(AN: So hi there! Talk about something I wanted to get done earlier after I got back from NY since it's been officially 20 days since my vacation, which yes I enjoyed using that time to turn my brain off for a week. And I was fine the whole time, at least, everything but my bank is fine but ha ha we don't talk about that.
Speaking of things we don't talk about, the release date of this chapter. I wanted to release this chapter SO much earlier, in fact I was like, 'Man, when I get back from NY, I can't wait to start my new method of writing so I can release chapters quicker!'
And then work was like, 'lol what if we scheduled thunp for a day off over next week and the week after that all the while our payroll at work is hacked so he isn't paid overtime until god knows when, wouldn't that be funny'
so yeah, PRETTY AGGRIVATING PAST TWO WEEKS IF YOU ASK ME.
Anyway, that aside, I know we're back to another split chapter. I didn't WANT to make this split but considering that this went on for a while and not much HAPPENED, I thought it was fine to do, especially considering that in all likelihood, Chapter 25 may be the last chapter of the year. And I wanna start the next year off with a REALLY good chapter which you should know what it is once you read this one, plus also... Espio in universe has had a hard couple of days. I think he deserves a break for once with a more fillery chapter where we get to catch up with everyone, especially since we're setting the scene for the second half of this story. That's right, we've FINALLY reached the second half of this story, and if you thought the first half was something, OH LORD wait till you see what I have planned.
I've been rambling far too long here at this point, so I'll let you go now. I'm hoping to hear from you all about your hopes for the story going forward, especially since I'm hoping, GOD am I hoping to finish this story by this time next year. Let's pray I can actually do it. Also, because I'm a sweetheart, the next part is already written and ready to go. I'll see you guys on Christmas Day for Part 2.)
cw: blood and gore for this part only
When Espio opened his eyes, he found himself in the middle of a gray, tiled room, the floor wet with moisture from steam covering the entire scene. Feeling his body, which was rather warm, the chameleon got up from the floor, quickly catching on that he wasn't wearing his yukata. In fact, as his hands slid down his body, it felt like everything that was supposed to be below his legs… didn't exist?
"What is going on?!" Espio questioned, startled by the change of environment but also the lack of limbs. In fact… all there were below his waist was heavy steam, feeling like dense fog during the early morning.
That's when the transfer student stopped, hearing the sound of something faint. Head tilting at the sound, Espio attempted to find the source of the noise, soon coming into clear hearing that the sound was… a running shower.
"This must be a shower room," Espio said, now aware of his surroundings. He walked past multiple walkways, the room feeling neverending as he tried to listen to the sound get louder and louder. Eventually, the chameleon finally found the shower in question, surrounded by glass walls. The source of all the steam also appeared to come from this shower, with heavy steam pouring out of the top of the shower at an intense rate. There was one more detail that Espio could make out, one that made his chest feel funny.
There was someone in the shower.
And it wasn't just someone, the figure in question seemed to have a rather masculine figure, but it was very difficult to make out any other features besides that. Not sure what to do, the chameleon suddenly began to start moving to the direction of the shower, trying to get past all the steam as it only became denser and denser. Espio squinted his eyes, trying to make out who this mystery person was as his vision only got whiter and whiter. It was about halfway through that it suddenly became clearer, the figure now visible into the density of the steam. From the red spikes going down his back and tail, his large muscular structure radiating a dominant presence in that lone shower stall, the clear and crisp color of green and chartreuse yellow scales aligning the gray wall, with soap sliding down his neck and chest, and those eyes… those heavenly amber eyes…
It was Vector, in the middle of a shower, now staring at the lone fuschia chameleon. Interrupted from scrubbing his head. He lowered his right arm, motioning with his finger for Espio to join him.
"Can I?..." Espio asked, his chest and stomach feeling warm and funny. The crocodile nodded as the ninja walked into the slippery shower, walking in front of the virile Vector. It was at this moment that Espio truly realized just how much smaller he was to Vector at that moment, but he didn't mind, as the two were closer than they had ever been before. Espio could feel his tail curl up, never feeling such emotions before.
"This is all so new…" Espio said. "Am I doing this right?"
"Yeh dun need to say anythin' else, Espio. Enjoy the moment with me."
It was strange. Espio spoke Japanese, yet it was almost like the crocodile completely understood him. He knew because Vector brought Espio in closer for a hug, the two reptiles' exposed bodies touching one another. Even just the chameleon's head and face could feel Vector's powerful scales and body, toughened by years of playing a sport like football. The robust energy oozing from the crocodile had Espio feeling both excited but also safe, never feeling such a feeling like having someone as rugged as Vector hold him like this. It was everything he could ask and more…
"Vector…" Espio said, looking up past the wall of muscle that was the crocodile's body and up at his face. "I must tell you something important… something that has been plaguing my mind for quite some time. I figured out who I am, Vector… and… and I think I reali-"
"Ya dun need to say anymore, Espio," Vector smiled. "I know what yer gonna say."
Espio was silent as the crocodile continued to look into the eyes of his smaller friend, his smile only growing bigger and friendlier. "I know it 'cause I feel the same. Yeh sayin' it… it's all I ever wanted…"
"Vector…"
Suddenly, as Espio put his hand on Vector's lower torso, the crocodile proceeded to grab and hold it gently, rubbing it affectionately.
"What… what does this mean?" Espio added. "What shall we do?"
"What?" Vector turned his head.
"Yes… this feeling… What do we do… now that we know how we feel? I… I don't know how to feel…"
There was silence as the shower continued to run and Vector continued to hold the chameleon. He thought Vector was coming up with an answer, so Espio looked up.
"Vector… what do we do-"
"What do you mean what do you do?!"
Suddenly, Espio was being pushed off the crocodile. The chameleon grunted, looking up to see Vector now angry. He looked down at the chameleon, a VERY strong look of disapproval on his face.
"Vector, what are you doing?!" Espio retorted, now angry. "I thought you-"
"Enough! You know more than anyone! You deserve only punishment for defying the rules of our lands, for defying us Brides, for defying ME!"
That…
That wasn't Vector's voice.
Even though the crocodile was speaking, what came from his throat wasn't the gruff, cool voice of Vector. It was Bride of the Constant Vigil's voice. Espio's voice was caught in his throat, his anger subduing as he slowly backed into the walls of the shower, his hand trying to find something he could use to escape this desperate situation.
"M-Mother-"
Vector, with Constant Vigil's voice, continued as his look grew darker. "You know that the act you've committed is nothing more than a delusion you've learned from the Outside World. Is this how you want to live your life?! Living in a complete delusion believing this foolish belief that you could love a man, especially one from a world as disgusting as the Outside World?! How dare you think I… no, not just myself, but the Brides, the Historic District, your own FATHER could ever accept a broken, corrupted, INDECENT boy such as yourself?!"
"Y-You… How could you say that, mother?! I'm… I'm not… people… people were like me-"
"SHUT UP! I refuse to let you come up with whatever excuse comes out of your mouth, justifying such disgusting behavior! I will not let you continue this fantasy you've created. You know what your destiny is, now COMMIT to it!"
Espio looked at the side of the stall, realizing that the walls were made of glass. As Vector attempted to grab the chameleon, Espio pile-drove his shoulder into the stall, crashing through as the sound of shattering glass echoed through the walls of the shower. He fell to the ground, broken glass stabbing into his body as Espio attempted his best to ignore the pain his body felt. Quickly getting up, Espio began to ran away from Vector as he suddenly began to hear the sound of feet colliding onto the floor on mass, turning around to see the various guards of the Shinobi Clan's dojo falling from the ceiling to the ground and chasing after the chameleon.
The fuchsia chameleon continued to run as the walls of the shower completely collapsed, a black void surrounding Espio as the sound of yells and running only grew behind him. He continued to run, blood dripping down his wet body as the sound of his own footsteps and his heartbeat tried to drown out the sound of the crowd chasing him. He looked behind him, seeing a shuriken being thrown in his direction.
With limited reaction time, the chameleon ran to the left, dodging the shuriken as he remembered what he was told whenever he was being chased and his enemies used throwing weapons: run in a zig-zag direction, so that it was much more difficult for him to be struck by a weapon. As such, Espio did just that, continuing to ignore the pain of all the shattered glass from his body, running… nowhere. In fact, as Espio looked around, he realized that he was going nowhere. The black void only seemed to continue indefinitely, and the likelihood that if he screamed out for help, not a single person would come to help him.
That's when, in front of him, a sea of lights all turned on simultaneously. Espio covered his eyes with his hand, slowly dropping it as he realized what was in front of him. Four still figures all sat with their backs away from the chameleon, all of them all wearing the same wedding garb he imagined Vector wearing back at the Raijou Shrine. Then, a sea of voices began to speak.
"Where… where is he?..."
The voices sounded feminine and weepy, almost as if they were sobbing. Espio stood still, unsure of what to do at this point. But then, his blood grew cold as the heads of the figures all began to twist slowly. The sound of concrete grinding against itself filled the chameleon's eardrums as he saw the faces of the figures. He realized these women didn't have skin, fur, or scales of any kind.
Their heads were made of porcelain, with Espio realizing that their faces were the same as that of Noh masks. Then, before the heads could turn completely to face Espio, they continued to speak.
"Where is my husband?..."
The weepy feminine voices only echoed through the walls as the heads of the four now completely faced Espio. The chameleon took a step back, the soulless eyes of each porcelain head staring into him.
"THERE HE IS!"
Espio screamed as he ran away, hearing the sound of shattering porcelain. He turned around to see more Shinobi Clan guards, now jumping out of the fake bodies as the tsunokakushi and shiromuku they wore fell limp to the ground. They chased after the chameleon, Espio breathing heavier as he tried to stop the bleeding from his wounds. He ripped out the glass shards from his bare body, throwing them behind in an attempt to escape. But nothing was working, nothing was-
...
And then, suddenly, Espio felt time stop as he felt something strike his lower back.
His eyes widened as a large jolt of pain rushed through his body as the chameleon realized he had a kunai sticking out of his back. Suddenly, in quick succession, a sea of kunai came raining behind Espio, all of them stabbing his entire back, the back of his head, his thighs down to his knees, and his arms.
Espio fell to the ground, landing on his face as the sea of knives filled his bloody backside. His breathing hitched and heavy, his shaking hands slowly shifted around on the black void, trying to get up and save himself from whatever dishonorable death awaited him. However, each time he tried to raise himself up, the pain was too much, and he would eventually fall back to the ground.
As he continued to try and try again, the earth around him began to shake as Espio questioned mentally what was going on. He heard the earth in front of him crack open, and with light now pouring out into the void, with all his strength, Espio raised his torso upwards at the sky. But as he did… his eyes shrunk as he realized what he was looking out.
Bursting from the ground, a large clay idol began to rise, yellow light pouring out as the giant statue overshadowed Espio. Its blank, emotionless stare, its hollow eye holes and mouth staring at the fuschia chameleon with fierce intensity. As it finished rising, Espio realized something by the second. He… had seen this statue before. It's face, head shape, and most of all, that familiar horn right by where his eyes were…
The same horn shape Espio would inherit.
Never did he think in all his time he would see this sight again. Never did he think that he would be face to face with an object from the final memory of his father. But it was what stared back into his soul that sunk deep into Espio's mind.
It was the haniwa of his father, Naga, the haniwa he was buried with during his funeral.
Smoke began to slowly exhale from the orifices of the haniwa, and a voice spoke out. Booming, echoing, and… accurate…
" Espio… my son…"
It sounded just like him. It sounded just like his late father. Espio could only stare back at the haniwa of Naga, unsure of what to do anymore.
"Father… You… You are my father, right? Why?... Why are you here?..." Espio asked, feeling as if he was unworthy to face the spirit of his father.
" You know why. You know that in death, I continue to see all."
Espio felt hollow, almost like his heart could stop at any minute. He stared at the ground, refusing to bring dishonor to his father.
"Father… I… I've let you down. I've let mother down. I've let the village down… Not only do I continue my act of betrayal, I now know that I am beyond fixing… Why… Why was I cursed, father?! Why was I never told about any of this?!" he yelled. The haniwa of Naga stayed silent, its brooding aura hovering heavy above Espio as he awaited his answer. The chameleon didn't know whether to cry hearing his father's voice, or die of shame. Then, Naga's haniwa continued.
" You know of our life. You know of the fate thrust upon you. We exist to continue the legacy of our forefathers, passing our blood onto our children, so that our children can do the same."
Espio hung his head in shame. Even in death, his father expected him to do as the Brides expected. Could no one truly help him like he thought?
That's when, however, Naga continued with something Espio… didn't expect.
"Yet, in the times that I have stood by you, I see that much troubles you. What do you feel when you must balance the role you play in our home… against the one you play in the Outside World?"
He… he knew. Even in death, his father knew of his defiance. Espio didn't know what to say.
"Father… answer me… Have I committed the worst of all sins? Should I have interacted with the Outside World?" he asked. "You've seen my dilemma…"
The haniwa continued to stay silent as Espio became more desperate. "Father! Answer me! I… I can't talk to anyone about this! No one would ever understand my plight! Everyone expects me to play the role they want for me without any issues… but how can I when I can't even do such a thing?! Why couldn't I have been normal?! You must know about what I learned about myself!"
Naga's haniwa finally spoke up.
"You have longed for an answer, my son. But it is not an answer I can provide. Your path from here on is only one you can make on your own. We've lived for centuries letting our family make our path, something I have done for you too during my time in the world of the living. But what should you do when that's no longer an option, when I am only there for you in spirit?"
"Are you saying… that I must decide what I must do about how I feel?"
"That, I cannot answer as well. You know the answer in your heart… regarding what your options are."
Espio rubbed the front of his chest, silent as he went from looking up at the haniwa to back at the floor.
"Father… I… I think I understand… but… I… I don't know if I can! How would everyone see me if they learned the truth about me? How could I return to Gojo like this? How can you face me like this even now, judging me from beyond the grave?!"
The haniwa's voice now became… sharp. But… there was something about the sharpness in its voice.
"For those of us in this world, we all have sin and imperfection in our soul. Perfection is something one cannot be born with, or even become. I have mastered so much in my life, yet… I had so many regrets once my soul left my dead body and I arrived in Yomi watching you all. I left your mother, you, and Shami behind. My own parents still privately grieve for me, your mother must now run everything on her own without any help, I will never see my daughter finish her training and become a Bride in person, and worst of all… I can only speak to you like this."
"But know this, Espio… not only do our gods look upon you still, so do I as well. I will watch over you as you continue your path. But only you can control fate itself. I can only offer you my support in death."
It almost reminded Espio of something Buck would say from his religious book he always carried. He could only look at the haniwa, the smoke now starting to settle slowly.
"Father… I…" Espio said, trying to get on his knees. "I just want to know… Please… tell me…"
And then, as he did so, the pure silence of the void filled Espio's ears as he tried his best not to cry.
"Are you… proud of me?"
The haniwa could only stare back blankly at Espio. The fuchsia chameleon awaited his answer, only receiving it seconds later.
"That too… is something I cannot answer. It's an answer you know in your heart."
Espio's teeth began to grind. Why… why couldn't his father be more clear?! Why did he have to be vague?! This wasn't fair, not even his own FATHER could help him when he most needed it?!
Before he could yell at the haniwa, something about all the kunai in his back changed. He started to hear the sound of something snapping behind him, and as he turned around, ropes all shot towards him, attaching itself to the anchor of the kunai.
And then, it began to pull Espio back. The chameleon gasped, red, sharp blood trailing behind in a straight line as Espio was being pulled away from his father.
"FATHER! Why?! Why can't you tell me anything?! Am I supposed to suffer forever like this?! Do you… do you want to make a mockery of me and everyone?! PLEASE! ANSWER ME! Please… please just help me! It's all I beg of you this one last time!"
The haniwa only grew less and less with life as it only watched Espio being pulled away. Then, for the last time.
"It's up to you now, my son. Remember my words as I watch over you from here on… remember…"
The haniwa began to crack little by little before pieces began to shatter, Espio screaming as he tried to stop being dragged to wherever he was going.
"Father, please! Come back! You're… you're the only one who can tell me anything now!"
That's when Espio was cut off as he began to feel the earth shake from behind him, he turned around to see something new rising from the ground; a torii gate. From around him, red and blue oni began to cackle and beat on drums, fire and fog now filling the black void. Green oni also stood by the other oni, whipping limp, unrecognizable bodies chained to the ceiling that vomited different things onto the floor without stop. From blood, to fire, to glass beads, more and more stone structures began to fill around the gate, a purple and black vortex from beyond the gate, Espio realized what this was… Where he was going…
Yomi… the world of the dead.
Espio dug his fingertips into the ground, trying to stop whatever fate awaited him. He could hear the cackling and the screams of the oni become more hysterical as they mocked the chameleon, the green oni now turning their attention to him and whipping him as they were ready to sentence him to a lifetime in Yomi.
"I… I won't…" Espio breathed, veins popping on his hands as he tried to stop his fate. He grit his teeth as he reached behind his head, pulling out one of the kunai as he heard the sound of slicing flesh, ignoring the pain as he stabbed the kunai into the ground. "I won't let you!..."
He held his grip onto the kunai, which temporarily stopped him from moving. However, the ropes pulled harder, throwing the kunai behind Espio as he turned his head around to see… something from beyond the torii gate. Four familiar silhouettes stood in front of the torri with red, glowing eyes.
One chameleon, one lynx, one bat, and one spider…
He didn't even take a second to guess who they were. They all stared at the angered yet scared chameleon, growing closer and closer to the gate as their faces began to open, revealing large fangs. Their heads began to change shape and split into two, black ink spilling onto the floor as the bodies of the four Brides fused into one and changed from their normal look into…. Into an eight headed dragon. The dragon all roared at once as the ropes tied to the kunai anchors pulled Espio even faster. Espio's pace now grew faster as all his anger turned into fear, continuing to dig his fingertips into the ground. They began to bleed as he tried to avoid fate, avoiding hearing the clapping of the oni as taiko beat in rhythm, the chameleon's whipping only getting stronger.
"Someone! PLEASE!" Espio screamed, the flames overcoming him and the mockery of evil now finally dragging him into the depths of the world of the dead, pulling him into-
Espio quickly rose from his futon, a deep breath escaping his throat. The walls around him no longer a black void, Espio could tell just from where he was that he had been sweating at an intense rate.
"A… dream?" he said to himself. His eyes blinked, adjusting to the darkness. It was then that he realizing he wasn't being sentenced to Yomi….
He was back in Valdez's apartment, sitting atop his futon still wearing his night robe.
The transfer student looked over at the clock, seeing that it was 3:02 A.M. As his ears filled with the sound of the city from outside, Espio looked at his hands, sighing with exasperation as he brought his face to his knees. His horn poking out from his knees, he shook as he tried to forget his awful night terror.
The sun had finally risen hours later, the busy streets of Central City packed with citizens walking and cars, buses, and trains running both above and underground, mobians and Overlanders on their way to work or other locations. Above the sea of people, one lone apartment was slowly coming to life.
Espio and Valdez had finally woken up, the fuschia chameleon tired from everything from last night. He couldn't even bear to look at his face in the small bathroom, even barely washing himself in the shower as he only stared at the tiled floor and the splashing water.
So many thoughts and emotions ran through Espio's head, the biggest was that he only wanted to regress to his old ways of closing himself off to others. He still felt just as dirty and corrupted as he was when he discovered the truth about himself.
Same gender love… never once was he familiar with such a thing. And yet, he was able to find out he was like this. Something he knew he could never be, something he knew he had to keep from others.
Valdez was someone that Espio could likely talk to, but considering that he had to tell the Bride about how he was doing, this would be something he would tell his mother. And once she learned about this, she would immediately demand his return to Gojo, where heaven knows what would happen to him then…
The blue chameleon, thankfully, didn't suspect a thing, and after getting dressed, Espio helped Valdez pack up everything he would be taking back to campus.
"This is surely quite a lot, Espio-kun," said Valdez, the two finally done. "Are you sure you want to bring everything?"
"Of course, Valdez-san. They were gifts for me alongside everything I got from my time at school," Espio replied.
"Still… you know you have to share a room with Vector. Well, regardless, at least we can carry everything. I'll get your instrument and if you're sure you have everything, we need to go on the road now."
Vector…
The chameleon was happy to see the crocodile after so long. But there was still the case of everything he learned last night. Learning that he loved Vector in such a way beyond friendship created this facade of tension that was invisible to the eye. How could Espio even tell- no, he could NEVER tell the crocodile about this. The crocodile was the type of person who attracted many women from his time at games and at parties Espio went to alongside the chameleon. The thought of Vector loving another man… preposterous!
It was almost the complete opposite of Espio, some… abomination of nature, who had his sights only on men like Vector. Yet, despite all his shame, here he was, wearing the sweater Vector had gotten for the chameleon, alongside the beanie and shoes he was gifted for Christmas and the Magatama necklace over his neck from the Shijin Shrine Priest.
It almost felt like a mystery, considering that in spite of everything, he was still excited to see his roommate and best friend after a week of vacation.
"Mind, you never can decide what I TRULY want when it comes to how I currently feel about Vector, can you?" Espio thought to himself. It did, however, think of what he wanted at that moment, because his stomach just growled.
"Valdez-san, are we going to have breakfast before we leave?" Espio asked.
"Actually, I was meaning to talk to you about that. The reason we woke up so early is because I've been meaning to have a second semester orientation with you and all the other students who are part of the Foreign Exchange Student program. I was actually going to stop by a doughnut chain and pick up several boxes for you and the others. You'll help me carry them to the room we're meeting, right?" Valdez replied. Espio nodded, even though he hadn't a clue what a 'dou-nut' was.
"Good. Now, we should start packing this in my car. Are you sure you have EVERYTHING you want to bring, right? If you forget, let me know and I'll come back here to get it for you."
Espio thought back to everything in his school bag, the boxes by his feet, and the other things Valdez had. School Books and notebooks, utensils, all his gifts, other unrelated things like his postcards and such…
"I believe that's everything," Espio said.
"Okay, then let's leave now. I'll lead the way, just follow me to my car."
With that, Valdez grabbed the Appalachian dulcimer case and started to walk out of the apartment, Espio following behind. He wasn't sure what today was going to bring, but he was hoping no one would suspect a single thing about his newly discovered status. If so… Heaven forbid…
MEANWHILE
Vector turned right on the highway, going up the interstate as he followed his GPS back to Mobius U. While he was glad to be back for his second semester, days away from playing the College Bowl; the very last football related event for the entire season, glad to see his friends and his fellow teammates, most especially Espio… it was that last part that brought the quarterback conflict mentally.
At this point, he could no longer deny his feelings, especially over the long break where his longing for the chameleon only grew and grew. But he knew compared to people in Central Mobius, where LGBT people were talked about openly, Espio hadn't a clue about same sex romance. If he was behind about over a hundred years societal wise, the crocodile could only imagine how it would go if he confessed his love to the chameleon, the pure definition of "tradition".
Vector shook his head as he grasped his hands on the wheel.
"Yer thinkin' too much 'bout this, Vector. Maybe he doesn't have to know," he said to himself. But it was a lie wrapped in assurance. In fact, his guardian angels were in a constant state of, " TELL HIM '', "DON'T TELL HIM'. Plus, now that it was January, it wouldn't be long before Espio returned to Gojo. And when he did, the chameleon would be gone forever, and Vector would kick himself for being too much of a coward to confess his feelings. How rich it would be; the big strong man on campus, everyone's oh-so-adored quarterback, too afraid of confessing his feelings to a man he only just met months ago-
From behind Vector, a horn blared as the crocodile's eyes widened. He realized he had slowed down on the fast highway, and quickly accelerated on the pedal. With his car quickly getting back to speed, Vector sighed as he saw he still had quite a lot of time left until he arrived at Mobius U.
"Mighty always said it best, ride the waves of life and see where it takes you," he said. It was always a motto the peace loving armadillo lived by, although he couldn't help but feel like Mighty got that from somewhere else…
But there was truth. Maybe he would confess his feelings, maybe not. Only time could tell how the future would go, but for now, he was in a very massive state of indecisiveness.
Before going back to pay attention to the road, he picked up his phone and opened up his messages, seeing the last message from Espio telling him that he returned from Gojo. If anything, he was at least happy to hear about how his trip went.
"Who woulda thought that of all the people I've had a crush on, yeh'd be the most nerve wrackin' of them all…"
SOME TIME LATER AT MOBIUS U
Espio had just finished helping Valdez set up one of the classrooms in the D building, displaying the doughnut boxes as well as organizing the desks and chairs. He immediately took his seat after he was done, sighing as he waited for the other transfer students that he hadn't even had one interaction with to arrive.
He still had yet to put away all his things, as the two chameleon's left it all back at his and Vector's dorm. The crocodile still hadn't arrived, since Espio and Valdez were rather early to arrive. In fact, he hadn't even seen Jewel either, and the chameleon knew she would be up at the crack of dawn to help out on anything, nor the rest of his friends for that matter.
With a sigh, Espio turned to face the doughnut that Valdez let him have. Judging by the blue chameleon using his hands, Espio realized this was yet ANOTHER thing from the Outside World that he had to eat with his hands. But luckily, thanks to Mark, he didn't have to do such an unsanitary action anymore!
Opening up the front of his back and pulling out the unopened chopstick set the tapir got him, the chameleon opened it up and pulled out a red pair. Placing it to his side, he gave a quick, "Itadakimasu", before picking them back up and grabbing the doughnut with them. Happy that he now had something he could avoid doing, the chameleon took his first bite of the doughnut, finding that it was both bread-like and as sweet as Thorn's cake. There was some sort of cream around it that, the more Espio chewed, the sweeter it became.
Remembering how much his father loved sweets, and Espio's own love of dango, he was thankful that his father passed on his love of sweets to his son so that he could enjoy this delicious breakfast…
...even if it left him oddly thirsty.
As he continued to slowly bite his doughnut, people were now starting to enter the classroom. Espio could see that dragon girl he saw on his first day, a few dark-skinned Overlanders in clothing he didn't recognize, other mobians walking in either speaking the some of the same languages as their fellow transfer students, or some keeping to themselves, the main connection between them all being that they all spoke languages Espio didn't even recognize.
He continued to watch from afar as some stood around, talking with Valdez or taking a doughnut and a seat as they waited for the orientation to begin, Espio himself wondering if he should have another doughnut even though he didn't want to get full-
"Espio? Is that you, Espio?!"
"Hm?"
The chameleon turned around, the last bit of doughnut in his chopsticks left uneaten as he looked to see who the accented person was that called his name. That's when he gawked, because standing at the door frame was Thorn, with Bow, Alan, Munch, and Buck all behind her.
"Oh! It is!" Bow exclaimed, rushing past the lop rabbit and quickly walking over to his friend and shaking his free hand. "How are ya doing, Espio? Whoa, hey! Look at you!" He looked down at the Green Forest High sweater Espio had on. "Nice jumper! Where'd ya get it at?"
The chameleon softly smiled, glad to see that the sparrow was in such a good mood. At least he could take his mind off Vector if he talked to his friends instead of overthinking about the crocodile.
"Ah… Vector got it… fo-for me," Espio replied just as the other four walked by Bow.
"And that necklace! It's beautiful!" Thorn awed. "It fits you a lot! Were you gifted that too?"
"It reminds me of the ones I wear," Buck replied, Espio noticing a gold necklace with a familiar winged angel in the middle of the chain. "But it must have been a blessing to have friends think about you at a time like this. It was a shame we couldn't meet before we left this country. Vector told us that you had a lot to drink and that you were passed out."
Espio's face fell, remembering how the crocodile had to answer for his friends. He bowed. "I'm sorry…"
"Nah, dun be, mate," Munch replied. "You shouldda seen people crawlin' outta 'da pub after New Year's parties back home. At least one o' 'em tresspasses on mah family's wheat field and dad's gotta chase 'em off. Happens more often than ya think."
"O-Oh! How was… M… Me…" Espio put his finger on his lip, trying to remember the name of where his friends were from.
"Mercia?" Thorn asked. "Oh, it was great! Finally getting to go on holiday back home was a treat, even if we came back to an even snowier place than this country."
"Yeah, I had to help dad shovel out snow the second I got back home," Bow said. "We all pretty much got busy the moment we got back to Avalon."
Espio turned his head. "A… Ava… lon?"
The five turned towards each other.
"Wait, d'ya not know where we live in Mercia? I don't think we've ever once said it to ya, mate!" Alan realized, finally speaking up.
"Vector said some p-place… co-called Sn… Sno… It has h-ham in it."
"Ohh!" Buck realized. "I think Vector assumed we lived in Snottingham! No no, we live about an hour or so away from there! Well… I mean, we all did go to the University of Snottingham last year-"
"But nah, we're from Avalon!" Alan added. "Couldn't want it any other way. As vast as this city like Snottingham or even Central City is, nothing beats ol' small villages like ours! Which reminds me, how was your Christmas holiday?"
"Good. And yours?" Espio replied, proud that he was able to quickly remember that.
"Glad to hear!" Bow added. "Ours was great too! When we got back home, the whole town square was decorated up and down just like it is around this time of year. Everyone was abuzz gettin' ready for the evening, then later we all went to Christmas mass. Buck here even got to read some of the scripture and the rest of us got to be with the rest of the musicians."
"Really?" Espio was now interested, wondering how other people celebrated Christmas aside from what he learned from seeing Vector and the others do and tell him.
Buck nodded. "I had a lot to do that night. From helping pass out candy canes to the children to quell them during service, then being asked by our priest to help lead in both song and scripture reading, despite me only being an acolyte. It was my first ever time doing so after years of being an altar boy. I was absolutely nervous, you couldn't imagine! It's one thing doing mock sermons in class, it's another when you ACTUALLY have to give a sermon about the birth of the Pillars of Gaia in front of the people you grew up with."
"But that's why y'got us, Buck!" Thorn smiled. "Without it, you'd been a wreck!"
The deer continued. "And why I continued to help lead our carols after mass, all five of us playing instruments and caroling out of the church with the rest of our town to the centre as we awaited for midnight for the birth of Solaris' children, even if Bow and Alan carried the singing the whole way."
"Don' be giving us too much credit! Y'know Bow and I been helping y' get better with your singing over the last couple of months!" Alan interrupted. "Why d'ya think we've let y' sing our carols here?"
"Oi, shut yer gob and let Buck tell his story to Espio…" Munch added, a little annoyed at the interruption.
"Right," Buck nodded at the quail and rat, then back at the chameleon. "I could remember it so clearly, the sky slowly getting less cloudy and finally clearing at midnight, allowin' us to see the stars of the night sky as we all continued to sing and play music in unison. The stars represent the tears of the two Pillars of Gaia, Light and Dark, being born from His hands as the moon glowed, given as a present to Him and His children by the guardian angels of Solaris, only growing brighter by showing our singing to Him as I strummed my lyre…"
The deer sniffed as he wiped a sole tear. "I still get emotional just thinking about it. Such a powerful scene it was… at least, until the children started to decorate my antlers with ornaments. I've always reminded them that I'm not a reindeer every Christmas and yet still they always insist on doing it. I suppose I'm no better for letting them perhaps..."
"And after that, Espio, we had such a big feast filled with so much to eat fer everyone, I sure had mah fill!" Munch guffawed, the whiskers on his snout bouncing as he laughed. "So many of our cooks work so hard, and our family too provides ingredients for them! A shame I wasn't able to help much cause we were at uni…"
"Oi, didn't your mum and dad say it was okay, Munch?" Bow replied. "Ya heard them!"
The copper rat's face slightly fell. "I know, but ya can't help but feel just a lil' bad…"
"But it WAS a good feast no? I sure gorged on Yorkshire pudding!" Alan said, grinning at the rat. "And still had it in me to sing m'little heart out!"
The rat playfully rolled his eyes at the black quail before looking back.
"...okay, yeh got me. And yeah, yeh kept it up all night. Somehow it wasn't shot by the mornin'. 'Dunno how you actually do it."
"It's called tea and lozenges, mate!"
"Hey, dun be forgettin' about how the town had our gift exchange!" Thorn added. "It was almost in perfect synchronization! I admit, I found it hard to keep up…"
"It's moments of togetherness like we celebrate in Avalon that I always have such a love for this time of year, alongside the celebration of the mother earth goddess, Gaia, born from Solaris. It's why He made this day for us to be with the ones we love and for us to show our love and devotion to others," Buck said, the deer putting his hand to his chest. "And it's a feeling all over the world. Being outside of Avalon for the first time, especially in Central Mobius, I see that people here celebrate it just like we do. Of course… there ARE some things I disagree with, such as seeing how rampant buying seems to be what matters more to some, but for the most part, seeing every place and person on this planet show love and appreciation for a holiday like that… It brings a smile to my face. I'm hoping you enjoyed your first Christmas, Espio."
Espio nodded, happy to not only have these five in his life, but to have them entertain him and talk about how things were like where they were from. It was so fascinating learning so much, so much of the Outside World he was still painfully unaware of despite his time being in it. "Y-yes. Thank you all for your gi-gifts," he said, bowing. "I loved it."
"That's amazing to hear!" Thorn said. "We all tried our best to come up with something you might like."
"Yeah, yeh all did, but bollocks if I had any idea what to get yeh…" Munch said. "I saw all four o' yeh with such good ideas, I haddta rush to Mighty to think of SOMETHIN'."
Espio couldn't help but feel amused. He knew the rat tried his best in the end. "Thorn, your ce-cake was good. Vector, Na-Knuckles, Mighty, Mark, and Valdez o-all like it," he said to the lop.
"You're too kind, Espio," she replied, her head turning and ears flopping. "I'm happy to hear you 'oll loved it. It was m' nan's recipe and I always loved it when she made it around this time of year…" Espio could see Thorn's face slightly fall before she went back to her usual self. "I was worried I didn't get the flavour right, but I'm happy to hear it went great!"
"What 'bout me, mate?" Alan replied, holding onto his lute. "Y'give the dulcimer a shot?"
"I still find it shockin' yeh actually got 'im one'na those…" Munch said.
"You can't deny Espio would be great at it, ain't that roight?"
"E-Eeh…" Espio looked around, realizing he was being put on the spot about the instrument. "I… u-use it… sou-sometimes."
"Yeh actually tried it? How'd ya like it? Great, huh? I asked mum for some advice on them and I'd be happy to teach ya how to play it if ya want tonight!"
"O-oh…" Espio wondered if he should. As much as he wanted to be with Vector, there was still the very large elephant in the room he was hiding from his friends. Maybe some time away from Vector could get his mind to stop thinking about the crocodile for a bit. "Okay."
"Great! Y'know, on that note, I actually told mum 'bout ya when I got home! She said it was really surprising that there were chameleons in Central Mobius. Y'only really see them in Yurashia, she said!"
Chameleons… in Yurashia? There weren't just people with same gender love in the Outside World… but other chameleons like him? Could… could they have some connection to the Shinobi Clan just like the ones from Gojo? Mother always said that only the chameleons of the Shinobi Clan could be found in the Historic District. Shaking his head, Espio mentally changed the subject.
"I fo-forgot… I go to Yurashia," Espio said, remembering that only Vector knew of his return to Gojo and thought his friends would like to know. Sure enough, they took interest and listened and asked as Espio told them about his village, his family, and how his New Year's went, omitting the VERY obvious details out of it.
"I'm glad to see you passed it well with your family," Buck said. "Still, 108 rings of a bell… how interesting… Is that how your religion celebrates the New Year?"
Espio nodded as he suddenly realized he almost forgot something.
"Oh, please wait!" he said, quickly grabbing his bag and opening up the front. He brought out all the postcards he wrote and shuffled through them all, picking out the right ones and holding them out for his Mercian transfer student friends.
"This is fo-for you."
"For us? Wow, you shouldn't have!" Bow said as the five grabbed their postcard. They looked at it blankly with smiles on their faces, Espio awaiting a response as he sat awkwardly.
"So uh…" Alan said, breaking the silence. "What does it say?"
"Ah!" Espio placed his chopsticks down and got up from his seat, pointing his finger at the quail's postcard. "This is-"
"-a New Year's saying from Yurashia," a sudden voice said as he pointed at the characters alongside Espio. The fuschia chameleon could see that it was Valdez.
"今年もよろしく、
お願いします"
"Kotoshimo yoroshiku, onegaishimasu. It means that Espio hopes that you'll continue your good relationship with him into the New Year," Valdez continued. "And look, he even wrote all your names too."
"Is that what it says?" Thorn asked. "Mr. Valdez, Espio here is far too generous! He's an absolute saint if y' ask me."
"You know Valdez?" Espio asked.
"Of course. Your friends here are a part of the same program you're a part of, Espio-kun," Valdez replied in Japanese.
"Why didn't I see them on the first day?"
"He's asking why he never saw you despite being in the program as him," Valdez said, changing to English.
"Oh roight…" Munch mused. "Yeah, we WERE here on day one… but…"
"We…all got… a lil' lost…" Bow embarrassed, confessed. He rubbed the back of his head. "Bein' outside of Mercia for the first time period, we had to fight with stuff like money, how to get here period, it's a miracle we were on time."
"Well, anyway, we're about ready to start orientation, so you five go on and take a seat. Of course, if you want something to eat, I've provided doughnuts for you all," Valdez said before walking off.
"We'll speak after we're done here, mate!" Alan said as the five walked to the other side of the room, just as the blue chameleon looked around and clapping his hands together.
"Okay, so I'm seeing twenty people in this room! That's good, it means we're all here!" Valdez began as all the transfer students directed their attention to him. "First, I want to say welcome back to Mobius U. I'm hoping your winter break was good and it was what you needed after the midterm and finals season. For those of you who are completely new to Central Mobius, I'm very happy to see that you've been able to traverse around campus as well as interact with peers. You've all been setting great examples representing the places that you're from. Whether it be an Eastern Mobius zone like Mercia or Lost Hex-"
Espio could see Bow and his friends all looking at one another.
"A Northern Mobius zone like Yurashia, Chun-Nan, or Shamar-"
The chameleon couldn't help but feel noticed when Valdez mentioned their home country.
"A zone in Western Mobius like Spagonia and Apatos, to Southern Mobius zones like Mazuri, Leonus, and Vesuvio, you all standing here in front of me today have a long road ahead as you continue your studies. Of course, I'm still going to be here providing as much help as I possibly can, but I want you to know that I'm proud of how far you've been coming along and how you've been utilizing student resources for help. I've even seen some of you join athletics or extracurricular activities such as the clubs we offer here, which shows me that you all feel very comfortable with your students from the United Federation, even those who told me that they felt uncomfortable after their first week, be proud when you told me before break that you were able to make at least one friend."
Just now, before Valdez continued… there was a name Espio wasn't familiar with. What was that place? It wasn't answered, as Valdez continued talking about new changes coming to Mobius U, as well as events and dates. Finally, after almost ten minutes of going on, Valdez finished.
"Well, if you have any general questions, please feel free to ask me at any time," he said as he turned around. "But I'm going to pass out your class schedules now. It's the same deal as last year, and I'm hoping you've managed to get your textbooks. If you don't, you know the bookstore is open at the student store in the K building from 8 to 5PM, Monday through Saturday."
With that, Valdez handed Espio his schedule, the chameleon seeing that he had some of the same classes that he had last semester, such as Advanced English Literature, Algebra and Psychology I, as well as his weekly ESOL lessons, but there were some new ones were in his schedule, such as Public Speaking 101 and Mobius History and Geography. Valdez briefly explained it to him when the two went over classes, but he could only wonder what they were like as classes.
Finally, with Valdez done, he went back to the front of the room.
"Well, now that you all have your schedules, there's just one thing left!" he said. Then, the blue chameleon brought out his phone. "Since beginning my program, at the start of every second semester, I've always taken a picture of the students to commemorate how far you all have come along with studying here. So please, can I ask that everyone go to the front of the class so I can get their picture?"
En masse, everyone began to rise from their seats as Espio wondered what was going on. It was then that he saw everyone coming together as Valdez called out, "Espio-kun! Join the others!"
With that, the chameleon walked by the group, standing besides the female green dragon and an overlander in clothes Espio hadn't seen-
"Ah, Shadi, Dulcy, could you two move aside a little? Espio's hidden behind you guys," Valdez said as the brown skinned Overlander and green dragon respectively gave the chameleon some space.
"Good! Now let's see…" Valdez took a step back as he held up his phone. "Alan, you're a little out of frame. Move to your right just a bit… no no, YOUR right... just behind Thorn… perfect! Okay, give me a big smile you all!"
With that, all twenty mobian and Overlander students gave a smile of some kind as Valdez took a picture of the students.
"Was that good, Mr. Valdez?" asked a female transfer student from Mazuri.
"You all did great! That's it for now! Since today is Sunday, you don't have class, but be sure to check over everything to make sure there aren't any errors on your schedule come tomorrow. If there are, go to Student Services-"
By this point, Espio had gone back to the desk he sat at and grabbed his bag and his schedule. He looked over his schedule once more, seeing that he had the same classes as last semester for Monday, Wednesday, or Friday. That's when suddenly he felt someone looking over his shoulder, turning around to see Alan looking at his schedule.
"Oi, is that Public Speakin' on Tuesdays an' every other day after?" he asked. "Buck, what days do ya got Public Speaking?"
The light brown cervine looked down at his schedule. "Erm… it says… Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 10 in the morning."
"Yeah! Then it looks like y'got the same time and days as Espio fer that class!"
Buck smiled. "Well, I'm happy to see we'll be havin' the same class, Espio. Public speaking would be a tremendous way to help you with English, and I'd be happy to help out in any way I can. Of course, when it comes to actually dealing with an audience, I'm afraid I can't help you much there, nor can I pull you away from the spotlight with a cane should you get stage fright."
Espio looked at the deer's schedule, seeing the same Public Speaking times. He was glad to see his friend in another of his classes at least.
"What are you du-doing to… today?" Espio asked, still trying to get his mind off Vector, who was now slowly starting to come back to his mind.
"Well… we attended mass earlier this morning…" the deer mused. "Which is something we don't always get to do together as Bow and the others aren't always available on Sunday mornings. Aside from that… Any plans for you all?"
The four shrugged. "Asides from helpin' Espio with m'gift, not really! Just been busy writing new songs with that journal he got me!" Alan began.
"I'll need to check with Mighty and the others, since wrestlin' ends in February. I shouldda asked when we get back on schedule cause I haven't been told yet…" Munch added, with Bow and Thorn having no commitments period.
"Well, it seems like we'll just be resting for the day. I'm sure you're very excited to see your other friends, so we don't want to take up all your time, Espio. Still, it was a blessing to see you after coming from holiday and seeing you in good health," Buck said as his friends and Espio walked out of the classroom. "And thank you for the generous card, it was thoughtful of you to think 'bout us while you were in Yurashia."
"Of co-course. You are welcome," Espio bowed.
"We'll let ya get back to your day, but it was great to see ya again! Cheers!" Bow said, waving and walking off, the other four saying their goodbyes (Buck and Thorn wishing him farewell until their next classes together, Alan strumming his lute and singing his goodbye, and Munch dragging the black quail away but not before slapping the transfer student's shoulder playfully) as Espio softly waved back at the group. The chameleon sighed happily, glad to share a moment with the five. It was the sole time today he completely forgot about the night terror he had this morning and his thoughts about Vector, something that slowly started to creep back up as he continued to watch Bow and his friends walk away. For a very brief second, Espio wondered if he should chase after his friends and tell them-
Espio closed his eyes. What was he thinking?! He told himself last night AND this morning he wasn't going to tell anyone what was going on, and considering this was a group of FIVE people, there would have been NO way he could have the courage to tell them. As far as he knew, the less people who knew, the better…
Now starting to feel hollow again like he did this morning, Espio knew all he could do was either return to the dorm to finish unpacking or check up on the rest of his friends, deciding on the former. He just hoped that the feeling he was getting would stop slowly creeping up his body, its presence demanding the chameleon's attention…
With a pile of boxes at his feet, Vector took a deep breath as he got out his ID. Sure enough, behind this door would be the person he had been both excited and dreading to see after so long. He had been through so much this semester already, and yet, if there was something that gave him cold feet, it would be seeing Espio again. Vector could feel his heart beat in his ears, getting faster as his hands got closer to the scanner of the door.
"Gah… damn it!" the crocodile said, pulling his hand away from the scanner. "C'mon Vec, yeh can do this! What about seein' yer friend is so HARD?!"
But he knew why. He wanted to be closer to said 'friend', closer than friends normally are. The quarterback could hear Monk's voice clear in his mind from that terrible day back in December.
"Friends… dun act that way…" he thought to himself before shaking his head. "Nah, enough of that. Yer strong. Yer a champion, and ya got the bestest friend yeh could ever imagine. Yeh ain't a coward. And I'm gonna prove it."
With bated breath, Vector quickly scanned his ID and opened the door, putting on a big smile for Espio and to hide his internal struggle.
"Heya, I'm back fro-"
Vector opened his eyes, realizing that… Espio wasn't there.
"Espio? Ya here?..."
The crocodile walked inside, looking around to see where his friend was. There were multiple boxes on the floor, including the dulcimer case, so he was here at one point. However… the chameleon had vanished. Where was he?
"Are ya playin' a joke, bud?" Vector asked, in the hopes that Espio would hear him. However, no one answered.
"...guess he's not around. Might as well use this time to unpack,"
With that, Vector returned back to the hall and picked up his boxes and placed them inside the dorm. As he opened up the first box, he saw the calendar Espio had gifted him and went to replace last year's calendar. Taking out the thumbtack on the bulletin board and letting the calendar fall to the floor, he stuck the Downunda Gators' calendar to the board as he couldn't help but reflect on his dilemma again. It wouldn't be too long before the two reptiles met again, and what would he do then? The thought of him having to suppress these feelings hurt the crocodile, not being fair to him or to Espio.
"He deserves to know at least… but I can't. I've made such a good friend, I dun wanna lose him…" Vector said to himself. Never once had he had such a dilemma with any girl he dated in the past. But this feeling… it was stronger than any of his past relationships. The butterflies in his stomach only seemed to flutter faster as he thought about that fuschia reptile, one as unique as Espio. From the day they first met, Vector wondered why he was specifically chosen to lead the incredibly confused Espio around Mobius U, completely foreign to the concept of anything outside of what he grew up with. But as they continued being around one another, as he was by Espio learning new things about life, the crocodile began to understand just why.
If there was anyone who could have changed his life for the better… it was Espio. They both learned from one another, experienced so much, and now, the crocodile could easily say Espio was the person he's felt closest to in the longest time, despite only knowing each other since August. Their relationship was a special one, one he wouldn't change for the world.
One that was threatened… should the wrong time come to confess how he felt.
"I need to tell him some day…" Vector thought to himself. "Maybe… maybe today even…"
TO BE CONTINUED...
