgot. You've got a complex about that."
"I hate it so much... I hate that that is all people see in me, sometimes. There is so much more to me than people want to see..." I sighed. "That's why this life is so much better... I can start over, more or less."
"I'm really sorry, Sis."
"It's okay Iris. I'm not mad." I took a deep breath. "Let's go. We don't want to get bitten by Akane."
"True." We laughed a little before heading downstairs.
"Wassup, *Bishies!" Akane, Eri, and Nolan walked in while we were finishing up dinner. "Smells good. Whatcha making?"
"Tacos. Ari apparently doesn't think much of my cooking prowess."
"I never said that. I just wanted tacos."
"Same difference." Iris looked at Akane. "Hey, can you try and convince Di to come to dinner? I think if Ari or I try to do it, someone may get hurt."
"Diana is actually home? How is she?"
"Pissy. That's how she is." I nodded in agreement.
"She almost killed me, so yeah. Pissy."
"I'll try. I can't promise anything, though."
"Well, Tadashi is in there, so you can kick her ass together if things get out of hand."
"Do you have a weapon, Akane?" She smiled and nodded.
"Yup." She held out her hand. "Flora!" A bow that looked like tree branches appeared in her hand. She lifted it up and stroked it. "This is my baby."
"How do you shoot arrows if you don't have any?"
"The arrows are made of energy. If I pull back and release the string, it shoots."
"Cool..." She smiled as she dismissed her bow.
"Glad you think so. I personally think so, too."
"I bet." Akane sighed.
"Well... Wish me luck." She hurried off, and I turned to the boys.
"Do you guys have weapons?" Nolan pulled out a kunai.
"I don't summon." He spun it in his hands. "This is the only one on me currently."
"You just randomly carry kunai with you?"
"Yep."
"Seems legit." I looked at Eri. "What about you Eri?"
"I have a spear." It appeared in his hand. "No name needed." I smiled.
"That's awesome." I examined. "It's crazy how intricate some of the details are." I looked at him. "I'm really impressed. I can barely use my katana, so using a spear is really great." I saw the slightest of blushes on his face.
"Thank you." He dismissed his spear and I sighed. Right as we had finished talking, there was a loud thump from upstairs.
"Welp. Someone just died."
"Iris!"
"What? I'm being realistic." I sighed.
"I can go-" I put my hand in front of Nolan to stop him.
"If Iris's idiotic theory-"
"Hey!" I sighed and muttered under my breath.
"If Iris is correct, then we don't need more casualties."
"You make it sound like a warzone."
"It could very well be a warzone." And in time to answer our question, Tadashi, Diana, and Akane entered the room. "Never mind. They're alive."
"Why wouldn't we be?"
"No reason." Iris sighed as she turned the burner off.
"Le food is le ready. Sit le asses down and wait for the food." Akane was in her seat before Iris even finished talking.
"Food!" Eri shook his head as he walked towards his seat. Everyone sat down except for me.
"I'll help." Iris looked at me.
"Nah, Ari. It's cool."
"Iris, you have a lot of stuff here."
"It'll be quicker if you let me help." I gestured to Akane. "Plus, I think she might bite someone soon." Iris looked over at her.
"Point made." She pointed to a few things. "You're on lettuce, cheese, and shell duty. I'll get the rest."
"Aye, aye." I picked up my items and then walked over to the table.
"I'm glad you're back, Di. I was really worried about you."
"It wasn't my choice to come back. I was forced to." I placed my things on the table. 'Way to be a jerk... God she is pissy...'
"Well, now that you're back, are you going to come back to work?"
"Not unless someone holds a gun to my head. I really don't want to go back there, and I really don't want to be around people."
"She can't come back to work, anyways." We looked over at Iris who placed the remaining things down on the table. "Di is under supervision now." She frowned.
"What?! Why?!"
"You broke some of Sonia's rules. You know how seriously she takes them."
"Are you fricking kidding me?"
"I kid you not." Diana mumbled some things under her breath that I won't be repeating here. If our lives were a reality show, there would have been a lot of bleeping in Diana's case.
"Well, eat up." Everyone began to grab some food, except for Tadashi who closed his eyes.
"Itadakimasu." He reopened his eyes and began to get his food. 'He's so proper all the time... I wonder why... I don't think I made him like that... He's definitely different than his original form...' I glanced at him. 'Especially hair wise.'
"You okay?" I blinked.
"Hmm?" Tadashi looked at me with a worried expression. "O-Oh, sorry... I was zoning out. You just happened to be where my sight stopped..."
"It's fine. I was just worried. You looked a bit confused."
"No... I'm fine." He nodded.
"Just making sure."
"Ari, hurry up and get eating. You're the one that wanted them in the first place." I turned to Iris and stuck out my tongue.
"Calm down. I'll eat. Yeesh."
"Don't stick your tongue out at me unless you want me to summon my sword and cut it off."
"Ew. That's graphic. Let's not do that."
"Then you better keep your tongue in your mouth." I saluted her.
"Yes, ma'am." She grinned.
"Good." I grabbed some food, and listened to the others as they talked about various things. The way they were interacting was as if Diana had never been gone and hadn't tried to kill several of us earlier that day. Just watching for that short while showed how close-knit Sukui was. It also reminded me of how apart I was from them, and of a feeling I was lacking.
The feeling of having a true family.
"So where did Momo go?" Everyone looked at me, making me want to shrink down in my seat and disappear.
"We saw her in cat form at Sukui when we were leaving. She seemed a little panicked. She went in the back to find Hasu."
"Weird. She just took off without really saying anything to us."
"It may be because of what we were discussing earlier."
"You really think so?" Tadashi nodded.
"Wait, what were you talking about earlier?" Tadashi looked over to Akane.
"You can't tell anyone outside of Sukui. If you do, we'll have a lot of problems."
"We promise. You know you can trust us." Tadashi nodded and sighed.
"When Ari was in the Traverse Town incident, she saw everything going on. The cause of the incident was heartless." Their eyes widened.
"What? They were actually there?"
"Yeah... They made quick work of the people there... I think I was the only one who made it out of there... but I really don't know... I don't remember too much..."
"Momo is very scared by heartless." We looked at Eri. "Not that anyone cares for them much. They are something to truly worry about on the continents, though. We don't have the same safeguards that islands do since it would require too much magic."
"So anyone from the outside of here is susceptible to the heartless?" Eri nodded.
"Yes. The thing is when people come to Midorijima, people are usually supposed to come and cleanse others so they won't spread it."
"So we're safe, aren't we?" Everyone was silent.
"Sis, you just kinda appeared here... You were in here before you were cleansed..."
"Can't we cleanse everyone?" Tadashi shook his head.
"People wouldn't want to do it. Not to mention the panic it would cause. Besides, I don't think all the mages on the island combined could be able to do it. They'd be worn out."
"If more of the Alexandras were alive, we'd be able to do it... but even if they were, they may not have done it..."
"Why's that?"
"Our family... They were... for lack of better terms, snobs."
"Snobs? In what way?"
"Well... The Alexandra family is a very esteemed family, and it has existed for a long time. Over time... they've learned to dislike a lot of people. Well, certain groups of people. Our dad is included in with those groups."
"We're racist?!"
"Well, not exactly racist... More like... heartist."
"Okay, now I'm more lost than I was before..."
"What she's trying to say is that the Alexandra family's hearts are mostly pure, if not completely pure, light."
"That's actually possible to breed?"
"Apparently."
"So, why didn't they like Dad?"
"Well, because he had a lot of darkness in his heart... Actually, some people say his heart was completely made of darkness."
"But Mom loved him... Right?"
"Artemis was an exception. She was different than the rest of them. She could see light in everyone. She always wanted to show kindness to people and to make them feel loved. Dad included."
"She's the reason we have Aunt Selene." I looked back to Iris. "They really didn't want to take Selene in, but Mom fought to give her a place to stay."
"So... what about our hearts, Iris...?"
"Can't be sure..."
"Maybe you guys are some sort of half-heart or something. Equal light and darkness."
"I don't even care if that is what we are. I'll call myself that because it sounds fricking awesome." Akane grinned.
"I'm glad you think so."
"I think that's enough deep talk for one day." Iris stood up and put her hands on her hips. "We need to do something fun."
"No." I looked over at Tadashi who looked worried.
"What no?" He began shaking his head.
"Iris, I know what you're thinking. NO." She grinned, and I looked between the two of them, confused.
"Seriously?! What no?"
5 Minutes Later
"Oh. This no." I looked at the pile of cards in my hand.
We were playing slapjack, in a house full of trained fighters. And one of them was also a monk. Monks are trained in hand-to-hand combat. So you can see where this would lead. Hopefully.
"Normally I'd be okay playing a game where you hit people, but I'm kinda scared this time..." I looked around at everyone as they put cards down. Akane had a determined face, with her tongue sticking out of the side of her mouth. She was focused.
Iris was grinning and humming something, while Tadashi and Eri looked ready to cry. Well, as much as their emotionless expressions showed. Nolan looked a little nervous, and Diana... Well, Diana was looking at her coil.
"I tried to warn you. And there is no quitting once Iris is in the gaming zone. Iris gets serious about whatever task she is doing." We looked over to her and saw her making her hair into a long, purple mustache.
"Yeah... Serious is the last word I'd use to describe my sister..."
"Ari, it's your turn!" I anxiously put down a card. Luckily I didn't put down a jack.
"Oh, Aries..." Tadashi put down a jack and everyone, but Diana, went for it.
"I got it!" Iris raised the card triumphantly. The rest of us, but Eri, rubbed our hands after hitting each other. I looked at Iris who didn't look affected at all. 'How is she...? You know what. I shouldn't even question it. Iris is Iris.'
" * Don't go, it's a mighty long fall, when you thought love was the top -" Tadashi answered his coil, which I absolutely loved the ringtone for.
"Hai?"
"Are you with everyone?"
"Yeah, I am."
"Hello, everyone. I need to speak with Tadashi privately. I apologize."
"It's cool, Hasu. We aren't doing much right now anyway." Everyone, but Iris, looked relieved that we had an out from the game. Tadashi stood.
"I'll be right back." He walked out of the room, and the rest of us looked at each other.
"What now?"
"Talking, I guess." Akane looked over to me.
"Have you made plans for tomorrow night yet, Ari?"
"Not definitely. All I know is I'm going to Sukui to meet people." She smiled.
"That's good. A lot of people will be there. We're friends with quite a few of them." She looked sad for a moment before she shook her head and sighed. "You definitely have a lot of people that you can choose to be friends with."
"I don't know if I'll make many friends... I'm kinda socially awkward."
"Hey, they're friends with Eri just fine. Tadashi, too." Eri frowned.
"That's a bit mean Iris."
"I'm not trying to be mean. I'm just saying since they're so quiet and awkward around people that I'm shocked they have so many friends."
"Iris... That sounds even worse..." She huffed.
"I'll just stop talking..." I patted her on the back.
"It's probably for the best."
"Don't worry, Ari. There are a lot of friendly people that you'll easily become friends with. Trust me on that." I smiled.
"I will. Thank you, Akane."
"Don't mention it." Tadashi finally came back into the room and sighed as he sat down.
"What's up?" He looked over at us.
"Sadly, I can't say. I can talk for a few minutes, but I have to go to Sukui." He looked at Iris. "When I get home, we'll need to talk." She tilted her head and gave him a questioning look.
"Is it...?" He nodded.
"Yeah." She nodded.
"Okay. I understand." I looked between them, confused. 'They're acting weird... I wonder what they're actually talking about...'
"What time is it?" We looked over at Nolan.
"Umm..." Iris checked her coil. "It's about 9..." He stood up.
"I'm going to get some gaming in since I've to get up early tomorrow."
"Why's that?"
"I'm meeting up with some friends. A few are from my village, and the others are from the other ninja villages."
"Oh. Cool." He nodded.
"I'll see you guys tomorrow. Night." He walked upstairs and then disappeared into his room.
"I'll be going to bed as well." Eri got up. "Good night." He left, leaving the five of us.
"I'll be heading to my room, too."
"Aka, you're on guard duty."
"Gotcha." Diana huffed.
"I hate this so much..." Diana and Akane stood and began walking to her room.
"You did this to yourself, bro." Diana and Akane had a mini-discussion as their voices faded.
"You should get some sleep, Sis. You've got a big day ahead of you." I nodded.
"Sure." Tadashi sighed.
"I'll be going to Sukui." Iris nodded.
"I'll just watch some TV." She looked at me. "I'll be here if you need some company." I nodded.
"Thank you." Tadashi smiled and so did Iris. "Well, good night... I guess... I'll see you guys tomorrow."
"Night, Sis."
"Good night, Ari." I nodded before leaving the room and heading for the living room. I closed the door and sighed once I was in.
"I guess... I'll get ready for bed..." I stretched. "It sucks going to bed this early..." I began to get changed into my pajamas. Once I was dressed, I sat down on my bed. 'Why do I feel uneasy...? It doesn't make any logical sense... Do I have anything to feel worried about...?' I sighed once again and lay back on my bed.
"How'd I get myself into this...?" I looked at my bookshelf. "There's so much to take in..." I sat up and moved myself to the edge of my bed. I reached forward and opened the blinds and the window so I could look outside.
"My new life... Tomorrow is when it gets really interesting." I closed my window but kept the blinds open. I got up and turned the light off before lying down.
"*Buenas noches, Mezame..." I quickly fell asleep after that.
~*~*~* The Next Day ~*~*~*
I slept till about 9 a.m. I'm amazed my body was okay with 11-12 hours of sleep. I thought for a moment about what I should wear. 'Iris and Tadashi were wearing the same outfit yesterday that they wore the day before... and they didn't seem stinky... Maybe I should ask them about that...'
I changed into the same clothes from the day before and made my hair look decent before I walked downstairs. I saw Iris watching TV in the living room along with Diana. Iris looked over at me as I walked in.
"Morning, Sis."
"Morning..." I sat down. "So, how are we wearing the same clothes?"
"Special materials that prevent odor."
"Magic?"
"Yep." I nodded.
"Thought so." I looked around. "Where are the others?"
"Momo is sunning in cat form outside, Aka's sleeping, and so are the boys. Hasu is in her study and Selene and Sonia are out doing stuff."
"And Nolan is out with his friends." Diana spoke without looking away from the television.
"Want breakfast?"
"Do we have cereal?" Iris frowned.
"Ari, breakfast is the most important meal of the day."
"I know that. What does that have to do with having cereal or not?"
"You should eat more than cereal."
"Should and want are two different things, Iris. I should eat eggs or something, but I want to eat cereal. My priority is the cereal." She sighed.
"Fine. It's in the pantry, 2nd shelf. Milk's in the fridge and the bowls are in the cupboard next to it. Spoons are in the drawer next to the fridge."
"Thanks." I stood up.
"You have to eat in there, though. If you eat out here, Sonia will probably murder you."
"Yeah, I'd rather not die." I looked through the cabinet, once I reached it, and I laughed. 'These names...' All of the cereals were the same, but the names were way different.
- Artificial Fruit Rocks (Fruity Pebbles)
- Fortune Symbols (Lucky Charms)
- Extraordinary Q (Special K)
- Colonel Munch (Cap'n Crunch)
I didn't quite understand why some things stayed the same, while others were slightly altered. The gap between realities really did allow for strange things to happen.
"I guess I'll have some Artificial Fruit Rocks... because that sounds so appetizing..." I laughed to myself again as I grabbed the box and poured myself a bowl.
I sat at the table once I had gotten my food and ate quickly. I was unusually hungry, for once. Usually if I ate this early, I'd feel like puking. And when I thought about it, I realized I hadn't felt that bad since I had gotten to Mezame. 'I guess things have really changed, now... It's good change... If good change even exists...'
Change, in my life, was always an interesting thing. It came in many different forms. Bad change, in itself, usually didn't occur at first. It usually followed after good things. Good change always gave me hope, but there was always a price. I think bits of my sanity and mental health would vanish every time I fell from the illusions of hope.
I wanted to believe everything in Mezame would be different. I was foolishly grasping onto hope again, just as I always had done. I don't know why. It was torture.
I feared the price I would pay. It was coming, whether I liked it or not. I could feel it deep down, just like so many times before.
"Hey, Ari?" I snapped out of my thoughts and looked towards the living room.
"Yeah?"
"Are you still going to get some training in today?"
"Yeah."
"Coolness. Hasu should be able to step away from her work long enough to help out. Just let me know when you're done eating, and we can go and get her."
"Okay." I finished up the bowl of cereal quickly. It honestly never took me long to eat. Especially when I was hungry. I even ate a second bowl, and in all, it barely took me any time.
I rinsed the bowl out before placing it in the sink. I took a deep breath before walking into the living room.
"Ready?" I nodded.
"Ready." Iris turned the TV off before standing up. Diana sighed and reluctantly stood as well.
"I'm just warning you now that Hasu is very serious when it comes to training. It'll be intense." I sighed.
"Of course it will be... That's the definition of exercising at all in my life..."
"Wimp."
"You know me so well." Diana rolled her eyes.
"The study is literally about five feet away. Can we please cut the chatter and get on with this?"
"As long as you're under supervision, you have to go along with whatever your babysitter is doing."
"My babysitter?"
"Let's be real. That is basically what is going on. You aren't responsible enough to be left alone, so someone else is put in charge of you."
"Wow. The accuracy of that." Diana frowned.
"You two are going to be the death of me, aren't you?"
"Yep." We had spoken in unison. The twin powers were officially activated.
"It's a Walker-Alexandra thing, I suppose." Iris grinned. "Ari and I are just awesome like that."
"Sure. Fine. Whatever. Let's just go!" Iris and I laughed a little as we walked over to the study. Iris knocked on the door, and we waited for a response.
"Come in." Iris opened the door and the three of us stepped in. Hasu looked up from her desk and smiled at us. "Ah, girls. I assume this is about Ari's training?"
"Yeppers." Hasu stood and placed her pen down.
"Excellent timing. I was just about finished. The rest can wait till later. I believe this is much more important."
"Thank you, Hasu."
"It's my pleasure, Ari." She gestured for us to follow her. "Come. There's much to be taught, so we mustn't waste any time." The others followed after her while I glanced around the room.
The room was mostly wood, except for the floor which was carpeted. There was a bookcase lining one of the walls, and a small alcove with a couch in it. There was a coffee table in front of the couch, and two armchairs on either side of it. The desk was next to a set of windows on the farthest wall, and on the ceiling was a chandelier.
"You comin', Sis?" I looked over to Iris who was waiting by the door.
"Yeah. Sorry." I hurried and began to walk with her and the others to the training grounds.
"Well, of course to begin, we'll summon our weapons." I nodded.
"Shinsetsu!" The sword I had slowly become familiar with appeared in my hand. Hasu smiled before she summoned her own weapon.
She was one of the summoners in the house that didn't need to say a name for her weapon. She easily summoned a rapier without saying a word. It looked really fancy, like something a noble would use.
"The Ueno family is trained from a young age to fight. Magic is our primary weapon, but we also are taught how to use swords so we can act as red mages rather than white or black mages." She looked at her sword. "We are left to learn to control our powers by ourselves. We can't rely on shortcuts such as names or control spells. We have to be self-reliant." She pointed her sword towards me. "Since you're being trained by an Ueno, you'll be put through the same training that every Ueno has experienced. You have no retainer, so you must defend yourself. Are you prepared?"
"As ready as I can be." She smiled.
"Good." She moved into a proper fencing stance with her arm behind her back. "I believe the best way to learn sword fighting is through combat. Prepare yourself." I quickly got into the stance Tadashi had taught me before the match had begun.
It was silent for a moment as I waited for movement. Tactics wise, I should have struck first, but I was a student. I wasn't sure what was going to happen or when it would happen. I was nervous.
When she finally moved, she moved quickly. I could barely keep up with her. Luckily I moved just in time to miss her attack.
"Good, but you have to keep up. Remember to strike back. If you don't, you'll never win a single battle in your life." She moved again and swung down at me. I remembered the stance Tadashi taught me, and I blocked from above. I pushed up and flung her sword away from me before I fixed myself and attempted to attack her.
As I tried attacking her, I smiled to myself. I felt confident that I would hit her. I was wrong.
Just as I was about to strike her, she did a backflip to move out of the way. I lost my footing and I began to fall forwards. She came in for another strike, so I got into a crouching position and blocked myself again.
"Good save, Ari." We were stuck as we tried to overpower one another with our swords. I examined my options, and then smiled to myself. I swung one of my legs at hers and took her by surprise. She fell backwards and I quickly stood up and pointed my sword at her throat.
"Checkmate." She looked up at me and smiled.
"Well done." I lowered my sword and then helped her to her feet. "You learn quickly. You'd make a good tactician."
"I don't know about that specifically. I do know I have definitely improved." I thought for a moment. "I'm jealous of that backflip you did. It looked awesome."
"Thank you. Trust me when I saw I couldn't ever do that outside a battle, though." I titlted my head.
"Why's that?"
"In battle, you are much more capable of doing acrobatics than you'd think. Battle increases your natural instinct to survive, which makes you do things you wouldn't normally." She nodded. "I have faith you can do the same."
"I might die if I try doing anything like that... I'm not athletic at all."
"You must have faith in yourself. If you have no faith in yourself, then no one else will. Success stems both from yourself and the trust of others. Never doubt yourself a minute, or else others will do the same."
"That sounds like a lot of pressure..."
"That's tragically the burden of the Alexandras. You're a born leader. Iris and you both." She looked between us. "Both of you girls have grown so well. Artemis would be proud. I know I am. I'm glad Aries has brought you two together, again. And back here to Sukui."
"Ugh, you people are so sappy."
"Tacete." Diana's mouth was moving, but no sound was coming out. She glared at Hasu. "You're already on thins ice. Not just with Sonia, but with the rest of us as well. You won't be saying another word until we are finished training." Diana crossed her arms and sat on the ground.
"The urge to taunt is strong."
"Iris, don't poke the bear."
"What if I want to poke the bear?"
"Then prepare for the bear to poke back. With claws. And teeth. And mauling. And utter death and destruction." Diana was glaring at us as we joked around. I had a feeling she really didn't like us. A really strong feeling.
"You started training already?" We looked over and saw Tadashi walking over to us.
"Morning, Sleeping Beauty." Tadashi looked over to Iris.
"Good morning person who literally never sleeps." She just grinned in response. He looked over to me, ignoring her. "Has your training gone well so far?" I looked over to Hasu.
"You'll have to ask her. I don't like gauging my own progress."
"She is doing just fine, Tadashi. She'll have everything she needs in no time at all." She nodded, more to herself than anyone else. "I can only do so much, though. I'll teach her everything I can, but you have to teach her the rest." He nodded.
"I know."
"Good." She looked at me. "Do you want to continue?" I nodded.
"I need to train as much as I can. I won't be weak."
"Well put. Let's begin, then. We have much to do before Sukui opens tonight." I nodded.
"Okay."
"Okay, everyone has officially left for work. We have an hour till it opens and everyone will start getting there."
"I'm gonna go change. I want to wear something different."
"You're letting your girl show, Sis."
"I'm going to be wearing jeans, Iris. Not too much girl will be showing."
"Girls wear jeans." I sighed.
"Fine. Whatever."
"I'll come with."
"Are you fashion police or something?"
"No. I just wanna talk to you."
"I'll wait here, I guess."
"Yeah. You're a stinky boy." Iris grabbed my shoulders and pushed me forwards. "Onwards!"
"Aye, aye." She continued pushing me all the way up the stairs until we got to my room. I was scared since I felt like I was going to fall a couple of times.
"So, whatcha gonna wear?" I shook my head.
"Not sure yet." I began to look through my closet while she sat on my bed.
"You're doing great at fighting, Sis. You'll be a certified badass in no time."
"I highly doubt that."
"Hey, you aren't allowed to doubt yourself. Remember?" I sighed.
"Yeah, I remember." I grabbed a pair of jeans and turned to face her. "Can you please look away?"
"I gotcha." She took her right hand and covered her eyes. "Are you nervous?" I slipped my skirt and socks off and then pulled on the jeans.
"About what?"
"Tonight. Fantasy finally becoming reality for you." I looked through my shirts.
"Yeah. Of course I am. There is no way I could think I wouldn't be... I mean, from the sounds of it, it's gonna be crazy."
"I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I just hope you won't die."
"Yeah. I hope I won't die, too." I finally grabbed a shirt that partially looked like a trench coat as well as a tank top to wear underneath. I slipped both on and then looked over to Iris. "Can you pull my hair up?"
"Umm..."
"You can uncover your eyes. I'm decent now." She uncovered her eyes and I saw a weird look in them. "Are you okay?"
"Y-Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" She stood up and walked over to me. "Your hair looks nice right now." I looked over to my mirror.
"It does?" I tried turning my head to see the back, but Iris stepped in front of me.
"It looks fine, Sis. Don't worry, okay?" She was acting really weird. Even more so than normal. I ignored my instincts, though, and sighed.
"Fine. If I get overheated, though, it's all your fault."
"I'm cool with that. I have some tricks up my sleeve to help with that." I furrowed my brows.
"Right..."
"Come on. We can't keep Tada-chan waiting forever. He gets pissy."
"I'd be pissy, too, if I had to wait for a chick to make up her mind. And I'm not even as bad as other girls."
"You should try waiting for Di, sometime. She takes extremely long. She usually ends up wearing the same thing, though."
"I think she just enjoys complaining."
"Pretty much."
"Man, if she was here right now, we'd probably be in a fight again."
"Probably." I took a deep breath after a minute of silence.
"Well, let's go get Tadashi." Iris nodded.
"Right." We exited the room and then head downstairs to the living room. Tadashi looked over at us from where he was reading on the couch.
"Ready?" I nodded.
"Yep." He closed his book and placed it on the coffee table. He then stood up and joined me and Iris by the stairs.
"Heh. Tada-chan is a nerd." He frowned.
"Really? We're going to do this right now?"
"Yep." He sighed.
"You know what? I don't care. Let's just go. This is something for Ari." Iris pouted.
"Fine..." I just shook my head and laughed as we exited the house. Once we had been walking for a little bit, though, I regretted my outfit choice.
"Why is it so warm?" I fanned myself with my hand. "I'm going to die."
"Well, Sis, you are the genius who decided to wear long sleeves, jeans, and gloves in the summer."
"Yeah, but I always do that. I feel really overheated right now..." Iris quickly glanced over to Tadashi before looking back to me.
"Here." She held out her right hand. "Glacio." A charm that looked to be made out of ice appeared in her hand after a flash of light. It was a bracelet. "This will help cool you down."
"Thanks." I put the charm around my wrist after I took it, and I instantly felt cooler. "Oh my Aries, what did you do? It feels great."
"It's a charm I was taught growing up. All of us learn at least a little magic in the temples. My training was a bit different, though."
"How so?"
"Well, they knew what families I was coming from. Both the Walkers and the Alexandras are strong in their own ways, so they specialized my training to help bring those traits out in me."
"Am I able to use magic?" Iris shrugged.
"Maybe. It could take awhile, though, to pinpoint which magicks you can and can't use. It's a long process, trust me. It took me years to figure out I can use ice magic."
"Booo. Maybe I'll just try when I have the free time, then." Iris nodded. "So, how is the Walker family strong?"
"Well, typically they aren't able to use magic, which is why Mom's side provided that for us. Dad's side, though, usually shows immense physical prowess. Hence my crazy strength."
"I feel like I didn't inherit that trait..."
"You probably just haven't figured it out. You'll find something, more than likely." I shrugged.
"I don't know. I'm still kinda confused about everything."
"It's understandable. This is a bit much to take in. One day at a time, I guess." I nodded.
"Right." We finally started to near Sukui, and my nerves began to kick in. The realization of what I was about to do hit me like a bullet train.
"Ari, you okay?"
"Meep."
"That's not good." I tried turning and walking away, but they caught onto my arms.
"Come on, Sis. It'll be fine."
"No it won't."
"How do you know that? Are you magically psychic?" I looked at Iris.
"You know the answer to that, Iris." She huffed.
"Come on." They, more so Iris, began to drag me along.
"Help! Some crazy chick I'm related to and my friend are holding me against my will."
"Seriously, Ari?" I pouted.
"I hate you guys..."
"It's cool. We hate you, too." I pulled their hands off of me and finally began to walk towards the door on my own. As soon as I was in front of it, though, the anxiety came back again.
"Ari, you'll be fine. We'll be right beside you the entire time." I looked over at Tadashi.
"I'm really scared... I've dreamed of this my entire life... and I just... Now that it's here, what if it isn't everything I've hoped it would be?"
"Nothing ever is the way we think it will be. I know the way you thought this would happen was different, but this is the present. You can't live anywhere else but here and now."
"Our expectations always screw us over, don't they?"
"Yeah. They do. You always get past that, though." I looked down as I thought of my real life... Of my real dad...
"Yeah... I know..." Iris grabbed onto my hand.
"It'll be okay, Sis." I looked over to her.
"Thank you." I looked between them. "Both of you." Iris hugged me before looking at the door.
"You are officially Ari Raine Walker-Alexandra. Go kick some ass, Sis." I smiled.
"You know it." I took one last deep breath before turning the doorknob, and pushing the door open.
