"AAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!" Frankie screamed, crunching up his empty cup noodles while Kaito continued shoveling his into his mouth, concernedly glancing Frankie's way as he ate.

"Brg brr…" He said as he slurped down the last of his noodles. "What's wrong? We've taken care of Pyra and Mythra's case, you got that social security situation taken care of, we got 'em an order for a passport, beautiful quick thinking there, by the way, and Mythra's gonna show off her cooking skills later! There's…" Kaito paused and swallowed slightly in a guilty manner. "There's nothing to worry about presently…"

"Kaito, Pyra and I shared a bed. We cuddled in bed. It has not even been a full week yet. There is a shapeshifting woman currently living with me, and we've been sharing intimate moments like we've known each other since… well… whenever the heck time period they come from in the first place!" Frankie threw his cup to the ground and smashed it in a flustered rage. "I don't even know what all these connections her and I have as Blade and Driver or whatever are even supposed to mean! So far I put my hand so close to her chest, I'm practically touching her chi-chis and lets us all go on a sexy mushroom samba, I get to look into her dreams and now Mythra is calling me her boyfriend in front of a live studio audience like- GAAAAHHHHH!!!"

"Frankie, it's okay, just calm down… breathe…" Kaito hugged him snugly as Frankie breathed harshly, hugging him back in the process. "Well… you don't mind any of those things, I bet, do you?"

"Th-that's not important. Even if it was a definitive answer, I'd still be worried about disappointing either of them. Do you know what I said to her when you let us sleep in your room? I said 'I like older women' like some kind of PUTO! Heaven forbid she actually heard me… lord have mercy, I feel like I'm in a Disney movie… you think Pyra would like Frozen? Or Mythra be fond of them at all?"

"Well, I think if we keep her away from Chicken Little, we should be in the clear." Kaito teased as he rubbed his big brother's back.

"I don't know if Mythra or Pyra really understand the gravity of what it is they just said. I commended her for quick thinking as we were leaving the building, but now it's just… I'm thinking about things now that I have the freedom to do so and I don't know how to feel about any of it… w-well… I mean Pyra isn't all… a-and - Mythra's cool but…"

"Friends with benefits are a thing, you know…" Kaito snidely commented as Frankie pushed him away, teetering the younger man a bit, but still keeping his balance.

"You and Miko are something else, honest to God… you didn't even know Pyra existed until I brought her up to the both of you and you were all, 'Ahoy, me hearties! Batten down the hatches, hoist the anchor, and raise the sails, this ship be setting sail!' I mean, what do you think this is, one of your shounen anime? Who's the main character, cuz it's certainly not me!"

"Are you done yet?" Kaito asked teasingly. Frankie stood in silence for a bit as millions upon millions of thoughts entered his brain. It drove him mad. Nuts, even.

"I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts, deedeleedeedeedee~ there they are a-standing in a row~ big ones, small ones, some as big as your head! Give 'em a twist, a flick of the wrist, that's what the showman said!~" He sang to himself as he shook himself back to reality.

"Now?"

"Yeah… sorry…" Frankie took a deep breath as he returned to a serious composure. "Kaito… I don't even really know what they want. That's one of my biggest problems with this whole thing. I wake them up from a super long nap, take them indoors with me, turns out there's two of them, they have nightmares I don't fully understand and just… is this a Blade and Driver issue or just… person and person…?" Frankie asked

"Well, big bro, the way I see it, you're doing just fine as you are now. I mean, Miko and I aren't teasing you and Pyra in particular for no reason… and I'm sure Miko's giving Mythra the time of her life as we speak… but whether this is a professional or personal relationship, I think it's safe to say that you should just keep doing what you're doing." Frankie turned away in thought, shifting his feet awkwardly as he took a deep breath.

"I… still wanna know more about them…" He said.

"Then you do your part, and Miko and I will do our part! We got plenty of time to get all that done. They're counting on you, after all, big bro." Kaito exclaimed.

"Right… our parts…" Frankie nodded in understanding as he calmed himself down.

"Wanna get an ice cream while we wait a little longer, big bro?"

"…Chocolate dipped waffle cone with sprinkles? Grasshoper and Rocky Road?"

"And whipped cream and M 's on top."

"O-okay…" Frankie smiled lightly as he and Kaito made their way to the ice cream shop in the plaza.

—————————————————————————

"Are you almost done in there?! My god, Pyra wasn't THIS bad!" Miko hollered from outside the dressing room of the clothing store they had chosen.

"Oh, well excuse me! I'm not the one who grabbed a whole metric ton of fabric and dumped it in my hands like I was some kind of pack mule!" Mythra hollered from the inside.

"If you had just packed a change of clothes before you got reawakened, we wouldn't need to be doing this, you mean old banana!"

"It doesn't work like that, you pint sized doofus…" Mythra responded.

"She's not THAT bad, Mythra…" Pyra called to her.

"Yeah, don't act like you weren't thinking the exact same thing the moment you first laid eyes on her…" Mythra silently answered back.

"I know more or less the difference between your and Pyra's sizes… so just take what you like so we can get it over with already…" Miko flashed her a smug smile she couldn't see. "Besides… your boyfriend is waiting for you, I'm sure…"

"I-I said what I said because I had no other choice! We were already in deep shit, and I didn't want things to escalate any further!"

"Oh, Mythra, it's okay, you can tell me. The heart knows what it wants!"

"You shut your face… I mean, yeah, I felt relieved up there after all was taken care of, but- it was just a slip of the tongue, you simpleton!"

"Hahah… you keep telling yourself whatever you want, Mythra, it was obvious enough with Pyra, now it's not even trying to hide with you…"

"I'm gonna give you til the count of three…"

"Oh yeah, I can totally see it… if you'll permit me to steal a line from a childhood favorite of mine, 'He's tons of fun, and you're no fun at all, he completes you…'" Miko completed a heart with her hands as she batted her eyelashes rapidly at an obscured Mythra.

"OKAY THAT DOES IT!" Mythra swung the door wide open, revealing herself to be dressed up in a plain brown shirt that almost covered her core crystal, but not completely, topped off with a long blue skirt that draped all the way down to her feet, completely covering them up, Miko was very impressed.

"Ooo la-la, now THAT is a good fit for you, Frankie's gonna love love LOVE it!" Miko shimmied herself in excitement, stopping Mythra's plan of attack instantly and causing her to slink in backwards to the changing room.

"Sh-shut up… I don't care what that Dummy thinks of me…" She murmured as she shifted her eyes shyly away from the smaller woman.

"Mythra, you're too much like I was back in high school… now let's get these all rung up and meet back with Frankie and Kaito, huh? Who knows, maybe he'll take you up on your offer…" Miko winked cheekily at Mythra, who growled in response, following behind grudgingly.

"You think he will, Mythra…?" Pyra asked hopefully.

"Priorities, Pyra… Priorities…" Mythra responded back.

—————————————————————————

Just as before, Frankie couldn't take his eyes off Mythra as she showed up in her new outfit. Kaito and Miko snickered as the Blade and Driver duo stared off awkwardly at each other before giving the smaller couple annoyed glares.

"Awww, Kaito, they even make the same faces, they ARE perfect for each other!" Miko cooed teasingly.

"Guess the proof really is in the pudding… Pyra is Pyra no matter what she looks like!" Kaito exclaimed

"Er- uh…" Frankie and Mythra turned to each other again in embarrassment and fiddled around with their faces in an attempt to differentiate them, but they just ended up looking ridiculous.

"I-it IS entirely possible for a guy and a girl to be friends, you know…" Mythra said, scratching her nose nervously.

"Oh, we know, but that's not what's going on here, is it?" Miko asked, putting her hands behind her back and swaying her hips from side to side innocently. Mythra sneered at the smaller girl while Frankie just licked his ice cream to cool himself off.

This caught Mythra's attention. It…it couldn't be. It looked solid but so smooth at the same time. Piled high, but just structurally sound enough to look presentable. And all those colors… did each one have a different flavor? She turned away to ignore the temptation, but the warm inviting smell of freshly baked waffle cone and the enticing scent of mint mixed with the oh so delectable embrace of chocolate… it was too much to bear.

"W-what do you call that thing, Frank?" She asked nervously.

"Hm?" Frankie turned to face her yet again, she had caught him mid-lick, looking like a little puppy before he returned to normal. "O-oh, it's ice cream, it's… one of my favorite desserts. I wanted to get some for Pyra and I some day but-"

"W-well… I AM Pyra… technically, speaking…" Mythra interrupted nervously.

"So you're keen in reminding us so many times…" Kaito commented before being shushed by Miko to see what would happen next.

"You… wanna try some, Mythra?" Frankie offered. Mythra took the cone away from Frankie and inspected it closely, unsure what to really make of this soft serve delicacy. All she knew was that it was pretty and smelled divine. The more she stared, the less she cared… and proceeded to take a big bite right where Frankie had just finished licking, taking some of the candy topping in the process. Her smile would've been so very wide if not for her puffed out cheeks, it was the first time any of them had seen her so genuinely pleased. Frankie in particular was waiting for her verbal reaction… Kaito and Miko on the other hand…

"ThatwasanindirectkissThatwasanindirectkissThatwasanindirectkiss THAT WAS AN INDIRECT KISS!!!!!!!!!" They excitedly thought to themselves as Mythra continued to indulge. At last swallowing and wiping the whipped cream mustache on her upper lip, she looked down at the frozen dessert in big wide eyes.

"Frankie, that was amazing! Pyra was right, you've got awesome taste!" She said excitedly.

"O-oh, she said that, huh…? W-well, I just like to eat, what can I say…?"

"What can you say? How about… the perfect combination of mint and chocolate is an absolute thrill to invigorate the taste buds, the whipping cream delivers such a marvelous contrast that makes it so wonderful to get back to when you need a break from the near freezing temperature of the dessert itself and the candy is such a nice touch, this is the height of luxury!" Mythra twirled and danced around merrily as she explained her feelings dutifully. Frankie couldn't help but laugh at her antics. At this point he didn't care if Mythra was Pyra or not. All he saw was a happy little lady who knew how to appreciate the little things in life, now he had confidence going forward.

"Wow… and I thought Pyra was the foodie…" Kaito intoned.

"And the similarities just go on and on and on…" Miko whispered into his ear, getting a chuckle out of him.

"Frankie! We're going to the market right now! We need a quart of both of these ice creams and these toppings for after dinner so we can all enjoy them as they rightfully should be in all their frozen glo-!!!" Mythra stopped suddenly and fell to her knees. Ther small crowd around her gasped collectively and came to her side quickly

"Mythra! Are you okay?!" Frankie asked worriedly while Miko patted around her in concern.

"Mythra! Come on, talk to us!" Kaito exclaimed.

"ᶜʳᵃᵐᵖ…" She moaned.

"W-wha…?" Frankie asked just as Mythra shot her head up in pain, holding onto it and screaming towards the sky.

"HEADCRAMP!!!!!!!" She then shifted awkwardly from side to side as the trio of humans let out a collective relieved sigh.

"Guess she forgot about brain freeze for a second there…" Miko guessed.

"And here I thought this kind of stuff only happened in the cartoons…" Frankie intoned as he pet Mythra's head to comfort her.

"Th-this doesn't change our dessert plans, does it?" Mythra asked hopefully. Frankie chuckled in amusement as he patted her head now.

"Absolutely not. Let's get that ice cream and head on home for the day… we all need it." He said.

"Mhm, mhm…" Mythra responded as they all helped her up and made their way over for their last stop of the day.

The supermarket.

"And this establishment has everything we'd need?" Mythra boldly observed the outside of the rather large building before them, like a pirate captain watching the seas before them.

"Yep. You think you're gonna find everything okay?" Frankie asked as Kaito and Miko went to grab a shopping cart.

"Hmph, obviously. You've seen Pyra cook, and so as the older Blade, I have knowledge that far supersedes her in these matters!" She crossed her arms and pointed her nose to the sky.

"...Mythra…" Pyra wondered if she should interject, but didn't know quite how to.

Mythra breathed in and out through her nose as stared down the supermarket with brimming confidence.

Confidence that was immediately and visibly shattered the moment she actually stepped into the building.

Her continued lack of knowledge of the ways of this new world were one thing, but with how overwhelming the store was, with so many people walking around, so many rows and rows of items with colorful packaging, the bright lights, the slightly odd smell, the music that seemingly came from out of nowhere, it felt so…daunting.

That all combined with the sinking realization that she was never good at this sort of thing in her own time meant that her unbreakably assured smile was now incredibly shaky with a cold sweat breaking on the face that surrounded it.

"Mythra…" Pyra's tone was slightly harsher and more pointed.

"Sh-shut up! I know what I'm doing!" She snapped back.

"So…where to go first?" Kaito rolled the cart playfully next to where Mythra was standing.

"I uh…well I…uh…you see…we…uh…gotta go…over…there…" Mythra stammered somewhat helplessly, not even pointing in a direction.

"She has absolutely no idea what she's doing." Miko walked up to Kaito's side as Kaito signaled for her to hold off on the comments.

"Ixnay on the o-Nay ay-way…" He muttered to Miko before turning his attention back to Mythra, "So…what are you gonna make when we get back?" Kaito asked a leading question, his experience in journalism showing through.

"Ch-chicken! I know we're making chicken!" Mythra pointed back confidently.

"Mhm, so what type of chicken? Like what's gonna be on it?"

"W-weren't you listening! I'm throwing it on the grill, of course!" Mythra snapped back defensively.

Kaito looked back incredibly deadpan.

"Sooooo… …we're buying a grill?"

"Mythra, they're asking how you're gonna prepare it." Frankie said.

"O-oh well… you know… like… like chicken, with some… some things on it… cooked to perfection…"

"What kind of things?" Frankie asked.

"W-well, you know what they say, throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks, right…?" She chuckled nervously as she twiddled her fingers.

"Uh, what…?" Frankie asked, completely flabbergasted.

"Oh hey! Is that a rutabaga?! I love rutabagas!" Mythra hollered as she wandered off toward the produce.

"Mythra! Wait! Are you making a salad too? Slow down!" Frankie called after her as he followed behind.

"I would like us to avoid throwing rutabagas at Frankie's wall, please." Kaito followed as well with a now facepalmed Miko in tow.

The outing proceeded as such, with Mythra going to various items, assuming they looked like they could go on a chicken, with Frankie having to correct her and get some actual ingredients. After about 20 minutes of this and Mythra trying to assert a Beyblade's nutritional value, it was decided that Frankie and Miko would do the grocery shopping themselves while Kaito took Mythra to the video game section.

This understandably annoyed Mythra, but she nonetheless ended up standing next to Kaito impatiently in the video game section of the store, placed right between the toy aisle and the music section.

"This is stupid." Mythra tapped her foot at lightning speeds.

"That so?" Kaito looked at the games.

"We're just standing here."

"Mhm." Kaito looked at the controllers.

"I hate standing here."

"Mhm." Kaito looked at the accessories.

"Are you even gonna buy any of this stuff?"

"Nope." Kaito looked at the consoles.

Mythra grunted and angrily started storming off.

"Forget it, I'm done with all of you!"

"Hooold it right there, Lightning McQueen." Kaito had moved to grab her shoulder before she could leave. "I get how you're feeling, but I think you already know how well throwing a fit is gonna solve anything."

Mythra looked as though she was about to retaliate in some way, but stopped when she realized she couldn't deny his point. She nonetheless brushed his shoulder off and folded her arms.

"Come on now, sometimes in life it's best to slow down and process what's got ya all cranky in the head, that's important for mental health." Kaito gave her a side smile.

"Pfft, and you do that by staring at stupid boxes and doing nothing else?" She turned snidely to him.

"We all have our ways." He turned back.

Mythra turned back to face the wall of games as well, still not getting whatever relaxation Kaito was from doing so.

"I just…I wanted…"

"You wanted to connect with him like Pyra did?" Kaito didn't even look away.

"...yeah…" The Blade sighed, defeatedly.

Kaito chuckled in response.

"C'mon now, do you really think Frankie cares that much about you not knowing something like how to pick out ingredients?"

"N-no but…" She unfolded her arms and looked at him, determined. "I…I really want to get better at this stuff. I've…I've never been good at it and I'm sick of just accepting that I can never improve so…"

Kaito looked on, a bit surprised.

"Huh…I wasn't expecting that."

"So…yeah, it isn't just for Frank, I'm not that shallow…"

"But he is a big part of the reason for why, right?"

Mythra blushed profusely and folded her arms again.

"I just…don't want him to settle for me… a-as a Blade, I mean! I-I want to be someone more than that."

The small hairy man suddenly snapped affirmatively in her direction, catching her off guard.

"And that, sister, is exactly why you're perfect for him."

"H-huh?"

"Not to act like I'm an expert, but I've learned a little thing or two about love over my weird little life."

Mythra just stood there, partially still holding on to the 'sister' comment this brat loved to give her so much.

"People aren't meant to have the partner of their dreams, no perfect partner exists. All that movie stuff about loving someone for who they are is true. But that doesn't mean you can't still try and become better for the people you love."

"What are you-"

"Basically, it's good that you want to improve and be someone better for my big bro. Believe me, he's been thinking of the very same for you."

Mythra looked down in thought, shifting her eyes from side to side a bit guiltily as she wondered what exactly to do with this information. She tried to call on Pyra to get her opinion… but she could feel the intensity of the younger Blade's blushing from inside her core crystal. She could hear the absolute sound of silence coming from her, nothing else. Mythra sighed sharply, she was certainly not going to be able to help.

"But you don't need to rush things. So while you get better at all that cooking stuff, in the meantime you can find other things that can give you those moments with him. In fact…"

After taking a glance at one of the video games, Kaito led her to the toy section of the store and observed the many plushies it contained.

"Heh…I knew your whole vibe felt a bit familiar." He picked up a Pikachu plushie and handed it to Mythra.

"W-what is this? Are you mocking me? What kind of value would I, a centuries-old cosmic being, find in such a dumb, stupid…silly…soft…adorable…yellow…" She squished the plushie around playfully. "...what was I talking about again?"

"Hah! Frankie's gonna love this-" Kaito put his hand to his chin triumphantly.

—————————————————————————

Frankie and Miko were alone themselves in the frozen food section of the market, picking out the ice cream that Mythra wanted. Miko was letting her mind wander off as she stared at the packaging for the frozen dessert and began to think out loud for Frankie to hear.

"I say we should do a banana split, make things REALLY gourmet for the lot of us! Oh! And with peanuts, and sprinkles, and hot fudge and cherries, Oreo bits-"

"Miko… We're making this sundae per Mythra's request, I don't think we need all THAT stuff…" Frankie said.

"Man, those girls have really taken a toll on your brain haven't they?" Miko teased, but for once, Frankie didn't get flustered, instead, he just… sighed. Sadly.

"Miko, come on… that's enough of that…" He said to her, immediately catching her attention. The smaller woman looked at him sympathetically and followed him silently through the market. "Mythra… and I guess Pyra too… I just… I keep telling you and Kaito that there's only so much you can learn about someone in a week and I guess that thought just won't leave me alone… I can't even tell if it's more them or myself I'm worried about…"

"Oh Frankie…" Miko shook her head lightly as she patted his back for comfort. "I remember what it was like when I first fell in love with Kaito. It was exciting… heart pounding… a-a little scary… being honest… I had gotten so used to changing so much of myself to suit other people… thinking I was the real problem, the real thorn in their side, that I just kind of thought… that's who I needed to be…" Miko smiled sweetly and stared behind her wistfully. "Then I ran into him one day… the real tragedy of this all is that during that time, nobody came to ask me, 'are you okay?' And… well… I'm sure you understand just how terrible that feeling can really be…"

Frankie turned away and looked down sadly, sighing heavily and nodding in agreement.

"He just… came up to me… asked me what was wrong, and I… I hate that I was so mean to him at the time, but-but even then he went out of his way to get a little pick-me-up snack for me and I just… that felt so… special for me… there were people out there in the world who cared about me, Miko Iino. Not some kind of phony tryhard who was so desperate for love she immediately pounced on the closest guy who even remotely gave a crap…" Miko wiped a tear from her face before chuckling profusely. "But that's just love I guess… it's all one big guessing game, isn't it? Sometimes it takes a while to blossom, other times it just hits you right out the gate and you aren't sure what to do with those feelings, that's how I was with my Kokonut…" She turned to face Frankie once again, "And that's how things are going with you and Pyra, and Mythra, huh?"

Frankie was silent for a long while before answering, his back still turned to her as he hunched over the shopping cart.

"I'm in a flurry of emotions right now, Miko… I can't… give a solid answer, I'm sorry…"

Miko smiled sweetly at him as she made her way up to the front of the cart to grab his attention.

"Well, from what I see, you just have a similar case to me, you're head over heels for these two girls but you're just afraid of these sudden emotions because you never really got to experience real genuine romantic feelings, and judging by how those two act whenever we tease you guys, I'm willing to bet they haven't either!" Miko exclaimed with a confident wink.

"Head over heels… is a bit much…" Frankie responded, turning away.

"Okay, fine, take things how you want to, I won't stop you. But you have me and Kaito by your side through all of this, please don't forget that, big brother. We both care about you and just want you to be happy."

"…okay…"

Even though Frankie was still downtrodden, his quick but emotional response was more than enough to get a smile out of her, and just as she did so…

"We're here!" Kaito hollered, coming back with Mythra, admiring the Pikachu plush sweetly, hugging it very gently and appreciating its fluffiness. Miko smiled brightly and banged on the cart a little bit to grab Frankie's attention. She pointed behind him to get a look at Mythra, and that's when his heart skipped a beat.

"M-mythra…?" Frankie asked, in a mixture of both confusion and excitement

"Hm? Oh, heya, Frank. You two ready?" Mythra asked, finally diverting her attention from the plush to look towards her Driver.

"Sure are!" Miko announced as she ran towards the checkout line. "Come on already! I'm starving!" Miko hollered.

"The chicken still needs to be defrosted, Muffin…!" Kaito pointed out gleefully as he followed his girlfriend, leaving Frankie and Mythra alone once again.

"That's uh… that's a cute little guy you've got there…" Frankie said nervously.

"I like him a lot… I guess he's called a Pikachu, and I'm gonna name him Jimmy, and he's gonna be my baby…" Mythra picked up little Jimmy close to her face and nuzzled him playfully. Frankie broke out into a smile, not only because Mythra was showing such a tender and silly side to her, although, that did have quite a bit to do with it, but also because…

"Mythra, do you know about Pokémon?" He asked hopefully.

"Hm? No, what is that?"

Frankie felt his heart race and smile widen… suddenly, the perfect time killer was dropped right into his lap.

—————————————————————————

The day back at the house was quite energetic, what with the entire group working together to fight off a massive creature from the video game Frankie had suggested. Mythra was very put off at first, as the most advanced game she had played up to that point was the much simpler and archaic Tiger Tiger. But through the support of her newfound companions, her inherently competitive nature (and perhaps the fact that she was playing together with Frankie), she was able to get a basic grasp of the mechanics enough to run through some encounters with them.

She was taken aback by all the bright colors, attention to detail, and especially the animations; none of which were like any she had ever recalled before. This really WAS the future, she decided. Even when she found herself getting the short end of the stick on every other round in their game, she always led off with "just one more… just one more…" She held Jimmy super close as she played, her steely focus not wavering one bit as she experimented with the creatures she was given over and over again, racking up rewards, keeping what she could all to herself, glancing over at Frankie to make sure he wasn't cheating… completely ignoring the fact they were on the same team.

Frankie couldn't help but laugh, Mythra enjoying this as much as she did only made him wonder how much Pyra would have. Unbeknownst to him, she was in an equal state of awe with what she saw, though she did have to admit that seeing so many cute critters being felled in the heat of battle did make her quite uneasy… it desperately made her hope there were other forms of this spectacle to undertake, or other things to do besides fighting so much. On the other hand, she did get a kick out of Mythra getting so heated up over this silly little game, she was here for a good time and she was most certainly going to have it, which made Frankie all the more ecstatic. No longer was it just he and Kaito who could discuss this in their little friend circle… now Mythra, and possibly Pyra understood the majesty and the experience of the world of Pokémon.

Unfortunately, even with all her efforts, Mythra was still not accustomed to all of the rules the game operated by, and made various poor calls based on incorrect assumptions.

"Well, how was I supposed to know that Supersoodowoowoododosuperspecial… thing couldn't be hurt by fire?! It's a damn tree, isn't it?!" Mythra hollered as she walked away from the television and to outside, leaving behind Frankie, Kaito, and Miko to laugh their heads off.

"Hey, Mythra! Pop quiz! What does this evolve into?!" Miko cried through her laughter, holding up a picture of the fish Pokémon, Remoraid. The Blade puffed her cheeks up defensively as she swung open the door.

"You guys are jerks! I'm outta here!" She at last proceeded to head outside to check on the chicken, carefully closing the door in the process.

"I told you we should've played Scarlet and Violet" Frankie teasingly raised an eyebrow towards Kaito.

"Oh yeah, she'd have SUCH a field day with the whole terastalization stuff, wouldn't she?" The younger brother asked sarcastically.

"W-well I mean… she'd get to see a Grass type Sudowoodo wouldn't she…?" Frankie remarked sheepishly.

"And torch it to pieces with a Fire Tera-Type Pikachu named Jimmy, right?" Miko chuckled as she lay comfortably on the big couch, which still gave plenty of room for one more person to sit down comfortably while she was all sprawled out.

"Revenge is a dish best served cold…" Frankie began with a cheeky grin. "It'd be better if it was an Ice Type Pikachu."

"Speaking of dish, you think the chicken's done defrosting yet? I think Miko's getting hungry." Kaito asked as Miko made a faux forlorn face akin to a little dog begging for scraps at the dinner table.

"It's August, Kaito, if the chicken isn't done defrosting yet, then my name is Panchito Romero Miguel Junipero Francisco Quintero Gonzales. And it's not…ish." Frankie responded.

"Okay, we're canceling your HBOMax AND Disney subscriptions this instant." Miko teased.

"You touch my Mickey, and I swear to you, Iino, I'm gonna see to it that your GPA'll to drop a whole fraction of a point!" Miko gasped in shock as she put a hand to her chest.

"How dare you…" she whispered angrily.

"And there's the Mythra finally showing through, well done, big bro…" Kaito chuckled to himself. And just as he said that, the door to the kitchen swung wide open.

"Alright, people! Leave me to be because I'm officially in… the zone…!" Mythra announced as she ripped open the packaging and immediately got to seasoning the birds. Kaito and Miko sat back calmly as she seemed to be feeling more at ease and focused than at the market. Frankie, on the other hand, listened very closely to what she was doing.

"FWUMP!"

"Bloop-bloop"

"FWUMP!"

"Shikashikashika… shika… shika… shika… shika… shikashikashika… shika… Shikashikashika…"

"BLAP!"

"Scrunch, scrunch scrunch scrunch scrunch scrunch."

…None of that sounded good in the absolute least.

"Okay! I'll see you all in a bit!" Mythra hollered as she headed back outside, meat, veggies, and potatoes in hand.

"Big bro? You seem tense. What's wrong?" Kaito asked.

"…She didn't use lighter fluid, did she?"

"SHEEEEEN!"

"SON OF A-!!"

That was a yes.

—————————————————————————

While Kaito and Miko flirted with each other, Frankie paced back and forth nervously, debating whether or not to go check on Mythra. She certainly didn't sound like she was having any issue, but so little time had passed since she almost singed her hair off that he figured it was only a matter of time until something bad really DID happen. He wrestled and wrestled and puzzled and pondered with himself for minutes on end when suddenly…

"Order up, everyone!" Mythra called gleefully with cocky attitude.

"Yay! I love fast food!" Miko hollered as she ran on over to Mythra, who was holding the tin foil covered pan of food high above her head so she wouldn't be able to take it all. Frankie and Kaito winced at each other, both of them knowing just how… novice Mythra was at this whole thing, Miko's lack of a second thought was mostly caused by hunger. Nevertheless, the two young men went over to the tall Blade to check on the food.

"Did you… find everything okay, Mythra…?" Frankie asked.

"Of course I did! I don't know what I- I mean, you were so worried about, I'm ten times as good as Pyra when it comes to cooking!"

If Pyra had any common decency to say anything in that moment, she most certainly would have, and in any other circumstance, that would've been all the same… but even she had a limit to her patience.

Miko took a big whiff of the poultry wrapped inside its elegant shining cocoon… and then recoiled in horror as she began coughing up a storm, reaching for her water and taking a big huge swig. She took a deep breath and stared harshly at Mythra.

"WHAT ON EARTH IS THAT?! LOUISIANA HOT?!" She hollered.

"It's courtesy of Mythra, that's what it is!" The Blade exclaimed proudly.

"Mythra… what did you season the food with…?" Frankie asked worriedly.

"Whatever my heart told me to, of course…" Mythra held a clenched fist to her chest as she walked on over to the counter proudly. "Okay, friends… and Miko, grab a plate because it's time to eat!"

The chicken was a deep pitch black color, the veggies had been reduced to a charred mush, and the potatoes… didn't even look touched at all. The off-sweetness from the starch was a smell Frankie recognized, its lack of rendering made it absolutely unpalatable, and he could still see the granules of kosher salt she had seasoned the skin with.

"Oh… that's… that's…" Kaito began as Miko overlooked the scene, quickly retreating in defeat and sadness.

"Alas poor Pyra! I knew her, Horatio… a lady of infinite jest… of most excellent fancy… She hath borne me on her back a thousand times…" She sadly recited as Mythra stared on in confusion.

"What's her problem?" She asked.

"Mythra… before we get crazy… could you show us what the inside of that chicken looks like?" Frankie asked back.

"What do you mean? I told you it's cooked to perfection! What more proof do you need?!"

"W-well…" Frankie tried to think of an excuse, "I- just wanna see how juicy it is on the inside! You know chicken, always gristles up on you if you aren't careful."

"O-oh, right, I knew that! I'll do just that!" Mythra reached for a piece of chicken and grabbed a knife, slicing it right down the middle, keeping it obscured until its presentation. "Now feast your eyes on this!"

PINK. Nothing but pink. Shining, glimmering, bloody pink. Frankie's eyes widened in fear, he could practically see every last cell of salmonella swimming around inside of that thing. Kaito stared blankly ahead trying to decipher the situation at all. And Miko fainted. Right on the spot and onto the middle of the floor. Not even Kaito could've saved her this time.

"Perfectly medium rare, hold your applause." Mythra was beaming. Frankie sucked his teeth and twiddled his thumbs as Kaito slowly backed away to retrieve Miko, whose sudden momentum as she hit the floor caused her to slide around a fair bit. That left Blade and Driver all alone.

"Mythra." Frankie began.

"Yes, oh so wonderful Driver of mine?" Frankie cleared his throat, partially embarrassed and flattered, but mostly steeling himself for what would come next.

"How… how do I put this…" Frankie stared up at Mythra's increasingly narrowed eyebrows, waiting for him to say something. If that was what she wanted…

"First of all, the chicken looks absolutely atrocious, this is not char or a nice crispy crust, this is burnt, it's amazing just how raw it is on the inside compared to the outside; I swear, if we left it outside for a night, it would make such an ideal alarm clock; these vegetable have been reduced to nothing more than formula for small infants, and the potatoes are sad beyond belief, as a matter of fact, the whole integrity of the meal is ruined because the blood from the chicken seeped its way onto the rest of it, meaning the veggies and potatoes are drenched in salmonella as well, and there's no way to save any of it, and further more-" Frankie was about to continue until he saw Mythra's usual angry face wibble and well up in tears.

'CACA PEEPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE……….!!!!" He thought to himself as he broke out in a large sweat. Mythra raised the chicken she was holding high above her head, and assuming the worst, Frankie shielded himself, ready for the slimy piece of poultry to make contact with him, forcing an early shower… but instead, she just turned around and slammed it into the pan, placing her hands on either side of the counter, looking over it sadly.

"Okay! You got me! I can't… I can't cook for shit, alright?! And I'm like… super mega jealous of Pyra for a lot of things… She's always the best when it comes to connecting with our Drivers, she's the sweet, caring, lovey dovey little Angel that dropped down from the heavens, she's the five star chef that makes our newest Driver drop down to his knees in appreciation under the spell of… well, whatever the hell you wanna call it! Nobody gives a rat's ass about Mythra! She's just a nuisance! A waste of time! A worthless mean old banana who can't do anything right…! I had two chances to make change in the world for the better but all it did was bring me pain and suffering! And I'm sick of it! I just… I just wanna be good at something for once in my sad miserable life!" Mythra was bawling up a storm at this point, her only saving grace was that Frankie couldn't see her face.

"Mythra, I-I'm sorry, I…" Frankie reached out to comfort her, only for the Blade to slap his hand out of the way in rage.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME YOU PERVERT!" She screamed as she ran out the door to cry some more.

"MYTHRA! COME BACK!"

"SHUT UP!!! AND DON'T FOLLOW ME!"

"Mythra…" Frankie whimpered as he watched her just… vanish.

"Frankie…" Kaito crept on in timidly as he joined his brother by his side.

"I… I messed up… I really messed up…" Frankie intoned, turning his back somberly to the front door.

"Frankie… it's only the first week, things'll… things'll get better…" Kaito reassured him.

"I told you two why I hated having these feelings develop so quickly with no knowledge on them… I-I'm not cut out to be their Driver… or whatever it is I'm supposed to be… not if I can't handle a split personality like this so easily."

"Big bro… you know that isn't fair…"

"Sure it is… I just… need to be alone for a while…" Frankie slinked away while Kaito turned back to the outside door, then back to Frankie, who headed to his room and locked the door. With Miko MIA for the time being, that just left him… alone… all alone just like it used to be… but this time he wouldn't stand for it. With a determined look on his face, the young man picked himself up and headed out the door to follow Mythra.

"She hasn't gotten far at all… I know that for a fact…" He said to himself. "Like it or not, Mythra, you deserve Frankie, and he deserves you, no matter what body you decide to show up in… and I'm gonna make sure of that…"