Chapter Nine- Admission

"No!" Satorius cried out as his life points hit zero. He glared at his opponent. "This cannot be! Fate assured me that I would be the victor!"

"If I had lost and be on your side, yeah," Jaden said. "But even if I lost, I would only keep coming back until I won. Your powers have no effect on me."

"How…come?" Satorius managed to say as he felt himself starting to be expelled from the body he had possessed for some time.

Jaden let his muzzle stretch out before saying, "I'm a werewolf, like Bastion."

Satorius screamed as the evil force fled his body and returned to space while the body fell unconscious. Jaden's muzzle returned to its human nose and mouth as he rushed to his opponent's side.

"Is he okay?" Aster asked as he came to the other side. He had been present during the duel, wanting to see his manager free of that alien force.

"Yeah, I think so," Jaden said as Aster cradled Satorius' upper body.

"Thanks for saving him, Jaden."

"No one deserves to be possessed like that. If I have the power to save someone, I will."

There was a brief silence before Aster said, "So…you're a werewolf. When did that happen?"

"The full moon last month. Sy, Hassleberry, and I brewed a formula and drank it. I didn't realize that I was making myself immune to the power that force used on others when I took it."

"I overheard Satorius muttering about Bastion being one and that beasts cannot be influenced."

"That's all true."

A soft groan made both boys look down to see Satorius awake and bleary-eyed. Jaden couldn't help but notice that Satorius now looked gentler and not so crazed. He focused on Aster and said weakly, "Aster?" When he got a nod, he turned his gaze to Jaden. "You freed me," he said softly.

Jaden couldn't help flashing a grin. "I don't think that force will be coming back seeing as I can stop it with no problem."

Satorius' face held a look of regret. "I told most of your school about Bastion. With any luck, they will have forgotten anything they heard or did under that force's influence."

Bastion was happy when he entered the cafeteria for breakfast and saw his fellow dorm mates there in their yellow uniforms and talking happily to one another. Jaden did it. Humanity is safe and I won't be hunted. He went to the line and got a plate of eggs, bacon, and sausages, the latter two heaped on his plate. He sat down and began to eat while thinking of the coming full moon. Three days until then and it would seem my meat craving has spiked. An interesting thing to note and test next month to see if the desire for meat increases with the coming full moon. The sound of two trays being placed on the table drew him out of his thoughts and he looked up to see two second years sit across from him. He recognized one as the one who wanted to duel him after being converted to the society. "Good morning," he said before eating some bacon.

His classmates stared at the amount of meat he had and he wondered if they were going to make some kind of comment about his condition or its side effect of meat.

One finally said, "It's true, isn't it? You're a werewolf?"

"Yes," Bastion stated firmly. "I am; to be precise, I am an ice werewolf. I am self-aware and in control of myself when the moon is full. I can change when I want and even shift partially. I can shape water and freeze it into ice."

"So, you won't bite anyone?" the other asked.

"Not unless someone requests it. There is nothing to fear from me. I am still the same Bastion you've known all this time."

Bastion heard students whispering to each other and that they were talking about him being a wolf. He wasn't bothered by their whispers or the students knowing his secret. He was not ashamed about it; on the contrary he was proud of it.

"I guess Satorius was wrong," Jaden said as the pack left school at the end of the day. "He had said that those under the light's influence could forget everything they heard or did during that time."

"Could, Jaden. It didn't mean they would," Bastion pointed out. "It is fine, though. None of their whispers expressed fear or hate. Indeed, they sounded curious."

"Well, that's good," Syrus said. "Did you tell anyone about being a werewolf?"

"I told two second years who had approached me and asked if I really am a werewolf. I admitted it and what I can do. I made it clear that I am still the same person they've known."

"Of course and we're still the same guys we've been."

"Managing our careers around the full moon will be challenging," Bastion said out of the blue.

"True," Syrus said. "But I'll take the challenge if it means dueling Zane and making him the way he used to be."

"Yeah. I'll do that too," Jaden said.

"What about biting him into a werewolf?" Hassleberry asked.

Syrus shook his head. "He would still be the dark, cruel duelist he is right now. Remember? Our personalities haven't changed from being werewolves, though we do act like wolves while in wolf form."

"We can do canine noises in human form," Bastion pointed out. "I did when I found my dorm empty save for me and the cafeteria staff. I whined."

"Well, it won't be empty like that again," Jaden said and then added, "How about we gather at the woods near your dorm on the full moon, Bastion?"

"I would like that and I will provide our dinner for all three nights."

"We could hunt," Hassleberry pointed out.

"Yes, but you don't know the area. I propose I provide dinner for the first night." The others nodded.

Bastion led the way to his favorite place, the one with the stream, three days later. He put down a package of deli paper and opened it to reveal four thick raw steaks. He saw the looks of appreciated in their eyes before Bastion looked up to see the brilliant fiery sky change to a velvety black. Bastion chose to let his change happen on its own. In a matter of minutes, all four were wolves and they howled to each other and the night before heading to the steaks to refuel the energy they had lost to their change.

Bastion led the group on a tour of the area, pointing out spots where they could hide, if necessary. Of course, Bastion did not feel that hiding places were needed. The news of him being a werewolf had spread to the entire school save for the teachers.

That will need to be attended to, he thought. But not right now. I will ask Doctor Crowler for a faculty meeting after the full moon is over.

Bastion gave a yelp of surprise as Syrus tackled him and the two tumbled and wrestled with each other with Jaden and Hassleberry joining in. There were howls and laughter as the four played under the light of the full moon.

The End