WhIP

by footfungus

nederlands verhalen over mijn otp

206. haikyuu various 2

Soft breaths quietly left you, and strands of your hair whipped messily over the top of your head and across your face.

He couldn't stop the wry smile from lifting when he noticed just a little bit of drool at the corner of your lips.

Yeah, truly, you've made Iwaizumi Hajime the Blue Knight into a hypocrite.

Exposed him as one to himself.

As much as he suspected and accused you of being a pretender at the beginning, Iwaizumi himself is a pretender too.

It was easier to hide behind a scowl and a wall of anger rather than admit that your appearance before them has shaken him, distressed him with not just concern for Oikawa, but for himself as well.

Iwaizumi easily recognized and saw the way Oikawa fell in love with her over the years...

Recognized it because he saw the signs in himself.

(Because Iwaizumi had been in love with her too.)

And if he had allowed himself to be honest, he would have rejoiced at the fact that things aren't as implausible for him and her, compared to Oikawa with his position as royalty.

But Iwaizumi hadn't been honest with himself then, just like he isn't honest now.

Oikawa is the Crown Prince, and his best friend.

And Iwaizumi is a Blue Knight, sworn to protect the future king, and he is Oikawa's best friend.

So Iwaizumi made himself dishonest, kept his feelings at bay, locked it down deep within him, in favor of protecting Oikawa and their trio of friendship.

(...not that it mattered though, since she got engaged to Ushijima anyways and she's now…)

Iwaizumi's hands clenched once more and he felt himself take a very deep breath, an attempt to quell the churning in his chest.

He failed to protect her.

It wasn't an oath he took as a Blue Knight like he did for Oikawa the Crown Prince.

It was a separate oath he took in his heart.

That he would protect both Oikawa, as Oikawa Tooru himself and not the prince, and her, as his other childhood friend and the one who claimed his heart without even realizing it.

He failed at protecting one, and he barely succeeded at the other.

Some knight he is.

So that disappointment you had for yourself? Iwaizumi understands it better than you will ever know.

You began to stir, a mix of a whine and a groan leaving you before your arms stretched above your head as a large yawn tore itself from you.

Iwaizumi exhaled and forced his hands to relax, and schooled his expression back into its default scowl when it comes to you.

He's a complete hypocrite whenever he prattles to Oikawa about being dishonest with his feelings.

But Iwaizumi's going to continue being a hypocrite for now.

Because he might actually be scared- not worried- that if he isn't, you might really undo the years of earth he has used to bury her for Oikawa…

And for him.

You're not her, and she's not you.

He is very clear about that but...

"Oh SHI-! I-Iwaizumi!" You shot up in your seat when you noticed him, pillow flying out of your hands. For a split second, Iwaizumi almost lost sight of you and saw her instead.

"Y-You scared me!"

...you didn't make it any easier.

"Did you know that you drool in your sleep?"

Bonus Scene inspired by a Tumblr Ask

Your eyes roved over the back and regal figure of Refined Oikawa as he spoke with Stern Iwaizumi, allowing your mind to drift and occupy itself as you waited for your lessons to resume.

Tracing over the broad lines of his shoulders, your gaze traveled over his turquoise cape draping in gentle waves along his arm, down to the way the material of his fine clothes creased and crinkled with his every movement.

It was inevitable, really, for your eyes to drop further.

Aware of the heat, and perhaps even shame, creeping onto your cheeks, you couldn't help but recall all the less than flattering names you have heard the Iwaizumi Hajime of your world call the talented setter.

Trashykawa, Shittykawa, Loserkawa, -kawa this, -kawa that.

It's just the way his white clothes were so freshly pressed and clean that gave it this illusion. You would have to compare it to the volleyball player when you returned to your world but the Oikawa Tooru of Hyquile is as trained as Stern Iwaizumi and the other Blue Knights, so it made no sense for you to even think that it looked...

Chalk it up to having drained your brain during the vigorous lesson you went through the whole morning, trying to flip a damn quill with your mind, but you were hardly aware of your own absentminded whisper.

"Flattykawa."

The conversation immediately ceased, and your focus rammed back into you at the sudden silence that had cascaded down the room.

"Excuse me?" Refined Oikawa lifted a perfect brow at you; not angry or upset, just...confused, and perhaps bewildered. He didn't understand what you said, though the -kawa that unmistakably reached his ears conjured up nothing but his family name in his head.

There isn't a lot of things with the syllables -kawa around them in the world.

Stern Iwaizumi seemed to make a connection faster than his royal friend, for the scowl that had been directed towards you for interrupting their discussion faltered as a rare grin threatened to break out onto his face.

"U-Uh- I m-mean...OI-kawa, I just wanted to say that I can practice on my own if you are b-busy."

Oooh, you really didn't save that one because Stern Iwaizumi was no longer stern, not with his head turned away and lips folded harshly. You were even willing to bet his shoulders were shaking underneath that white armor.

Refined Oikawa tilted his head, confused as to why Iwaizumi was suddenly looking anywhere but him and you were staring down at the ground guiltily.

"Iwaizumi, I'm afraid I'm not following. Would you care to explain?" He asked, missing the way you furiously waved your hands at Iwaizumi behind him, begging him not to.

Unfortunately for you, Stern Iwaizumi completely ignored your silent pleas.

"I believe she was saying you have a ...flat behind, Your Royal Highness."

A pause.

"Hence, Flattykawa."

You didn't stay to see Refined Oikawa's reaction, already pulling the door to the study open and beaming nervously at Kunimi and Kindaichi. They started at your abrupt appearance, fully aware that it is still too early for your lesson to end.

"Kunimi! Kindaichi! How about an early lunch?"

The laughter that Iwaizumi had been holding back flew out as soon as you disappeared with the two confused soldiers, watching as his friend looked over his own shoulder and down his back.

A disgruntled, albeit confused, frown creased his brow. "Is it really?"

Some time down the line, Refined Oikawa considered banning all words with the syllables -kawa at their end, with the exception of the royal name of Oikawa.

Notes:

I wrote a Miya Osamu one-shot. Please let me shamelessly plug it in here.
novel / Miya Osamu One-Shot

(cheejucake gave me the idea for Iwaizumi's drool comment, and I plugged it in there hahaha )
A bit of a shorter chapter but I hope the Osamu one-shot makes up for it!
Also cause I am an idiot, I forgot to share this last chapter!
Majestic Kuroo Lineart Color by justatinysaltymbb justatinysaltymbb on tumblr colored my Majestic Kuroo lineart! They took my very messy lineart and gave such a vibrant life to it! I swooned at his hair in the sunset 33 Thank you so much for thinking my lineart is worth coloring!
MC with Kawanishi C20 Scene And then I received this from _ppong00 on twitter, from last chapter's scene! I'm the author and I even cried a little seeing this art despite writing the scene myself T^T Thank you so much for bringing to life that- surprisingly emotional- scene!
I am so honored and happy that my work is inspiring people to draw, and I hope it will continue to do so 3 I have been thinking about illustrating a rough map of Hyquile, if people are interested haha

Do leave a comment if you enjoy my story :) It can be a simple thank you to a long commentary. I would love to hear what you think of my story, be it plot, characters, writing, or even just fangirling/bonding over the characters 3

Chapter 22: A Matter Of Confidence

Summary:

Introduction Arc Part Two: The White Eagle Empire

Notes:

Since we are in Shiratorizawa/Aquila, I went ahead and drew this:Sentimental Ushijima Basic Design Lineart
I will hopefully get a colored/toned version out soon at a higher resolution, but here's so you all have an idea of how I imagine Sentimental Ushijima in GWS.

So even though I think the results won't change much anymore, here is the [Ghosts We See] Favorite Hyquile Alternate Bachelor Poll 1. After this, I will make a new poll with the newly introduced characters and most likely a fave side character poll.
I'm thinking of what to do with the results from Poll 1 now, but it'll probably be additional content for the winning bachelor (Kuroo by a landslideeee atm).

Neways, please enjoy Chapter 22!
And do leave a comment with your thoughts at the end 333

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

You swore your heart had leaped halfway up your throat when you stirred from your sleep and noticed that you weren't alone in the room.

"Oh SHI-! I-Iwaizumi!" You shot up in your seat when you noticed him, pillow flying out of your hands. "Y-You scared me!"

Didn't Suna do something similar when you first met him? Is it like a thing here in Hyquile, for people to watch other people sleep? Is it?

"Did you know that you drool in your sleep?"

With a flush to your face, you quickly wiped a hand across your mouth, the back of your palm finding that spot of drool that was starting to dry on one corner, as Iwaizumi so kindly pointed out to you.

"I-It's only cause I was sleeping in a weird position, okay?!" You huffed back indignantly, skin still a bright red. "W-What are you doing here anyway, watching me sleep?" Crossing your arms, you looked away from Iwaizumi and focused your eyes on the pillow that you had thrown haphazardly to the floor.

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes at you but made no further comment on your less than attractive sleeping face. His face turned serious, however, and his eyes narrowed at you as if preparing to catch any type of lie you might throw out...which sounds exactly like something he would do with you.

"Care to explain to me why you have been carrying an owl around with you?"

Oh...crap.

Busted.

How did you not think about Mori as soon as you saw Iwaizumi in your room?!

Mori was not immediately noticeable in your room, and you hoped Iwaizumi hadn't...confiscated him from you.

You fidgeted, your gaze instinctively avoiding Iwaizumi's.

"W-Well-"

"Don't even try to lie your way out of this one."

You grimaced, shoving the terrible excuse that you found Mori hurt in the gardens of the Blue Castle to the trash; you have never been a good liar anyway, and highly doubted that Iwaizumi would have bought it.

You really hoped there wouldn't be any negative repercussions from the truth.

"He's...a companion of a friend."

A stern brow rose inquisitively. How did he do that?

"A friend ?" He prompted, green eyes sharp and pointed. The manner in which he said 'friend' gave you the impression that he already had a suspicion of who you might be referring to.

You licked your lips, eyes dodging around in search of Mori. Where is he?

"Y-Yes. An...owl-folk friend." You whispered the last part so softly that Iwaizumi had to lean forward to catch it but he heard it.

If it was possible, his eyes would have narrowed at you even further but they were already pretty slanted, quite disapprovingly, at you.

"Explain."

So you told Iwaizumi about how you knew Akaashi and how he saved you from the Seijoh city guards when you first arrived. You smartly omitted mentioning that Mori is actually a spy for the owl-folk, saying that Mori is just an animal companion that Akaashi entrusted to look after you.

Iwaizumi looked like he both believed you and didn't believe you, but unless he knew about how the owl-folks ran their espionage network, he had to take your word for it.

"Is he a threat?" He jerked his chin towards your backpack, alerting you to the fact that Mori is inside.

The implication behind his words was clear.

'Are you doing anything that will betray Aoba?'

You looked straight into Iwaizumi's eyes, your own conscience and heart clear as you replied. "No, he isn't."

There was a brief silence as he stared back at you, searching for any hint of a lie in your entire visage.

He found none.

"Good then. But keep him out of sight when you're here. He's just an owl, but if The Empire finds out he belongs to an owl-folk, he'll be on someone's dinner plate before you realize it. You already know that non-humans aren't very welcomed here, and that includes anything associated with them." He said gruffly, motioning for you to gather your things.

"We're already late for our return to Seijoh because someone here overslept." He ignored your indignant protest that he could have woken you up. "Once you have your things, we'll head straight for the teleportation circle. You can have something to eat once we are back in Sei-"

"Iwaizumi."

Your voice calling out to him made him pause in his steps, hand stopping above the doorknob.

Iwaizumi looked at you over his shoulder, brows creasing when he saw the way your hands clasped and unclasped themselves. Nervousness and uncertainty were clear in your body language and yet...he could sense a sort of resolve resonating in the steady way your eyes shone at him, steeled despite the anxious pursing of your lips.

"I want to try again."

His hand dropped from the knob, and he turned his body and full attention to face you, his heavy armor ringing in the room with his movements.

The nervousness in you grew under the pressure and expectation of his gaze.

"I...I really can do it. I-I'm not lying to you, or Oi- I mean, Prince Oikawa- or anyone when I say that I...really come from another world."

Your eyes lowered to the floor, a sense of sadness and loneliness suddenly gripping your heart. You've told the tale multiple times to many people but saying it once more now, to someone who clearly doesn't believe in anything you say, trying to convince him that you were not lying after your spectacular failure…

Everything felt so... distant and unreal...

"And I really have cured two people of The Rot...even if I don't know how I did it."

...it almost felt like you were trying to convince yourself too, and not just Iwaizumi.

"I know you don't believe me-"

"Stop."

You startled in surprise at his command, and your eyes jerked up from the floor towards him.

A loud sigh left Iwaizumi and one of his hands went to rest on his hip as he shifted his weight to his right. His posture screamed exasperation. Green eyes trained on you, sharp and bright.

"I don't think the problem here is whether I believe you or not."

Your brows turned up in confusion.

"The problem is whether you believe in yourself."

You swung your leg back and forth languidly from where you sat on a cold stone bench, underneath the cool shade of a tree. Stern Iwaizumi is speaking with Sentimental Ushijima and Shirabu about the possibility of letting you see Kawanishi again, a little bit of a distance away.

The courtyard was mostly silent, apart from their low voices that stirred the air.

This castle...The Empire is certainly a far cry from Aoba and the Blue Castle with its sunny courts and warm atmosphere.

Heck, even the bench you were sitting on is cold, shielded from the rays of the sun that were strategically blocked by well-placed trees and towering walls.

When the trio began approaching you, you stood up from the bench, nervously looking back and forth between Iwaizumi and Ushijima. Iwaizumi's face betrayed nothing, scowl fixed back in place, but Ushijima had his amazingly mind-boggling smile on, and you wondered if you can ever get used to the sight of it.

It'll be so weird seeing Ushiwaka in your world again after this. It'll likely take some time to adjust to, just like how you did with Kenma.

As soon as Ushijima got close enough to speak with you, he addressed you with a tilt of his head towards the other side of the courtyard, where there was an arch of stone and vines leading into a lush garden.

"Would you care to take a walk with me?"

"Oh...yes, of course," you glanced with confusion at Iwaizumi as you walked away Ushijima.

He shrugged at you nonchalantly, motioning that he will be in the area.

You walked side by side with Ushijima, noticing early on that he slowed his steps to match yours when you didn't catch up with him right away. It brought a smile to your face how mindful he is to others around him in such a subtle and quiet manner. He would make a better ruler than his...grandfather.

It's also another stark contrast to Ushiwaka, who is quite socially inept.

You muffled a snort with your hand, causing the future Emperor to look down at you curiously.

"What is it that amuses you so?"

"I...was just thinking about you, actually."

This time a curious brow lifted. "Oh?"

Your lips pulled up in a hybrid of an amused grin and confused grimace. "You're...very different from the Ushiwaka of my world."

"Ushiwaka?"

Oh, right. They don't call him that here...hah, you just called the Crown Prince of The Empire Ushiwaka. What next, Refined Oikawa as Trashykawa?

"Yeah, so people kind of call your alternate in my world Ushiwaka. You know, from your name? The Ushi from Ushijima and Waka from Wakatoshi? Put them together and you get Ushiwaka?"

The glimmer of amusement in Sentimental Ushijima's eyes grew the more you rambled, so you quickly zipped your mouth shut. You felt the tips of your ears burn when a soft laugh that wasn't from you permeated the otherwise tranquil garden.

"I assumed you meant me. Or at least, my alternate in your world. I am quite familiar with the syllables of my name," he said mirthfully.

"R-Right, of course you are!" ...why are you like this?

However, you have to admit that you have never seen a Ushijima Wakatoshi of any dimension look as amused as the one next to you at this moment.

"I noticed that you have a tendency to be nervous around me." Oof, he kept that bluntness you know all too well too.

You winced and hesitated for a second before answering. "It's...not just you. I get nervous around a lot of things…and people," you muttered whilst avoiding his gaze that you knew was still laughing at you.

A low yet strangely light hum danced its way up from him, mirth chiming in the sound as Ushijima reworded his statement with a glimmer in his eyes. "Alright. I noticed that you tend to be more nervous around me compared to other things and people."

You sighed, legs stopping in tandem to your defeat at his insistent prompting; it seems there was no winning on-court or off-court against a Ushijima of any kind. Ushijima stopped alongside you with both his brows raised in amusement at your slowly flustering state.

"The Ushijima of my world is very...serious."

He made a sound of acknowledgment but said nothing, waiting for you to continue.

"He's very talented and everybody admires him greatly for his skills. However, he can be a bit...blunt."

"He sounds like he'll make a fine Emperor."

Was that a joke? Did Ushijima just make a joke? Alternate or not, this is one for the books.

"He's not mean per se, just...very blunt. And stoic. So he makes people nervous some times. People like me." You resisted mentioning to this carbon-copy that their physical stature might also have a hand in that effect.

"And why does he make people like you nervous? What trait do you possess in particular that makes you nervous around him?" Sentimental Ushijima asked you softly after taking a moment to contemplate your words. His questions were straight, even slightly personal, and it reminded you of Ushiwaka's own blunt way of speaking in a less intimidating manner.

"I-...I don't know? I admire him, respect him a lot, I guess?" You scratched your head, trying to pinpoint exactly why Ushiwaka made people, or rather you, nervous. Besides the fact that you admire him greatly and did not want to look like a fool in front of him. Ever.

"He's just very confident in regards to everything and I don't have that same confidence...I guess," you finally muttered with a sheepish laugh, scuffing your shoes into the grass.

Ushijima considered your answer with a tilt of his head and an understanding smile.

"I see. I asked you to accompany me because I wanted to talk to you about that, actually."

"Huh?" He wanted to talk to you about...Ushiwaka's confidence?

Sentimental Ushijima moved to stop a slight distance away from a neatly trimmed tree on one side of the garden and motioned for you to stand beside him. He removed the coat that hung around his shoulders and placed it on the ground in a careless pile.

What is he doing?

Ushijima looked down at the grass before him with a slight crease to his brow, as he pondered over how to broach whatever subject he wanted to talk to you about.

When he finally turned to you and spoke, there was a slight waver in his voice as if he was uncertain of what he is about to say, or worried about the effects his words might have on you (very unlike the Ushiwaka of your world who would slap it on your face with no qualms).

"When you attempted to heal Kawanishi yesterday…" He began and you stiffened immediately, the memory of your failure and cries still very fresh in your mind. Here comes the disappointment that never came yesterday; it was merely delayed, out of consideration for your shameful tears. "I noticed that you did not have this very confidence that you said you lacked."

Oh...right. It's about your own confidence, not Ushiwaka's. Of course, that makes more sense…

Your neck shrunk and dipped, head tucking in on itself reflexively. The grass sure looks very interesting today. Were they recently trimmed?

"I did not mean to insult or embarrass you with my words," Ushijima added on when he saw the way you focused intensely on the greenery underfoot.

"N-No...you're right. My hands were practically shaking yesterday, as you saw," you laughed bitterly and bit your lip in a mortified smile. Hell, Ushijima was the one who had to hold your hand to quell your trembles, as if you were a child who was too afraid to enter a dark room.

In a way, you had been.

Ushijima lowered himself to the grass and sat down with one of his long legs propped up, on which he rested his arm. He lightly patted the space next to him, and you slowly sat down too.

"What do you think the reason is for your lack of self-confidence?"

It was such a direct and open question that you did not have an answer for him immediately. Why exactly?

Lots of reasons, you supposed. None that you can concisely gather and compact together at a moment's notice into one cohesive answer.

It's just...a culmination of little things over the years.

"I...I'm not sure, exactly. I mean, I'm not sure if I have one clear answer...it's more a combination of things, of little events over many years, I think…" It was honestly ironic how despite being a dancer and performer, you did not have full and complete confidence in yourself.

"For example?" Ushijima prompted gently, waiting for you to answer him at your pace.

"Like...I guess I was never the best in school. My brother is always doing better than me and he's always winning awards...my parents are always talking about him to their friends and our relatives. He got offered a scholarship too."

Your parents were proud in their own way of your dance skills but they knew as well as you that it wasn't a natural talent. It more than likely made a huge dent in their account to pay for your classes.

"And then there's 'Tsumu and 'Samu. Oh, two of my childhood friends in my world are twin brothers. They're hilarious!" You happily explained who Atsumu and Osamu are to Sentimental Ushijima, remembering that he does not know who they are. You felt lighter talking about the twins, even for just a brief second. Here in Hyquile, memories are one of the only few things you had that connected you to your world.

You can't wait till you get home and see everyone again. It feels like it has been forever. You had to get back soon.

"The twins are very talented. Maybe not the brightest either, though 'Samu is definitely smarter than me and 'Tsumu. But they are amazing at sports, in particular this sport we call volleyball. They used to be famous in their hometown because of this! Atsumu will definitely go pro and be famous one day, and Osamu! Osamu cooks the best food and considering our ages, that's a miracle since most people my age living alone survive on instant noodles and convenience store food. When he opens his own restaurant, it'll be a hit, I just know it!"

Before you realized it, words of genuine hopes and praise for the twins poured from you, gushing out of you naturally and without thought. You didn't need to think about what you wanted to say about them.

Ushijima gave you that very same warm smile that you saw in the courtyard of the Blue Castle, and you flushed, realizing now that he probably did not understand the context of the majority of your words. Yet he politely listened to you babble on, about a world and people as strange to him as Hyquile is to you.

"Your friends sound like wonderful people, even if I am not too clear on what…-convenience store food?- is or what volleyball entails." He finally said when you actually stopped speaking and gave him a chance to reply.

Ushijima could easily see how close you were with this Atsumu and Osamu you spoke of just from this conversation alone. But the conversation is not about the twins and how wonderful they are.

"But how are they involved in you not being confident in yourself?" He brought the subject back from the side trail you swerved onto and you rubbed your neck self-consciously.

"I suppose I compared myself to them a lot…?" You only started dance because of them to begin with. "It was hard keeping up with them as kids, and even now when we're older if I'm being thorough. And you know kids; we can be really petty and...well, childishly competitive. It's not their fault though, or my brother's. I know that. I just couldn't stop comparing myself to them, and others, and the habit kind of...stuck."

Ushijima laughed, and a good kind of nervousness fluttered in your stomach at the sound. Ushiwaka should laugh more too. It sounds nice; calming with his natural baritone.

"I'm an only child, and was not afforded the opportunity to play with other children of my age when I was young, so I can't say I truly understand. I can imagine it, however."

"Oh...I'm sorry to hear that. It must have been difficult." Here you were, complaining to a future emperor about your problems when he has more pressure and expectations riding on him, ever since he was born.

(You really needed to break this habit of unloading your issues onto leaders of entire realms.)

A small smile drifted onto his lips and his gaze settled on a spot far away. "Perhaps, but it was all I have ever known, so I have nothing else to compare it to so it does not bother me."

Your shoulder sank hearing those words from him; you couldn't imagine what that would be like at all. Compared to that, your one-sided comparisons to the twins, your brother and other children sounds amazingly minor and petty. At least you had a normal childhood filled with friends and laughter.

Your dampened mood and aura did not go unnoticed for he tried to comfort you with his following words. "Whether my upbringing is a good thing or a bad thing is a different subject entirely. Our worlds are vastly different, and so is our upbringing. But it in no way diminishes any difficulties you might have had."

Your fingers picked at the blades of grass by your thighs, very much like how Hyquile's Kita often did. Sweet, clumsy Kita (it's still such a wonder to think about). In the back of your mind, you wondered how he and the other fox-folks were doing. How are they coping with their sacred waters?

"However, at the risk of sounding slightly morbid and unpleasant, my upbringing also did not afford me any chance, or time, to compare myself to others." Long fingers brushed against a small dandelion that was newly sprouting in the grass. You can't help but think the next time the gardener comes around, this dandelion might not be forgiven.

"A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms."

Just blooms.

Ushijima's words caused your fingers to stop with its fiddling, pulling your attention back to him completely.

'Make it bloom.'

The context and meaning behind the wisdom Sentimental Ushijima is imparting to you is quite different from Refined Oikawa's.

And yet…

It wasn't wholly different either, despite the differences between them and their respective realms.

"My grandfather rules with a precise focus on results. And a result of that is my need to produce results, to constantly answer to his high expectations of me." With your attention rapt on him, Ushijima continued with an encouraging shine in his dark eyes for you. But it was hard to miss the pressed lines around his eyes and on his lips, like a menacing rope pulled tautly on his skin, dragging him down.

"I don't particularly like confidence that has no basis; it has no place in the royal court or out in the field. On that note, confidence is also like any other skill or muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. You don't need to have overflowing confidence on display for others to use it for yourself."

Your brows furrowed. "Why are you telling me all this?"

Somehow, you did not think a future emperor would suddenly want to chit-chat with you about your confidence issues whilst taking a stroll in the gardens, alternate of his fiancée or not.

He gave you a small smile. "Other than the fact that Sir Iwaizumi requested that I speak with you, I also felt that this is something you should know and be aware of before attempting to heal Kawanishi again."

Now you were really confused.

Sentimental Ushijima rubbed the fingers of his propped arm languidly, your eyes and his own watching the slow drag of his thumb along the calloused skin of his index and middle finger.

"Magic comes from the soul, as you know."

There was a very small flash of a spark on his finger.

"And the soul is the very essence of us at our truest and purest."

Long and scintillating lines of electricity crackled and danced along his fingers and knuckles, with a color of purple so bright that it was almost white. You felt your mouth slipping open in amazement and your fingers twitched at the awe-inspiring sight.

"If you do not believe in yourself, how can you hope to make magic happen?"

Faster than the blink of an eye, there was a flash of blinding purplish-white light, followed by an immensely loud thunderclap that made you jump. Your head whipped to the front, and your eyes widened at the sight of the neatly pruned tree that stood there.

At least, what was once a neatly pruned tree.

What was supposed to have been an immaculate tree now sported a lengthy and wide chasm down the length of its trunk. Smoke and flickerings of flames drifted from the freshly opened wound, and the smell of burning wood began to permeate the garden air.

"D-Did you-? Did you just-?" Your words stumbled over itself, mind still trying to understand what just happened. His fingers had purple electricity, and then there was an abrupt flash and the sound of thunder, and then that tree is now displaying a huge smoking gash!

Whoever tended to that tree was going to blow a blood vessel when they see the state of it.

Ushijima looked thoroughly humored by your surprise and shock (hah!). "Lightning. All heirs to the Eagle Throne possess it as an affinity."

Yeah, you knew that from Oikawa but he just struck a perfectly nice tree!

"If you're worried about the tree, our Head Gardener is from Aoba and is a master at applying his nature affinity," he laughed quietly.

Ushijima's hand touching yours brought your bewildered eyes down to your lap, in time to see him turn your hand over.

"Magic is very closely attuned to our souls. The state of your soul greatly affects your ability to control your magic. Even if you wish with all your might for something to happen, it will not happen without true conviction. If merely wishing is all it takes for things to go our way...then there are a lot of things I would wish to change too."

There was a touch of forlorn in the way his voice lowered in time with the dip of his fingers in your palm. You swallowed, vaguely aware of the tips of your own fingers quivering at the feeling of his warm hand.

Plucking the budding dandelion from before, Ushijima placed it in your palm before curling your fingers lightly over it. His olive-green eyes held your gaze, holding it as firmly as his hand on yours.

"I believe that you can heal Kawanishi, that you speak the truth about her and yourself. But you must be able to believe in yourself before you can expect anyone else to."

On your own accord, your hand tightened on the dandelion. The bud was too small for you to actually feel it brushing your skin.

"From a wish is born an intention. But without conviction, your intention will never materialize, will never be driven to action, no matter how strong the intent. The same applies for magic, as it does anything else."

But you felt Ushijima's words: his confidence and his belief in you.

His conviction in you.

He's...absolutely right.

And so is Iwaizumi.

Yesterday with Kawanishi and even during your attempt to heal the waters of Inarizaki...both times you had been filled with self-doubt and uncertainties. On the other hand, when you did successfully heal the cat-girl and the feral dog-folk, your body had moved with no thought and no doubts in mind, only survival and instinct.

There had been no room for uncertainties during those times.

The situation was different, but you understood what he is telling you; that a sliver of doubt in yourself is enough to work against you in calling forth any magic.

You looked up at Ushijima, a question on the tip of your tongue that you had been meaning to ask since he led you here. "Why did Iwaizumi ask you to speak to me about this? He knows magic, why can't he do it himself?"

Ushijima smiled furtively, and he shrugged his broad shoulders. "Sir Iwaizumi claims he isn't very good with words. He is quite convinced it is better if you heard it from me, and not from someone who looks angry at you all the time."

You couldn't help a short giggle at that. It seems Stern Iwaizumi is quite aware of what is possibly his default face towards you.

A stark contrast from the two of your world indeed.

The click of the same daunting door from yesterday rang in the silent corridor, and Shirabu looked back at you and Ushijima, his copper eyes flickering as they passed over you.

You clutched at your chest, right where you can feel your heart begin drumming up a round of erratic beats.

Oh God-

What if it is like the first time again?

What if you can't do it again?

What if-

Someone called your name.

Ushijima's soft voice jerked you back from the spiraling darkness you had begun to descend into, planting you back into the present and held you there.

His dark green eyes shone like emeralds in the dim hallway, a lighthouse calling stray ships back from the raging seas; calling you back from your self-inflicted insecurities and worries.

"You'll be fine."

His eyes shifted to Iwaizumi. "We'll be with you."

Next to you, Iwaizumi crossed his arms and huffed, a half-hearted scowl in place as he pinned his own verdant gaze on you.

"Don't think of anything unnecessary. No matter what, you only need to focus on what's in front of you."

They're right.

They are absolutely right once again.

This is your last chance to heal Kawanishi.

He doesn't have much longer, and you'll be quite literally shipped back to Seijoh by express mail if you fail again. Emperor Washijo isn't too fond of yours and Iwaizumi's sudden presence in Aquila as it is, and you will have no reason to stay either if you do not succeed.

More than that...Kawanishi's life is in your hands once more.

You cannot afford to fail a second time.

You clasped your hands together and brought them up, pressing your forehead against them tightly as if in prayer. But you're not praying.

Wishing and praying will not help Kawanishi.

You know better now, more than ever.

Inhale

You took a long and deep breath, consciously feeling the cool air enter you.

Mori didn't let you give up. Because of him, you were able to ask for this second chance.

Exhale

You let it all back out again, once more consciously registering your heated breath pushing against the skin of your raised arms.

Ushijima and Iwaizumi are giving you this second chance. In their own way, they aren't letting you give up either. In doing so, they are telling you that they believe in you.

Now you just have to believe in yourself.

"Okay. I'm ready."

As you stepped into the room for a second time, for your second chance, you didn't feel scared of the possibility of being tainted anymore. The worry and fear were still there, crawling somewhere inside you, but it was pushed deep back in favor of something else:

Determination-

Resolve-

Conviction-

-that you will be able to help Kawanishi so that he will not have to suffer like this any longer.

That no others would have to...you still remember the cat-girl and her cries for her little brother, and the absolute relief that washed over her and onto you after.

Kawanishi was sleeping when you approached the bed, exhaustion and fatigue clear in him despite not having moved from the bed for weeks.

The dark veins had crawled further up his neck, several strands seeping onto the edges of his pallid cheeks.

When you kneeled and lightly ghosted his bare arm with your fingers (the thought that a thin layer of cloth between you will spare you from The Rot no longer crossed your mind), he slowly stirred.

Kawanishi blinked groggily, wearily, at you; more than likely wondering why you were back.

"Hey," you whispered softly to him.

'I-I'm going to try and heal you, o-okay?'

When you came here yesterday, you came with the intent to try and heal him.

This time, you have to heal him.

Will heal him.

"I'm going to heal you, okay?"

His dull eyes flickered, a painful mixture of diminishing hope...and doubt.

You didn't blame him, especially not after yesterday.

You could feel Kawanishi's eyes and everyone else's eyes on you as your hands drifted across his tainted skin. His arms shifted, flinching from your touch, and you glanced up at him to see the worry in his eyes; worry that contact with him will taint you too.

The concern and kindness he was showing you even in his frailty further strengthened your resolve.

Just like yesterday, the room was deadly silent but this time, you welcomed it as you focused on nothing but Kawanishi's feeble breathing, the very frail rise and fall of his chest.

You laid a palm across where his heart would be, committing his faint pulse to your mind and your senses.

On your way to Kawanishi's room, Ushijima and even Shirabu had given you further advice on how you might focus your magic better. Apparently, envisioning how you want your magic to work helps you focus and narrow down the very subjective nature of it, at least until you have better control over it.

Iwaizumi added on that a simple example would be when you were moving the quill; instead of just glaring at it with the intent to flip it, actually visualizing in your head the quill moving the way you want it to will help you filter out other nonsense, like Oikawa's tapping fingers or the chatter of Kunimi and Kindaichi by the door.

With their advice in mind, you visualized in your mind that the pulse beneath your palm would grow stronger and louder, that it would continue to drum rhythmically for a long, long time.

You eased into the visualizations in your mind without trouble, having had lots of practice when you visualized your own dance routines.

So you let your eyes rove over the black veins slithering on Kawanishi's pallid skin and painted over them with your mind that the veins receded and disappeared; that the grey of his skin is dyed with sun-kissed colors and saturated with life; that Kawanishi's eyes no longer look dull and heavy, and were instead wide and bright.

Nothing happened.

Nothing happened but you didn't focus on that fact.

As seconds and then minutes passed, you weren't even aware of the passage of time anymore.

All you saw is Kawanishi; all you heard is his breathing; all you felt is the beat of his heart on the tips of your fingers and the chill of his skin against yours.

You weren't sure how long you kneeled there and repeatedly erased the dark lines from Kawanishi, repainted his skin with color, added sparks to his eye, animated a stronger rise to his chest…

It must have been a while because you faintly felt your legs cramping, causing you to shift to cross your legs by his bedside. But not once did you remove your hands from him, not once did your gaze move away from the entirety of him.

There was the sound of the door opening and closing, and then muted footsteps and whispers but they were of no concern to you.

Kawanishi Taichi is your only concern.

And the whole time you sat there, Kawanishi never once removed his eyes from you.

Suddenly, you felt it.

You weren't exactly sure what it is, or how to describe it, but there was a foreign sensation tingling deep within you and on the parts of your skin that touched Kawanishi.

The sensation surged around in a pattern within you, and then in the reverse of the same pattern. It went up from your body to your shoulders and down your arms, almost like it was racing to the areas of your hands that connected you to Kawanishi. And soon after that, the reverse of it followed; the feeling that something was flowing from your hands and up your arms and down your shoulders.

And from the moment the tingling sensation began, a white light had slowly begun to pulse and glow underneath your palms, gradually growing brighter and stronger as you grew more aware of the sensation inside of you.

You don't know why, but you instinctively began visualizing that this 'sensation' inside you was a path; more specifically, a path of white light that is your magic. And you began visualizing in your mind that this path of white light traveled down your arms into Kawanishi, circling along the length of his body before returning to you through your hands.

You heard someone gasp from somewhere behind you, but all of your attention was on Kawanishi and the white glow of your hands.

The veins on his skin began to shrink and receded, starting from the tips of the branches touching his cheeks. Slowly, they traced their trail backward as if chased away by some unseen approaching force, or even hauled back and siphoned from the ends of their ebony tails. And as these ebony veins withdrew and faded, so did the grey of his skin slowly regained a bit of color to them, no longer wearing the cowl of a corpse.

A shaky breath escaped you and unlike before where all you felt was Kawanishi, you distinctly felt the track of something wet slipping down your cheek.

When you next took a breath, it became a rather loud sniffle instead as your nose began to clog up.

It's working.

It's actually working!

Someone let out a very loud sigh of relief that was almost a cry before you heard someone call Shirabu's name and words of comfort were murmured. The sound of Shirabu crying made your own tears swell, warping your sight of Kawanishi's face.

But it wasn't enough to distort the sight of hope returning to his once dimmed eyes.

Your eyes squeezed shut, your fingers pressed firmer onto skin that was no longer grey.

It was only yesterday that your cries of shame and despair echoed along these walls.

Today, the sound of your relieved laughter and gasps mixed and rebounded with Shirabu's cries, and that of who you later found out to be Goshiki, who had entered the room after you began.

And this time, when Iwaizumi's hand touched your shoulder and you looked up, his green eyes shone with pride. And for the first time ever, his lips were turned up in a smile for you.

Iwaizumi didn't say anything, but Ushijima said what was in everyone's thoughts in one genuine and pride-filled sentence for you.

"You did it."

"Grandfather."

"What is it, Ushijima?"

"I am pleased to inform you that Kawanishi has been successfully healed of The Rot. He no longer has any traces of it. Shirabu is overseeing additional checkups now but we would like to release him from containment soon."

"...I see."

"Are you not pleased, Grandfather? This is extremely good news. It means we have a way to cure The Rot."

"Yes, it is very good news indeed. You are free to release Kawanishi when Shirabu has cleared him."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Maste-"

"I told you not to call me that, Kenma."

"Sorry, I keep slipping back into it," Kenma winced sheepishly.

Having been in service to the leader of The Dominion since he was a child, it had been constantly drilled into Kenma by his family to always address The Dominion leader with the utmost respect, ever since the time of Kuroo's grandfather, Master Nekomata.

Kuroo didn't say anything, merely moved to pour a cup of tea for Kenma. The younger of the two took the other empty chair beside Kuroo, the one you used to sit in, whenever you spent time with Kuroo in this tearoom and enjoyed a pot of freshly brewed chrysanthemum tea.

"You're still up," Kenma stated, happily taking the offered cup of tea that Kuroo held out to him. Kenma sniffed it with a blissful sigh, the scent of their locally grown Pu'er tea wafting up to his nose.

"So are you." Kuroo coolly replied, sipping at his own cup.

"I guess drinking Pu'er isn't the smartest choice at this time of the night if we were really intent on sleeping." Kenma laughed, his voice echoing in the quiet room and mountain air.

Kuroo didn't say anything in response but gave his long-time friend a small smile.

Together they enjoyed the calm and peace, each nursing their own cups reflectively.

Kenma sighed suddenly, drawing Kuroo's attention to him.

"You were so close to getting her back from the foxes too. I can't believe she just disappeared like that…"

Kuroo placed his cup down with a low hum. "It was unfortunate. I suspected that blunt force might have been a possible trigger to how she moved between worlds, but it isn't until I heard Akaashi's report that it made sense."

His eyes lowered, a glimpse of what Kenma could only assume to be forlorn in his usually impassive features. "We were severely outnumbered, even when working in tandem with the foxes. I have failed in my promise of her safety…"

Kenma shook his head furiously at Kuroo's words, his tea sloshing dangerously in his hand. "That's not true! It isn't how we would have preferred it but she managed to get back to her own world at the time! It isn't your fault, Lord Kuroo! If anything, it was my fault that she got taken by the foxes in the first place..." The orange ears atop Kenma's head flattened, wisps of smoke beginning to raise from them in his dejection.

"If only I had been strong enough…"

"No, Kenma. Even Bokuto was outmaneuvered by the fox twins, and I have seen them fight up close at Inarizaki territory. They are a strong and talented pair, and you kept up with them, which is no easy feat. You are by no means weak."

"But-" Kenma began to protest again but Kuroo shook his head.

"Speaking about this multiple times will not change anything. We can only learn and move on." Kuroo fixed his golden eyes on Kenma firmly. "The Dominion is stronger as a whole because of you, Kenma, no matter what you may think. So do not doubt yourself and quit in anything."

Kenma sat back into his chair, eyebrows pinching together in lingering doubt of Kuroo's words.

"Remember, we are the blood in our veins."

Kuroo looked out at the vast network of mountain paths, bridges, tunnels, and caves that sprawled across . This entire mountain, the entire city of Moggibe Boroughs, is the body and veins of The Dominion that his people call home.

"We flow without stopping-"

Him, Kenma, Kai, Yaku, Lev- all the people on his High Council, the soldiers that protect The Dominion, everyone who helps keep his entire government running, and all the citizens that banded together to put out the fires on and restore the homes of those who lost it…

"We circulate the oxygen-"

Every day the entirety of The Dominion works together to keep the peace of their realm and overcome any hardship and struggle that might come their way. Nothing is done merely by the efforts of one.

"So that the brain can work at its full potential."

Kuroo is well aware that he might be the leader of The Dominion, but even he will never achieve anything without the help and support of his people. And without Kenma, his right-hand, Kuroo doubts that The Dominion would have flourished as much as it did under his rule.

"There are two sides to the brain Kenma. The Dominion wouldn't be where it is without you." He placed an encouraging hand on Kenma's shoulder, watching as the orange ears on his friend's head slowly perked up at his words.

Kenma grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "T-Thanks…"

Kuroo shook his head, moving to refill his own cup of tea. "No, it is you I have to thank. You also ensured The Dominion is still in one piece when I left with Bokuto for Inarizaki to find her."

Kenma accepted Kuroo's praise with a quiet nod, knowing that Kuroo meant every single word so denying it would be the utmost disrespect he could display to his friend and leader.

"Do you think she's doing alright in Aoba?" Kenma asked though he didn't really expect an answer of any sort. He had struggled for quite a while with your kidnap, inadvertently blaming himself no matter what Kuroo and the others told him.

It was weird, having you suddenly pop up at The Dominion one day and then suddenly gone. He had spent so much time with you daily that he still found himself automatically making that milk tea you liked so much, even though you were no longer with them.

Kuroo recalled the silent courage he saw in you when you held his hand, and the honesty in your words for him despite not having a full grasp of everything. For someone like him who makes decisions based on logic and knowledge, the idea of jumping heart first is daunting, and something he has never done before.

And he remembered his words to you in the smokey tunnels of the then burning , before you left with Kenma.

"You'll be alright. "

Though Kuroo didn't think things will turn out like this at the time, his belief hasn't changed.

"I believe she will be alright."

One of his rare smiles, small as they may be, pulled at a corner of his lips.

Kenma's head tilted at the sight, having noticed the few times he saw his impassive friend allow such an expression to grace his face. Kenma also noted that most of those times had something to do with you.

Two dark figures flew up to the pagoda balcony that Kuroo and Kenma had been peacefully overseeing. They landed silently onto the banisters with a crouch, footwear barely scraping a sound onto the beautiful wood surface.

Kuroo sighed, almost in exasperation, at the newcomers.

"Bokuto, I have asked many times for you to please use the doors. Akaashi, I expected better from you."

Bokuto folded his large wings with a muted flap, rolling his sharp eyes. "And I have mentioned many times that I waste precious time using the doors." He gestured around carelessly at the clean balcony but made no move to remove himself from the banister, shifting to sit precariously on it instead. "Look, I made sure to not knock anything over this time."

Beside him, Akaashi respectfully dismissed his wings in a flurry of black feathers and shimmering dust that dispersed into the night air. He stepped down from the banister, bowing respectfully at Kuroo, and gave a nod to Kenma.

Kuroo let out an inaudible sigh. The day Bokuto used a door of his own accord will truly be a day to behold.

"To what do I owe this pleasure at this time of the night?"

A snide grin split wide on Bokuto's face. "It's not like you had any intention of getting any rest tonight from the looks of it."

Akaashi stepped forward before his own leader shredded into their alliance with The Dominion any further, passing a piece of paper over to Kuroo.

"My familiar brought this from Seijoh. It's from her."

Kenma immediately sat up in his chair and quickly moved over to read over Kuroo's shoulder the letter you sent.

Akaashi kneeled on the other side of the table from Kuroo and Kenma, his gunmetal blue gaze shifting to look at Kenma. "I haven't had the opportunity before this, but she told me to tell you that she misses your milk tea."

Kenma laughed gleefully, ears straight in delight at the message. "I'll make her several jugfuls next I see her!"

Behind by the banister, Bokuto scoffed audibly and in his mind's eye, Akaashi can see his leader look away to the side with a derisive roll of his eyes. "She's got messages for everybody it seems."

A smile fought to make itself known on Akaashi, but the spy resisted, keeping his expression schooled respectfully.

Kuroo handed the letter from you to Kenma, who took it to read over it once more.

"So she's in The Empire now to test her ability to heal The Rot."

Kuroo recalled how terrified- hysterical even- when you first came to The Dominion, and could only imagine how scared you must have been when you were taken by the foxes. And now you were choosing to stay in Aoba and moving to The Empire all on your own.

He knew he wasn't wrong about the small spark of courage he saw within you.

Kuroo lightly shook his head with an imperceptible smile at this news, glancing to his side at Kenma knowingly.

"I said she would be alright."

Another round of delighted laughter rolled out of Kenma, echoing between the three other comparatively silent companions in the tearoom. "You are quite right, milord."

"She has a message for you too, Lord Kuroo," Akaashi said, bringing Kuroo's attention to him.

"She told me to tell you she missed relaxing with you over a nice cup of chrysanthemum tea."

"Is that word for word?" Bokuto snarked with a drawl and this time, it was Akaashi's turn to shake his head at his lord's behavior.

"I see, that's good to hear." Kuroo closed his eyes with a small nod at the owl spy, a gesture of his appreciation for passing on the message.

"There was something else she wanted me to tell you but I think it's better if she told you herself," Akaashi continued, a furtive smile crawling onto his lips that made Kenma slap his hands on the table.

"You can't just throw that out at Lord Kuroo and not say it, Akaashi! Now we'll be dying to know what it is!"

"I think it is just you who will have that issue, Kenma." Akaashi quipped back at the cat-folk with a raised brow.

Kenma squinted at Akaashi indignantly before snapping his head towards Kuroo.

"Lord Kuroo, say something!"

Entertaining his younger childhood friend in an uncommon show of camaraderie, Kuroo looked at Akaashi expectantly, amusement glinting in both their eyes at Kenma's antics.

But Akaashi didn't budge and shook his head in the negative. "My apologies, I told her to give you the message directly herself already, so I would not want to steal her thunder away."

Kenma groaned and flopped back into his chair with his arms crossed, muttering dejectedly.

Bokuto walked over to the group, carefully folding his wings back so it didn't touch anything. The owl leader did not miss the way the cat leader watched his movements.

"So, what should we do in regards to this new development? Do we continue to leave her there in the North?" He asked whilst leaning down to pick up Kuroo's cup of tea. With one fluid motion, he threw all the contents of the cup back, prompting Akaashi to make a comment about how that is tea and not an alcoholic beverage, and that the cup is not his.

Kuroo took no offense at Bokuto's action, already used to his brash personality. He calmly refilled his newly emptied cup.

"I think we can allow her more time in the North. She is learning more about her magic, her alternate, and why she is here in Hyquile there than she will be able to learn with us. As we have always suspected, Aoba and The Empire have more information and it is easier for her to learn from them compared to our spies, as she has a direct connection to them by way of her alternate."

Kuroo looked at Akaashi momentarily to praise him. "Leaving her in Seijoh was the right choice, Akaashi."

Akaashi bowed his head briefly. "Not at all, I did nothing. It was her choice to remain."

Kuroo looked back up at Bokuto. "It will be difficult for us to retrieve her whilst she is in Aquila in any case, lest we cause a spectacle on our way in and out. Wouldn't you agree, Bokuto?"

Golden owl-eyes tapered in thought. "I do not disagree about having her learn more in the North. But we should prepare so that we can move at a moment's notice should anything happen. I don't know what it is, but my guts are telling me that things won't continue to move this smoothly. I don't like it."

"Ever the cautious one you are, Bokuto," Kuroo said, nodding in agreement nonetheless. "We should share the new information with the confidants of our choosing carefully, and make arrangements for the case either of us or one of our retainers have to leave at a moment's notice for anything."

Bokuto stepped back towards the edge of the balcony to stretch his wings out wide, flapping them restlessly. "Owl Vale is fine. I have left Konoha alongside several others in charge during my prolonged absence, so nothing will change on our side for now. Share with them the latest update, Akaashi."

Bokuto lifted wide eyes that glowed brightly despite the night shadows up at the sky, the twinkles of the distant stars distinct and clear to his owl eyes.

"I just don't trust anything when everything is going smoothly. My instincts are crawling."

A hum reverberated from Kuroo, the low sound amplified by the still mountains. He ran a long finger around the rim of his teacup. Next to him, Kenma was preparing an additional cup for Akaashi and Bokuto, sensing that they will be out here for the rest of the night.

"The best time to prepare for calamity is when there is none, after all."

Kuroo wasn't going to allow something like what happened to at the hands of the fox twins to occur again. They suffer and learn, they adjust, they get back on their feet, and then regroup.

His ancestors survived a war that nearly brought the cat-folks to extinction. But they survived and evolved, and had flourished ever since.

His grandfather, Nekomata, taught him that preparation, adaptation, and working together is what gets them through any trial.

And that has always been the way of the cats of The Dominion.

But as their small group conversed through the remaining hours of the night, Kuroo could not help but keep thinking that you are in the North, in The Empire, all on your own.

And he could not keep that thought from troubling him.

Notes:

Shamelessly promoting my new Miya Osamu one-shot still :D novel / Miya Osamu One-Shot

I don't know how to leverage Tumblr properly. Someone halp plz. (been wanting to release a few chapters on Tumblr but I can't get my chapter formats to work 😭 I need desperate help😭)

Tumblr for Ghosts We See:This is where I post my art/designs for Hyquile, and answer additional questions and details for GWS. Bonus stories are also posted here first, if you want the early scoop. It is still small, but I hope to grow the community with a group of fellow HQ fans.

Do leave a comment if you enjoy my story :) It can be a simple thank you to a long commentary. I would love to hear what you think of my story, be it plot, characters, writing, or even just fangirling/bonding over the characters 3
As both a reader/writer, I understand that sometimes I do not know what to say, or a kudos is enough, but reviews/comments to writers are like water to plants. It encourages and motivates us a lot more than one might think. It lets us know without a doubt that people are reading, are enjoying it, that our efforts are worth it. I am sure many of us also tend to write faster when shown support in the form of words :D
It might seem frivolous, but I wish to create and encourage a community where readers and authors support each other this way, through their written words. I definitely cannot do it across the site, but I wish to start here, with my own story and hope to be able to grow that supporting circle that will hopefully stretch to other parts of the community 3

Chapter 23: Eagles Of Aquila / ficlet 01

Summary:

Introduction Arc Part Two: The White Eagle Empire

Notes:

This chapter took longer than usual because I got distracted with writing for other HQ fics, and...cause I took the writing break that everyone has been telling me to take lmao I also realized I wrote 22 chapters and almost 200k words for GWS in like 2 months? and was like "eyyy I should reward myself with just being lazy from writing." xP

BTW, are you all alright with the additional drabbles/ficlets/extra content just being included in each chapter as they come out?
I am wondering if this makes things messy, and I was bothered with it a little as it kinda breaks the overall flow with the sudden break in the chapter, but I wasn't sure how else to best share these with you. I didn't want to create a chapter for a drabble either, nor a separate book as the drabbles/ficlets some times reveal things about the characters...I'm keeping them here for now, but let me know your thoughts!

Thank YOU to everyone that commented 33 This story truly wouldn't be here without you all!
Please enjoy Chapter 23 and ignore the typos! Will be back to fix after zzzz. This will probably be the last chapter in the Introduction Arc. FINALLY! WHOOOO! We are OUT of Introduction Purgatory guysss!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"Are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah...t-thank you again, for carrying me, Iwaizumi."

Iwaizumi merely grunted with the cross of his arms as he glanced away from your resting figure on a couch in a guest hall.

Soon after leaving Kawanishi's containment room so that Shirabu can complete his medical check without a group of eyes watching, your legs had trembled and stumbled as fatigue descended on your body. It felt as if you had done five hours of pole training; your muscles just would not support you anymore, not without breaking out into unrestrained shivers.

Luckily, Ushijima had caught you before your face kissed the ground. They suspected that it was due to exertion from actually applying your magic for the first time, by your own will.

"It'll get easier the more you use it. Time and practice will only lead to improvement," Ushijima had told you with a soft smile when your tired eyes peered up at him with concern.

Iwaizumi had wordlessly moved to carry you in his arms from there, leaving Ushijima free to report your success to his grandfather.

You could not stop the burning blush on your face and the heat on your neck the whole way back to the main castle. Iwaizumi had carried you bridal style till the end where he deposited you on a couch, even though you insisted partway that the trembles in your legs had stopped.

"It's less work for me if you didn't crack your head on the stone just because you were too embarrassed to have me carry you!"

His words had instantly shut you up, and you relented to shyly holding onto his neck whilst desperately hoping that your weight wasn't too much for him. His armor looked cumbersome as it is without you as a topping.

"Since you managed to heal Kawanishi, we will return to Seijoh early tomorrow morning to let Oikawa know," Iwaizumi informed you, not noticing his slip at addressing Refined Oikawa without the proper title. He usually is a stickler for addressing the prince properly when you're around...

You blinked but didn't say anything lest he turned his wrath on you. He wore an almost relaxed expression currently, the sides of his lips higher than it normally would be and his brows less intense.

It's a good look on him, so it was unfortunate he always looked so stern. The same could be said for the former ace in your world.

"There is also the matter of you returning to your world. You said you needed to return in about 8 days, didn't you? Well, your time's almost up. His Royal Highness should have something for you once we get back."

Ah, the proper titles are back.

"Ah, you're right." You rubbed your strained eyes and temples. You almost forgot about your own deadline for returning with recent events. It was always in your subconscious but you hadn't realized it was that close.

Man, you really didn't want to go back to school after this exhausting but exciting adventure. You barely rested and...and your homework! You could do magic and heal someone of The Rot, why couldn't you magically complete your assignments?

You groaned, almost sobbing, when you remembered you had work due this week. "Ugh- I haven't done my homework!"

"Homework?" Iwaizumi raised a confused brow. He does not know what you mean by homework.

You explained to Iwaizumi about homework in your world, that it was probably similar to tasks or missions in Hyquile? You don't know what knight trainees or academics in Hyquile cover in their education, but your classes definitely did not include battle tactics and strategies. Would Iwaizumi be interested in introducing Business Mathematics & Statistics to his fellow Blue Knights and soldiers?

Iwaizumi didn't seem to think a bunch of written reports were particularly useful though, evident by the appalled look he gave you at your explanation of universities and classes.

You smiled at him dejectedly. "I almost envy that you don't have homework here in Hyquile."

He frowned in thought. "We have universities in Aoba and The Empire. Depending on your topic of study and research there, I guess they would have things similar to your version of…'homework'. But yours sound inane, sitting in a room for hours."

He could not be more correct.

When your fallen shoulders remained slumped, Iwaizumi rolled his eyes at you.

"You have the rest of the day to do as you wish since we won't leave until tomorrow. If you're so worried about this 'homework,' just work on them now," Iwaizumi told you matter-of-factly as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

You were unable to stifle the laugh and grin that broke out on your face, and you quickly covered your mouth with your hand when Iwaizumi immediately scowled at you for laughing at him. "S-Sorry! It's just, I don't have my materials so I won't get much done anyway."

Perhaps next time you should bring your textbooks with you to Hyquile…

Nah.

You're in Hyquile, a new world.

A different world.

You'll worry about homework later.

Fingers pushing together nervously, you peered up at Iwaizumi, a request on the tip of your tongue that you hoped he would allow. "A-Anyways, I was thinking of taking up Prince Ushijima's offer of going out into the city later...i-if that's alright with you?"

You are well aware that Aoba and Iwaizumi did not play well with The Empire, so you were not certain if Iwaizumi would take kindly to you wanting to tour the city of their…rulers. Yet, you can't help but want to discover more of this world since you are here.

As you expected, Iwaizumi's frown deepened and you could see his fingers grip just a little more tightly onto his arms. Reactively, you flinched with a wince.

You were about to take it back and cancel your request when he heaved a loud sigh and dropped his arms. "Fine. You can go though I won't join you. I've had enough of this place as it is. Just stick close with Ushijima and stay out of trouble."

You noticed he didn't address Sentimental Ushijima with his proper title this time either, though you suspected it was for vastly different reasons from Oikawa.

Then Iwaizumi pinned a warning stare on you. "And pack your things before you go as we will not be late tomorrow for departure like today."

"R-Really? Are you sure? I-I mean, I don't really need to go out to the city, the castle is big enough and-"

Even as you made up excuses to Iwaizumi about why you don't need to see the city of Aquila, there was an excited glimmer in your eyes that Iwaizumi didn't miss. It was hard to miss it, really.

He suddenly flicked your forehead with an exasperated sigh. "Can you not speak so much for once? You're just like Oikawa sometimes with your excuses."

"Ow-!"

An acute sting sprung onto the area where Iwaizumi flicked you quite harshly, and you rubbed it with a grimace.

"Why'd you-" You were about to indignantly ask why he did that when a heavy palm fell over the top of your head, bobbing it once with the unexpected weight. Your words fizzled.

You looked up quizzically to find Iwaizumi giving you the scowl that is now familiar to you, but unlike the very first time he directed it at you, the anger didn't reach his eyes anymore. His eyes weren't as hard or distrustful as they always had been when you were in his line of sight.

"You did something good today. You deserve it."

...was all he simply said before shoving your head backward and turning his back to you with a dismissive huff.

You yelped at the rough and unexpected treatment.

Some knight he is! Weren't knights supposed to be gentlemanly? -despite that, a small smile crept onto your lips as Iwaizumi stalked his way towards the door.

Each day that passes, you see more of the Iwaizumi Hajime of your world in him; the true core that they both share, behind the stern facade.

The one that cared and worried too much.

"But leave that owl here in the castle! The last thing we need is some Empire foot soldier discovering it and setting off a smuggling dispute!"

Definitely still stern though.

"Wow!"

"Careful, you've exerted a lot of energy healing Kawanishi earlier."

"I'm quite alright now, really! But everything is just so...beautiful here! It's really amazing!" You breathed with wide eyes flitting about everywhere, drinking in all the sights as much as you could with each passing glance.

Then again, everywhere you've been in Hyquile so far has been beautiful, all in their own unique ways.

Weather in Aquila is unmistakably more cloudy, where Seijoh has always been sunny when you were there. Though you enjoyed the warm sun and majestic sunsets of Seijoh immensely, the cloudy skies of Aquila were a cooling respite from the hot rays. The unbreaking wind blowing in from the ocean also added an additional layer of cool to the city that was welcomed by you.

The city of Aquila itself is a lot less foreboding than the royal castle was, likely because Emperor Washijo isn't breathing down everyone's backs as closely.

The people were lively and bustling (though not as lively as the cat-folks of Moggie Boroughs who were on another level completely in terms of vigor).

The atmosphere of Aquila is closer to that of Seijoh with mingling and chattering people; families and couples browsed and shopped at the multitude of stores across the city levels, and children ran between the stone buildings and along the cobbled streets, evading towering city guards that firmly told them to stop running, lest they hurt themselves or someone else.

The only difference is the very apparent lack of non-humans.

There weren't many non-humans in Seijoh either but once in a while at least, you would be able to spot a folk that clearly isn't human walking down the streets, or in an establishment of sorts. There had even been another bird-folk (that didn't look like an owl-folk, but you weren't an ornithologist) staying at the Rotund Pub & Inn where you and Akaashi stayed.

Ushijima extended an arm out to you, offering you his help down a flight of steps that would take you down to the next city level.

A pair of glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, and the hood of a light cloak wreathed around his head; a simple disguise to keep his people from recognizing their future emperor.

When you first saw Sentimental Ushijima with the glasses, you had to do a double-take as you have never seen Ushijima, Hyquile or otherwise, with glasses before. You had never even imagined that it would...suit him.

It highlighted the sharp and straight planes of his facial features into an elegant maturity that is quite refreshing to see.

Hesitantly, and quite nervously, you voiced your curiosity about non-humans in The Empire to Ushijima. It was hard not to, all things considered.

Sentimental Ushijima also felt like someone you could talk to a bit more freely compared to the others you have met from The Empire so far, especially after his encouragement for you in the gardens of the castle.

Credits for Kawanishi's recovery can not be given to you alone, afterall. Ushijima, Mori, and Iwaizumi played just as big of a role. You would not have been able to do it without them.

"I...hope this isn't impolite of me to ask but...are there really no non-human folks in The Empire? In Aquila?"

A very subtle and almost imperceptible shift tightened on Ushijima's lips, and you could vaguely feel his arm stiffen below your hands. The breath that left him after your question sounded heavy.

"...There are non-humans in The Empire, Aquila included," he began quietly, olive-eyes dark despite the light of day. "I am sure you are well aware by now but...The Empire does not take too kindly to non-humans in general. My grandfather, especially, is particularly strict about it, even when compared to previous generations of Emperors."

"We may not be sending them to the gallows but...there are laws and systems in place that control and restrict the non-humans in Empire territory."

Ushijima spoke softly, almost a whisper in the din of the streets, as he told you about the lives of non-humans in Aquila.

Non-humans were not allowed to live in the same districts as humans. It was an entirely ridiculous rule as the entirety of the city is filled with humans, and Ushijima regrettably informed you that because of that, the non-humans stuck in Aquila had carved out a slum-life for themselves down by the edge of the harbors, in a network of caves in the cliffside. It is wet, dark, and overcrowded there, and humans avoid the area at all costs.

The harbors looked so beautiful with the lapping waves and grand ships lining the docks when you gazed at them from the castle heights, but this new information made your heart sink that behind such beauty is hidden a terrible reality.

Much like their living situations, education, work, and even trade for non-humans were all separated and isolated from the humans; all the best places and opportunities were given to humans, regardless of age and gender.

The more you heard, the sadder you felt. "It's worst than death…"

The only reason Emperor Washijo or any of the previous Emperors did not call for a full culling of the non-humans in their territories was because of possible retaliation from non-humans around Hyquile. In setting up a system of government that discriminated against them however, it gave them a warped loophole that allowed them to run The Empire against non-humans as they see fit.

Non-humans who did not like it were free to leave, of course. The Empire wouldn't stop them...as long as they were not caught trespassing into human-only areas, roads, ships, and even wagons. Such transgressions carried a penalty of imprisonment, and at its worst, death.

Even if the non-humans wanted to leave, it was not easy for them to do so. From that was born a smuggling trade to get non-humans out of The Empire and yet, ironically, the smuggling of non-humans and things related to them is illegal.

There is literally no way out for them.

"How...how can your grandfather allow this to continue…?" A part of you knew you might be speaking out of turn but you could not help it. You felt so...angry, for the non-humans in The Empire.

Nothing was done fairly for them. Nothing at all.

Ushijima didn't say anything in response and stayed silent. His eyes were downtrodden. At the sight, you relaxed your hands, which you realized now were gripping onto him so tight your knuckles turned white; it must have hurt Ushijima but he did not say anything to stop you.

It felt like he was punishing himself.

Lightly tugging on his arm, Ushijima glanced down at you. His eyes were shaded by the fall of his hood that hid his face from the world. But from your position by him, hands around his arm and looking up from below, the hood did nothing to hide the guilt and remorse in his eyes from you.

You stopped walking and Ushijima stopped with you.

"You don't...agree with your grandfather, or your predecessors, do you?"

Your question came out as a whisper, almost pleading.

You wanted to hear it from him, that he wasn't like his grandfather or his ancestors. This person that gave you your confidence when you needed it, you don't believe he is cruel.

But you need that affirmation.

His lips parted hesitantly.

Hesitant was never a word you would associate with Ushijima Wakatoshi, not until you met his alternate in Hyquile.

"I…"

You unconsciously squeezed his arm.

Eyes that had been bright as emeralds in the dim corridor outside of Kawanishi's room, that had been steadfast as the guiding beams of a lighthouse when you faltered in your insecurities, now wavered in doubts of his own.

Where did all that confidence go?

"My personal preferences and opinions are secondary to the needs of The Empire."

It was not the answer you expected, nor hoped for.

"But-" Your protest was promptly cut off.

"The current system ensured the growth and strength of The Empire for centuries, ever since the first king was crowned and presided over naught but a small community. It has continued to protect the position of The Empire in Hyquile, protected us from those who would seek to harm us, from our enemies. Our unity and solidarity are what makes The Empire strong."

Even as the words left him with practiced ease and certainty, Ushijima avoided looking at you and kept his gaze on the path before him, locked on a group of children that played ahead.

This can't be what he truly believed.

Someone of his position, a future emperor and leader of his people, who was able to understand the fears and insecurities that you felt -you, who is really just one of the little people compared to him- would not have been able to say those words and believed it to be true.

He would not have known the words you didn't even know you needed to hear if he was cruel and unempathetic as the laws that dictated The Empire.

You don't believe that they were Ushijima's own words at all.

You were about to tell him that, tell him that he isn't his grandfather or his predecessors but he raised a hand, effectively halting the words from leaving your mouth.

"Please," Ushijima said. There was an underlying plea to his tone that made your mouth dry. "I know you mean well but I prefer not to speak of this further."

He finally turned to look at you, and you swallowed at the swirls of forlorn, and appreciation, in his gaze.

"But I thank you, nonetheless."

The two of you continued on, a more light-hearted conversation flowing from Ushijima once more after a few moment. An obvious and perfectly kind move on his part to ease your fallen spirits.

You allowed him to lift your thoughts from the heavy conversation.

You didn't deserve his thanks. You were unable to do anything for him.

"Let's go this way."

"Huh? Okay…"

You quickly finished the last of a sweet drink Ushijima had purchased for you to try.

It was sweet without being overwhelming, amazingly refreshing with little bits of fruit floating around in it, and worked wonderfully in soothing your parched throat from the explorations of the last few hours.

The most interesting and amusing part of it to you was that the drink was made-to-go; it came in a pouch made of leaves, and a hollowed flower stem acted as the straw that allowed you to drink it without spilling it everywhere.

You dropped it into a bin that Ushijima pointed out to you when you were done, and he did the same for his own drink.

Aquila is kept very tidy, with designated areas for people to drop their waste around the city. Throughout the day-tour with Ushijima, you've spotted city guards calling out people for littering several times, with penalties quickly doled out on the spot.

One man apparently will be required to serve at least 20 hours of community cleaning for trying to dispose of his broken cart improperly.

The Empire ran by law and order to the very last letter, in regards to humans and non-humans alike.

It was a large contrast from the carefree ways of The Nekoma Dominion and the relaxed communal cooperation of the Inarizaki fox-folks.

On the other hand, Seijoh gave you the impression that the people were trusted to take care of their city, though city guards were still strict if they caught any unruly movements.

"Where are we going?" You asked curiously, noting that he was heading to a quiet area of the district.

"You'll see. I've been planning to show this to you but since it is closer to the castle, I thought I would save it for last before we return to the castle."

Curiosity thoroughly peaked, you eagerly followed after Ushijima and he chuckled at your quick footsteps. The discomfort of your conversation at the beginning has long since dissipated and pushed to the back of your minds, and the rest of the private city-tour granted to you by the future ruler of Aquila went by smoothly.

It reminded you of the days you spent wandering around Moggie Boroughs and Cat Alley with Kenma. Your cheek was honestly starting to hurt from the smile that had been plastered on your face the whole tour.

The things you have experienced here in Hyquile were things you were going to cherish for the rest of your life; you can only hope you wouldn't miss it too much when everything is said and done, and you returned to your own world...permanently.

Realizing the direction your thoughts were heading to, you hastily ceased that train and focused your attention on the present, asking Ushijima further questions about the sights you see around you and about the other Empire territories instead.

Ushijima led you to a large plaza that was decidedly quieter compared to the other squares and marketplaces you have seen in Aquila today.

There were still people mingling and strolling about, and even a handful of mini-caravans selling their wares to the few people in the area.

But it was hard to miss what Ushijima wanted to show in an otherwise quiet place.

In the center of the plaza grew a tall tree.

Not just simply tall; it was massive, enormous, in both width and height.

It was easily several stories tall, and its branches reached far and wide around the plaza, casting a cooling shade onto the area. It created the perfect picnic spot for people, as evident by the several couples and families that were scattered around on cloth.

The base of the tree was so wide that there were four children who ran around it, playing catch with the wide tree trunk as a barrier that hid them from each other's sight.

You gaped up at the tree in awe and admiration, eyes blinking to take in the whole sight of the tree from the plaza entrance.

"It's... huge ." There really was no other word you could say to describe your first thoughts on the tree.

Ushijima laughed at your shocked amazement. "We call it Hyperion."

Hyperion is certainly grand and beautiful. There was no denying it.

But…

"Is it going out of season? It's losing a lot of leaves…" You asked, eyeing the mounds of fallen leaves on the ground. There were still a lot of leaves that grew with brilliant shades of green on its long branches but you've never seen a healthy tree shed so many leaves before.

"You've noticed then. I suppose it's quite obvious…" Ushijima looked up at the tree with a sad contemplative smile.

"It's...dying," he finally sighed. Ushijima lightly shifted pieces of fallen leaves around the two of you with his foot absentmindedly.

"What? Why?" Other than the fallen leaves, it looked pretty healthy.

"This tree is several centuries old, and was a gift from one of the early kings of Aoba as a sign of Aoba's loyalty to The Empire," he explained and began walking further out into the plaza, towards the base of the tree.

"It has always been maintained by the skillful botanists of Aoba but in recent years, that hasn't been kept up due to our straining relationship with Aoba." Ushijima ran a hand through his hair, nearly taking off his hood, as he laughed sardonically.

"Prince Oikawa hasn't gotten around to sending his botanists over just yet, I suppose."

Your brows furrowed. Things are that bad between Aoba and The Empire that Oikawa would actively ignore something like this? It was passive-aggressive in a way, something you did not associate with Refined Oikawa. Perhaps the brunette setter but certainly not the Crown Prince of Aoba…

"It's a shame really because it is a very beautiful specimen." Ushijima breathed, admiring the canopy of leaves above your figures. Light filtered through the space between the verdant leaves, creating a complex web of light in which you and Ushijima stood, enjoying the peace and tranquility of the atmosphere.

"I hope that you'll be able to sort it out with Oikawa," you said honestly, your eyes trained on the tangling branches high above.

You didn't really think about your words, and whether it was an appropriate thing for you to say considering how much politics is involved. But as you peered up at the tree, you really did felt that it would be a shame if this centuries-old tree died because of politics.

Attention focused on the tree as it were, you missed Ushijima blinking at you in surprise, and the smile that lifted his lips at your sincerity.

Ushijima looked back up as well, gaze passing over a particularly barren spot.

"I hope so too."

A brief moment of silence passed when Ushijima broke it with a laugh, long fingers pulling at the tip of his hood.

"Forgive me. Despite the tragedy that is befalling it, it is still a beautiful part of Aquila that I thought you might have wanted to see."

You giggled and shook your head. "No, I am glad you showed it to me. Having seen it, it makes sense for this to be part of the Aquila city tour experience!"

With light laughter and easy conversation once more flowing between you and Ushijima, you began making your way out of the plaza with the intention of returning to the royal castle. The day has been fun, especially after the stress surrounding Kawanishi, but it has been several hours and Iwaizumi might be getting furiously worried about when you would return.

With your back to the grand Hyperion, you didn't pay attention to the four children running haphazardly in your direction.

They bumped into you and Ushijima with loud cries and yelps.

"Oof! Watch it, lady!"

The rowdiest of the four glared up at you and Ushijima, angrily rubbing his forehead that pummeled the back of your thighs. You pouted down at him in turn.

"We ran into them, you know!" The only girl in the group of four said, shyly eyeing Ushijima and you.

"Whatever, you're such a sissy!" The rowdy one said, and the girl immediately started to cry.

"I-I'm going to tell mum!"

"Ah, hey-! Why do you always speak to my little sister like that," the eldest of the group said to the one who scolded his little sister out of turn.

The smallest boy in the group who has yet to say anything tugged at the arm of who is evidently the rascal of their bunch. "B-Big brother, we should go apologize before we get in trouble with their parents and ours…"

"Tch, fineee~!" He left with his little brother tagging behind and you squinted at their backs.

"Hey, aren't you going to apologize?" You chided after their backs.

But the little scamp turned around and stuck his tongue out at you before promptly running away.

Your mouth fell open at his audacity. Next to you, Ushijima was wholly unperturbed by it all and merely smiled gently at their antics.

"I apologize on his behalf, miss, sir." The last one remaining said, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "I'm sure he'll be punished by the Old Spirit later on!"

"The Old Spirit?" You questioned him, staring blankly down at the kid who tilted his head at you in confusion.

"Yes, you don't know the Old Spirit?" He asked, quite amazed that an adult doesn't know what he is talking about.

You glanced at Ushijima. "Ummm, is it something I should know?"

Ushijima kneeled down to speak to the boy. "She's a visitor from another realm. They do not have tales of the Old Spirit there."

At his explanation, the boy nodded in understanding and gave you a thumbs up.

"Well, in any case, I will make sure that idiot gets punished for his rudeness to you, miss! The Old Spirit is always watching!"

He ran off to join his family and friends, leaving you confused.

"So what is this Old Spirit?" You asked Ushijima as you continued on your way back to the castle.

He adjusted his glasses with a laugh, the article having slipped slightly when he got pushed by the children. "It's just a children's tale told by the elderly and mothers to keep their children from misbehaving."

"So like a story for moral lessons?" You supposed fairy tales in your world were some times used for the same purpose.

"Something like that. Most of us grow out of it but the Old Spirit remains a popular figure amongst the older generations. It's about this being that watches over the people, protecting and rewarding those who behave, and punishing those that misbehave." Ushijima explained.

"Like a God? Do people in Hyquile believe in anything like deities?" You questioned, interest peaked. Kuroo and Kenma never spoke about such topics, likely because they didn't have anything to say regarding it, and Kita spoke of his ancestor's spirits but that's about the extent of any spiritual discussion you've had in Hyquile so far.

Ushijima's brows furrowed as he thought about your question.

"In the past, there were tribes that believed in deities, but not so much now. I can't speak for those in other realms but humans in Empire territory do not believe in deities, as far as I am aware. There are some non-human folks that have their own religious beliefs in Hyquile but not for us."

"With our progress in the studies of magic and the world, on top of the fact that humans possess the most potential for magic, the idea of a deity didn't take hold for us. The most common scholarly explanation for it is because we possess magic within ourselves already, so there is no need for a deity to do anything for us. It isn't a very common topic, I must be honest."

At his explanation, you could not help but wonder how things would have turned out in your world if magic existed there. "If we had magic in my world too, I supposed we might have turned out pretty different as well."

He smiled at your focused expression. "Do deities exist in your world?"

"I don't know if they exist but-"

You told Ushijima about the different religions and beliefs in your world to the best of your abilities, which led to stories about Hyquile and Earth being exchanged respectively all the way back to the castle.

And the more you learned about Hyquile, the more it intrigued and amazed you. The stories of your world sound so bland compared to the tales that Ushijima shared with you.

"I had fun today, Ushijima. Thank you so much for showing me around. Aquila is beautiful."

You thanked Ushijima one more time for good measure that night, leaning back in your chair to allow the castle servant to clear your plate from the dinner table.

When you and Ushijima finally got back to the castle, after taking a detour near the harbors to catch the sunset, it was about time for dinner. Ushijima had asked if you would like to join him, which you gladly accepted.

You kind of hoped Iwaizumi would join too but he stiffly declined, saying he will have dinner at a later hour. He scowled at you when you squinted at him knowingly; you knew the real reason he declined was that he did not want to eat with The Empire's Crown Prince.

"I am glad you did. If there is an opportunity for it next time, I will show you the Iron Wall up close. It's quite a sight to behold, from close and afar."

Pursing your lips, you agreed with a smile even though you weren't sure what your next course of action should be. But seeing the Iron Wall would be pretty cool; you can't visit The Great Wall of China but you can visit the Iron Wall of Date instead.

"I look forward to it!"

Sipping your drink (you're pretty sure this is wine and made a note to ask later), you looked at Ushijima curiously. "Will you be going to Seijoh with us tomorrow?"

"That is the plan. The original plan was for me to stay at Seijoh for several days, at least until we have smoothed over several issues with Aoba, when...well, you know what happened after I met you in Seijoh," Ushijima coughed awkwardly into a loose fist.

Your lips pursed in amusement at the memory. You will definitely not forget Ushijima, Hyquile or not, hugging you.

"Tendou and Semi are still there too. I can only hope Semi was able to restrain Tendou somewhat. He has a tendency to do things as he pleases." He sighed albeit warmly at the thought of his retainers.

"Your retainers really respect you, don't they? I can tell by how protective and supportive they are of you."

Especially Goshiki cause wow, he is very protective of Ushijima.

He had pretty much told you that if anything happened to Sentimental Ushijima whilst you were out in Aquila today, that it would be your fault. Ironically, Iwaizumi shot back that it would not be your fault because Ushijima should be responsible for you since you knew nothing about Hyquile, even though Iwaizumi himself had been pretty adamant in lecturing you earlier to stay out of trouble…

The knights and royal guard positions of Hyquile must be very stressful for them.

Shirabu was quite attentive to Ushijima too, especially now that Kawanishi is healed and resting. He insisted on another check for potential infection despite Ushijima telling him that it is alright; but the worry continued to eat away at Shirabu quite visibly, and you in turn thought that someone needs to look out for Shirabu because his position as a royal cleric must be giving him anxiety, especially with The Rot going around.

He's too young to go bald.

"My closest attendants are not merely my retainers. I consider them my comrades, my friends. I would trust them with my life without a second thought. I would not have picked them otherwise."

You blinked in surprise. "You picked out your retainers?" Here you thought Emperor Washijo had a hand in it or something along those lines since the old emperor seemed quite adamant at controlling everything in his realm, down to the last dot.

"Yes, the ones who accompanied me to Seijoh, Shirabu, Kawanishi, and a few others are all handpicked by me for various reasons, but all equally valid. Shirabu is one of our top clerics so he remains in the castle most of the time but he would accompany me out to field as my personal medic depending on the need."

"And your grandfather agreed?"

You weren't trying to be inquisitive or question his choices but after all that you heard about the way non-humans are treated in The Empire, everything about Emperor Washijo is just standing out to you. You just...can't understand it!

Even if it had been the way of things since centuries past, Washijo only enforced and emboldened it further, making it worst.

Ushijima nodded. "Naturally, he still required proof that they were capable but he left the choice up to me. As... precise, my grandfather can be, he still expects me to continue on as the next Eagle Emperor. To that end, he has full confidence in my abilities."

He paused, then added, "Most of the time."

The way he said 'precise' was a clear indicator that he was about to use another word to describe his grandfather.

Controlling

Somehow, you had a feeling Ushijima is trying really hard to protect his grandfather.

He is in a more difficult position than you realized, and you began to feel like you might have really spoken out of turn earlier today.

Hyquile isn't your world, isn't your home…

Is it right for you to try to meddle and butt into things that do not concern you?

You came here to fulfill your alternate's wish to help with The Rot...you shouldn't do anything beyond that.

But...you couldn't help it, knowing that non-humans were suffering in The Empire.

Just like you couldn't tune out from feeling the suffering of the fox-folks: Kita's quiet anguish, Atsumu and Osamu's furious eyes, and Suna's dulled eyes.

Like you couldn't help but feel the pain that Kuroo and the other cat-folks endured at seeing their home burn, from feeling like it was your home that burned too.

And Seijoh? You don't know the story but you could still clearly see the sight of Oikawa's fingers digging into his own leg, fighting a political entity that was causing him to suffer.

There were so many things beyond The Rot that you could not stop your heart from attaching itself to...

You had to keep reminding yourself that you were just a visitor in Hyquile.

A foreigner.

An outsider.

Do what you can for The Rot, that's it.

You don't belong in Hyquile.

Hyquile isn't your home.

"I hear someone has successfully...healed, The Rot. A human girl. From another world."

"Another world ?"

"That's not possible. No one should have the means to remove-"

"Are you doubting me?"

"...no."

"Oooh, the plot thickens! I wish to hear more of this other world~"

"Ugh, who cares about some other world?! We can't even handle things in our world! It has been years...decades, centuries! He grows impatient!"

"Hehehe, let's just make it quick then! All this suspense is killing meee~"

"You know full well it is not as simple as that."

"Psshh~ this is no fun. You're no fun."

"Take your fun and games and go elsewhere! Even after all this time, you're still a pediculous annoyance!"

"Why you-"

"Quiet."

...

"Allow me to deal with her."

"Do away with her like the last one! Hehehe~"

"Might I say something?"

"Go on."

"As much as I hate to admit it, our progress has been painstakingly slow, and He does grow angry. Restless. Perhaps it is time to try something different this time. See this not as a hindrance, but as a second wind."

"...What are you suggesting we do?"

"Prince Ushijima!"

A guard burst into the dining hall where you had been relaxing with Ushijima after your dinner, panting and sweating harshly as he profusely apologized for interrupting his dinner in such a manner.

Ushijima stood up and quickly made his way over to the guard, reassuring him calmly that it was alright, and to tell him what the matter is.

You reactively stood up too, warily following behind Ushijima and eyeing the wheezing guard. His eyes were blown wide in a panic and his voice is a stuttering mess.

"I-It's the west side harbor! I-I...I h-have never seen anything like it!"

Ushijima frowned deeply at the news. "Show me."

He turned to look at you. "My apologies for this abrupt turn of events, but I must-"

"I-I'm going too!" You announced before he could dismiss himself and you.

A voice in your subconscious reprimanded you.

'Don't meddle.'

"I won't get in your way, I promise."

How could you not worry when something bad had obviously happened? Aquila is still Ushijima's home, and he has been nothing but kind to you.

Ushijima took one look at you and knew that you were determined to follow. "Very well. Let's go immediately."

You followed Ushijima and the guard as they made their way to the harbor with quick steps.

On your way out of the castle, your group came across an equally sweaty Iwaizumi on his way back from the training barracks.

"What's going on?" He asked, sensing the urgency in the group.

"Something has happened at the harbor. We are going there now." Ushijima informed the Blue Knight without stopping in his tracks.

Iwaizumi glanced at you, his expression blatantly wondering why you were going as well and you bit your lips, silently pleading for him to come. You know he didn't care much for The Empire and you aren't too sure if you cared for the way they handled non-humans either but...you wanted to be there for Ushijima.

With a reluctant first step, Iwaizumi quickly joined your group.

"Sir Goshiki is already there, as well as Royal Cleric Shirabu," The guard panted as he ran behind Ushijima, struggling to keep pace with the towering prince.

Heck, you had to put in double the effort to make sure you didn't fall behind all of them. When you got back to your world, you are going to add running practices to your training.

And how is Iwaizumi not exhausted when he has all that armor on? And didn't he just finish training? Yet here he was, easily keeping pace with Ushijima and his long legs. He hasn't even had dinner yet!

"Shirabu? Is someone injured?" Ushijima asked.

"N-Not exactly…"

The chilly night air and the cold winds from the ocean nipped at your sweat-slicked skin as your group arrived at the harbor. Your eye twitched briefly when you sniffed something in the air, but the strong ocean winds quickly carried it away again.

Soldiers with torches and several with balls of magic light moved around the stone and wood piers but it was still too dark to clearly see what it is that has got everybody so worried and panicked.

Ushijima squinted and frowned into the darkness, making his way over to Goshiki and Shirabu a little further up the network of boardwalks. Shirabu was knelt down and beside him, Goshiki held up a torch, lighting the dark waters for him. In Shirabu's hand is a pole net.

"Your Highness!" Goshiki saluted Ushijima when he spotted him, lifting the torch up with his movement. Shirabu whistled annoyedly for him to bring the torch back down.

"The hell?" Iwaizumi muttered when he saw Shirabu scoop up a whole net full of dead fishes. Goshiki held his free hand up to his nose, visibly grimacing at the overwhelming smell. "I might not eat flounder again…"

Carefully depositing the fishes into a nearby bucket, Shirabu dipped the net back into the dark waters. A few seconds later, he hauled up another net full of dead fishes.

Another strong wind blew through the area and the scent from before hit you immediately. This time, it stayed.

You slammed a hand over your mouth and nose like Goshiki, a muffled sound of distaste coming from the back of your throat as you pressed harder. Usually, you didn't mind the scent of fishes too much but...this smell is pungent.

Rotting.

Even Iwaizumi held his fingers up to cover his nose.

Ushijima flinched at the smell when the wind brought it in, but he ignored it, motioning for Goshiki to move his torch to the bucket of dead fishes.

All of you blanched at the sight of the blackened scales of the fishes, and the dark ooze that was leaking out of their gills and eyes.

Shirabu gnawed on his lips anxiously, copper eyes disturbed at the discovery. "Prince Ushijima…"

"They suddenly started floating up across this side of the harbor…" The guard that led you here stammered.

Ushijima stepped forward and motioned for everybody to stand back. The soldiers that had been inspecting the waters ahead of him quickly moved away to the sides.

He lifted his arm.

There was a sudden rumbling sound, then a sizzle. And then-

A bright bolt of purple lightning flashed down from the sky and struck Ushijima's raised palm.

C-CRAAACK

You jumped at the booming peal of thunder, the sound ringing long in your ears after it has passed.

When the lightning fell, you and everyone else's eyes had winced close at the initial bright light, but not before catching sight of the entire area lit up in a haunting purple glow.

Another bolt fell to Ushijima's palm, lighting up the harbor in an eerie violet a second time.

When you jumped again, you weren't sure if it was from the thunderclap or the view the shadows revealed.

The second time confirmed what you all saw before, and you felt your dinner churning sickeningly in your gut.

"What's...going on?" Your voice was shaky. If your hands weren't already clasped over your face, you were pretty sure your mouth would have fallen open in horror at the sight that Ushijima's lightning illuminated.

Dead fishes.

Everywhere.

They floated and gathered in piles around the sides of the boats and ships, converged into undulating mounds beneath the boardwalks, and lapped up against the sides of the harbor rocks.

And all of them had The Rot.

Until the sun rose again, no one can be entirely sure if the surrounding ocean water is dark because of the night, or because of the foul ooze seeping out of the horde of fish corpses.

"How…?" Ginjima whispered with his fists clenched so tightly they quivered.

Next to him, the always quiet Omimi feels even more oppressively silent, his features dark and heavy.

"The heck?! Why is this happenin'?!" Atsumu's frustration and disbelief were clear in his entire visage and voice, his arm swinging out in agitation and nearly hitting Osamu who dipped his head to dodge. His jaws were clenched, and there was an intense fury burning in his golden eyes.

"Watch it, ya' idiot! If we knew we wouldn't be havin' this problem in the first place, 'Tsumu!" Even Osamu, who is always just slightly calmer and more subdued than Atsumu, is clearly and slowly losing his cool. His eyes were wide, teeth gritted, as a similar flash of silver fury glimmered in his eyes.

"Can yer two stop arguin', please? " Aran demanded of the twins, his voice ironically high despite his reprimand to the Miya twins.

Akagi nudged Aran, and the bear-folk breathed deeply to calm himself, muttering a low thanks to Akagi for grounding him.

Suna ignored the commotion and stepped towards Kita's tense figure, warily watching his Alpha-Leader. Atsumu and Osamu ran up to their positions as well to get a better look at the sight before them.

"Lord Kita," Suna called but his voice fell on deaf ears.

The only thing Kita could hear was the roaring sound of their sacred waterfall and the loud beats of his heart.

Stretched out before them is their beautiful lake, their blessed waterfall, that fed the rice fields and rivers of his people. The crimson torii that is the mythical gateway for the spirits of the fox-folks and his ancestors stood as it always did for centuries, white sprays of mist and clouds engulfing its hallowed form.

And around it, a large pool of inky murk swirled and writhed its menacing touch across the once pristine waters, tainting it with a melancholic black.

Where The Rot used to crowd and claw at one of the legs of the torii, it had now spread to surround the torii completely. Long, ebony limbs extended and reached towards the direction of the bridge, pushing and heaving at the water with a chilling slowness. The edge of the black fingers was still far from reaching the bridge but it has grown exponentially in size out of nowhere.

Just several hours ago when Aran and Omimi made their rounds to check on the water, it was still gathered around the torii pillar. And now...

It was just like watching the slow setting of decay on a body... inevitable and slow to take, but swift and overwhelming when it arrives, eating away at large chunks with a deliberate slowness that was sickeningly taunting.

"It just...suddenly...spread…," Kita did not notice his wavering voice, as hopelessness and despair began to sink its claws into him. The insecurities he wore like a necklace closed in on his throat. His breaths came out shorter and shorter.

"Kita," Suna called him again, softer this time.

With what minimal calming spell he knew, Suna placed a hand onto Kita's back and allowed his magic to seep into the stiff body of his leader.

Kita's figure wavered despite Suna's magic, and Osamu instinctively reached a hand out to his Alpha-Leader's shoulder, pre-emptively stopping him from falling over.

"Careful," Osamu quietly muttered as he pulled Kita back from the edge of the bridge.

"I don't understand...what happened? How did it spread so much all of a sudden? Lord Kita's magic should have kept it at bay." Akagi asked despite knowing no one likely had an answer.

"It's full diameter was barely longer than my arm yesterday..." Ginjima looked down at his shaking arm. Omimi clapped a hand onto the younger foxes' shoulder in what is supposed to be a reassuring manner but it was hardly effective, not with the blatant concerned crease on his brow.

Atsumu moved to the edge, a sort of reckless determination in his eyes. "I'm gonna go closer to take a look!" He was about to jump onto the wooden boat docked by the bridge when Suna stopped him with an outstretched arm.

"I don't recommend it. The taint just spiked and spread drastically out of nowhere and we have no explanation for it. We don't know how it will act further."

"But we can't just stand here and watch!" Atsumu growled. He wanted to do something, he needs to do something, anything! They can't just let their water continue on like this. The entire village depended on it!

Atsumu looked over to Osamu, hoping that his brother would support him but Osamu shook his head. He wordlessly agreed with Suna.

"Suna's right, Atsumu. I understand how ya' feel but we need to be careful. It would do us no good if one of our strongest fighters got infected with The Rot," Aran said, his own calm having had returned to him. As the second-in-command, his own lack of composure prior was shameful.

Aran cast a worried glance at Kita. Now, of all times, he needs to keep his wits and support Kita.

"For now, let's return to the main hall and rethink our options. We'll take turns keepin' watch over the water after that to track its changes."

The large bear-folk began to usher the other retainers off the narrow bridge when Kita abruptly pulled forward, releasing himself from Osamu's grasp.

Jumping onto the wooden boat, Kita surged the boat forward with his magic, turning mist into powerful waves before the others could stop him.

"Kita!"

Lord Kita!"

Ignoring the varied cries of his retainers, he continued to push magic into the water, driving the boat until it was only a small distance away from the edge of the blackened water.

"Lord Kita, what are ya,' doing?!" He heard Atsumu's yell from the edge of the bridge.

"I'm going to seal it!"

He couldn't just leave the waters as it is.

If his sealing magic before wasn't enough, then he'll just have to amplify it! If he has been doing it from a distance and that affected the strength of his seals, then he'll go up close!

Kita is scared- he has no idea how to deal with this, what he is doing, and has no idea what is going on much like the rest of the world in regards to The Rot.

But he's the Alpha-Leader of The Inarizaki House.

He has to protect the village and his people.

…It is something that only he could do.

No one else had sealing magic, not to his extent.

"I can't say I have some grand reason for it considering the reason why I started it, but I just didn't want to give up and lose, you know?"

Kita wasn't sure why he thought of your words at this moment but he did.

You, who was thrown into his world.

He isn't sure where you are now and how you are doing but...if you, who his people call a simple human girl, can persevere in an alien world...then he surely can't afford to falter in the face of this challenge.

His father, if he was still alive, would surely mock him if he lost to a 'human.'

So though his hands shook, Kita lifted them up and fought against the anxiety that rested on his wrists like chains, threatening to bring him back down.

The familiar sensation of magic coursed through him and mist rose around the boat, shrouding him from the sight of his retainers.

He's the Alpha-Leader.

"Someone's always watching."

He can't disappoint his grandmother.

"Lord Kuroo, what should we do?" Yaku asked the unnervingly silent leader of The Dominion, sharp eyes cautious and watching for anything they might have missed in the area.

Kuroo's expression didn't change from its cool and impassive stance, but Kenma did not miss the way his fingers curled into themselves. It is a large tell to the state of Kuroo's emotions, for anyone who knew him well enough.

Lev opened his mouth but before he could say anything, Kenma stepped on his foot and silenced the tall male. Lev winced, shooting Kenma a pained glance, wondering why he even deserved that.

Kenma carelessly shrugged, mouthing that he assumed that Lev was going to say something distracting that would disturb Kuroo. Giving Kenma another insulted grimace, Lev focused his worried green eyes back to the front. Kenma did the same, stepping up to Kuroo's right side.

On Kuroo's left is Nobuyuki Kai, an amicable smile tight on his lips.

Though Kenma is Kuroo's right-hand, Kai is Kuroo's official second-in-command, his seniority and experience allowing him the ability needed to support The Dominion leader in matters of government and politics.

If Kenma is the right-hand of The Dominion, then Kai is the left-hand, with Kuroo at the head.

Gossip that Kai might be envious of Kenma's closeness and position with Kuroo, especially because he is the official second-in-command, sometimes drifted in the tunnels of but there was zero truth to it.

Kuroo trusted both Kenma and Kai equally to run things in his place at any time, and the two always worked together with a focus on what they each specialize at.

Even when Kuroo left with Bokuto for Inarizaki and asked Kenma to oversee things, it never was just Kenma alone that oversaw everything as Kai always advised and moved to support areas where Kenma might have missed.

In a way, Kai is like a shadow; he didn't stand out much, especially next to Kenma's energetic persona, but he's always there, picking up the slack that slips through.

"Careful, Yamamoto, Fukunaga. Don't let yourselves get infected," Kai spoke, his clear voice ringing out into the area.

One of their top generals, Yamamoto, popularly known amongst the locals as The Tiger General, waved a hand in acknowledgment before continuing his work, diligently rounding up and securing the cat-folks screaming in blind madness, solid earth moving and rising around him with practiced ease.

Another general, Fukunaga, picked through the same mess on the other side. Both of them carried troubled expressions even as they continued their task, instructing their respective groups of soldiers with careful words.

A little ways from them, Inuoka carried non-tainted cat-folks that needed treatment to their medics Teshiro and Shibayama, who were busy flitting around treating injuries and checking for any missed signs of infection.

There had been a sudden and unexpected outbreak of The Rot in one of the smaller mountain peaks that lined the sides of Moggie Boroughs.

A male cat-folk abruptly went mad by the river where they washed their clothes and had attacked the others in the vicinity, biting them. The spread had been quick in the area; by the time guards arrived to begin pushing back and containing them, at least fifty of them had caught it.

According to those who knew the origin cat-folk, there had been no signs of him having The Rot at all; that if he had it, he either hid it well or didn't know that he was carrying it.

Now, of those tainted, half of them were lucid and aware that they had caught The Rot, wailing and sobbing as Yamamoto and Fukunaga's men somberly bounded their arms to their bodies and restrained their legs; a precaution in the case they went feral.

The remaining were a mix of absolute states of madness and feral fury, or in weakened conditions of consciousness, unaware of what was happening to them or around them. They just laid there, oozing blackened blood from their bite wounds.

"Prepare a containment area farther out from the mountains. There are too many of them to safely keep them within without risk. It will be more demanding on our medics, healers, and the guard shifts but it is a necessary precaution." Kuroo finally spoke, answering Yaku's earlier question.

His voice is steady. "And run a thorough check of everybody in both and Moggie Boroughs."

There was the slightest of hesitance that glimmered in his golden eyes before it disappeared.

"For the ones who are clearly beyond help..." He trailed off and never continued his words but the ones around him- Kenma, Kai, Yaku, Lev- heard his unspoken orders all the same.

Put them down.

It was nothing that they haven't done before.

As much as they didn't want to, they had to; to protect their people as a whole, it was unavoidable.

In a city as dense as Moggie Boroughs, especially, it will be an easy thing for The Rot to spread without quick and decisive actions.

Only someone like Kuroo, who had honed his heart -emotions- and his mind -logic- into two distinct and divided entities, is capable of giving out an order of that caliber.

Only Kuroo is able to do it without losing his mental fortitude.

Kenma and Kai both doubted they would have been able to do it. They each wondered what they would have done if Kuroo wasn't here right now when this happened.

Kuroo glanced up when the large shadow of Bokuto glided over the area before he landed on a patch of grassy space, followed closely behind by Akaashi.

He nodded at the Owl Vale leader's arrival. "Bokuto."

"It's clear on my side," Akaashi reported to Bokuto as soon as he landed.

Bokuto nodded and strode quickly up to Kuroo. His tone is carefully guarded as he eyed his friend. He understood full well how Kuroo might be feeling- concerned, stressed, worried, anxious, furious- despite his composed expression.

Bokuto is well aware that where he might have vocally displayed his emotions, Kuroo kept it deep within him: suppressed and submerged in that sometimes annoyingly fathomless well of his heart.

"This should be all of them. Unless they managed to hide away in one of the tunnels or caves, we should have caught all the infected."

"Thank you for your assistance, Bokuto, Akaashi."

Bokuto hesitated, a rarity for someone like him, as he pondered over whether he wanted to ask his ally if he was alright.

In the end, he decided not to because he knew the answer: he is not.

It was silly to even waste time and energy in asking.

He moved onto his next agenda instead.

"Kuroo, I'm going to have to leave The Dominion for a while."

Kuroo met Bokuto's unblinking gaze, the intensity of their golds equally reflected in both of their eyes.

"Of course. You are off to Owl Vale, I presume?" Kuroo inquired understandingly.

Bokuto frowned, gaze turning to the horizon that would take him to Owl Vale.

"Yes, what happened here is too unnatural and sudden. I will have to check on the state of things there."

"Lord Bokuto, please allow me to go with you," Akaashi said as soon as he heard.

Bokuto acquiesced silently, knowing that Akaashi is just as worried about his homeland. They've been away from it long enough as it is.

Kuroo turned to face Bokuto fully, straightening to his full height with respect to the owl leader.

"Both your presence will be dearly missed. Let us know of the state of things in Owl Vale as soon as you can. My people will be ready to help, just as you have helped us."

Bokuto met Kuroo with the same respect and regard, folding his wings behind him as he held out a hand.

A snide but harmless smirk lifted Bokuto's lips. "Heh, careful about what you offer. You owe us a lot of help for the past months."

"Never owe an owl anything, it'll come back to haunt you down the line," Lev muttered quietly from behind Kuroo. He was quickly silenced by both Yaku and Kenma.

Bokuto squinted at Lev over Kuroo's shoulder, a snarl threatening to break over him that was appeased when Kai bowed his head in apology for Lev's mindless words.

In spite of the severity of the situation, amusement shone in Kuroo's eyes at what Lev said. He remembered Lev saying the same thing to you once, what felt like a long time ago.

"Your instinct is as sharp as always, my friend," Kuroo said, recalling their late-night conversation on the balcony of his tearoom.

He clasped Bokuto's outstretched hand with his own.

Bokuto rolled his eyes with a nonchalant shrug. "It's less instinct and more common sense. Something is always bound to go wrong when things are going right. It's just a matter of time."

The ever flippant and irreverent attitude of his ally managed to pull a small smile from Kuroo, and Bokuto smirked in turn at the rare achievement.

They shook their joined hands, a sign of their friendship and unwavering allegiance.

To think their people had once been ceaselessly fighting one another up till the time Kuroo came to power.

No one would be able to tell with the friendship the two leaders had now fostered.

"Lord Bokuto, we should go soon whilst the winds are in our favor," Akaashi said, feeling the wind on the tips of his fingers.

Kuroo stepped back from Bokuto who did the same, and the two owl-folk moved to a safer distance to spread their wings.

"You'll hear from us as soon as we assess the state of things in Owl Vale," Bokuto called and waved a careless hand in farewell behind him.

Akaashi politely bowed, bidding the group of cat-folks a proper goodbye. "Please let us know if you require immediate further assistance with the situation here."

"Of course, and the same to you. We will see each other soon; send my regards to Konoha and the others."

With Kuroo's final words of parting, Bokuto and Akaashi took off to the skies simultaneously, flying towards the south-east of the continent.

"I hope Konoha didn't make a mess of things," Bokuto grumbled to Akaashi over the whipping wind.

Akaashi laughed lightly with a joke that elicited a dismissive scoff from Bokuto. "I'm sure he kept things in its usual disarray for us."

He paused before continuing. "I am concerned about her in the North. I worry that an outbreak might have happened there too."

Bokuto didn't answer immediately but he frowned when he did. "We need to look to our own doorstep first before any other. She's in the hands of the North, so there is nothing we can do about that. Focus on our side."

"Of course."

Quiet / ficlet 01

feat Miya Osamu

It's been 8 days since you got spiked in the head and fell into a coma.

It was Atsumu's turn to go restore their stock of snacks, leaving Osamu with you in the chilly hospital room. They haven't quite yet decided if they will stay the night again with you, instead of your parents, who has been spending most of their days and nights tirelessly in the hospital.

The details are lost to Osamu for he doesn't really mind either way, if your parents wanted him and his brother to stay, or wanted them to go home to get some rest. Whatever they decided, Osamu will quietly accept; they are your parents after all, and the auntie and uncle that has seen him and Atsumu lounging on their couch more often than not. It's a weekend tomorrow so Osamu doesn't mind staying up in place of you, who has been sleeping for the past week and one day.

Quiet as your steady breaths, his right hand reached out for your left. His fingers, calloused from years of volleyball, and recently with cooking, traced the skin on the back of your hand before slipping underneath to link his warm fingers with your slightly colder ones.

You always did have cold hands.

Osamu has always enjoyed the quiet times with you, as much as the loud ones that were largely due to Atsumu. Perhaps he preferred the peace of the hushed sounds between the two of you (him, humming a little song as he sliced the vegetables, and you, lightly tapping and shuffling your feet in beat to the rumbles of his throat as you washed the rice) a lot more though. But now, you're just too quiet and he finds that maybe he doesn't like it very much.

He and Atsumu were quieter as of late too, tense even, although they weren't fighting. On the other hand, it feels like they fought less the past 8 days, minus the moment after you fell to the floor and didn't wake, when Atsumu nearly slugged Ushijima for his amazing fluke of a spike.

Your unexpected silence affected them more than if you had screamed at them in fury, in whatever world or universe, where you actually got angry at them.

"Why are you so quiet…?"

Osamu didn't catch himself whispering to the silent room until all the words had slipped past his lips, unbidden.

They were silly words. You're in a coma, of course you're quiet.

Osamu usually liked the quiet, preferred it even, especially when you have one Miya Atsumu as your elder twin. In the face of Atsumu's deafening persona and blaring voice, Osamu learned early on that silence worked just as well as words, sometimes even better, and that it is never truly empty.

But faced now, with your unforeseen silence, Osamu doubted the calm of the quiet and felt the true power of silence.

It wasn't very peaceful, and it settled in his chest, soaking his skin to his bones.

Osamu isn't so sure if he liked the quiet as much anymore.

Notes:

NOT implying anything, but let me hear your thoughts/guesses on what a Hyquile Daichi would be like. For curiosity purposes only😛

For those interested, someone asked on Tumblr about more minute things in Hyquile (Food, currency, trade, languages etc) that I have only either implied/never got to expand on in GWS itself. You can read my Answer to it here.
I hope it will give you more insight to Hyquile at large! If you have further questions, feel free to ask me here/on Tumblr! (Tumblr allows the answer to be shared easily). I will create an index post on Tumblr after this that links all the questions about GWS/Hyquile so it is easier for everybody to find everything.
Also, I posted some images that inspired Mori here.
ALSO, Mau shared this soundtrack that reminded her of AltMC and I legit went to reread Chapter 18 with the song playing and I got chills on my own story LOL
I gushed more about it here if interested!

Tumblr for Ghosts We See: This is where I post my art/designs/images for Hyquile, and answer additional questions and details for GWS. Bonus stories are also posted here first, if you want the early scoop. It is still small, but I hope to grow the community with a group of fellow HQ fans.

Do leave a comment if you enjoy my story :) It can be a simple thank you to a long commentary. I would love to hear what you think of my story, be it plot, characters, writing, or even just fangirling/bonding over the characters. As both a reader/writer, I understand that sometimes I do not know what to say, or a kudos is enough, but reviews/comments to writers are like water to plants. It encourages & motivates us a lot more than one might think. It lets us know without a doubt that people are reading, are enjoying it, that our efforts and time are worth it. I am sure many of us also tend to write faster when shown support in the form of words :D

I wish to create and encourage a community where readers and authors support each other through their written words. I cannot do it across the site, but I wish to start here, with my own story and hope to be able to grow that supporting circle that will hopefully stretch to other parts of the community 3

Chapter 24: Return / ficlet 02

Summary:

Transition

Notes:

Have any of you watched the Sonic movie? I...actually worked on it on the production management side...and just discovered before posting this that my name is on the credits! It was my first time working on a feature film, so I was SO surprised! I'm going to celebrate C24 of GWS and this tonight with some takeout 3

Y'all FLIPPED at my Daichi note I really broke all of your trust here with this story
Mau once again dropped this wonderful Fanart of Scary Bokuto's 1st appearance on me and I am just ❤️❤️ I haven't gushed and said it enough so THANK YOU again for this! I really love it! 33

Next, this VERY basic Map of Hyquile I made with a trial version of a software. Hyquile is WAY larger, everything is more spaced and there are more things in between the different realms but the trial version is very limited😭 I want to be able to update the map as the story progresses and more is revealed, but the trial ends in less than a month, unfortunately :(

Also, do follow my Tumblr if you want early updates/additional info for things like ficlets, drabblets, worldbuilding etc :) Other than the main storyline, I update Tumblr first when I write ficlets, and am also accepting prompts/scenario/Asks that you might want to see in GWS (no promises I can do all of them). The one at the end of this chapter is a request by 'birdie' on Tumblr, who wanted more content between...well, you'll see! :D

I will also put up a draft playlist for GWS at some point, as I would love all your votes/suggestions for music for the characters, scenes, and locations!
Tumblr for Ghosts We See

Now please enjoy C24!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"If you're successful in this task, you will be granted what you seek."

"..."

"Consider it well."

Footsteps receded.

"Hmm, do you actually trust him to be successful?"

"When have any of us ever really trusted anyone, even amongst ourselves?"

"And yet, none of us want to get our hands dirty so we rely on others to do our dirty work."

"I would not call it 'relying.'" A weary sigh. "What do you want? If you're here just to bother me, go look to your own fields, filled with snakes as they are. Rather him, I would be more worried about he who has the misfortune of you."

"Ohh, don't hate on them just because they are snakes... or because of me~. Snakes can be quite useful and resilient if you use them properly. Versatile too."

A derisive snort. "That's if they don't bite you when you're not looking."

"And here I thought you didn't care."

"I don't."

"Well, some people like to carry antidotes and remedies in case of an incident; I prefer to carry a snake. Prevention is better than a cure, after all."

"Hm."

"And I personally think it is better than whatever she's got going on over there in the West. Nasty business, even by our standards."

Another long sigh. "Do as you see fit. It's your charge."

"Aw, don't be such a killjoy. It's no wonder they made fun of you when you were younger Mi-"

"I dare you to continue that sentence."

...

"Heh, your real name still bothers you, huh? I think it is an adorable name."

"Leave ."

"Alright, alright. I'll go bother somebody else."

You held your backpack with Mori safely tucked inside in your arms, feeling the Elf Owl shuffle around inside. Suppressing a yawn, you sped-walk after Iwaizumi, making your way to the tower that you arrived at on your first day in Aquila.

Dawn has yet to arrive, and many of you had barely slept the night before, if at all. You were pretty sure Iwaizumi didn't sleep a wink if the bags under his eyes told you anything. Then again, you were lugging your own eye bags as well. Probably larger than Iwaizumi's too since yours hasn't completely left you in weeks.

A yawn slipped out of you before you could stop it, causing Iwaizumi to yawn in conjunction. He shot you an irritated look and you shrugged. It couldn't be helped.

You were returning to Seijoh a few hours earlier than planned after what was discovered in the west harbor of Aquila last night.

Iwaizumi is naturally worried about Aoba after that, beset by the concern that an unexpected outbreak might have happened in his homeland as well, like in Aquila. His worry in turn worried you; not only for both Aoba and The Empire but the others as well.

Did anything similar happen in The Dominion or Inarizaki? How are things there right now? And what about Bokuto's own home of Owl Vale? That's Mori's home too…

You shook your head to dispel the thoughts.

There is no use panicking before there is any concrete news or evidence. You're just stressing yourself out over possibly nothing right now.

Things have to be alright...they have to be.

Because if they aren't…

You recalled how drained you had been after healing Kawanishi, how much time and effort it took you…

You swallowed the lump forming in your throat, dispelling the thoughts away together with it to the depths of your stomach.

Iwaizumi stopped walking and you bumped into his back, the metal of his armor grazing at your arm. Mori shifted restlessly through the backpack from the light impact.

"Ow-, Iwaizumi, what- Oh, Ushijima!"

The future emperor was waiting at the entrance that led into the tower, Goshiki with him. Iwaizumi's brows slanted in confusion.
"What are you doing here?" He asked.

Goshiki's eyes narrowed at the Aoban knight, and he was about to rebuke Iwaizumi for his less than polite address of his crown prince but Ushijima spoke up before he could.

"We'll be going to Seijoh with you, as per the original plan."

"But what about things here? Will they be alright without you?" You questioned worriedly, gaze flitting between Ushijima and Goshiki.

"They have things handled. They will be examining the fishes from the harbor for further information of The Rot and the cleanup is already underway." Ushijima explained, motioning for you and Iwaizumi to proceed into the tower.

"And your grandfather is alright with this? You, going to Seijoh, now, of all times? Iwaizumi raised a doubtful brow. You didn't want to say suspicious but Iwaizumi sounds suspicious of The Empire at least half of the time, due to the apparently discourteous tone he takes with them.

"Watch your tone! You're speaking to The Crown Prince of The Empire!" Goshiki finally snapped at Iwaizumi as all of you stepped onto a platform that would bring you up the tower.

Ushijima nodded in answer to Iwaizumi, not the least bothered with the other man's way of speech. He waved Goshiki down with a small smile and the Royal Guard reluctantly did so.

"He approved it without much qualm. We still have unfinished business in Seijoh, and this gives us an opportunity to check on the situation in Aoba, if anything has happened there."

"Of course," Iwaizumi grumbled lowly and you nudged him with your foot.

It wasn't fair of him to take it out on Ushijima. Ushijima has been nice and polite to you and Iwaizumi the whole time you have been here. He has been nothing but an excellent host in spite of his grandfather.

Green eyes rolled at you but he dropped his defiantly crossed arms at least.

Sigils glow with a green light on the platform below you before it suddenly moved, the metal and stone extending up from the ground and rising through the air swiftly.

You gasped, hand reflexively slapping onto your chest at the motion, feeling like you would when an airplane took off. On the other hand, when you took this platform down on your arrival day, it had felt like a tower drop ride at an amusement park.

You wished that someone would warn you about these things before letting you step anywhere.

When the platform stopped, your group climbed the last few flights of stairs that led to the roof, passing by several guards that saluted Ushijima as he walked by.

Empire casters were already around the teleportation circle, pouring their collective energy into opening the pathway between Aquila and Seijoh.

"We will be ready soon!" The lead caster called out.

As you waited for the circle to be ready, someone you did not expect to see emerged onto the roof and you gaped in surprise.

"K-Kawanishi?"

Supported by Shirabu who had Kawanishi's arm slung over his shoulder, Kawanishi slowly hobbled over towards you, stopping momentarily to weakly lower his head in respect at Ushijima. You made your way over to him, saving him the trouble.

He was still weak, but he looked much, much better than he did the last two times you saw him. Unconsciously, you shuddered at the memory of his clammy skin and the dark veins that crawled on his grey arms.

The color has returned to his skin, and though his eyes still had the vestiges of fatigue lining around them, the copper of his eyes shone with a beautiful russet hue. Your bottom lip rolled underneath your teeth, a large grin threatening to break onto your face at the sight of him.

You couldn't help it though; your heart absolutely swelled to know that he is now well.

"What are you doing here?" You asked, looking at Shirabu who smiled at you gratefully and then back to Kawanishi.

"I...-," Kawanishi cleared his throat, his voice still raspy from weeks of disuse. "I couldn't possibly let my savior go without properly thanking her so..."

He gingerly pushed himself off Shirabu who carefully let him go, so that Kawanishi could reach two hands -healthy, running with life- to you, taking your own into his large ones. The marks of the chains that had bound him could still be seen littered on his arm, but they were fading.

Healing.

Copper eyes glistened with an overflowing well of gratitude, and perhaps even tears, as he clasped onto you tightly.

"... thank you."

They were very simple words but the weight behind them was indescribable. It was like the time Akaashi thanked you in the quiet of your shared room at the inn...when he thanked you for returning to help Hyquile.

The warmth of his hands seeped into yours, dispelling the cold of your fingers from the early morning air. Just a few days ago, his hands had been just as cold as yours.

Over the horizon, a ray of celestial orange began to bloom, splitting the sky from the earth.

You couldn't stop the burning sensation in the back of your eyes and nose, and you quickly rubbed your face into your shoulder, hand still held in Kawanishi's.

"I-," you hiccuped, "-I'm not a savior. N-Not at all. P-Please don't call me that, it's embarrassing." You sniffed loudly, cheeks and nose turning bright red.

You were very aware of everyone else looking towards you two, and felt infinitely more embarrassed by how you must have looked right now.

Iwaizumi looked almost amused at you suddenly crying because of Kawanishi again, with his arms crossed relaxedly and weight on one foot. His head shook in exasperation.

Ushijima smiled widely, gently, at Kawanishi standing and moving once again, thanks to you. A puff of relief floated past his lips as a faint cloud of white.

Beside him, Goshiki was quiet but there was a sense of harmless restlessness about him as he watched you interact with Kawanishi.

"I want to thank you too."

Shirabu smiled, looking just as grateful as Kawanishi; for you saved his friend from certain death, something that even he, a royal cleric of The Empire, was not able to do.

Another harsh sniff was taken as your eyes burned hotter. You weren't exactly sure why you were crying now of all times, but you did.

Maybe it is because Kawanishi is here, standing before you and holding your hand with his firm and warm ones; no longer cold, feeble, weak.

He is proof not only to the others that your tales are true, but also proof to yourself: That you did it.

That you had healed someone of The Rot.

That you were not here in Hyquile for nothing like you had believed, ever since the first day you arrived.

Kawanishi's grasp on you tightened encouragingly. "I heard about what happened in the harbor last night. And though I do not know what the situation is in other parts of Hyquile, and what will be asked of you next…" He spoke softly, uncurling your joined hands to lift your left hand up to his lips.

"Know that you have my unyielding belief and support. Should there be anything you need, please, do not hesitate to ask it of me."

He placed a gentle kiss on the back of your hand.

The red that had been on your nose and cheeks emboldened once more, this time for an entirely different reason.

A stuttered breath left your throat but you nodded shyly at Kawanishi nonetheless.

"When you're better," Shirabu nudged him in the side with a frown.

"When I'm better," Kawanishi returned sheepishly.

You laughed at their good-natured banter. "I will keep your offer in mind, Kawanishi."

"Please, call me Taichi," Kawanishi told you. "You saved my life when I had already begun to accept that there was no hope."

He paused long enough for a mischievous grin to break onto his face, brightened by the glow of the rising sun.

"You can ask for my hand in marriage right now and I would gladly throw away my family name and take yours!"

You blinked rapidly in surprise.

Shirabu slapped the back of his head loudly for his ill-mannered joke without a word, ignoring the fact that Kawanishi is still quite unrecovered. Even without saying anything, the glare that Shirabu pinned on Kawanishi spoke volumes.

"She was engaged to Prince Ushijma!" Shirabu whispered harshly to Kawanishi, gaze glancing over to the man himself to check that he was not listening. Ushijima was currently speaking to the lead caster, fortunately.

"I-I was joking! And she isn't her…" Kawanishi muttered, flashing you a quick but apologetic glance.

"You know what I mean!"

"It's quite alright," you laughed at his joke despite the sudden turn it took. Kawanishi is certainly different now that he no longer ails from The Rot. His frailty yesterday was almost like a nightmare that never happened.

Rubbing the back of your neck timidly, you also took a secretive look at Sentimental Ushijima.

A sad frown tugged your lips downwards.

Like Oikawa and Iwaizumi...Ushijima must not be having it easy looking at you either.

"We're ready to leave!" Iwaizumi called out to you, jerking his head towards the teleportation circle.

Turning back to Kawanishi and Shirabu, you gave them one last smile, feeling the gentle heat of the sun's orange rays climbing up the back of your head.

"Well, I hope to see you two again. Please take care, both of you. Especially you... Taichi."

You gave them a wide grin.

A faint line of pink crept onto the bridge of Kawanishi's nose and he coughed into his fist.

Shirabu rolled his eyes at his friend and held out his hand for you to shake.

"Thank you again, for healing this idiot." He jabbed a thumb at the mentioned idiot. Then his eyes softened and Shirabu smiled genuinely at you, the lines of worry that usually creased his brow released from his youthful face.

"Thank you for not giving up on him."

At those words, Kawanishi himself straightened and looked directly at you. He already expressed his thanks to you in words, and now he expressed it again silently with eyes that were once again brimming with life.

You looked right back into his clear eyes as you replied, seeing your own reflection in them.

"I'm glad I didn't."

The sun rose over the city of Aquila, gracing its people with its life-giving rays. The waters of the west harbor continued to ripple and lap at surrounding walls, dancing with the carcasses of a thousand fishes that glowed with an orange hue on their darkened scales. Dark ooze dripped down from their gills and eyes, mixing into the flaming water before being scooped up by Aquilan soldiers. Another carcass would float up in its place before it too is gathered out of the water.

And the cycle continues, even as the citizens of Aquila awakened and witnessed their once beautiful harbor in its state.

Even as her people worried and despaired at this unforeseen occurrence, they continued with their cycle of life, with heavier hearts; continued to place freshly baked bread onto shop shelves, and continued to chase away non-human children away from their storefront.

And under the rays of the same sun, Kawanishi and Shirabu watched as you stepped into the teleportation circle, the beams of the sun burning over your head.

Kunimi and Kindaichi had been waiting for your group on the other side of the teleportation circle when you arrived.

It had hardly been long, and it likely had something to do with how stressful half your time in Aquila had been but...you really missed them!

"Kunimi! Kindaichi!"

With the bottle of oil that Iwaizumi had given you the first time you teleported gripped in one hand, you had thrown your arms around the two of them unexpectedly with a laugh, pulling them down into a group hug whilst simultaneously sniffing at the bottle from between them.

Kunimi looked scandalized as he reluctantly returned your hug, eyeing the bottle of oil in your hand with disdain and a scrunched nose. Kindaichi was surprised but the strict scowl he usually had (much like Iwaizumi) lightened after the initial shock passed.

"Kunimi hates the smell of that," Kindaichi told you, noticing his friend's expression.

"Oh! S-Sorry, Kunimi." You quickly released both boys from your grip and capped the bottle sheepishly. When you stuffed it back into your bag, Mori nipped at your palm.

"It's fine," the droopy-eyed soldier drawled, looking away from you.

When Iwaizumi and Ushijima approached, they straightened respectfully and bowed.

"Where's the Crown Prince?" Iwaizumi asked immediately, looking around for his friend.

"His Royal Highness is busy addressing incoming urgent reports and sent us here to escort you in his stead," Kindaichi said and turned to look at Ushijima tensely. "He sends his sincerest apologies for being unable to be here personally."

"That's quite alright," Ushijima said, motioning for Kindaichi to relax. "Please take us to him with haste."

Kunimi and Kindaichi took up the lead and you followed after them behind Ushijima and Iwaizumi.

A hand on your shoulder stopped you.

"Can I-...can I talk to you for a moment?" Goshiki asked as the others walked ahead, lingering behind the group.

"O-Okay…?"

Goshiki hadn't been too fond of you (or anyone else besides Ushijima and his fellow people) so you were not sure what he wanted to speak to you about.

"W-What is it? Did I do something wrong?" Had you accidentally stepped on Ushijima's toes or something?

Goshiki blinked at you with raised brows, confused by your instinctive assumption that you had done something wrong.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong," he said quietly. His dark eyes looked anywhere but you and his entire figure is stiff. His lips parted, then closed again...then parted again.

He was struggling to get his words out.

"I…" His brows furrowed and he breathed deeply like he was swallowing his pride. "I haven't thanked you yet, for…" Goshiki struggled again but he pushed on.

"...for saving Kawanishi," Goshiki finally gritted out, and you were torn between amusement and confusion, unable to understand if he was actually trying to thank you sincerely or doing it out of some honor code.

Your head tilted to the side unsurely. "You're...welcome?"

Full brows quivered as Goshiki once again struggled to school his composure. He was always the stoic one of the group, almost as if he took on the role of Ushijima from your world, but at the end of it all, Goshiki didn't look much older than you, if not younger.

Take away his uniform and the weapon he carried at his side and stick him in some modern clothes, and he would look just like any of the other students milling about your campus.

All of them did.

Goshiki cleared his throat and squared his shoulders, the look of detached calm returning to his features. But his words spoke differently.

"I mean it. Kawanishi is a good friend of mine, and I know I did not care much for you but you saved him. He would not be alive right now if not for you. Regardless of how I personally felt before, I thank you."

He bowed lowly then, his waist bent deeply and his upper body parallel to the ground. His action startled you and you quickly touched his shoulder, causing him to look up, even as he maintained his bow.

"This is not necessary, really," You pushed at his shoulder, and he took the hint to straighten.

"If anything, you should thank Iwaizumi and Prince Ushijima. I would not have been able to do it if not for them."

"Iwaizumi and His Royal Highness?" Goshiki echoed, confused.

"They gave me the chance to try again and...my confidence," you said softly, remembering Ushijima and Iwaizumi's words to you.

They really did. You certainly won't be overflowing with confidence like many of the others you know, both in Hyquile and your world, but it was a step.

A small single step, but a step nonetheless.

And maybe, just maybe, Goshiki and Iwaizumi had been making their own small steps towards trusting you too.

"There have been several outbreaks in villages across Aoba."

Refined Oikawa looked tired, the skin below his eyes a pale grey. Through the night, Oikawa had been up and receiving reports from messengers from around the province, discussing with them and his advisors on measures they need to take. Aoba has been lucky to not have any difficulties with The Rot so far, but it seems their luck has run out.

Oikawa's state of rest wasn't very different from your group that had just arrived from Aquila, and a wry smile quirked up his lips when he saw your sleepy face and Iwaizumi's grumpily sleepy one. When his hazel eyes passed over Ushijima's equally sleep-deprived ones, he frowned and made a blind guess.

"Did something happen in The Empire as well?" He asked Ushijima.

As soon as everyone was gathered, Ushijima told Oikawa of what they discovered in the harbors of Aquila last night...and also your success at healing Kawanishi.

From beside you, Oikawa looked pleased and as proud as Iwaizumi had been the moment you healed Kawanishi. Despite his fatigue, the smile he gave you was bright and would have easily made any young maiden swoon.

"I knew you could do it." Oikawa reached for your hand on the table and squeezed it.

At the same moment, Ushijima's hands stiffly retracted from the tabletop into his lap.

You returned Oikawa's smile with a grin and turned to look at Iwaizumi and Ushijima in turn. "It wasn't just me though. If it wasn't for Iwaizumi and Ushijima, I would not have been able to do it."

One of Oikawa's perfect brows raised curiously. "How is that so?"

You coughed with a blush and awkwardly brushed non-existent hair away from your face, explaining to Oikawa your initial failure and a vague summary of the events following it.

He doesn't need to know about your lonely mental breakdown and the exact words exchanged between you and Ushijima.

Iwaizumi just had to interrupt with a remark about how you drooled in your sleep though, much to your horror and the amusement of the others gathered in the meeting room.

Well, except Aloes Yuj anyways. He is as composed and cool as a cucumber as always.

"This is great news! If you have been successful, then we have a way to fight back against The Rot!" Semi said excitedly, eyes shining at the thought of finally having a cure.

"It might not be as simple as that, Semi," Ushijima said, dashing his own advisor's hope with a reluctant glance at the man. "Healing Kawanishi drained her of a lot of energy, so more time is needed for her to attune to her magic further."

Oikawa leaned back in his seat thoughtfully, slender fingers gripping at his chin. "What's more, with the sudden rise in incidents and cases, we can't expect her to be able to heal everyone and everything. She is just one person."

The table fell silent and your spirits with it.

It's true...it took you that much just to heal Kawanishi and suddenly all of this was happening…

You really wanted to know how the rest are doing elsewhere.

Aloes whispered something to Oikawa but you were unable to make out what he is saying.

Refined Oikawa sighed and nodded in agreement. "You are right, Sir Aloes. Why don't we all take a short rest and reconvene? As exhausted as we are, none of us here in this room are running in full capacity. For the time being, instructions to the affected villages have already been sent out and orders to spread the word to all corners of The Kingdom have been given. We can think of a contingency plan after a hearty meal; I assume all of you have yet to eat anything yet, what with your early start?"

Almost as if on cue, your stomach grumbled, much to your great mortification and dismay. Of all the times for it to betray you...

All eyes zoomed in on you but you avoided looking at any of them. "Uhm...I am quite hungry..."

Semi covered up his laugh with a cough but Tendou outright burst into peals of sharp laughter.

"Prince Ushijima, you might need to review The Empire's hospitality if the Lil' Birdie here is as hungry as I hear she is!" Tendou chortled and you shot him an indignant glare, face bright red.

Ushijima sighed with a small smile. "You are right, Tendou. Very well then Prince Oikawa, let's all reconvene in an hour."

Everyone left the room for a much-needed rest at their own pace.

You felt eyes on the back of your neck and when you turned to look, piercing green eyes met yours, and your head instinctively shrunk from its cool sharpness.

Aloes didn't say anything to you when he passed by though he did stop momentarily where you still sat in your chair and just...looked down at you.

You couldn't tell what he was thinking when he had his face hidden by that mask. And his eyes didn't give anything away either. You were about to ask him if there is anything you could help him with when he just continued on his way wordlessly.

What an enigmatic man.

It is like he spoke almost exclusively to Oikawa only, for he rarely interacts with the others beyond what was necessary as well. He's young and obviously skilled, so it was a shame he doesn't converse with others more often...you could probably learn a lot from someone of his position.

Someone tapping on your shoulder brought your attention to Oikawa.

Even when exhaustion was evident in his features he still looked as handsome and charming as ever, without a single strand of hair out of place and his clothes neatly pressed.

"Come eat with me," He gestured for you to follow him. He led you down the opposite direction from where the others went towards the guest dining hall.

"I thought the dining hall is that way?" Did you forget already? This place is big so it wouldn't be a surprise if you did.

"You are correct. But you've had your last several meals with Prince Ushijima and his people already. I'm afraid it is my turn now." Oikawa told you with a teasing wink that made your heart flutter.

He should be banned from doing things like that. It was one thing when the popular setter did it, but it was another thing entirely when the charming prince of a nation did it.

But now that Refined Oikawa mentioned it, you've always had your meals with Kunimi, Kindaichi, and even Iwaizumi the whole time you had been in Aoba. You've never actually eaten with Oikawa before. The thought of eating with him made you giddy for some reason.

Oikawa had a light and quick meal composed mainly of fruits and vegetables prepared for you in one of the nicer gardens of the castle (they were all nice, really, but this one was more secluded with a variety of flowering shrubs surrounding it).

A beautifully crafted gazebo stood in one corner of the garden but you and Oikawa opted to have a picnic instead. The servants left all you might need on expensive silver trays, and you and Oikawa helped yourself to the food.

He asked you about Kawanishi and prodded for more details that you did not divulge during the meeting, about what happened at the harbor even though Ushijima already explained it once. And then he asked you about your time in Aquila and what you thought of it.

So you told him again, quietly, about your failure to heal Kawanishi and how you practiced by yourself after with the help of Mori. Since Iwaizumi already discovered his existence, you figured it is alright for Oikawa to know, and might even be better if you were forthright with him about this, lest your trustworthiness was questioned.

"And where is this Mori now?" Oikawa blinked at you, amused, and slightly bewildered at your revelation of the owl.

"Oh, I let him out of my bag before the meeting. He's...somewhere."

Then you told him about the things you saw and experienced during Ushijima's tour of Aquila, of the food and sights and...Hyperion.

When you told Oikawa about Hyperion dying, he merely said an, "Oh. I see."

Had he known? Is he going to do anything about it?

You wanted to know, but you didn't question Oikawa about it.

It was nice, eating and conversing with Oikawa like this; you did not want to dampen the atmosphere with your incessant curiosity and questions that often invoked discomfort in others.

"Oh, before it has the chance to slip my mind, here."

Refined Oikawa took out an item from his coat pocket and placed it into your palm.

It was a finely crafted bracelet of pure silver, sterling in quality and light in your hands. The silver of the bracelet is so meticulously polished that it shone with an ethereal ivory glow. On the bracelet is attached a small emerald-green charm in the shape of a tree.

"It's beautiful…" you whispered, gingerly curling the bracelet around your fingers. "But...why are you giving this to me?" He's given you her hairpin too...you can't keep accepting such valuable gifts from him.

Oikawa read the reluctance on your face and chuckled teasingly. "Don't worry, it's not just any materialistic gift. It's what's going to help you move between our worlds."

"It is?" You looked back down at the bracelet. How is it going to help you move between worlds?

Oikawa turned towards you and took the bracelet, laying it out across his wide palms.

"Rather than the bracelet itself that is going to help you, it is this charm here." One long thumb poked at the tree charm.

"The bracelet is just a reward for healing Kawanishi."

Your face scrunched up in confusion.

"But you didn't even know that I will be able to heal him."

Oikawa the Crown Prince rarely, if ever, joked and teased you with flirty remarks like the setter would, and he never gets a slap to the head by Iwaizumi here in Hyquile either, which always succeeds in pulling a round of laughter from you without fail whenever it happened. But the lack of these qualities didn't take away anything from him, and only enriched the multi-faceted persona that is Oikawa Tooru.

Not the prince, not the setter.

Just Oikawa Tooru.

Oikawa is already a handsome man, no one can deny that, whether he is a prince or an athlete.

And sitting before you now with his legs crossed casually, very much like a regular person and not a prince bound by rules and propriety, Oikawa is bathed in the gentle yellow of the sun's light that filtered in between the leaves. They showered upon him and danced on the chocolate hues of his hair, across the planes of his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, like clear clouds of crystals, shimmering with his every movement.

He looked like an angel.

And when he smiled...the smile he revealed to you at this very moment is a true smile.

There had been little moments before, where the Oikawa beneath peeked through his ever guarded mask, but never had the mask ever been fully removed to unveil the real Oikawa Tooru underneath.

You doubt you have ever seen Oikawa Tooru the setter unmasked before.

But right now, Oikawa Tooru the Crown Prince is.

For only an ephemeral moment that lasted as long as his smile, but there he is, sitting cross-legged before you.

"I never doubted that you would."

The skin of his fingers brushed the back of your hand as he clipped the bracelet around your wrist. Then he gently held your hand in one hand, the other gliding on the charm with a touch of wonder like one would on low hanging leaves.

This would become one of your favorite memories of Oikawa Tooru.

"Where's Sir Aloes?" Iwaizumi asked when Kunimi and Kindaichi closed the doors to the meeting room.

"He's attending to the messengers that recently arrived so he won't be joining us," Oikawa explained, taking his usual seat to your left.

You shifted nervously next to him, your new bracelet tickling across the skin of your wrist.

Before returning for round two of the meeting (meetings don't change much even between worlds, do they?) of what the next course of action would be, you had confided in Oikawa your worries about...the others.

He had listened with an open mind and ear, and promised you that he would bring up your concerns to the others.

Which he did, right off the bat, taking you off guard.

You thought there would at least be some buildup, some nonchalant tackling of other more immediate or easily solved issues first but nope, he just went right for it and announced to the room, "I am concerned about the state of things beyond our own realms. Has there been any new information regarding the other realms, in particular, The Nekoma Dominion and Inarizaki House?"

Almost immediately, The Empire side of the participants stiffened and Tendou's eyes narrowed with a glint at Oikawa. "Oh? Why do you ask this? We've yet to even begin resolving our own problems and yet you have the time and capacity to worry about other realms?"

Oikawa shook his head and laid a hand on your shoulder, startling you. "It isn't me that's worried."

You gulped under the stares of everyone, once again trained on you.

"I...remember you've been with them for a period of time," Ushijima broke the silence with an understanding gaze, knowing your relation with them.

You felt highly awkward, bringing up the topic of your concern to a group of people who were not only part of an empire that didn't take kindly to non-humans, but the retainers and future emperor of that particular empire themselves.

Nodding, your fingers fumbled with the bracelet anxiously (you fear this might become a habit).

"They took care of me when I did not know anything about why I was here, and I know that some of them face their own troubles with The Rot."

"...you know The Empire's stance regarding non-humans," Semi reminded you gently. "What do you expect of us by bringing this up?"

What did you expect, really? You brought it up to Oikawa originally because you just wanted news, information, some sort of update that told you what was going on out on their sides of the world.

"I…"

You didn't think much beyond that. Not until Semi asked this question of you.

You saw your first death, and the death of someone by The Rot, first in The Dominion. The first time you healed someone of The Rot is also in The Dominion.

You've seen The Rot tainting the pristine waters of Inarizaki, and Inarizaki is where you healed your second case of The Rot.

In Aquila you healed Kawanishi, the third time you healed someone of The Rot. And just yesterday night, you saw their waters filled with the carcasses of thousands of fishes contaminated with The Rot.

And lastly, in Aoba is where you first made actual contact with her, the one who brought you to Hyquile. The one who asked you to help them, Hyquile, with The Rot...with the power she passed on to you.

(she really hasn't reached out to you again ever since that night…)

You've traveled across four different realms, each different from the next with their own quirks and wonders.

In each one, you have been in contact with The Rot.

And the one thing you came to understand the most from this is that The Rot does not care about your race or your allegiance.

The Rot doesn't care if you're human, non-human, allies, or enemies.

The others might know it too but you were confident that you knew it better than any of them, for you have been there.

"...I don't know what your plans are or what the next best step should be but…" you started, your fingers tugging one final time on your silver bracelet. "Would I be wrong in assuming that it will likely have something to do with me?"

Your voice was soft under the weight of your nerves but the room is silent enough for everyone to hear you, loud and clear.

"No, you wouldn't. You are the only known cure to The Rot we have right now," Ushijima answered you honestly, his voice equally loud and clear.

"In that case, and I know you might not like this, but…" You bit your lip and looked straight up, your gaze going around the room and in particular towards Ushijima and Oikawa. They were the ones who will have the final say.

"I want us all to work together."

The arguments that followed were immediate and loud.

"It's beginning to seem like every time you say something, some trouble is bound to happen," Oikawa chuckled as you followed after him.

"S-Sorry…"

"No, don't be. There was no denying the truth to your logic and concerns. The Rot is truly an issue we all face collectively, regardless of borders and race. I am, in fact, quite glad you said it yourself in the end to the others in the meeting."

"Well, you didn't leave me much choice with the way you brought the subject up…"

Refined Oikawa grinned at you, in exactly the same way the setter would. "Guilty as charged. All jokes aside, it would have been better that it came from you instead of me. The only one who would have been able to convince Ushijima and his Empire followers is you."

"Maybe..." You mumbled, remembering the flash of betrayal and anger that crossed Goshiki's features. He had forgiven you for even suggesting The Empire work with non-humans after the meeting (the memory of you healing Kawanishi is still quite fresh) but he definitely wasn't too pleased with the turnout.

And that was calling a Summit between the four realms, with Aoba as the middle-ground.

Although part of The Empire, Aoba is tolerant of non-humans and allowed their presence in the city to an extent, making them the perfect middle party to bring everyone together, with you as the common denominator.

Though they agreed (somewhat) to your half-baked request, it isn't a simple matter of just linking hands and everyone would get along and make merry.

The first problem is actually making contact with The Dominion and Inarizaki House. Besides The Empire and Aoba, contact between the realms is non-existent, even more so because they are further divided with the rift of being human realms and non-human realms.

The second problem is whether they would even trust a human messenger from Aoba. And Aoba being part of The Empire, it doubly makes everything more susceptible to suspicion.

The third problem is to do with the Inarizaki House.

The elusiveness of the fox-folks of Inarizaki is renowned even in the North. Seeing as the messenger would need to be able to actually find Inarizaki to pass the message, you mentioned that Inarizaki is hidden with illusions...hoping that you wouldn't regret divulging this important information and that the fox-folks wouldn't be too angry with you. Hopefully. Especially the twins.

But it was necessary if you were to make contact with them. You even pondered mentioning the exact illusion itself and what to look out for, but Oikawa had said that he knows someone that would have a good chance of locating Inarizaki.

Which led you to where you are now, standing before a rough-looking man with bright blonde hair and two dark stripes running around his head.

...What...a strange hairstyle.

"This is Kyoutani Kentarou," Oikawa introduced him to you, and Kyoutani nodded wordlessly in greeting.

He has...very sharp and intense eyes. Is he angry or does he just look like that?

"He's one of the Western dog-folk, so he should be familiar with the area."

"Wait…" A dog-folk?

"But I thought non-humans weren't accepted in The Empire?" You asked, looking back and forth confusedly between Oikawa and Kyoutani who has yet to say anything.

Aoba allowed non-humans to a controlled extent but you were not aware they were allowed to work in the Empire vassal kingdom, with the exception of being a Blue Knight.

Oikawa smiled at your fast following on things. "That is true but Kyoutani is an exception. Iwaizumi's father found him on one of his expeditions alone and orphaned when he was a child. There had been...various difficulties but he has been with us ever since, serving as part of Iwaizumi's household for my family. You aspire to be a Blue Knight, right, Kyoutani?" Oikawa asked the silent dog-folk pleasantly but he merely grunted in response.

He certainly doesn't speak much.

Oikawa's smile didn't falter, a tell that he was used to this sort of response from Kyoutani. Or the prince is just that good at cordiality.

"In any case, you can hand it to him and he will bring it to Inarizaki without fail."

Gulping, you slowly lifted the package in your hand up to Kyoutani. He took it, quite gently despite his fierce features, and sniffed it once.

His eyes tapered and he looked up at you. "Meat, eggs, and...rice? You want me to send food to the foxes?"

Yes, exactly. Like a food delivery service.

Considering who you were dealing with, you had the brilliant idea (if you must say so yourself) of sending a package of your riceballs along with the messenger to prove your identity to the foxes. With Refined Oikawa's permission, you had the help of other maids in making them quickly after the meeting.

"Uhh, right. The fox-folk might not trust the missive is from me, well, technically Aoba, but they need to believe that I am actually here and requested them to meet us. I made these rice balls for them before, so they will recognize it...I think." You explained, then added as an afterthought, "I hope."

"You're requesting the Inarizaki fox-folks to meet you?" Kyoutani looked at Oikawa for confirmation, disbelief glinting in his honey eyes that reminded you of Atsumu's.

"Yes, it is unprecedented, I am aware. But…" Oikawa's friendly eyes trailed to you along with another pleasant smile. "Desperate times call for desperate measures."

Oikawa handed a scroll sealed with the royal crest of Aoba to Kyoutani.

"I trust you to deliver these to Inarizaki, Kyoutani."

Kyoutani took the scroll from Oikawa without a word, then slotted it under the strings tying the bundle of riceballs you made.

"Is that all?" He asked, already making his way to leave the area.

"Yes, and don't do anything reckless, Mad Dog."

With that, Kyoutani leaped over the walls of the courtyard with one powerful jump. Shaking off your amazement at his flashy exit, you quirked a brow at Oikawa.

"Mad Dog?"

Oikawa laughed heartily. "That nickname was given to him for a reason."

"And that is?"

"Well, let's just say you don't want to provoke him into a fight."

You threw the last of your belongings into your bag before picking Mori up and falling backward onto your bed.

Mori hooted at you and relaxed in your hold, blinking large eyes up at you.

There are so many things going on that you felt absolutely drained mentally, in addition to being sleep-deprived physically.

You saw Sentimental Ushijima briefly earlier, and at your questioning of whether he will return to Aquila to report to his grandfather about the planned Summit with The Dominion and Inarizaki, Ushijima had confided in you that he was going to withhold that information from the Emperor for the time being.

He was troubled by the thought of it, for he has been nothing but truthful and forthright with his grandfather for years. But even you knew that Emperor Washijo would not have allowed a meeting with non-humans to happen in Empire territory, no matter what.

Then there was the matter of you returning to your world and then...coming back to Hyquile.

Oikawa had explained how the bracelet and charm would work for you, and his theories on how you might move between worlds, now that her Life has merged with you completely.

Where before she had to pull you through during moments of your weakened unconsciousness, Refined Oikawa theorizes that you should be able to travel between the two worlds on your own now. Since the rest of her Life has been merged to you, it not only gave you a fuller well of magic but also the key that lets you open the door to their world, and the gate to yours.

But his research when you were away in Aquila makes him believe that despite the former two points, you did not possess enough magic (nor control over it) to move freely without a guiding point, and will possibly still require you to enter unconsciousness to open either world's entryway.

You had instantly assumed and dreaded the worst, and had already begun thinking about possible brain damage but Oikawa's next words reassured you immensely.

"You will need to sleep."

Oh, the relief you felt knowing that you didn't need to force yourself to pass out or ask Ushiwaka to spike another ball at you.

Of course, it was all theory so the first and real test would be tonight. If all works well, you will wake up in your world. And for the next time you return to Hyquile…

That is where the bracelet with the tree charm becomes important.

The charm has been imbued with Oikawa's magic, and in a way, the essence of his soul. It is attuned to the royal emblem that Oikawa always wears on his person, and Oikawa himself. As long as you have the charm on you when you attempt to open the path, it will help you focus on where you want to arrive, and works exactly like a guiding rope that you can latch onto, bringing you to Oikawa's vicinity.

"It isn't completely unlike location markers for teleportation spells. Think of it like grabbing for a rope in the dark, and holding onto it as you traverse through to the other side."

Truly, Refined Oikawa would make a wonderful educator. He always makes the easiest comparisons for your uncomprehending mind to easily understand.

Your only worry about the whole thing now is:

One, will you actually be able to do it from your world, without the help or guidance of Oikawa or anyone else?

Two, you hope you won't arrive when Refined Oikawa is less than decent.

Three, how do you bring the bracelet back to your world with you?

At your third and final worry, Oikawa had tapped his chin with a slender finger and smiled charmingly. "Magic and enchantments, of course. You're in Aoba, one of the most magically progressive realms in Hyquile. So don't worry, unless you take it off, you will have it with you when you traverse between worlds. My magical advisors have taken care of that."

Well, you're just going to have to trust Refined Oikawa...which you already do.

And thus the plan is for you to return to Tokyo tonight.

Unknowingly, you squeezed Mori a little too hard in your arms, and the Elf Owl hooted loudly and flapped its free wing at you.

"O-Oh, sorry Mori," you apologized to the owl.

Looking down at Mori now, you were reminded of Scary Bokuto and Akaashi; it was hard not to think of the owl-folks whenever you see Mori. Inevitable, really.

"I wonder if Bokuto and Akaashi will come to the Summit…" you mumbled into the space of your room. You lifted Mori up into the air above you, and the owl tilted its head down at you.

"The missive that Oikawa prepared is addressed to and being sent to The Dominion only. Bokuto is always with Kuroo so I assume that he will be there when Kuroo receives it but…" You trailed off, lowering Mori gently back down to you.

You placed Mori down on the bed by your head and rolled to your side so you can look directly at the Elf Owl.

"What if something has happened in your home too, Mori? What if Bokuto isn't at The Dominion when the missive arrives because he is back in Owl Vale?" You asked Mori, not really expecting an answer. "I didn't think about this during the meeting and when Oikawa was writing the missives...I hope that Bokuto will be there with Kuroo and he'll receive the message too; I don't want him to think that I left him out…he's always been at The Dominion when I was there so..." You shuddered at the possible consequences of leaving Scary Bokuto out of such an important Summit.

"And I have never been to Owl Vale before either, so I have no advice for the messengers on who or what they should look out for, if any." You glanced into Mori's big, round eyes.

"What is your homeland like, Mori?"

Mori tilted his head once to the left and once to the right at you and then hooted.

You sighed. It's not like you can understand what Mori says anyways.

"Anyways, I should go see the rest and say my goodbyes. Take care of yourself when I'm not here Mori, okay?" You patted the owl on the head and kissed him on the same spot before sitting up. "I'll bring you some dinner later."

Mori watched you leave the room and hooted at your back and the closing door.

What he really said to you was that you did not need to bring him dinner, but Mori already knows that you never understood a word he hoots anyway.

Flying over to where your packed bag is laid on the table, Mori plucked a feather from his own body for you once more and laid the plume out on top of your bag.

And then he left through the open balcony doors.

Mori will return to Seijoh, that is where he is assigned and stationed. But he won't be back in time for when you go to sleep and return to your world.

Mori flew and glided with his tiny wings through the verdant forests of Aoba and amongst the clouds above the Blue Province.

He flew and flew, hooting into the sky and air his message, until he heard a hoot in return.

Mori flew around until he found the source of the hoot that returned his call, and found his fellow spy and brethren. Another Elf Owl, a female just slightly larger than him with peanut-brown feathers.

And Mori passed the message he carried in careful clarity once more to this owl, and watched as she flew off.

The female Elf Owl flew as Mori did, hooting and calling out to friendly ears, passing on the message she has received for their lord and leader from Mori to the next owl, a Burrowing Owl that sprinted and flew with the message that was passed onto him, until he came across a robin that is a friend to Owl Vale, and passed the message to the red-breasted robin.

The robin took that message to the next avian that is friendly to Owl Vale, singing a mellifluous tune to the next in a long chain of owls and avians that will receive the baton.

And so the message that came from Mori was passed, with hoots and bird-songs, until it arrived to their leader in Owl Vale.

A message that you sent out, unbeknownst to you.

"It will take some time for the missives to arrive at their destinations, and preparations for the portals that will bring them from The Dominion and Inarizaki to Aoba will also require time and careful planning," Ushijima explained gently to you in an attempt to ease your incessant worrying.

You had not stopped worrying at all, through the honestly awkward dinner everyone shared together.

It was already tense enough between those of The Empire and Aoba, but you had added your own anxiousness into the mix that made it all the more convoluted.

If it had just been the two of you, you were pretty sure Iwaizumi would have snatched your fork away to get you to stop scratching it at your plate.

Your brows furrowed further. "But how will you be bringing them here? A teleportation circle wouldn't work because they don't have a location marker on their side, right? How will you-"

"Leave the arrangements for that to us. What you need to worry about is returning to your own world right now," Oikawa interrupted, ushering you down the hall towards your room.

"But-"

"When you next return, we will answer all your questions." It was Ushijima this time that interrupted you with a soft laugh. He found your worrying endearing. You truly care a lot about the folks at The Nekoma Dominion and Inarizaki House. "There are still issues we need to address as well, so we will be better prepared to answer your numerous questions next we see you."

"...fine," you relented.

They were right, as always. Your worrying is not going to help or contribute to anything, and the best thing you can do for everyone right now is to ensure you are able to return to your world safely...and then back again to Hyquile when the time for the Summit arrives.

You stopped outside the door into your room.

The Summit won't happen until a few days have passed in your world, meaning a week or more in Hyquile.

Oikawa had told you to come by whenever you would like (he speaks of it as if it was just a simple matter of going out the door and taking the train!), if only to work on your...dimension leaping, world traversing, or whatever the proper term for this phenomenon is. The worst-case scenario for everyone would be that you are unable to return to Hyquile from your side.

And yet, for some reason, it feels like you are the only one actually worried about this as everyone else does not look the least bit concerned.

Iwaizumi had merely blinked at you when you were having one of your minor frets earlier, and said to you, "You managed to heal Kawanishi already. Why are you worrying?"

Ushijima said so as much too, with a strangely confused expression when he did so that reminded you of the star athlete.

"Why would you have any reason to panic with all your potential?"

Even Tendou had given you some form of encouraging remark...or at least, you hoped it was.

"Don't worry Lil' Birdie. You'll be back alright. It's inevitable for you~"

Ever the cryptic enigma he is, this Tendou. Is he like this in your world too?

Oikawa pulled you from your thoughts when he laid a gentle hand on your back.

"You've made it bloom once. You can do it again," he quietly said, giving you a light push towards your room door.

Maybe...you were yet again the only one who needed to be more confident.

"At least we will know you did not succeed if we see you at breakfast tomorrow morning," Oikawa playfully teased in yet another rarity, in his efforts to ease you. Even Ushijima had to chuckle at that.

You gave them a half-hearted grin, appreciation bubbling in your chest for them. "I hope I don't see you for breakfast then."

"You'll do fine. Remember what we talked about in Aquila," Ushijima reminded you, dark olive eyes once again shining like the guiding beams of a lighthouse.

Alright, they've convinced you.

You breathed and nodded, with a full grin this time.

"Okay. I'll see you all soon...hopefully not tomorrow."

You went to bed that night, with a mind full of self-inflicted worry that was only added on to with the fact that you could not find Mori in your room like you had expected to. You only found a familiar plume on your bag, which you then tucked away safely with your belongings. The bread you had brought for him is now placed out on the balcony banister, in case he comes back later.

If he doesn't...well, then the maids will find a random piece of bread on your balcony tomorrow morning and possibly wonder why you had stolen food to your room.

Worried you might be, your heart is filled with reassurance born from the support of those who surround you in Hyquile.

It took a while for you to fall asleep.

Oikawa's instructions were for you to sleep whilst envisioning your magical energy enveloping your body, just like you did for the quill when you used magic to move it. In other words, your body is the quill.

Then, simultaneously visualize a pathway between a door and a gate, that leads to Hyquile and your world respectively.

Just like when you visualized your magic as pathways between your body and Kawanishi's when you healed him.

It was almost like a different form of meditation and it was difficult at first. It took a while, but you managed to finally fall asleep in the midst of repeatedly performing the instructions Oikawa left you with.

When you next opened your eyes, the first thing you saw is the familiar ceiling of your bedroom.

And as you very slowly, very groggily, and very weakly, sat and stood up...

...you promptly fell over to the floor at the immense headache, dizziness, hunger, and pain that assaulted you all together.

Empathy / ficlet 02

feat Akaashi Keiji

As Akaashi flew away from the Blue Castle of Seijoh, it's ethereal blue lights of magic casting an overlay of cerulean onto his skin, the owl-folk spy tipped his head towards land when a brief thought flickered into his mind.

And when it did, he dipped down and changed course, deciding to go on a small detour before leaving for The Dominion.

Placing two fingers in a precise position in his mouth, Akaashi whistled.

The sound of a bird-call, almost like a melodic hoot, emitted from between his spread lips, echoing through the silent district over which he hovered.

After a few moments, Akaashi smiled when his heightened senses (especially at night) alerted him to the telltale and familiar sound of small wings flapping.

Gliding over to hide in the shadow of a bell tower, Akaashi stopped on the roof of the building right below it and extended his hand out, patiently waiting.

A few seconds later, Mori landed onto his arm, momentarily slipping against the pieces of smooth metal along his armguard.

"Mori," Akaashi smiled with a gentle call of the Elf Owl's name, who cooed up at his master with closed eyes. Carefully cupping the tiny own in his large hands, Akaashi lifted Mori up to face level and spoke in low-tones to him.

"I'm leaving for The Dominion and do not know when I will next return. She's in the Blue Castle with the Crown Prince, as you well know."

Mori bobbed along to Akaashi's voice, silently signaling his understanding.

"Please watch over her in my stead."

Mori's head tilted, a little chirp trilling from him in question.

"You can't fight?" Akaashi laughed softly, affectionately rubbing Mori's head with two fingers. "I'm not expecting you to. I'm just asking you to watch over her."

The corners of Akaashi's lips lifted just ever so slightly as he turned towards the Blue Castle of Seijoh. Together, they looked out at the centerpiece of the capital city of The Kingdom of Aoba.

The grand castle towered over The City of Trees, a citadel of ivory that watched over its people. With the late hour, the castle was bathed in the magic blue that light the paths for its residents. The Blue Castle is beautiful during the day, but the cloak of gossamer blue it dons at night gives it an elegant, almost haunting, and somehow sad, air.

"We are both familiar with the stresses of being in unfamiliar lands…and the loneliness, and even dread, that comes with being away from home, friends, and family. We are spies, after all."

A low and melancholic song rose from Mori, and the Elf Owl rubbed his head against Akaashi's palm. He agrees, and understood, what Akaashi is talking about.

"She's in an unfamiliar world, far away from her own homeland, all by herself. And this will be the first time she will truly be all alone in Hyquile," Akaashi frowned at the thought of leaving you here in Seijoh. He might have conceded in the end but he could not help but worry.

You were courageous for coming back to Hyquile willingly, and even more so to volunteer to stay in Aoba whilst he returns to The Dominion.

He understood that it was more efficient this way, necessary really, but…

Mori's chirping brought his gaze away from the castle and down to the tiny owl in his palms.

Akaashi listened attentively to Mori's quiet calls and coos. When Mori ended his song with a puff of his feathered chest, Akaashi grinned down at the owl.

"Thank you, Mori. How did I ever get so lucky to have you come to me and not someone else?"

Mori hooted loudly once, to which Akaashi quickly lifted a long finger up to his lips in the universal sign of silence.

"Don't let it go to your head though. You won't make a good spy if you're loud."

Akaashi allowed himself some time to enjoy Mori's company, asking about the others hidden around the city and what the latest news that flitted through the 'Nightly Hoots' is (an inside joke amongst certain members of the owl-folk, especially the ones working as spies, that referred to the way they sometimes share information). And Mori in turn sang to Akaashi, asking him if the spy was actually taking care of himself and not overworking because it would be a shame to have to find a new master and Mori did not want to go through the trouble.

And Akaashi felt his heart relax, knowing that Mori will be with you.

Royal Blue Knights: Elite unit of knights of The Kingdom of Aoba. They are the cornerstones of the military might of The Kingdom, and their orders override any commands issued by generals of other units in the kingdom's army. The Knights do not have an appointed leader though there is an unspoken agreement amongst them that Iwaizumi Hajime is the unofficial leader of the current generation of Knights. There are only a small group of them serving the kingdom in any one generation due to the selectiveness of the training process. Though it is common in human realms in Hyquile for entry to an elite unit such as The Royal Blue Knights to possibly only be gained through noble familial ties, The Blue Knights of Aoba welcome folk of any race and background to try their hand at the selection process that occurs annually.

Notes:

Btw I wrote a Ushijima one-shot here: left / Ushijima One-shot I love shameless self-promotion :D
And yes, the owls and birds method of passing the message is inspired by Gondor's lighting of the beacons, which in turn is inspired by how soldiers used to communicate on The Great Wall of China :p

Sept 15th Edit: I updated the Grand Prix 2 Poll, added an additional option :D
Annnd the GWS: Favorite Hyquile Bachelor Grand Prix 2 is here! (I don't know how there are already voters before I announced it?)
The top bachelor as voted by you all in Grand Prix 1 is Majestic Kuroo with 104 votes! He won by a landslide! 2nd place is Suna with 78 votes and this is the 1st time I saw Suna beating the twins and Kita in anything! I love that the Suna reservoir is gradually filling! (I may/may not write additional content for him as a runner-up, in addition to Kuroo's).
The rest are as follows: Kita- 72, Bokuto- 54, Atsumu- 51, Osamu- 50.
I don't know what happened but Bokuto just suddenly SHOT UP in popularity DESPITE not being official yet and when he has been in last place for like...almost the entire time! Me thinks the scene at the pagoda balcony influenced everyone's choices a lot haha And I bet that one additional vote Atsumu got over Osamu is 'Tsumu himself voting XD
In the end, we love all our boys though and I am excited to see how the polls will be this time with OIKAWA and USHIJIMA in the mix.

Do leave a comment if you enjoy my story :) I would love to hear what you think of my story, be it plot, characters, writing, or even just fangirling/bonding over the characters 3

Chapter 25: Minor Details In Little Changes / ficlet 03

Summary:

The Summit Arc

Notes:

I hate this chapter. Struggled so much. Writer's block. I haven't struggled and stressed over a chapter so much. I just wanna get to the fun parts but the meticulous side of me demands the buildup T_T and to set the stage of the new arc I guess 💀
And yes. Bokuto has been officially added to the harem! I just went "fck it" and did it cause at this point, he might as well be, cause I already wrote some headcanons for him (linked at end). It's touugggh writing for so many guys in detail like this XD The other option is to split them all into different chapters but...😱😱 I love them all but...my brain is fried💀

And THANK YOU to an3nigmaticpersona and moondriplets for the two lovely fanart linked below! You guys made me so happy with it and I loved both your interpretations of Osamu's fox form and Kenma respectively! Lemme just gush ILYYYY again!
Frosty Osamu fanart by an3nigmaticpersona
Energetic Kenma fanart by moondriplets

Also, updated Ghosts We See Q&A Index here; there were some very good questions on Tumblr about worldbuilding, how MC's bag is moving between worlds etc and other elaborated details so do check it out 3 It might clear up questions that I failed to detail more in the main story OTL
BIG chapter guys. It's 3am as I post this so please forgive any mistakes here T_T I checked through a couple times but I'm sure I missed a lot and made even more. My eyes are crossing together and I'll come back to check for mistakes again after time away from staring at it. Just take this away from meee plz! And enjoy? T^T

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

You are so thirsty.

And hungry. And tired.

But thirsty most of all.

Really thirsty.

Three days of not drinking any water does that to you, you supposed.

It is only after you woke up and panicked at your extremely weak body and pale skin did you realize how stupid you had been to just pass out and go to Hyquile like that.

Stumbling and half-crawling your way to your kitchen (this is one of those rare moments you were grateful that your Tokyo apartment is small), you had stuffed yourself with water and whatever food you could scrounge up for the first half an hour you had been awake, hands shaking through the first few bites.

With your heart still attempting to steady itself, you had furiously berated your carelessness, promising yourself that you will need to be more careful from now on; your body won't be able to continue on like this if you were planning to keep returning to Hyquile, and you were definitely starting to feel, and maybe even see, the effects it is having on you.

You hoped it was just your murky sight but you looked...skinnier. Just a little bit, but you're pretty sure your cheeks were a tad rounder and fuller three days ago.

And your body aches everywhere .

Your phone had blown up with messages and missed calls from various people during your time in Hyquile, and you replied to the majority of them with quick copy-pasted texts, apologizing for your late response and that you had a good weekend, politely asking how theirs were.

For the ones that you did not send a mass-pasted text to, you took a bit more time responding to them, making sure that you had your story straight lest they talked amongst themselves (If only the fox-folk could see you now...you've definitely learned a thing or two from them).

Wow, Atsumu really blew up your phone, didn't he? Oikawa is a close second, and you were quite flattered with their concern.

Ushijima's simple response to the text you sent him before you passed out into Hyquile amused you though; it came a day after you sent it, just a short ["Okay"] from the stoic athlete. He didn't seem like much of a texter, so you were surprised to have even received a response.

And for a reason you could not comprehend but found funny all the same, Bokuto had sent you a few memes on Sunday.

Responding to everyone at least once, you decided to call your parents as you waited for your third cup noodle to soak, fingers absentmindedly playing with the bracelet around your wrist all the while.

(it...really came through with you. The thought of it both excited and scared you...)

"Hi mum!"

Your parents had sent you a couple of texts over the weekend, asking if you were fine and to make sure you are eating well. You didn't text or call your parents very often, seeing as you lived in Tokyo and could easily pop by to visit.

"Yeah, I'm good. My weekend was fine, and yes, I'm fine. I've eaten. How are you and dad?"

The family group chat is silent most of the time, with the occasional food or cat picture being shared by either you or your mum, your dad sending in news and science articles once in a blue moon. Your brother didn't talk much on the chat, only responding when there is something directly relevant to him.

Your family isn't the most active on social media but a part of you kind of wished they had blew up your phone as much as Atsumu and Oikawa did.

"Oh? Nii-san is getting promoted? That's great."

It's not like you expected them to suddenly be more proactive in the group chat or anything but...

"Uhh- family dinner to celebrate? Yeah, I should be able to make it."

Your mum was gushing about your brother again- nothing new. He's smart and talented, quickly rising through the ranks of his company. You were used to hearing his praises from them over the years. You know that your parents love and trust you, else they wouldn't have let you pursue what you wanted to in the first place, or even let you live on your own when you could have lived with them.

But there were still times, once in a while, where the feelings of jealousy towards your brother would reappear.

He always outshone you and always got their preference somehow...it was unconscious on their parts but that just made you feel worse about it. It's always been that way, and the day they announced to you that you were moving from Hyogo for his new school was the very moment that made you aware of every small instance where they chose him over you.

"I don't think 'Tsumu and 'Samu will be able to make it. Muuum, they are busy with their own uni-work too. Okay, okay, I'll ask but don't count on it."

You weren't going to ask. The last thing you needed was for either party to ask how their weekend with you was (when you were actually off in Hyquile).

(you didn't like the feeling of discomfort that curled in your chest at lying to her)

(you've been lying a lot recently)

Your phone pinged several times during your phone call with your mum, and then later your dad when he got out of the shower. It was the usual once again, asking if you have been alright and if you felt anything off or unwell, then quickly dissolving into questions about your studies (crap, you still had assignments to finish before tomorrow!), dance, and comments about your brother's latest accomplishments.

It easily went into questions about your plans for the future from there, a talk you rather avoid when your throat is still quite parched and all the food you've crammed in hasn't quite settled. Not to mention the restlessness that was starting to set in at the thought of your unfinished assignments due this week.

"Dad, can we talk about this another day? I still have some assignments left which I really need to start on. Yeah, see you guys at the dinner. Love you guys too. Yes. Love you. Goodnight."

You sighed as you cut the call, feeling a tad pinched exasperated at the additional notifications that came in during the phone call. You scrolled through the newly updated chats in your app.

You weren't very surprised to see Atsumu with a slew of new texts in your group chat with Osamu, and there were several from Oikawa as well. Kuroo, Suna, and Kita were the only ones that had controlled responses to your "lack of replies and radio silence," understanding that not everyone's lives revolved around their phones.

Incoming Voice Call

[Tsum-Tsum]

"Hi-"

"YA' CAN'T EVEN SEND A QUICK TEXT WHILST POOPIN' OR SUMTHIN'?!"

You winced, quickly dialing down the volume setting.

"'Tsumu, I'm so-"

"IT TAKES LIKE WHAT? ONE SECOND TO SEND A TEXT- OW!' 'Samu, what'd ya' hit me for?!"

Osamu's voice crinkled through the phone in the background.

"Yer too loud! The neighbors are gonna complain about a hauntin' cause of ya' screechy-ass voice!"

"LIKE I GIVE A SHIT- Owww!"

There was the sound of muffled voices, clattering, and more of Atsumu's whining before you received the notice that the caller would like to switch to video.

Hastily brushing down your hair, you accepted the switch, moving to position your phone so that they didn't get a face full of your under-chin.

"Wow, ya' look like crap."

"Really, that's the first thing you say to me 'Samu?"

Osamu squinted in scrutiny when a hand shoved his face to the side. An annoyed Atsumu quickly slid into the screen, his head pushing back against Osamu's hand that had come up to push him back out in retaliation.

"Ugh, use yer own phone 'Samu!"

"It's chargin'! Just share the screen like a normal person, can't ya?!"

You laughed at their bickering, feeling oddly excited to see them again. To them, it had only been three days but it was longer than that for you.

For the first five minutes, all you did is apologize to them for ignoring their messages and Atsumu's calls, giving them the excuse that you had turned off your phone. They asked a bunch of questions on what you had been up to and told you about their weekend in turn.

"Hey, I still have some assignments to finish so I'll see you guys tomorrow, okay?"

"Meet at the station gates in the mornin'?" Osamu asked, flipping the phone screen towards him. Atsumu's golden-hair was noticeably pushing up against his brother's cheeks, attempting to fit himself back on the screen.

"Yer better be there!" One of Atsumu's eyes glared at you on the screen, still quite bitter and miffed. He's such a sucker for attention.

"I will, I will. I'll buy you a snack from 7-11 ...200yen max though."

"100yen for each day, so 300yen!"

"Why are ya' such a greedy pig?" Osamu turned to look at his brother in disgust.

You quickly bid them goodnight just as they started on another petty argument; the call will never end if you didn't put your foot down.

Chef: G'night.

Tsum^2: See ya' tomorrow.

You: Night!

Atsumu grabbed his phone back from Osamu who let him have it with no arguments. His face scrunched as a thought from the conversation flitted into his mind.

"Hey 'Samu," Atsumu called his brother, musing as he rubbed his chin.

Osamu tilted his head lazily towards Atsumu, hand stuck into a bag of newly opened chips. "What?"

"I thought calls didn't go through if yer phone is turned off."

"It doesn't. Ya' just get this automated voice lady tellin' ya' that the other person is unreachable."

"Right?! But mine all went through when I called."

"...She probably meant she muted it. Stop thinkin' so much ya' scrub. Give her a break."

"Stop callin' me scrub, scrub! And quit eatin' all the chips yerself!"

"Mornin'!"

"Mornin'-" Osamu yawned.

"Morning-" Another yawn, from you this time.

You were sleepier and more tired than ever, having stayed up well into the night to work on your more urgent assignments. It added and compounded onto the fatigue your body was already suffering from when your consciousness was in Hyquile.

It was horrible. You just wanted to pass out (again) in exhaustion.

Not wanting to risk losing the bracelet, you decided to leave it at home as you doubted you'd try to return to Hyquile when you were out in public at any point.

"Ya' should have worked on them during the weekend, serves yer right," Osamu drawled at you with a mouthful of egg and ham onigiri.

(You wondered if Kyoutani got the message to Inarizaki yet...probably not. Hopefully, the Ice Leaves the maids wrapped the rice balls in will stay cool long enough so that the food didn't turn bad)

Stretching your arms and back out with a groan, your muscles protested at the movement as you walked with the twins towards campus after your short stop at the convenience store. A strain on your back caused your face to scrunch at the annoying feeling, and your hand automatically stuck underneath your shirt to rub at it.

"I know, I know. I just didn't have time."

"Ya' had three days to do it, how did ya' not have time?" Like his brother, Atsumu had a mouthful of salmon onigiri when he spoke, a protein bar swinging in his other free hand (all paid for by you).

"It's not like yer were any better, 'Tsumu," Osamu deadpanned at his brother. "If Kita-san wasn't on yer ass, ya' wouldn't have finished."

Ignoring Atsumu's objections from beside you, you looked up at Osamu. "You guys hung out with Kita-san over the weekend?"

"Yea, and Suna. We got some of the old teammates together for lunch."

"Hah, it was fun messin' with Aran-san again!" Atsumu chortled, high-fiving an equally grinning Osamu over your head. "Can't wait to play with him again."

...Aran?

"So this Aran-san is someone you knew from high school?" You asked in what you hoped was a casual tone, though you could not help but feel that you sounded like you had an ulterior motive...which you technically did. Could this Aran they spoke about be the alternate of the bear-folk in Inarizaki House?

"Yep, he's a great person. Funny as all hell," Atsumu snickered as he started on his protein bar. "Me and 'Samu used to joke around with him a lot, he's the other half to our manzais ."

You shot Atsumu a look. "...aren't manzais supposed to be two people? You have three."

Absentmindedly, your fingers continued to rub at your lower back.

"Yea but me and 'Samu make up one half and Aran-san's the other. It's perfect," Atsumu stated matter-of-factly, in a manner where there was no room for argument regarding this.

You were about to insist that manzais are traditionally a two-man team when a hand pulling at the hem of your shirt caused you to look at Osamu. "Huh?"

"Stop flashing everyone will ya'?" He mumbled, gesturing at your hand that was stuck up the back of your shirt, causing just a patch of your skin to show.

You shot him an embarrassed smile. "Oops, sorry."

"Awww, 'Samu, were you shy?" Atsumu snickered, a chunk of protein bar flying from his mouth. A teasing grin made its way onto your face at Atsumu's words.

Already sensing the teasing that was heading his way from the two of you, Osamu pushed your head into Atsumu's shoulder, nipping whatever was there in the bud effectively.

It is never you and Atsumu against him. That hasn't happened before and it certainly wasn't going to start now. Him and 'Tsumu versus you, or you and him versus 'Tsumu; never you two against him. That's how it has always been.

Atsumu feigned a dramatic wince when the side of your head lightly collided into his hard shoulder. "Ow, hey-, that hurts ! Her head's as hard as a rock!"

Gaping, you slapped him in the same spot Osamu pushed your head into at the same time Osamu snarked at his twin.

"My head isn't that hard!"

"Yer one to talk."

"Wha-? He pushed yer head into me! Why ya' gettin' mad at me for?!" Atsumu spluttered at how fast the tides turned on him instead of Osamu, a string of complaints already beginning to fly past his lips at high-speeds.

"I'm yer older brother, have some respect!"

"We're twins, it doesn't matter! And yer the last person to be askin' for respect-"

It's too early for their arguments this early in the morning. And you're too tired and sleepy to keep up any longer.

Caffeine.

You need caffeine. Or vast amounts of sugar.

You squeezed out from in between their arguing forms, strands of your hair momentarily catching in their hands as they roughly grabbed at each other amongst childish snarls, and waved them off.

"I'm gonna quickly head to the vending machine, I'll see you two scrubs later!"

The twins paused mid-scrap with each other to watch your figure disappear down the crowded hall.

Similar looks crumpled up their faces, and they knew they both had the exact same thought without saying anything to each other.

Did you lose weight recently?

"Don't be a creep 'Tsumu."

"Wha- ya' thought the exact same thing! I know ya' did!"

"Suna-"

Suna opened his eyes, cheek still propped on an arm, when you dropped into the seat next to him. One brow rose at you suddenly sitting next to him.

It's not like you needed permission or anything (the lecturer for this class isn't one for pre-arranged seating unlike some other classes, and Suna is secretly grateful) but you always asked him politely if you could sit with him first the last few times, and frankly, he had been getting used to that.

So he is slightly surprised that you had just plopped your bags and body next to him without much thought.

"Suna," you said his name again, hands clasping together in front of you, and channeled your inner Oikawa (the one who showed you the perfect puppy dog eyes at the hospital). "Can you please show me your answers for the work due today? I'm desperate." You really are.

Fishing through your bag for the correct folder with what you needed, your eyes caught sight of something green glimmering at the bottom of the bag; something you didn't notice yesterday night in your stressed frenzy.

(Is that…?)

(Why is it here…?)

Closing your hand around it without taking it out of the bag, you slipped it into your bag's inner pocket.

(Did it travel to your world too? Did Oikawa enchant it alongside the bracelet?)

And continued looking for your unfinished assignment paper.

(No, you had it with you the whole time. He couldn't have.)

"..."

Having known the twins for years, Suna is used to expecting the unexpected but he wasn't expecting this from you . You were usually a pretty good student with average to good grades and always handed work on time, even if they were subpar. He expected this from Atsumu, and maybe even Osamu, but could it be they were finally starting to negatively rub off on you?

"Didn't you do it?" He prodded, looking at the worksheet that you took out to show him.

You made a sound of frustration. "I-, I did but I still have a few questions left and the professor will probably ask us to hand it in at the start and there's only 10 minutes left! I won't finish." You moaned into your clasped palms, pleading with him once again.

"Please ? This will be the first and last time."

Suna sighed, pulling his own worksheet out from his bag. He didn't mind, he wasn't one of the types to be super protective of their homework answers in the first place.

You just surprised him is all...twice in a row.

He can't pinpoint it, but there's something different about you. But what is it? It's too subtle for him to figure out as of yet.

"Sure, but change the answers so it doesn't look like you copied from me."

"Thank you so much, Suna! I'll make it 'Samu's grey to 'Tsumu's gold!"

"Not enough. Shave off Atsumu 's hair at least," Suna said with a smirk as you laughed and began to quickly mooch his answers.

"I'll make it up to you!"

He brushed your words off lazily, one hand scrolling through his phone. "It's fine. It's just words on paper."

You smiled at Suna, genuinely grateful for his help in keeping your grades up.

He's not very unlike Thoughtful Suna, with his languid pace and a strangely peaceful yet nonchalant attitude.

Whilst you returned your focus to finishing up the worksheet before the professor walked in, Suna couldn't help but notice that your 'few questions' were at least half the worksheet.

He really did not mind you or anyone else copying his work for the most part (he would, of course, expect the same in return when he needs it) but you never struck him as the type to even come into class with unfinished assignments.

Suna's sharp eyes flitted to your face when you yawned, hand cupping your mouth, and the act only highlighted the greys under your eyes.

Wow, you really need to catch up on some sleep. You seemed tired all the time he has seen you lately, and Suna thought he was bad.

And is it just him or...do your cheeks look a bit sharper than it did last week? He isn't one to always notice such things but you and Atsumu are notoriously fed by Osamu as it is.

You pushed Suna's worksheet back towards him along with a scrap of folded paper, just as the professor walked in and the university bell rang, signaling the start of the period.

As the students gathered and passed their worksheets from the back of the class towards the front, Suna opened the piece of paper and scoffed softly at the drawing within.

It was a sloppy drawing of what he supposed is him...with a pair of fox ears. At the bottom were the words "Thank you!" scrawled hastily. Just...why a fox?

"Cute," he drawled with a side-eye roll.

You laughed with a flush of chagrin, passing your own worksheet to the student in front of you. "You really saved my hide though. I would not have finished it on time. I'll like, get you a pack of gummies or something as thanks. I might have needed to copy more than I thought..."

You sure did alright; half a page of unfinished work was not a 'few.' It's enough to warrant him taking you up on your offer.

"Chuupet."

"Hm?"

"I like chuupets."

"Chuupets it is."

The professor began his lecture and without thinking about it, he slipped the scrap piece of paper into his pocket.

The call of your name and a hand on your shoulder made you stop and turn around to come face to face with Kita.

"Kita-san! Hello."

Kita smiled at you, motioning with a nod of his head for you to move to the side of the hallway so that you did not bother the traffic of students. It was during a short break in between classes that Kita had approached you.

"I hope you had a good weekend with your family. How are you feeling?" Kita's face was even and impassive, but his voice was kind. His question about your weekend with your family made a small tinge of guilt twist in you.

"I-It was good. And I'm alright, a bit tired though. Stayed up late working on assignments last night..." You trailed off with a flinch when Kita unquestionably followed with a series of cold-served common sense and logic about taking more care of your body.

(yeah, you know that better now than ever)

"You need to take care of yourself. Being tired is your body telling you that you need to rest and you should try to sleep at a more reasonable hour. I understand that assignments can get overwhelming but it can be reasonably handled if you pace and schedule it well. Did you try the chamomile tea I gave you?"

"I...uhh-...no." You had no excuses in the face of Kita besides playing the role of a bad student (you couldn't tell him, or anyone, the truth regardless).

Kita closed his eyes with a sigh and a shake of his head, like a disapproving mother who caught her child not eating their veggies. You had just recovered not long ago, so your body might still be adapting but...

"You're a responsible person, so I usually would not be concerned unless Atsumu or Osamu were involved. But it hasn't been long since you left the hospital. And have you been eating well? You look like you lost weight."

"Huh?" Unconsciously, your hand went up to your cheek.

Kita's brows furrowed ever so slightly but he didn't say anything as he waited for your reply. You scratched your cheek self-consciously and his eyes followed the motion.

"I...haven't had much of an appetite as of late. But I'll do better!...thanks for looking out for me."

It must be quite obvious if Kita noticed. Then again, Kita noticed a lot of things, even things you think he wouldn't know, or should know. It's uncanny.

You couldn't help but think that if anyone were to ever discover or suspect something off about you, it would be Kita. And maybe Kuroo?

No, definitely Kita.

"A-Anyways, is there another reason you called me? We need to head to class soon."

Kita contemplated whether he wanted to bring it up to you anymore now that he's seen how fatigued you are but decided that bringing you onboard might help rejuvenate you.

"We're going to start planning activities for the year for the volleyball circle soon." He handed you a piece of paper with a slew of guidelines and draft plans. "We already have some ideas left over from last year and I placed down some new ones. If you have anything you would like to suggest, message it to the group chat and we'll discuss it at the next circle meeting."

"Ah, sure! I'll send some ideas along...a trip?" You looked at Kita curiously when you saw the words highlighted on the paper.

A small smile pulled at his lips. "It's one of the more popular ideas from last year. Everyone seems to like the thought of going on a weekend trip together, and the one last year was a success."

You had to admit that the idea excited you too. What's more fun than a weekend away with a group of great people and friends? "I'm definitely voting for that!"

"I'll take your vote into consideration. I'll be updating the group on the meeting details later so you can let me know then if you are able to attend." He paused then added, "Preferably when you're well-rested."

"I will do my best!"

With a smile, you and Kita bade each other goodbye before parting for your respective classes.

Your thoughts had been so plagued with Hyquile as of late that this interaction with Kita made you giddy with the absolute normality of it all. The last few interactions you had all did.

A part of you almost forgot that you are actually just a college student still trying to keep her grades up and graduate.

And not someone who held the only known cure to a magical disease.

"Oikawa-san, Iwaizumi-san!"

"Oooh-! (Name)-chan!"

"Oh, hey. You look...well?"

"Please don't say it." You groaned at Iwaizumi, slipping into the bench seat next to Oikawa.

Iwaizumi shrugged with an amused smirk but zipped his mouth nonetheless.

Turning to Oikawa, you ignored the strange sensation of looking at someone else that you had when you looked at him.

He's so similar to Refined Oikawa that it's almost easy to mistake the two.

At least, until he opens his mouth.

"How was your weekend? You hurt my feelings, ignoring all my messages like that." Oikawa wiped at a fake tear and you couldn't help but laugh, the sensation dispelled with his childish antics.

"I'm really sorry about that." Your hand reached out to briefly squeeze his without hesitation, fluid and natural as the running stream of a river, and Oikawa blinked in surprise; you didn't notice, having already turned away to unpack your store-bought lunch.

"Not everyone's lives revolve around their phones like you, Oikawa." Iwaizumi munched gruffly at his own food, shooting Oikawa a hard look but raised a brow at the sight of his friend in a light stupor. What's up with him?

Oikawa blinked again, and a cheeky grin rapidly came up as a shield against Iwaizumi's look that he felt prickling at the skin of his temple.

It's not that Oikawa minded the touch or anything. He just wasn't expecting it.

It had been so...easy? Natural? Like you've done it before?

You were always ducking around him with pink cheeks and shy pouts. Oikawa just wasn't very used to you being the one to initiate any physical touches; usually, it was him that trailed teasing grazes to make you squirm just for the fun of it.

It was a surprise, but pleasant, the sudden ease you displayed towards him.

You spent lunch with Iwaizumi and Oikawa, texts from the twins occasionally lighting up your phone about why you were with those two and not with them on the other side of campus. As if you had the energy to make your way over there.

You: I see you two too often!

Tsum^2: Feh, yer loss, scrub!

Chef: Stop spamming.

Catching up with Oikawa and Iwaizumi about their activities over the three-day weekend, you couldn't help but smile with slight envy of their friendship that transcended even worlds .

They were a little different (this Iwaizumi smiled more compared to Stern Iwaizumi) but the core of their friendship remained the same.

You and the twins however…

Well, you doubt you'd ever forget the terrifying way they ganged up and sandwiched you in the village anytime soon.

"Well, we went for a day trip on Saturday. My dad took us to this nice restaurant with an outdoor BBQ."

(a memory from four years ago)

When Oikawa asked for details about your weekend, you scrambled for more excuses, making up activities or time with your family, recycling old memories with them as if they were made in the past three days.

"Oh yeah, I saw it on my Netflix recommended over the weekend but I haven't started."

(in regards to a series you saw trending about two months back; it wasn't a lie that you haven't watched it though)

Lying, about normal things in your familiar world, came easier to you than it ever did in Hyquile. It helped that Oikawa, Iwaizumi and the others weren't filled with suspicion and wariness in regards to you, not ever suspecting that you would be one to lie to people.

And you weren't. Not until Hyquile.

The recycling bag filled with old memories grew larger over the course of your lunch with Oikawa and Iwaizumi, and continued to grow through the rest of the day as you moved through your day as a regular college student once more.

"Apparently, the coach is planning a practice match with them. Honestly, they are one of the few teams worth even training~"

"You're really a Shittykawa-"

Your ears tuned out of their conversation when you opened your bag to grab your drinking bottle and your hands hovered over the inner pocket, feeling the outline of the hairpin below the thin cloth.

Your eyes trailed to Oikawa, watching with a smile that you didn't feel as he protected his head from Iwaizumi's fist; the scene is both familiar and...strange.

(Stern Iwaizumi will never hit Refined Oikawa like that)

You're going to have to get used to what, you are now realizing, is going to be your new norm very soon.

Else you'll be haunted by this sense of discomfort, that has been with you everyday in your own world, ever since you woke up in the hospital.

You rolled on the balls of your feet as you looked around for signs of the person that texted you to meet him.

For the life of you, you couldn't think of any reason that him , of all people, would want to speak to you, and you were sure your heart stuttered when you saw a text message from him asking you to meet him outside your dance studio building before practice.

The looming figure of said person finally appeared around the corner and you swallowed down a small lump in your throat when he spotted you.

Ushijima's long legs carried him over to you in mere steps, and you had to keep craning your neck further the closer he got.

"Ushijima-san, hello."

"Hi." He blandly returned your greeting when he stopped before you.

…

You fidgeted when he didn't say anything further right away. He is the one who called you out here...surely you weren't expected to carry this conversation?

Having met Sentimental Ushijima, it is almost funny comparing their vast differences with one another, very much like the two Bokutos.

"So why did you-"

"I called you out-"

Both of you started in surprise at the other speaking at the same time, eyes blinking at one another.

"You-"

"You-"

…

" Pfft ." You muffled your giggles into your hand. This situation is exactly the same as when you first spoke to Sentimental Ushijima after the meeting in Seijoh.

Ushijima's expression barely changed but there was a hint of confusion in his eyes when he blinked once. He didn't understand what you found so funny.

Rolling your bottom lip, you waved a hand airily. "S-Sorry. Please, go ahead, Ushijima-san."

Most people would have asked why you were laughing to make small talk or to satisfy their curiosity but Ushijima is not most people.

"I wanted to ask how you were."

"Oh, that's it? Well, I'm fine, I suppose...thank you?" That was really all he wanted to ask?

He could have asked that through text.

Ushijima nodded plainly at your answer and remained silent once again. There is a faint crease to his brow that you would not have caught if you weren't standing right in front of him.

"Is something wrong?" You asked, tilting your head to the side in question (also to stretch that ache that was starting to form in your neck from looking up at him too long).

"No…I..." You never expected to ever see it but the crease in his brow deepened. Something must be really troubling him.

You placed a comforting palm on his arm, hoping you were not stepping out of bounds. "Hey, it's okay. You can tell me."

His eyes flickered down to your hand and back up to your face, nodding once again.

"It was brought to my attention that I may not have been...apologetic enough," he finally says.

This time it was your brows that furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"It was my spike that hospitalized you. And I have not apologized enough for that so I would like to make it up to you."

For a moment, you were taken off guard by what you were hearing from Ushijima.

"You've already apologized when you visited me at the hospital. And you didn't do it on purpose, we already established that. You don't need to make it up to me, really."

Just ever so slightly, Ushijima frowned and a frowning Ushijima is not a sight for the faint of heart. "I insist."

There was a finality to his tone that told you that he was going to be an immovable wall in regards to this.

It wasn't like you couldn't see where he was coming from; you were put out of commission for 9 days and had it been you in his position, you imagined you were going to grovel to his family for at least the next few months.

But you also knew that it isn't entirely his fault...it never was.

Had it not been for your alternate pulling you into Hyquile, the possibility that Ushijima's spike would have just bounced off your head and left you with a throbbing bump instead of a coma is very likely.

Ushijima is as much a victim as you were.

You were both at the wrong place at the wrong time on a dimensional level.

And...you couldn't tell him that.

You don't want Ushijima to carry the guilt around for any longer than he needs to. By all rights, he shouldn't be.

If letting him do this is going to help ease the burden of misplaced guilt...

"...O-Okay then….you can make it up to me." You wished he didn't have to.

It was a very faint lift to his brow, but his entire face lightened at the movement.

"Thank you."

...

"Did you have anything in mind?" You asked when several seconds passed with neither of you saying anything and just stood staring at each other.

The crease returned to his brow again. "..."

He...didn't think of anything, did he?

You couldn't help but sigh and giggle at his troubled expression. You couldn't explain it really well but the minute shows of...cluelessness? Unawareness?- that Ushijima displayed brought to mind Sentimental Ushijima, who can be just as unaware of his surroundings and things when he is surrounded by those he trusted.

They were different, and not so different.

Your giggles quickly turned into vivid laughter at his silence and you patted his arm.

"We can figure something out. There's no hurry."

"I apologize for the inconvenience. I will think of something."

You shook your head. "We can think of something together. It'll be easier that way and we can figure out something both of us will like."

Telling Ushijima about the real reason you fell into a coma is impossible, so the least you could do is try to help him along with this. He will never know it, but you want to make this enjoyable for him as well; you are both victims of unfortunate meddling by magical forces beyond your understanding, and you both deserved to do something fun.

A very tiny smile tugged at Ushijima's lips at the jovial sight of you.

"I would like that."

"Hey, can I talk to you for a sec?" Your dance team captain, Emi, asked as she approached you.

You ran a sweaty arm across your equally sweaty forehead, nodding with a pinch of dread and worry as you followed after her to a corner of the dance studio.

"Are you alright? You didn't do too well today," Emi began, gently but cutting straight to the point. Oh, Emi is too nice.

Breathing deeply through your nostrils to steady your breathing, you reflected on your performance in practice today.

You sucked.

After the 7th mistake, you stopped counting every misstep and wrong swing, and the humiliating memory of you spinning in the opposite direction- twice -of where you were supposed to go is fresh in your mind. Your practice partner had slapped you on the back with a laugh, saying that it happens to all of them. You appreciated his attempt to comfort you but you were downright dreadful in dance today, there was no denying that.

Emi had kept eyeing you out of the corner of her eye ever since group and partner dance started.

And the first few times you climbed up the pole? You kept slipping, unable to find the grip that you always had.

Your only saving grace was that you were still able to do your stretches and splits with relative ease, but you didn't miss the unmistakable feeling of a resisting tension in your muscles at the beginning of practice.

The feeling faded as the session progressed and you got back into it. However, knowing the reason why you performed so horribly, you were unable to feel relaxed about it.

Your body is growing weak from the recent lack of use, and the lack of proper care and nutrition.

It isn't enough that it would greatly hinder you, and a bit of extra effort should get you back into your former condition but it wasn't small enough to be negligible.

"If you need more time off, it's totally okay, you know? We're not expecting you to jump right back into things at peak performance," your captain continued and you shook your head, fingers gripping your neck in frustration.

"No, I'm fine, really. I just didn't rest well last night and it's affecting my focus. Sorry, I'll do better."

"Well, you know your body better than I do, and I trust you to know how to take care of yourself," Emi kindly told you and reached out to ruffle your hair affectionately. "I can understand being eager to go right back into things as well, believe me, I've been there. But taking some time off for your body to recover now will work better in the long run. We have some shows and competitions coming up, and you have your own competition too. You can't afford to hurt yourself now."

Her gentle reminder of your upcoming dance events made you grimace but you nodded in acknowledgment.

You hadn't forgotten any of this but...shit, you hadn't thought too much about it in what feels like a while.

(calm down, it only feels long because you were in Hyquile where time moves differently; it's only been three days here)

"Also…" Your captain and senior reached a hand to a section on your back. "You should ice that bruise on your back."

"Bruise?"

"Yea, here."

She lifted the hem of your shirt enough to show you what she meant, pointing it out to you in the studio mirror.

There is indeed a greyish bruise you hadn't noticed at all near your lower back.

"Huh, I must have hit something," you murmured to yourself. You must have gotten it when you fell to the ground yesterday.

Emi giggled and ruffled your hair some more. "It's amazing how clumsy you can be when you're not dancing."

"Ugh, you don't have to rub it in, Emi-san."

"Sorry, sorry. I like teasing my juniors~! Anyways, you're going to stay and use the poles again right? Remember to-"

"-Turn off the lights, I know." You smiled at her when she gave you a thumbs up, leaving with the others for the locker rooms.

With nothing but the sound of your music echoing off the walls of the empty studio, you worked on your pole routine for the next hour. The exercise helped you cleanse your mind of the various emotions that hung over you like a dense cloud the entire day, but it didn't manage to rid the biggest lingering concern that is at the essence of your worries.

How are you going to balance your own life with Hyquile?

The recent stint was short, but the fallback on your studies, your relationships, your body...your life as a whole...isn't promising. Today...just one day was enough to make you see that. And you were under no delusion that things will be solved any time soon in Hyquile, so you would need to adapt and find a way that will allow you to maintain your life without abandoning everybody in Hyquile…

Or vice versa.

(a pressure had been building on top of you since last night when you opened your first textbook, one after another; a pressure that you do not know how to alleviate or untangle immediately)

You haven't tried to go back yet (maybe you should attempt it as soon as tonight?).

The only way you can see things even working is for you to live your life as normal and go to Hyquile when your body would need to be asleep here. And you would return when it is time for you to wake up.

It'll be inefficient, and the time you will have in Hyquile will be significantly shorter but you have your own life here to keep.

You can't keep pulling all-nighters to do your homework, can't disregard dance practice and the maintenance of your real body, can't keep lying to everyone about everything surrounding you, can't keep ignoring your friends and family for extended periods unless you want to lose them…

Is it selfish of you to think about your own life and wellbeing, knowing what plagues everyone in Hyquile? Countless lives are at stake there…

And you're only one person.

Can you, in good conscience, maintain your lifestyle at the sacrifice of the people of another world?

"HEY!"

You startled with a scream when someone shouted loudly right by your ear.

"Shi-! Kuroo-san! Y-You scared me!"

He raised a brow at you, making his way to your phone to cut the music off.

"I would apologize but I nearly made myself hoarse calling you for the last minute." Kuroo drawled and grimaced at the volume on the speakers. "How do you even hear yourself think with that volume?"

He has no idea just how much you've been lost in your thoughts, to the point that you didn't hear the music at all.

"I think I just got used to it." He handed you your phone, and you went to set out the mats for you and him.

"You're really getting into this whole stretching and flexibility thing, aren't you, Kuroo-san?" You said to him as you plopped onto your own mat.

Kuroo followed you, already moving to the first position you always made him do.

"Surprisingly, yeah. It's different compared to the other types of training I do; relaxing, even."

"I still remember the first time you tried this. You complained so much," you giggled teasingly, nudging him with your raised elbow. "Look at you now. You've even got the routine memorized!"

Kuroo's gold eyes rolled up to the ceiling with a scrunch to his nose. "Yea, yea. I'll admit that you managed to convert me, alright? So when will you start learning volleyball?" He was quick to turn it back on you and you leaned away with a frown.

"Why do you insist on seeing me getting a face full of balls?"

A sly grin split his lip. "That's what she said~"

The sound of your hand smacking his broad back softly rang out before it was overtaken by your laughs.

Speaking to Kuroo now, you can't help but think back on how awkward you had been around him when you first got to know him; he intimidated you then, but nowadays you spoke to him with relatively fluid ease.

It...reminded you of how it was with Majestic Kuroo, and how you had been in the beginning with him.

(you really hoped things were okay in The Dominion)

"Hey, what's this?"

You looked up to see Kuroo eyeing your back, alerting you to the fact that your shirt had slid up with the forward stretch of your arm.

You straightened your shirt, smiling easily at Kuroo. "Ahh yeah, don't laugh but I fell getting out of bed yesterday and I bruised it then."

Both of Kuroo's brows rose incredulously. "You bruised your back getting out of bed? How hard did you fall?"

You winced. "...pretty hard."

"How are you a swan on the stage but such a disaster off it?" Kuroo teased as he poked at the spot where the bruise was located. "Does it hurt?"

"Hmm- not really? I can feel tension there but it doesn't hurt. I didn't even notice it until Emi-san pointed it out to me today."

"Huh. Well, be more careful next time, okay? I rather not have to drag Bo and Kenma to the hospital to visit you again. We got in so much trouble with the nurses the last time," Kuroo feigned a dramatic moan and rubbed at his brow with an exaggerated flair.

You bit your lip with a smile. "No promises~"

When your what-is-turning-to-be-a-regular-thing stretch session with Kuroo ended, he helped you clean up the studio and the two of you made for the campus exit together.

Kuroo was in the middle of telling you about a potential upcoming practice match with a promising team when the unmistakable voice of Bokuto hollered for him from across the courtyard.

"HEY! HEY! HEY!"

Bokuto was running towards you and Kuroo, haphazardly swinging his arm back and forth in a large arc to flag you down.

"Jeeez, Bo, tone it down! We aren't going anywhere."

You giggled, shyly waving at Bokuto when he skidded to a stop in front of you and Kuroo, blocking your paths forward. "Hi, Bokuto-san."

"Did you see the memes I sent you?" Was the first thing Bokuto said to you.

You blinked and tilted your head in confusion. "I replied to you yesterday, didn't I?"

"Knowing Bokuto, he probably sent you more after that. He never stops spamming us with memes and images of animals. Cats, dogs, owls, lizards; you name it, he's sent them!" Kuroo cut in with a snicker and Bokuto grinned widely, finding pride in Kuroo's remark.

"The lizards are cute, you can't argue with me on that, Kuroo! The owls are still the best though."

(oooh, you see where the connection with Scary Bokuto comes from now)

When you pulled your phone out to take a look, there indeed were several new messages from Bokuto recently.

"So what did you want? I need to get going." Kuroo asked his friend, already walking around Bokuto to reach the campus gates.

"I just finished my runs and am feeling mighty hungry so I thought we can go check out that new pla-"

"Ah-, sorry Bo, I can't today. I promised my grandma I would help her with grocery shopping tonight."

This was no longer your first time seeing it but watching Bokuto's hair deflate in live really tugged at people's heartstrings. Even Kuroo had a flicker of a wince on his features.

"Why don't you ask this one here?" A large hand dropped on your head, bobbing it once before fingers grabbed the circumference of your scalp and turned your head towards Bokuto.

"Me?"

"OOH- Would you?!"

...it was really hard to say no to those down-curved eyes and droopy hair. You supposed there was no harm in it; you weren't up for cooking tonight, not to mention your fridge was in desperate need of a restock. You were very likely to just eat another cup noodle before passing out on your bed.

"S-Sure, if you don't mind."

With a loud hoot, Bokuto immediately placed two hands on the back of your shoulders and started pushing you along. "Let's go then! I'm starving!"

Kuroo rolled his eyes with a lazy smirk as he wordlessly waved you and Bokuto goodbye, turning the other way.

Bokuto led you with overflowing gusto and excitement to a rice bowl shop not far from the campus. You immediately figured out Bokuto's eagerness to try the place, as they specialized in larger servings of meat bowls of all flavors and varieties. There were a few healthier options and even one they called the "Ladies Set."

Sitting besides Bokuto at the counter, your fingers played with your meal ticket as you thanked Bokuto.

"Thanks again for paying for me."

"Don't mention it! As your senpai, it is my duty to take care of my kouhai! And you came along with me so this is my thanks!" Bokuto's voice is naturally loud due to his lively nature, and you were glad that the restaurant is just as noisy, muting him enough that he didn't stand out.

"It would have sucked to eat alone."

You couldn't disagree. "A meal does taste better with others."

Eating with Bokuto is an….experience. You can't remember the last time you laughed so hard eating with someone (okay, the last time you did was during a group outing and Atsumu was half-drunk and making a total clown of himself and Osamu kept enabling it). The silver-haired athlete had a lot of stories to tell, and some of them made you question the truth of it because they were just so ridiculous.

Besides the fact that Bokuto apparently thought owls are cuter than lizards, it is really hard to find any other resemblance between him and Scary Bokuto.

There were little tells and signs with the others that you have found so far but Bokuto...not so much yet.

"Are you done with your food already?" Bokuto paused halfway through another one of his outrageous stories to look down at your empty bowl. His eyes narrowed into a squint as he compared the size of your bowl with his.

A regular for you and a mega-large with extra servings of meat and an extra bowl of udon noodles for him.

"You were speaking more than you were chewing, Bokuto-san," you told him with a giggle. "Of course I would finish first. Take your time though!"

"Nooo-! That's not what I mean. You need to eat more!" Bokuto cried melodramatically, causing you to frown at him.

What does that mean? Was the tapering of your cheeks that pronounced that even Bokuto noticed and got worried?

He noticed your frown and began to wave frantically with wide, panicked eyes. "Ah- that's not what I meant! Don't take it the wrong way."

You patted him on the shoulder to show that you weren't angry, warily eyeing his hair that it didn't deflate on you again. "What did you mean then, Bokuto-san?"

His mouth and nose twisted in an oddly endearing way as he thought about his words. "I just keep thinking about how you got out of the hospital recently, you know? And you're a dancer, you do pole dance, and it isn't like volleyball but you need muscles and a healthy body for that too. Just like how I need lots of muscles for volleyball!" He slapped a hand on his bicep in emphasis, prompting an amused smile from you and attracting the eyes of the middle-aged lady sitting diagonally of Bokuto to said muscle. You can't blame her.

"And if you don't eat well and take care of your body, you can't perform well just like how I can't play well. And you have…" He started counting on the fingers of his hands. "8...9 days? 9 days worth of food to make up for!" Bokuto finished, declaring with a simple honesty that burned bright in his eyes.

Most people would have felt distinctly uncomfortable about bringing up what you went through so openly like that, but none of that stopped Bokuto. To him, he was just showing his genuine worry and concern for his friend, in his own straightforward and truthful way.

It is that open and frank quality of his that made you smile.

(perhaps, this is where he and Scary Bokuto are alike)

"...you're right, Bokuto-san." Your fingers drummed against the side of your empty bowl.

Without even realizing it, Bokuto pinpointed one of the main things that had been afflicting you.

"You're right...but I'm really full," you groaned out, rubbing the little bump that had formed on your stomach.

Bokuto laughed loudly and slapped your shoulder a tad too harshly. He pushed his bowl of udon noodles to you. "You can share this with me! I'll eat whatever you don't finish."

"That's not really necessary-"

He passed you a new pair of chopsticks with sparkling golden eyes.

...it is literally impossible for you to say no to Bokuto.

"Fine, fine. Don't go all sad on me if I finish it though."

That night, finally in the comforts of your own bed (You barely spent enough time in it last night to fully embrace the feeling but you missed the familiarity of your discount bed. The royal beds in Hyquile were great but it just wasn't the same), you eyed the silver bracelet that twisted and curled around your fingers.

The emerald green charm sharply reflected the bright colors of the artificial lights in your room; your bedside lamp, lit phone screen, the red of the digital clock…

It never shone like this in Hyquile.

Should you attempt to return to Hyquile tonight?

From the very first moment Refined Oikawa gave you the bracelet, the thought of being unable to focus your magic as Oikawa instructed you had bothered you like an itch that couldn't be ignored. What if you missed The Summit because you were unable to open the paths? Or you ended up somewhere because you were horrible with directions?

And…

How are you going to do this?

This time, what plagues you is not the question of Why: Why were you in Hyquile? Why did you have magic? Why did she bring you there? Why is your magic not manifesting?

The question now is How: How will you keep up moving between worlds? How will you move forward with eradicating The Rot from Hyquile? How is it that you alone are the only known cure for The Rot? How are you going to keep up your grades, dance practice, and social life and battle The Rot at the same time?

You squeezed your eyes shut.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

You need to sleep. Thinking about all of this is just going to keep you up all night again, and your body had been protesting all day already.

All of this…

You'll solve them as they come. That is the only way you can keep your sanity until further plans and answers are revealed.

For now, sleep sounds mighty good.

.

.

.

.

.

Humid.

Warm.

Wet.

A wetness clinging to your skin roused you from your slumber.

Why is it so warm... humid in here?

Did your AC break? Did you forget to turn it on? Did you leave the window open and now rain is getting in?

Your eyes fluttered open slowly, but you couldn't see anything clearly due to the layer of -fog? Mist?- that shrouded the air.

Wha-?

Eyes finally snapping open at the clouds of white surrounding you, you shot from your bed-

Wait a minute.

This isn't your bed.

You weren't even in a bed.

Your fingers ran over the tiled stone floor you woke up on, grimacing when you found that it was wet.

Great, your clothes are wet too and stuck to your skin. The worst feeling ever.

You stood up slowly, squeaking when one of your feet slid and nearly sent you flipping back onto the floor.

"Who's there?

You froze, and your heart shocked itself into rapid jumps in your chest that drummed loudly in your ear. You had no idea where this is but...

You're not alone.

Instinctively, you hunched to make yourself smaller, hoping they haven't spotted your figure through the shroud.

The air feels muggy, and it was starting to get uncomfortably warm.

Is this steam?

Footsteps coming from ahead of you made you suck in a sharp intake of breath, holding it. You hoped that whoever is in here with you hadn't heard your loud breathing.

A dark silhouette started to appear through the layers of white, and you slowly slid your feet backward to put some distance between you.

But the wet tiles were definitely not on your side for this time, they really took both your feet out from under you.

A yelp tore from your throat; your eyes snapped close for the painful impact that is certain to give you another bruise as well as a concussion.

"...huh?"

When a second had passed and the impact never came, you opened your eyes to see that thick roots had you cradled mere inches above the treacherous ground.

The tip of your toe of your dangling feet grazed ever so slightly on the stone tiles.

"I...certainly was not expecting to see you again so soon."

This voice…

You looked up to see that the dark silhouette had gotten much closer in the moments you nearly traded hugs with the stone.

The figure passed through the last layer of white that concealed him from you and…

" AAAAHHHH !"

SMACK

You screamed! And slapped your hands over your face with a resounding smack!

Standing barely three steps away from you is Refined Oikawa.

Naked.

With a towel around his waist but still very much naked .

Ghosts We See / ficlet 03: Cope

feat Oikawa Tooru x Reader

It's been 3 days since you got spiked in the head and fell into a coma.

"So I told Ushiwaka that he needs to dogeza to your parents for their forgiveness for doing this to you. And he just had that irritatingly blank look of his and I was about to twist an agreement out of him but Iwa-chan lobbed a book at my head! A book!"

Oikawa huffed and crossed his arms, leaning back in the uncomfortable hospital chair.

"At least it isn't volleyballs anymore but Iwa-chan is always treating me so harshly! When you're up and better, talk to him on my behalf, won't you? Tell him that Oikawa-san doesn't deserve it. He listens to you more than he does me, what's up with that? Ahhh~ And I've known him for years!"

Oikawa let out another harsh puff into the silent and cold hospital room air, imagining that he saw mists of white leave his lips. Despite the sunny weather outside, he shivered from the cool blast of the air conditioner.

"It's so cold in here! Do they really need to keep it at such a low setting?" Oikawa squinted up at the guilty vents that were pushing the gusts of chill into the room.

"Here, (Name)-chan, you must be cold too."

Oikawa leaned forward, standing up halfway to reach his arms to either side of you. He pulled up the blankets that were settled around your chest so that they lay comfortably tucked into your neck.

Holding one arm in the space above your still form, he tested that the cold air was indeed blowing against your blankets, and not on your bare skin. Satisfied that he didn't need to actually consider texting Iwaizumi to bring a scarf and beanie cap for you, he sat back down with his elbows propped onto his knees.

Oikawa doesn't like hospitals all that much.

He has spent too much time going to them for his knee back in high school.

Every time he had to go for a checkup, he would have flippantly waved Iwaizumi and the Seijoh team off, made fun of them for acting like worried mums (especially Iwaizumi), and acted tough in front of the younger members. With his trademark wink and a petulant tongue sticking out as he leaves the school gates, Oikawa has bid them "Bye, see you tomorrow~" more times than he can count, but as soon as his back was turned, a ball of threaded dread would start tangling in his stomach; it would grow larger the closer he got to the exposing glass doors of the hospital. And it would remain weaved into his guts until the doctor came back with his results, and Oikawa would let out an unconscious breath each time, no matter how many times he's done it.

And only when he's left the compounds of the medical facility would the tension leave his body, only to rinse and repeat again in several weeks during his next checkup.

Oikawa just doesn't like hospitals.

Add that to the fact that he is now looking at you laying in the bed of this ironically inhospitable room, with its AC that is set too low and that annoying b-beep, b-beep, b-beep running in the background. Yes, he knows that the sound is a good sign, a good thing, but Oikawa doesn't like hospitals.

And when Oikawa doesn't like something (or someone), he copes in one of two possible ways.

One way involves him revealing the full cold fire brunt of his wrath through words (Oikawa is very good with words, after all).

Ushijima has been subject to one of such ways following your hospitalization, in particular yesterday.

Usually, he would have been sitting at one of the many lunch tables with you and Iwaizumi yesterday but your presence was glaringly (uncomfortably) absent. The stoic athlete has always been a source of annoyance for Oikawa since time immemorial. Even if they play for the same university team now (maybe Oikawa is just a little more mature than he used to be and can tolerate the man a teensy bit more than he used to be able to), Oikawa would still much prefer to be on a different team just so he can have a hand at beating him down.

The thought that it was Ushiwaka's spike that placed you in this cold room would not leave his mind, and the hot sun rolling sweat down the back of his neck did nothing to ease his ire and annoyance.

Before he knew it, he had silently got up to seek out Ushijima, Iwaizumi hot on his heels. It wasn't hard to find the towering athlete, both due to his height and the fact that it is very easy to guess where he could be found: the volleyball courts of course.

Oikawa had done what he did best (which is also ironically, what Ushijima didn't do very well at) and that is rain spears of words on whoever had been fool enough to earn it, cutting at their mental walls with each sharp turn of his tongue, jabbing at their psyche with every thrust of a sentence. Attention never bothered him, and it definitely did not yesterday.

Ushijima is nothing but a fortress of the hardest stone and coldest metal though, and honestly, Oikawa wonders if his words even fazed him.

The second way Oikawa copes with things, situations, and people he doesn't like still involves him talking.

But in a very different capacity.

"Remember when we talked about pancakes before the match with Teikou?" He chatted airily to you and no one, cupping his chin into his palms with a large smile (a practiced one that pulled at his cheeks in a way that didn't feel natural). "You asked me if I would treat you to pancakes if I messed up." Slender fingers drummed against his cheeks which were now puffed up in a pout.

He messed up. After you were taken to the hospital, leaving half the team in varying states of shock and discomfort. They still won in the end but…

He messed up some time during then.

"So one of the girls in my class mentioned this place that serves really good pancakes and crepes. I looked it up and it looks amazing~" A hand reached for his phone, and he opened up the homepage of the cafe, scrolling through it with a hum.

His fingers paused on copying the link to send to you; Oikawa quickly closes the page and pockets his phone again.

"Anyways, we should go there after school or on a weekend when we can~"

(When you wake up)

He's not really sure why he's here by himself right now, considering how much he dislikes hospitals.

The plan was to visit you with Iwa-chan but Oikawa impulsively made a visit after his whole rant to Ushijima yesterday, and then hearing that Ushijima has already popped by to visit you.

(He isn't here because of his arch-rivalry with Ushiwaka...not completely anyway. But Ushiwaka will always be this wall that Oikawa finds himself needing to scale and conquer, until the day he finally does.)

"Both the blueberry sour cream crepe and the seasonal pancakes are popular choices from what I heard-"

You're Iwaizumi's friend and classmate. You're Oikawa's friend too.

And you're always nice to him, nice in a different way from all the others.

Oikawa appreciates his fans, he really does. He's grateful for all that they do for him, and all the support they constantly and readily give him but...it wasn't the same.

They saw him as a superstar athlete with a pretty face first (which is fine, because he is).

You hardly knew who he was other than by the name that flits through the winding hallways of your shared campus, not until he slid himself into a conversation you were having with Iwaizumi to introduce himself as expected of his nosy, flirty, friendly nature (Is it though? Or did his mask meld to his face?).

You saw him first as Oikawa Tooru.

"We can just get all of them and split, and save the leftovers for Iwa-chan~"

Oikawa can't possibly bring out the best of his team if he wasn't able to notice and understand all the little hints and quirks that make a person. He's perceptive, and it applies outside the court as well.

He doesn't think his Prince Charming persona ever truly reeled you in, even if you might humor him. There's always that small glimmer of a timid question and the blatant overlooking with a smile of his frivolous charms. Perhaps you've seen Iwaizumi lob him over the head too many times.

Other than several female classmates in high school (and that one team manager with the glasses), Oikawa isn't all too used to being ignored by girls. It doesn't bother him if they ignore him, not at all. Really, it doesn't!

"Oh, and there's this flower cafe not far from the pancake place too. We can go there after stuffing ourselves with fruits and cream! Lots of good photo opportunities for you with Oikawa-san there-"

And you weren't ignoring him per se, but it is more like you...overlook his flirting attempts? Sure, maybe you are friends but that doesn't automatically mean you were immune to his charms, right? Like the handful that has ignored him before (again, it doesn't bother him), it shouldn't bother him if his charms doesn't give him the reward of a beguiled smile and blush.

He isn't trying to actively get your attention. At least, Oikawa doesn't think he is...

You just...

"Yoyogi Park is also nearby if the weather isn't too hot-"

It's just nice to be seen as someone outside of his curated popular athlete image. It's a nice feeling he wants more of from you.

"I can teach you how to play volleyball, and you can help me with my stretches. Ahh- how can you help Kuroo-chan and not me? That's so not fair-"

And wow, has he really been carrying on this conversation by himself for the last five minutes? Ten minutes?

You're just lying there, sleeping. Silently and unmoving.

The only sounds that have been ringing in his ears were is that same b-beep and the sound of his own voice. If he kept quiet and concentrated, he supposed he could make out the sound of your soft breaths through the beeping of the machine by your side.

Oikawa laughed softly with an uncomfortable chill in his chest and goosebumps breaking out all over his skin.

When did he start fiddling with your chilly fingers?

He really didn't like hospitals.

"Please don't ignore me~"

He pouted childishly at you and no one.

(at least, he told himself it was a pout and not a strained grimace)

Extra Bonus

(in answer to an Ask on Tumblr)

Honestly, this is a bad idea.

A really bad idea.

You know it is; you feel it in your bones but...

The relaxing babbling of the nearby brook permeated the air, and the faint scent of wild grass and lush forestry created a sense of calm and a bubble of tranquility in the little glade where you were with Vicious Atsumu and a few of the other fox-folks.

Kita had been highly burdened with the state of their sacred waters, and there is always a pinch of stress and worry in his youthful features. You had offhandedly suggested to Kita (after confiding in Suna whether it is alright for you to do so) about just having one relaxing day to set aside all thoughts of The Rot and territorial disputes. Some (rather, many) of the fox-folk were quick to cut you down with harsh words of "This isn't a game!" and "All you humans are so fickle and careless. You'll never understand our hardship!" but you steadfastly, albeit nervously, reasoned that a break will help refresh them both mentally and physically, so that they might return with heightened performance. Of course, it helped that Suna is in support of your idea and so here you were, with some food prepared by you, Thoughtful Suna and Frosty Osamu (surprisingly and not so surprisingly).

It wasn't really a picnic per se, because it wasn't very well organized beyond having food for lunch. There wasn't even a picnic cloth and the only form of entertainment is watching the twins spar around with each other, or against others.

Right now, Clumsy Kita is working with Aran on physical combat with Akagi and Omimi watching their movements closely, giving feedback and encouragement to their Alpha-Leader.

Atsumu and Osamu were all but half-passed out from exhaustion next to you, having spent the early half of this pseudo-picnic scrapping, quite violently, with each other. You honestly wondered if it was even just a mere sparring session at that point, though you suspected that it might have started as a friendly spar but somewhere along the way, they started going all-out on each other, with several bouts of magic even being fired before they were quickly put out by a frowning Aran, restricting them to nothing but physical combat.

With nothing to do but watch a group of rowdy fox-folks claw at each other, you were honestly bored. Ginjima had hesitantly (with at least several feet of distance between you two) suggested that you could do your stretches or dance routines to occupy yourself, as he so often sees you doing with their Alpha-Leader. But you did not feel very comfortable doing it with a prickly group of fox-folks as a potential audience.

Watching them all spar had been fun at first but it got tiring quickly, especially since your eyes can never keep up with their movements. And now having eaten your share of food, you both had a full tummy and a mind blissed out in boredom.

It's probably why it led to you eyeing the twins sprawled on the ground before you. Or rather, the top of their heads.

To be more specific, the fox ears on their heads.

You are fond of the twins in your world, as annoying as they can be. They are your best friends and you loved them dearly, and you were not at all delusional that Vicious Atsumu and Frosty Osamu are not as familiar with you as their alternates who are your childhood friends.

But you are a simple college student who enjoys simple things.

Like cute plushies and petting animals.

'Tsumu and 'Samu never dress up as anything remotely cute for Halloween each year you all hit out for a wild night in Shibuya, preferring more 'cool and dark' characters. Last year, they did a poor, bloody rendition of Luffy and Zoro of One Piece because, apparently, they fit their notion of 'cool and dark' for Halloween. They almost made you a nurse Nami but you resisted to the end, not wanting to cosplay an anime character for Halloween that year. You still ended up as a badly done half-zombie nurse but...you didn't have to wear a wig at least.

But really, the gentle breeze swirling through the glade swayed with gentle caresses the golden and silver tips of each twin respectively, and you haven't seen 'Tsumu or 'Samu in a while.

You really missed them.

(and maybe you were a little starved for any type of contact because besides Suna and Kita, everyone in the village is still quite jumpy around you)

Which is what more than likely made you subconsciously reach your hand out to the head closest to you, despite a voice in the back of your mind screaming at you that this is a bad idea.

" .Ya'. .Doing?"

The tips of your fingers froze less than a hair's breadth away from making contact with sun-kissed gold, and a single piercing honey-eye was glaring at you. Atsumu had one eye open, the other still lazily closed from his nap before your...attempt...to touch his fox ears.

You gulped.

Osamu had opened both eyes to look over upon hearing his brother's stewing tone. His eyes remained that blank deadpan trademark of his but there was a hint of a smirk playing on his lips.

He's always game for anything that pisses his brother off.

"I uhh-"

You were about to quickly retract your hand when multiple red ropes suddenly materialized from nowhere and bounded Atsumu to the grass, encasing him in a body of rope like a mummy.

"'SAMU! I'LL KILL YA'! LET ME GO!"

Atsumu is enraged and howling with pure fury, enough that even Kita and Aran had paused their spar. He struggled and pushed against the restraints that only curled tighter the more he fought against them.

"Don't mind him. Go on, touch it," Osamu drawled with lazy encouragement, using his foot to nudge his tied up brother closer towards you.

'What an idiot,' Osamu thought. If Atsumu took a second to stop and think calmly, he'd probably be able to break out of the illusion Osamu had expertly cast on him.

Atsumu looked absolutely livid, and his face was turning as red as the scarlet ropes that tied him up.

It's still a bad idea to do it, but encouraged by Frosty Osamu (who you knew still hasn't really warmed up to you), a surge of mischievous adrenaline pumped into you, very much in the same way it would when either of the twins in your world suggested a terribly half-baked prank or idea.

Only the Miya twins could have this effect on you.

Without further ado, your hand closed the last breadth of space standing between you and Vicious Atsumu's golden fox ears.

"AAGGGHHHHH!"

Atsumu's howl of fury is loud and immediate, but you were too distracted by how soft his ears felt against your skin to pay it any mind. Osamu was desperately trying to remain composed but failing horribly, conjuring more ropes to keep Atsumu down when he started thrashing even more violently.

Kita, Suna and the others were all looking over now, with mixtures of amusement and appall. But no one moved to free Atsumu from the abuse of your hands trailing gently across the back of his fox ears. It didn't take long for your other hand to join in, scratching at the bottom of the other ear, right at the junction where it morphed from the crown of his head.

Vicious Atsumu froze, an additional layer of red rapidly rising onto his face on top of the furious scarlet that was already there. Then he thrashed and shook his head as much as he could with his neck roped down, vehemently trying to shake your hands off.

"I-I'LL KILL THE BOTH OF YA'-! I-I-!"

His screaming stuttered and died abruptly when both your hands began scratching, even as the angry crimson continued to paint his skin. He was one giant bundle of red right now, with the red ropes, his red clothes, and now his skin.

"What's wrong 'Tsumu? Startin' to feel good?" Osamu mocked, snickering into an arm propped against his knee.

"S-SHUT UP-! L-LEMME GO 'SAMU!"

You bit your lip to suppress your giggles, focusing your attention on scratching his ears. Every other few seconds, you'd card your hand into his hair and run it up his ears before going back to scratching.

You wished you had your phone to film all of this.

"I- I'll go help him-" Ginjima started but Suna shook his head, smirking lazily.

"Nah, let Atsumu have it. He deserves it."

"But-" Ginjima began to protest that one of their own is technically being assaulted by a human but Kita suddenly laughing stopped him. All of Kita's retainers, except for the Miya twins who were still very preoccupied, looked at their Alpha-Leader, expressions of awe and faint content slipping onto their faces.

They haven't seen their Alpha-Leader so carefree in a while.

In the end, no one moved to free Atsumu from his brother's restraints or the touches of your hand.

Not that it mattered because Atsumu's yowls and screams died not long after. He claims it is exhaustion and that he is above losing control over a "stupid human," but everyone's sharp fox-hearing caught the little sigh that he might have let slip.

Notes:

1) Uh, wrote some short headcanons of the Hyquile boys here.
And again, my brain is fried. Too many men to write for😱💀😱

2)The GWS: Favorite Hyquile Bachelor Grand Prix 2 poll has been updated with an additional choice! XD Feel free to vote again if you feel like putting a ballot in for the additional bachelor.

3) Here's a Portrait Art of Vicious Atsumu by yours truly that made me tear my hair out.

4)Also...I MAY? Not sure yet, but likely? If I am not behind schedule/don't change my mind? Might have something special (will explain the whys then) posted on October 5th...Though if it doesn't happen on Oct 5th, pretend you didn't see this.
Oct 4th Edit: The fic that was supposed to be released on Oct 5th is out early. It's titled [Better Us Than Them] featuring the Fox Miya Twins.
If you want early updates on drabbles/ficlets, do follow my Tumblr! They go up there first else they only get posted here when the next chapter of GWS is posted.

Please do leave a comment if you enjoyed this, or any other works you might enjoy anywhere 3 Comments are really important to authors; it's really like water to plants for us, and motivates us and inspires us a lot. Someone on Tumblr posted about the skewed effort to feedback ratio for fanfic writers and it really hit the nail on the head, since I can easily spend more than 15hrs writing one chapter, not including the time to plan the story. It really is an endurance sport TwT

So please support the authors of the stories you read with a little time out of your day to acknowledge, with words, for their effort 3 On behalf of writers everywhere, we will really appreciate it! *bow*

Chapter 26: Missives And The Thaumamancer / ficlet 04

Summary:

The Summit Arc

Notes:

I would like to thank Amy_Stark117 for her BEAUTIFUL fanfic of GWS that she wrote for me, featuring our dear Alt!Kawanishi Taichi! It's [the brightest star] and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you read it if you are here! It is a wonderful piece exploring the character of Kawanishi in GWS so far, and will certainly shed a little more light on him in this universe. I pre-approved it so it is all GWS-canon :D I can't believe I got a fanfic of my fanfic but I am not complaining😂DO go check it out, and her other stories too! She has a way with words that I can never attain, only aspire to! TYSM Amy! You are my brightest star 333

And this is just a request from me that you do not need to heed but I will definitely appreciate it if you could? 😂😂 but it is a neurotic preference of mine to have initial feedback here rather than Asks on Tumblr/DMs (I've been getting an increase in comments in DMs on Tumblr+Discord). I like being able to scroll through each chapter/story and easily see what people thought of it when I need the reminder/comfort, and Asks are a mess to sift through 😓 I spent more time than planned looking for one Ask that I wanted to see again recently and it was just😱😱😱 DM's also move very fast and the comment is quickly lost😓
This does not mean Asks or DMs are closed! I am still open to chatting/further questions, thoughts/scenario requests etc on Asks, and wholly look forward to them! This just pertains to initial feedback/reactions to a story/chapter :)
Forgive me for being a big stickler for details in a certain way, but I'm a mess on SNS and it stresses me when I can't find what I need easily; this will help me manage incoming feedback better T_T Anon commenting is enabled here too, so for those who are shy about revealing themselves etc, you can retain your anonymity here as well :)

I want to thank you all for your support and patience so far, and for your understanding in advance! Updates have been slightly slower but know that I am still working hard on plotting out GWS for everyone! Expect lots more side stories, one-shots and Nightly Hoots! (Nightly Hoots only available on Tumblr atm)

This chapter has yet to be edited as I wanted to share it asap; it's 1am so I will edit after some sleep zzz

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Oikawa winced with a start when you screamed. "It's just me."

"I KNOW!"

"Then why are you screaming?"

Does he really not-?

With a hand still pressed tightly over your eyes, you flailed an arm wildly towards where you think Oikawa is standing.

All Oikawa sees is you swinging towards a decorative plant lined against the stone walls.

"Y-You're naked! Why are you naked?!" You yelled, frantically scrambling to your feet from the roots that had prevented your spine from shattering. Unable to see anything, your one free arm remained extended out in front of you and you heard Oikawa chuckle in amusement.

"I-It's not funny!"

"Well, to answer your question, you have somehow materialized, earlier than expected, in the royal bath pools-"

You peeked through a crack in your finger and sure enough, Oikawa's hair is wet, rivulets of water running down his neck and chest-

No.

Your fingers slid back close, cheeks hot on your palms. The entirety of your face and neck felt hot and is surely red, and it isn't because of the steam alone.

Of all the places you could have ended up in-! At least you weren't running through the streets from guards this time but still!

Just your luck that your worries about landing in Hyquile when Oikawa is indecent came true! On the first go too! And you didn't even mean to return this time!

How will you ever face Refined Oikawa again, needless to say the flamboyant setter himself?

"L-Look, I'll just be on my w-way-" Blindly, you inched and felt your way towards where you thought the doors might be but a hot palm caught your outstretched hand.

"Shi-"

"Careful, there's a-"

"I-I can s-show myself out-"

"Blindly?"

"Yes- just l-let me-"

"Wait, it's slippery- let me-"

" ACK! "

"Watch out!"

The door leading to the baths slammed open.
"OIKAWA!"

Iwaizumi rushed into the room, armed and ready.

"Are you alright? I heard yell-...ing."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Iwaizumi's brow twitched in disbelief and annoyance at the scene before him.

There you were on the floor, clothes wet and sprawled on top of Oikawa with naught but a towel barely holding onto his waist, your legs tangled with his. A root was pushed up against the prince's head as cushioning whilst he became your cushion, quite literally and inappropriately.

The air was palpable with an awkward tension that wasn't helped by the loud gulp you took.

"I-I s-swear, I just s-slipped and-"

"Iwaizumi, this isn't what it looks-"

Iwaizumi raised a sharp hand in silence and both you and Oikawa obeyed. Even the Crown Prince was no match for the deep scowl that was on his closest friend's face.
The stern Blue Knight took in a deep breath and moved forward, his footsteps echoing on the stone as he approached.

You teetered between hiding your face from Iwaizumi's harsh glare in the crook of Oikawa's bare shoulders, and attempting to upright yourself from the royal prince below you.

Clearly, neither of you did anything wrong, but the way Iwaizumi looked at you pushing yourself up from Oikawa, hand slipping on the prince's collarbone, and the abashed grin on Oikawa's face made it feel like the two of you had been caught committing the biggest scandal in the history of Hyquile.

Iwaizumi stopped right in front of your figures, boots squeaking loudly on the wet stone. He took a deep calming breath.

"I don't want to know and I am not going to ask-" His frown carved deeper than you thought possible. Suddenly, his cloak was torn off and thrown with a resounding smack over yours and Oikawa's heads, eliciting a protest from the two of you.

"-so at least do me a favor and don't cause a scandal that I have to clean up!"

"Again, I'm...really sorry."

An airy laugh from Oikawa rang in the air. "It isn't entirely your fault, you don't have to keep apologizing."

Followed by Iwaizumi's trademark scoff. "Maybe don't hold the bracelet to sleep next time."

"I didn't think I would actually end up in Hyquile by mistake like this…"

Apparently, you might have activated your magic by accident when you fell asleep holding the bracelet.

"It's actually not that uncommon in young children and new practitioners to not have full control over their magic, spilling and activating it during times of duress or vulnerability, including sleep. You'll have a better hold on it with time and practice," Oikawa explained with blatant amusement at the mortification that continued to hang over you.

You had been confused and did not entirely grasp how you are able to even channel magic in your world before. You understood that having her Life merged to you made you the gate to your world and the door to Hyquile, but it never really occurred to you whether your magic will work on back home until now (how did you even forget about this? You really needed to be more aware). But since you managed to fall back into Hyquile in your sleep, it is needless to say that your magic indeed works even when you're not in Hyquile...to a lesser extent.

"The construct of your soul has changed with the Merging. It is natural to think that it will follow you, for the soul is the very quintessence of us."

"Your magic might not necessarily be as strong in your world as it is in Hyquile however, due to the different constructs of our worlds and the environment. According to you, magic does not exist in your world. It will be akin to a bird grounded; where your magic has the full potential to take flight in Hyquile, in your world it will be chained to walking on its feet."

"The tree charm I gave you also acts as an additional pathway for your magic in addition to being your guiding trail. As it was enchanted to follow you between worlds, the enchantment makes it an open tunnel, more or less, for things to wiggle through. It is one of the downsides to the enchantment but one that is unavoidable. This is just a hypothesis but I doubt that you will be able to channel your magic without the charm on you...not until you try and tell us the results of such an endeavor."

Makes...sense. Wow, Oikawa really has a talent for explaining things in a way that makes it easy for you to follow.

"But of all the times I could have dropped in…" You groaned into your palms, the thought of nearly seeing Aoba's Kingdom Jewels repeatedly dousing you with a new wave of liquid embarrassment without fail each time. At least, Oikawa and the others are finding the entire debacle amusing...just a magical mishap, they say, as if you had spilled milk, and did not just travel between worlds in your sleep and land in the royal baths when Refined Oikawa was using it.

"For what it's worth, now we know that the enchantment is working and you are able to travel to Hyquile on your own accord at least," Ushijima, who had been mostly silent as everyone else either berated or laughed at you for your untimely appearance, offered kindly with a faint softening of his brow.

It hadn't taken long for Tendou to catch on to the fact that you are in the Blue Castle again, barely two days since you left. And with Tendou, wildcard that he is, those of The Empire in Seijoh were quickly updated regarding your presence. From what you can tell, there wasn't really a point as to why Tendou did what he did, going around sniffing out curious developments and passing the info around like a little gossip in campus halls. Tendou just did it because...well, he probably found some sort of enjoyment from doing it.

It was almost blatant, the way he purposely dragged Sentimental Ushijima to the hall where you were having light snacks and tea with Oikawa and Iwaizumi, so that he was in the presence of you before telling The Empire Crown Prince that you popped in whilst Oikawa was having a bath.

An awkward discomfort immediately crossed Ushijima's expression the moment he heard, and even as Tendou and Semi made teasing comments of some sort, Ushijima hadn't said a word, only allowing a silent smile to tug his lips.

"Isn't there a way for me to know when would be a good time to use the charm?" You looked at Oikawa but found yourself unable to maintain any eye contact before red blistered your skin again.

The Aoba prince rubbed the back of his neck, and he looked apologetic but still utterly regal, the scent of fresh mint and forests lightly wafting about him every time he leaned close to you. "Unfortunately, I do not see a viable way to share that kind of information between our worlds."

Isn't Oikawa at least embarrassed about this? He still looked perfectly prim and proper whilst the color hasn't left your face for the past hour. How is he doing it?

"Speaking of, shouldn't we have her carry a similar charm for The Empire too, Prince Ushijima?" Semi asked suddenly, looking at his own Crown Prince.

Both you and Ushijima blinked in surprise simultaneously, and a tight line pressed onto Oikawa's lips.

Ushijima's eyes flickered towards you briefly. "I do not think-"

"Oh, that's a great idea, Semi!" Tendou snapped his fingers, and Goshiki narrowed his eyes at the redhead for interrupting their prince. "Aoba can't possibly be the only place she should have access to. It sounds almost like a monopoly on the only cure for The Rot."

Red eyes curled into crescents, and from across the room were met by Oikawa's hooded hazel ones and Iwaizumi's roiling green gaze.

Oikawa smiled tightly at the unpredictable Thaumamancer that constantly flitted about the Crown Prince of The Empire like a whimsical ghost that did as he pleased. Even in Aoba, Tendou Satori is infamous for his flippant and glib attitude and was easily distinguished by his bright red hair, a rare color. Oikawa has met countless people and traveled far for diplomacy, but he had never seen someone with red hair and eyes until Tendou.

He only knew in stories of a clan of humans that were known for their red hair and equally crimson eyes, a clan that had been persecuted in history by many for fear of their magic that was unique to their bloodline.

Oikawa is good at reading people, and his naturally sharp perception and years of experience filtering social cues, hidden words, and intentions only added to this skill. But Oikawa could never quite read with exact confidence what Tendou's intentions are...if there are any.

Whatever the case, as far as Aoba is concerned, Tendou just liked making things difficult for them at every turn as if it was a game.

And maybe to him, it is.

Far be it for Oikawa to understand how Ushijima handled this man that has done nothing but be a thorn in his and King Irihata's side ever since he was first introduced.

With a closed eye smiled, Oikawa airily replied. "Whatever do you mean, Sir Tendou? Aoba is in the service of The Empire. A line to Aoba is a line to The Empire, is it not?"

"You are quite right there, lil' prince," Tendou hummed, ignoring the way Iwaiziumi tensed visibly at his disrespectful address of Oikawa. "But having to go through you and Aoba every time we need the lil' birdie is a bit of an inconvenience. What if our dear boy Taichi needs to be healed again? Maybe even you, Goshiki my boy, next time? Ooh~ and what if she wants to pop by The Empire to visit Crown Prince Ushijima instead?"

The more Tendou spoke, the more you sensed a deep unrest growing in Oikawa, who is calmly silent. Where Ushijima had been awkwardly quiet when everyone made fun of you, Oikawa's silence is less...harmless.

Tendou waggled his eyebrows playfully at you. "You liked it there in Aquila, didn't you lil' birdie? Won't it be more fun for you to be able to drop into Prince Ushijima's royal baths too and visit The Empire whenever you want?"

You flushed deeply and Ushijima pinched the bridge of his nose at his confidant's words.

"Sir Tendou," Goshiki grounded out testily in place of Ushijima. "I do not agree that we allow just anyone to have free access to our prince like that, cure or not. It's a liability I rather not entertain as His Highness's Royal Guard."

"Hm, but there is also truth in Tendou's words. We won't be here in Seijoh indefinitely, and regardless of our specific locations, having options even if it is only for her to move around might be prudent," Semi said, brows furrowing at Oikawa's stony silence.

"It makes sense, does it not, Prince Oikawa ?" Tendou pushed intentionally, crimson eyes lawless in brilliance and his grin splitting.

You bit your lip, wanting to say something to break the heavy tension that just cleaved the room in half: Oikawa and Iwaizumi on one side of the ornate low table, and Ushijima and his three retainers on the other, scattered about the couches and chairs.

Sitting on the center armchair, you fidgeted and gripped the plush teal cushions below.

In your mind, filtering out all the other nonsense Tendou has said, it does make more sense for you to have options but...the air is so thick you can feel it sticking to your skin, bleeding into your mind and clotting.

Someone cleared his throat, and you jerked with a start when Ushijima called your name. He looked every bit as uncomfortable as you, very much unlike Ushiwaka, but his regards for others, for you, never waned.

Ushijima leaned forward in his seat, forcing his eyes to hold yours. "What do you think?"

"M-Me?"

He nodded. "I noticed that till now, a lot of the outcome of these discussions have been made by us. But as it is, you are a central piece to many things from now on and your opinion is just as vital."

"But I don't know much about my magic or about things here…"

Ushijima smiled encouragingly at you. "I think you know more than you give yourself credit for."

His words warmed your heart, pushing just that little bit of courage and confidence you needed to decide to say what was in your head. Ushiwaka had always made you feel naturally inferior in the presence of his sheer talent, but Sentimental Ushijima has been nothing but a source of confidence for you since you met him, and you smiled back in appreciation.

Your eyes flitted to Oikawa, who was looking towards you but not exactly at you. His chocolate eyes were focused downwards, and you were unable to tell what he was thinking. Unconsciously, you played with the bracelet on your wrist, feeling the tree charm brush your skin.

You licked your dry lips as you gathered your thoughts, very much wanting to down your cold cup of tea but also feeling all too aware of everything to feel comfortable reaching for it. "I...think that it wouldn't hurt to have options. You never know what might happen…"

You glanced up at Oikawa, passing your eyes over Iwaizumi to Ushijima. "But I also do not have good control over my magic, as you've all seen today. I don't know if it is a good idea for me to have multiple paths until I do."

Oikawa suddenly reached for his cup and drank without a sound. Not even a slurp.

The sound of Iwaizumi's fingers drumming against his arm guard ticked in the room, accompanied by Tendou's noisy chewing of biscuits that he had snatched from your plate, disregarding the atmosphere he had knowingly created.

"I agree with you. Even if it only leads to me or Prince Oikawa, options might confuse rather than aid in your learning at this stage. That said, we can consider it as an addition in the future. Would you agree, Prince Oikawa?"

Ushijima looked at Oikawa expectantly, patiently waiting for the Aoba Crown Prince to finish with his drink, tea brewed with fresh begonia leaves that Oikawa himself grew.

When he was done, he placed his cup down with an audible clink that he has never done before. He smiled at Ushijima, then Tendou, then you.

Oikawa's smile is every bit as charming as always but you were well aware that it was not Oikawa's real smile, and merely his mask.

"Of course, Your Highness. There really is no other choice, is there?"

You belatedly realized that Oikawa had been looking at your wrist with the bracelet.

What was supposed to have been a short and nice afternoon tea with Oikawa and Iwaizumi, (before Tendou crashed it with The Empire Crown Prince and his retinue in tow) ended on a more serious note than how it began.

After Tendou's carelessly not careless words, whatever minimal light chatter that managed to exist whenever Oikawa and Ushijima were in the same room had completely vanished, veering into important discussions about The Summit and plans on how to bring those of The Dominion and Inarizaki to Aoba, should they accept the political invitation.

It had always been a question that nagged at you.

With Refined Oikawa and Sentimental Ushijima, and even Ushijima's royal advisor Semi, taking the time to explain things to you through their discussions, you were able to grasp their plans in less time than when you first started learning about souls from the twins, or magic from Oikawa.

As there wasn't a teleportation path set up between the two realms to Aoba, the plan is through the use of one-time portals.

In the scrolls given to the messengers, time and location coordinates were included that details where the portal that leads to Seijoh will appear. The portal will only open for a brief period, and should they miss the allotted time, it will close permanently.

One for The Dominion, and one for Inarizaki House.

You weren't worried about Kuroo; you felt that he would at least be open to hearing what The Empire and its vassal Kingdom of Aoba had to say but the fox-folks were another matter entirely.

You really hoped that Oikawa is right in that Kyoutani would be able to locate the village. And that once he did, he will at least have the chance of passing the missive on.

The foxes were suspicious and patrolled their territory often, which you experienced first hand…

You shuddered at the memory of your first patrol experience with them, the image of the feral dog-folks with their black saliva still vivid in your mind.

You spent the rest of your day in Seijoh- catching up with Kunimi and Kindaichi, working on your magic with Oikawa when he had a brief moment of respite, learning from Ushijima further about Hyquile, and even got to see Iwaizumi training with the Blue Knights Hanamaki and Matsukawa-, counting down the hours to when it should be time for you to wake in your world for your class. Semi was kind enough to even lend you his pocket watch so that you did not lose track of time.

So began a cycle where you went about your normal life as usual during the day:

Going to classes with Atsumu and Osamu teasing you along the way, hanging out with Suna in class, watching Iwaizumi beat Oikawa during lunch (you couldn't quite look at him without blushing for a day, your mind unwittingly wandering to the gutters and unintentionally comparing the two, especially when he lifted his hefty bag and the muscles of his arms strained-), attending volleyball circle meetings with Kita, chatting with Ushijima when you see each other on campus, stretching sessions with Kuroo (Bokuto would even join in some times now, ever since he found out the other day over donburis ), and working on your own training and dance routine.

Every day passed by in a blur, always ending with you frantically working on your assignments as fast as possible.

Come nightfall you would find yourself waking up in Hyquile (thankfully no longer in Oikawa's royal baths; he seems to have figured out an estimated period during which you will likely arrive), and adjusting to the schedules and the happenings of the day there.

To your great surprise, alternating between the two worlds like this has been less taxing on your body than you initially thought it would be. Your body is no longer dehydrating or starving for extended periods whilst your consciousness is in Hyquile. The only weird side effect is that you still wake up feeling like you hadn't slept at all...and in a way, you haven't. There is a strange feeling of being aware that your mind and consciousness has been 'awake' the entire time, even as your body slumbered and rested.

It's a...unique sensation, to say the least.

But you felt energized, drunk and high on the fantastical novelty of traveling between worlds and actually possessing magic. Life rolled by with its ordinary mundaneness in your world, and you could not help the feeling of hidden glee at having this unexpected secret, your thoughts running to how many more quills or what other heavier objects you would be able to channel magic at to expand your limits, whilst Suna drained his chuupet stick and the twins bickered over yet another triviality during a break.

There was but a smidge of guilt at having to constantly lie to everyone who asked you if you are alright, if you are sleeping well, if you aren't overdoing it with classes and your dance practices, because you look like you're working too hard, even as the lines of gray gradually faded from the rim of your eyes.

However, even as you rode on this wave of secret euphoria, you never forgot the looming presence of The Rot and the anxiousness towards the impending Summit; it wasn't like it is easy to forget, even if no one talked about it. It's akin to a musky layer that clung to the air; unseen and unknown, but felt.

No longer were you constantly escorted around like a prisoner on watch when you were in Seijoh, and the change is refreshing even if you find yourself awkwardly seeking out the company of others there now, out of both curiosity and a lack of direction of what exactly you should be doing outside of brushing up on your control over magic. You only had a limited attention span to dedicate to flipping feathers, even with Mori constantly trying to interrupt your focus by pecking at the floating plumes as you did so.

You were welcomed, and seen not as a threat that needs to be watched. Yet, you were still an outsider who did not have her place in their world.

It wasn't long before Oikawa approached you with their soldier-medic Yahaba, who you only knew by name till now, to ask for your assistance in healing the victims of the magical disease.

The status of The Rot hasn't changed since the sudden spike, and the handful of patients that were lucky to be close enough for transportation to the grand city for treatment were overseen by you with Yahaba's guidance, to various degrees of success.

Some you were able to heal them of their ailment on the first or second go, and some it took several frustrating attempts before you were successful.

But with each successful attempt, you remained as fatigued as you did when you first healed Kawanishi. They told you that it would take some time to get used to the strain of intentionally using your magic, but it never felt like it was getting anything easier.

You envied the ease with which Iwaizumi hailed cages of bark and roots onto the trainees he worked with every time you watched their training sessions.

There was a sharp pain on the center of your forehead and you winced, glaring at the outstretched finger of Suna who flicked you, expression deadpan as ever.

"Quit daydreaming. I'm not lending you my notes because you were off in Lala Land."

You pouted with a low grumble and focused back on the class, but not before whispering to Suna to give you one of the chuupet sticks you bought for him as thanks early in the week.

"They're gone."

"...it was a pack of 20."

"I finished them in a day."

"...that's a one way street to diabetes."

Suna rolled his eyes at you and didn't deign you a response, turning back to jotting down the passages the professor wrote on the board.

For someone who looked as disinterested in everything like him, Suna actually kept up with classes quite well. He's doing way better than you were doing at the moment, in any case.

Your mind kept drifting back to Hyquile against your better judgment, and you found yourself begging Suna to let you peek at his notes at the end of class.

Chartreuse eyes narrowed at you, with a fine brow rising in amusement and question. "This is starting to become a habit for you, isn't it?"

But even as he said so, Suna handed you his notes.

"Hey, we're all going out for drinks in Shibuya tonight. Yer comin', right?" Atsumu drawled, nonchalantly throwing an arm around you as you walked towards your respective extracurriculars; Atsumu and Suna to volleyball, and Osamu to his Cooking Society.

"Hrm, I don't know 'Tsumu. Probably not."

"What? Why not?!" Honey eyes scowled down at you, prompting Osamu to pinch his brother's side to get him off your back. Atsumu hissed, whacking at Osamu's hand in retaliation.

"Sorry, 'Tsumu. I'm kind of busy with assignments right now and have a lot to catch up on," you sighed apologetically. You were barely keeping up with your classes recently, due to the fact that you've been turning in earlier than usual to shift into Hyquile.

It wasn't a lie at all, what you said to Atsumu, albeit certain omissions.

"It's because you keep daydreaming in classes," Suna said without looking up from his phone beside you.

"You're never going to stop rubbing it in, are you, Rin?"

Suna glanced at you but didn't stop fiddling with his phone. "As long as you keep asking for my notes and answers, no."

"Woah, why is he suddenly Rin?" Atsumu protested, eyes wide in bafflement at the familiar way you addressed Suna. How is it fair that it was months, maybe even years, before you started calling him 'Tsumu and it only took weeks for you to use a nickname with Suna? "It took forever before you called me 'Tsumu!"

"Saying Rintarou takes too long, and we're seatmates!"

"What are yer gettin' ya' panties in a hussle for?" It was Osamu's turn to drawl at his brother, a look of disbelief crossing his face. "Yer were a bully when we were kids. It's a miracle she even wanted to be friends with yer."

"So were you, 'Samu!"

"Boys, please," you rolled your eyes, looking up at Atsumu. "I'm sure you can call him Rin too! You've known each other since high school, right?"

Atsumu opened his mouth with a large grin, ready to tease the hell out of Suna but was promptly cut off by the middle blocker himself. "No."

"Aww, come on, Rin ~" Atsumu sang, dropping his elbow on Suna's shoulder. "We have known each other since high school."

Suna didn't say anything, but the way he looked at Atsumu promised the rising setter that there will be hell to pay during practice later.

"Oh yeah, did you still want to go shopping for cooking utensils at Kappabashi this weekend 'Samu?" You asked the gray-haired twin.

He blinked, as if remembering that he might have mentioned something along those lines this week. "Yeah, if the weather's good. Why? Yer wanna come with?"

You weren't entirely sure if you'll even be 'awake' but you needed to get a new kitchen knife for yourself. "I might want to but it depends on...homework. I'll let you know if I do, is that cool?"

"Sure. It's not urgent fer me, so we can go another day if it doesn't work out."

"Wait- yer can go to boring Kappabashi but not Shibuya? Unbelievable."

"What's unbelievable is yer crappy personality."

"Shut up-!"

With yet another petty argument beginning between the twins, you hastily bade the three friends goodbye with a laugh, escaping to your studio before you were dragged into de-escalating their arguments. Suna shot you a look of betrayal when you all but left him with them, grudgingly waving you goodbye over the sounds of the twins yelling at each other.

"Atsumu, Osamu."

To Suna's luck, providence was on his side because Kita's voice called out for them from behind, ceasing all words and movements in the twins with merely their names.

"K-Kita-san, hi." Atsumu stammered, mind unable to process how even after all these years, Kita still held so much power over him. Kita isn't even captain of his current volleyball team. Next to him, Osamu wondered the same thing, and he wasn't even in the volleyball club.

Once a captain, always a captain, they supposed.

"Suna," Kita nodded at his other junior.

"Did yer need us for something, Kita-san?" Osamu asked, straightening as Kita approached them.

Kita looked from Atsumu to Osamu then to Suna, addressing them all with steely russet eyes. "Yes, I haven't received any of your responses to the volleyball circle activities survey that I sent out earlier this week yet."

Oh…

'I forgot.' The thought simultaneously ran through all three of their heads.

"All of you forgot, didn't you?"

Sigh. Of course, Kita knew that they forgot.

"It's due today so I'll give yer until tonight to send it in."

All three of them sighed again, with relief this time. Maybe they were going to get out of this without a lecture-

"You're no longer in high school. In a few years, you will be graduating and you need to keep on top of-"

Nope, they weren't getting out of this.

A screech resounded in the sky above, prompting Bokuto to look up to see a falcon hurtling towards him at high speeds.

Without a hint of hesitation for potential recoil, he extended an arm on which the falcon latched onto with its sharp claws, wings spreading and folding as it walked up Bokuto's arm to settle on his shoulder.

Akaashi trained his eyes on his leader, splitting his attention in half as one of his ears continued listening to Suzumeda's daily report of the ongoings in their territory, whilst the other honed in on the whispers of the falcon.

A smile graced his lips at the message from the falcon, causing Suzumeda to pause in her report.

"Is there something that caught your interest, Akaashi?"

"Yes. Well, not mine in particular…" Akaashi turned towards Bokuto, noting the falcon exiting as fast as it came out of the corner of his eyes.

"Akaashi."

"Yes, my liege?"

"It seems there's going to be a...Summit. And we weren't officially invited. How crude and careless of them."

Bokuto's back remained turned towards his second-in-command, one hand flipping a dagger in the air casually. His head tilted, turning just enough so that one unblinking gold eye met Akaashi's gunmetal gaze. A large grin split across his lips.

"We've got a party to crash."

Akaashi's brows furrowed though he smiled in amusement. Behind him, Suzumeda chuckled in nervous mirth at the waves of annoyance rolling off her leader.

"Are you sure that's wise, Lord Bokuto? As you said so yourself, we weren't officially invited and I am absolutely positive that she did not expect Mori to send out a message to us in this manner. Sleuthing around in Seijoh and attending a political Summit unannounced are two very different things."

Yeah, Bokuto is pretty sure that you didn't expect Mori to do what he did. Despite appearances, at his core, Mori is still a spy for Owl Vale and one of Bokuto's many eyes and ears throughout the known realms of Hyquile.

Bokuto scoffed and turned back around, but the feral grin did not leave his face.

"We're just saving them the trouble of sending us an invite."

"Lev, stop baring your fangs at the man," Kuroo commanded coolly, sharp eyes never lifting from the scroll stamped with the royal crest of Aoba, even as he addressed his retainer.

The silver-haired soldier scrunched his face but retracted his fangs nonetheless, much to the relief of the poor human messenger from Seijoh who looked absolutely haggard from his days of nonstop travel.

Once again, that spark of courage Kuroo saw in you is shining through.

Calling a Summit between the four realms? Unprecedented and a bold suggestion, from you, of all people; the girl that first appeared in his realm a terrified and crying mess, mentally breaking down at every strange and new thing Hyquile presented.

And to think that you managed to convince the Crown Prince Ushijima and Crown Prince Oikawa to agree to it...you continue to surprise him, even from realms away.

Kuroo's expression hardly changed and remained a blank canvas, but Kenma tilted his head at the very subtle curve of his leader's brow that softened his impassive features ever so slightly.

It was such a fine change that not many outside of Kenma would have caught it.

"Tell your Crown Prince that The Dominion accepts his invitation," Kuroo's voice echoed in the vast cavern that was 's audience hall. He beckoned Yaku with a light nod of his head.

"Yaku, see to it that he and his steed get some rest and food, and that they are safely seen off from our borders."

The human male bowed in gratitude at Kuroo, his nervousness at being in the presence of the enigmatic leader of the cat-folks obvious on his face.

Kuroo is impassive and he didn't spare a single smile in the face of their unexpected guest, but he leaned forward in his seat, propping his elbows on his crossed legs as he addressed the messenger.

"Relax. We do not believe in shooting the messenger here despite relations."

"T-Thank you, Your Excellency."

Resting his chin on his linked hands, Kuroo glanced at the scroll laid before him.

"I can't say the same for the one you sent to the foxes, however."

Kyoutani stopped in his tracks, sweat tracking down his neck and back from the long-distances he ran. He adjusted the bundle of rice balls packed in Ice Leaves that he has slung over his shoulders, feeling the edge of the royal missive scratch against his skin.

It's been ages since he's been in the area but if memory (and instincts) serves him well, Kyoutani is sure that he's close.

Or perhaps, in the right place.

All is dark, and the moon is hidden by thick grey clouds that drifted silently. But what little light there was illuminated the desolate lands that surrounded him, overgrown weeds and dried vegetation spilling onto a faded and narrow dirt path. The path is barely visible over the smudging of time and weather, hidden underneath layers of dead shrubbery and foliage. If one did not know what they were searching for, it was easily missed.

Kyoutani traced the vanishing pathway, using his keen tracking senses to sift out the real path from the ones that were placed to lead ignorant travelers to their premature deaths, falling into holes of hellish wooden spikes.

Kyoutani certainly was not looking to die in this wasteland.

He's been gone from this side of Hyquile long enough that he feels more at home in Seijoh, amongst humans that may or may not entirely accept his existence, than he did here in the wildlands of the West.

Up ahead, his eyes made out the shapes of two gangly and disfigured trees, stretching up from murky waters skimmed by countless bugs.

What a strange and curious sight-

Kyoutani's nose twitched at the scent in the air, then immediately jumped out of the way of a shimmering spear that silently fell from the sky and drilled into the space where he stood moments prior. Had his keen nose not perceive a shift in the air, he would not have been aware of that soundless spear falling on him.

"You mutts just don't learn, do ya'?"

"Guess ya' really can't teach an old dog new tricks."

Yep, Kyoutani is in the right place.

Turning around, his eyes fell on two identical fox-folks with contrasting hairs of gold and gray.

Light particles shimmered and faded around the arms of the gray-haired one, and Kyoutani assumed he was the one who sent that spear of light on him.

Internally, Kyoutani lamented the mischievious ferocity of their expressions. They looked like they were ready for a brawl and Kyoutani is not here for that.

He straightened. "I'm from The Kingdom Of Aoba-"

"Ya' hear that 'Samu? Aoba! Those haughty humans in the north with their pretty white houses."

"I hear ya' 'Tsumu. What're ya' then, their pet dog? Even for a dog-folk, that's below ya'."

Kyoutani blew through his nostrils harshly, feeling his impatience trickle out of him faster than he could stop it. "I'm here to deliver a message-"

"Aoba's with The Empire, aren't they?"

"Guess yer're a lapdog of The Empire too."

"Know what's worse than a human, 'Samu?"

"Easy, 'Tsumu. A mongrel that listens to them."

"Yer're even worse than the curs that are always houndin' our doorstep."

"How shameful."

Kyoutani knows that they're doing it on purpose to provoke him. They likely knew that he is here as a messenger but chose to spit at that fact in the face.

And it's working.

His fists tightened on the straps that held the bundle of food and scroll to him.

Kyoutani doesn't care much for a majority of the humans he has met in his life. Many did not care for him, or ignored his presence.

"Yer're not welcomed here, mutt."

But Iwaizumi's family, Prince Oikawa, and several others in the knighthood treated him well, respected and acknowledged his strength.

They gave him the moniker of Mad Dog.

For good reason.

"Go back to yer human masters like a good pet dog, won't ya'?

Kyoutani snapped.

Atsumu beamed from ear to ear, golden eyes widening in glee and excitement of the incoming fight. Next to him, Osamu's expression was steadier, but no one can mistake the excited twitch of his brow and the tongue that darted out to lick his lips in anticipation.

Aoba? Message?

All they know is that there's a dog-folk once again in their territory, one wearing the colors and crest of the royal family of Aoba.

They haven't forgiven the dog-folks for the crap they pulled on them back in the forests when you disappeared, tainted and feral or not.

And they have a lot of pent up anger and irritation borne from the deteriorating state of their beloved lake.

And for once, the unfortunate soul that had the misfortune of coming across the Miya Twins is not a weak human or feeble animal-folk.

They instantly knew that this one is different.

From the way he stood, to the way he glared, and the way he was able to avoid Osamu's lethal silent spear that had taken out many before they even realized they were marked and dead.

Kyoutani shifted into his full canine form in the blink of an eye and leaped towards the twins in full mortal fury. Earth and rocks scattered with each powerful push of his legs, and his entire body rippled with raw strength and brawn.

Atsumu whistled as he and Osamu jumped to opposite sides, circling Kyoutani as a team of two.

Two against one isn't fair, but life hadn't been fair to them, so why should they be?

"Look at his eyes, 'Samu! It's like he's gone mad or somethin'!" Atsumu laughed as he crouched and watched Kyoutani go after his brother.

Osamu scowled. "If all yer're gonna do is talk, then shut up and stay outta this!"

Red ropes slithered from the ground and shot at Kyoutani, wrapping around his limbs and torso. But the berserk Kyoutani howled, loud and long into the night, and Atsumu and Osamu watched with fascination as his muscles grew even larger, vitality surging through his every sinew and nerve. The red ropes snapped like frayed threads.

"Ya' gotta be kiddin' me," Osamu sighed but smirked anyways at the challenge.

This was what they wanted to begin with.

Blasts of fire painted the night with bouts of red and orange, and strange shapes of fractal lights appeared and disappeared through the entire area.

The twins were toying with Kyoutani but he also gave them a good run for their money in his blinded state of rage.

It's like fighting one of the feral dog-folks with The Rot once more, but this one wasn't feral.

This one still had his wits and intelligence.

Mad Dog had just pummelled a crater into the ground where Atsumu had been when multiple talismans shot at him from the dark, plastering all over his body.

Kyoutani froze.

"Wha-" Atsumu turned with a snarl towards where the talismans came from, only to have one smack right onto his forehead. At the same time, one slapped over Osamu's cheeks.

Their movements slowed and stopped, and the three brawlers watched as a figure stepped out from the shadows.

"S-Suna…" Atsumu gritted through his teeth with effort, feeling an alien force fighting against the will of his entire body.

He really hated Suna's magic sometimes, especially when it was used against them.

Osamu frowned with a low 'tsk' but relaxed against the invading magical force he could feel tugging at his limbs. No point futilely exerting himself against Suna's magic. It's just wasted energy and he'll just be hungrier because of it.

"I was about to sleep and heard all the commotion you two are causing out here," Suna droned tiredly, dull eyes quietly laying judgment on the twins. He could see them struggling to say whatever excuse they had but Suna could care less.

He's more interested in the dog-folk that was reverting into his human form. Suna's narrow eyes glinted in interest at the crest depicting a crown encircled by a wreath of leaves on the stranger's clothes, and the scroll tied with a turquoise ribbon in a bundle on his back.

A messenger.

Oh boy, the twins are in for it now.

"Ya' two attacked a messenger?!" Aran raged at the twins who sat with both legs folded underneath them and their heads bowed shamefully, taking the verbal lashing from Aran and Kita's disappointed silence.

Suna yawned sleepily into his palm, watching as Ginjima poked and sniffed at the bundle wrapped in Ice Leaves that the dog-folk, Kyoutani, had handed to them. Kita read over the contents of the missive wordlessly.

Kyoutani crossed his arms, fingers drumming impatiently. He's tired, thirsty, and hungry and the Alpha-Leader of the fox-folk is taking his sweet time with his response. Kyoutani eyed the leader of the illusive Inarizaki House under lidded eyes.

This Lord Kita doesn't seem very tough.

Kyoutani reckons he could snap him in half with his bare hands. The twins though...his eyes traveled to the side where the twins were grudgingly accepting their lecture from the large bear-folk.

They had skill, he'll admit that much. But boy did they piss him off.

"And your answer?" Kyoutani prompted, feeling that he had waited long enough.

With a startled blink, Kita looked up from the missive with hesitant eyes.

"I…"

Suna tilted his head inquisitively. No one has had the opportunity to see what it was except for Kita so far.

"Please tell your Crown Prince that the Fox-Folks of Inarizaki House will not be attending."

Reflexively, Kyoutani snarled at the answer; the twins swiftly snapped to their feet at the aggressive cue towards Kita from the dog-folk, and Aran did not stop them. The bear-folk's dark eyes honed in on Kyoutani whilst Ginjima moved into a defensive stance.

Akagi shifted in front of where Kita sat, eyeing the newcomer with pinprick eyes and Omimi rose to his full height in his position, mutely daring the dog-folk to make one wrong move.

Only Suna remained as he was, languidly hunched and yawning. But his fox ears were morphed atop of his head, and his senses at high alert despite his nonchalant appearance.

Tamping down his temper that was still running high from the fight, Kyoutani readjusted himself and raised his hands. But he said no apology, only looked at Kita with a burning question in his gaze.

Kyoutani is not involved in a lot of the politics that goes on in Aoba or anywhere else, nor does he pay much attention to it but even he knew the importance of this meeting.

So why?

Kita did not give him the answer he wanted. "Omimi, please see to it that Kyoutani here is fed and has a place to rest for the night."

"No, that won't be necessary. I'll be on my way." Kyoutani declined, moving to take steps towards the door of the large room that is supposedly the guest hall of Kita's abode.

No one said anything or moved to stop him, but Kyoutani paused once he slid the door open.

"Is this your final answer?" He looked at Kita one last time.

Kita's russet eyes wavered and dropped to his lap, scroll crumpling in his hands.

At the lack of a response, Kyoutani shrugged.

"By the way, the food is from the human girl. She said you'll recognize it."

The door closed with a clack.

There was a beat of silence before the younger ones amongst them, namely Atsumu, Osamu, and Ginjima, were crowding the bundle wrapped in cold leaves with unrestrained curiosity. Suna rolled his eyes at them and approached Kita instead, taking the scroll from him to read over with Aran.

His eyes furrowed in confusion once he read the missive, glancing toward his leader. "This is…"

"Lord Kita, are you sure?" Aran asked too.

Suna looked down when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye, and caught sight of Kita's fingers picking at threads of the fairly new cushion he sat on. Already there were fraying threads loosened.

Biting his lip, Kita rubbed a hand over his eyes. "I...I don't know."

Akagi picked up the scroll next, quickly skimming over it. "...Humans or not, I do not think this is something we should miss..."

A scent from a far-off memory permeated their sensitive noses. To a handful in the room, especially, the fragrance wasn't one that is close to them like the crisp scent of the rice paddies that surrounded their village, and yet, strangely, it is a smell that is familiar to them nonetheless.

"Rice balls!" Osamu already had two in his hands and a mouthful.

"With eggs and meat!" Atsumu snatched one up immediately.

Gingerly, Ginjima picked one up and looked at the twins skeptically. "Weren't yer two against eatin' food by humans?"

"Kita said that we hafta get along with her back then," Osamu spoke, chewing simultaneously. Specks of rice decorated his puffed cheeks. His eyes were flat but there was a happy glimmer in them.

"So it doesn't count anymore," Atsumu continued, through his own mouthful of rice.

"...Ya' two make everythin' so convenient and easy for yerselves." Ginjima remembers that period quite well. He can recall in minute detail his own nervousness when it had been his turn to get to know you with Akagi, in Kita's effort to have his retainers acclimatize themselves to the presence of humans.

"Lord Kita, ya' want one?" Atsumu held one out to the silver-haired fox-folk.

Carefully taking the riceball Atsumu passed to him, Kita allowed the diminished fragrance of cooked rice to envelop his senses. The riceball is cold in his hands, chilled from the Ice Leaves it had been wrapped in.

"Kita, why did you decline?" Suna asked softly. He frowned when Kita gripped the riceball in his hand just that bit harder, chunks falling out of shape and scattering onto his clothes.

Kita gets that you are there in Aoba, that you will be there at this Summit.

That you are the one who called for it because you are thinking about them, knowing their situation with The Rot. That you did not forget them.

And he's happy, and grateful.

But…

"I'm scared."

Hm? Isn't that Ushijima?

You spotted the Empire's Crown Prince, in common clothes with a pair of glasses and a hooded cloak, walking down the loggia that led to the front of the castle.

"Ushijima!"

He paused with a start, surprised to see you running towards him.

"I didn't realize you were here today."

You grinned sheepishly with a shrug. "I admit, my friends are all having fun together in my world right now and I really should be there too but...I was worried about things here."

Ushijima smiled gently at you. "You are too kind. But until the Summit, I doubt that much will change. Though your presence is always a welcome sight."

"Yea, but the Summit is soon, right?"

You noted the bag filled with rolled parchments that was slung on his shoulder. "Are you going out to the city?"

"Hm, would you like to come with me?"

Besides the time when you were in Seijoh with Akaashi, you did not have the chance to see more of the beautiful City of Trees. So, of course, you were going to go!

It was to your great excitement that the place Ushijima led you to is the square with the majestic fountain of statues that you saw the first night you arrived in Seijoh.

It already looked beautiful from afar but up close, the grandeur and intricate carving on the stones and marbles were indescribable. You could only peer up at it with great admiration for the craftsmanship.

You walked back towards where you left Ushijima under one of the few zelkova trees that decorated the square. Walking up to him, you were about to ask Ushijima if he knew who the seven faceless statues were, and who is supposed to be the headless statue in the center but the question was quickly forgotten when you saw that Ushijima had taken out several of the parchments from his bag and had spread them open before him on the soft grass. Next to him, brushes of various sizes and bottles of colored ink were lined neatly.

You squatted down by him, carefully folding your borrowed dress over your knees. "What are you doing?"

"I do this whenever I have the time and opportunity back in Aquila, but I sometimes teach the local children about the geography of Hyquile with cartography."

"I take it you enjoy cartography?" You admired the small hand-drawn map he handed to you.

"It is a hobby of mine, yes. It helps that my...profession, benefits from it," he laughed heartily.

You weren't the best at painting at all but you followed Ushijima's instructions as he carefully taught you which bottle of ink matched what number on his color key.

This was exactly like coloring by numbers in your world, and you gushed to him with no small amount of amazement that in Hyquile, it is he who invented this.

"I don't know if I invented it. There might be someone out there who is doing something similar," he laughed your compliments off with a light wave. "I simply do this to relax and hone my mind on our world, and that I can impart some knowledge to the next generation whilst doing what I enjoy, it is a blessing."

It wasn't long before inquisitive children started approaching you and Ushijima, curious as to what all the bright bottles and paper were.

You smiled at the sight of Ushijima surrounded by children of all ages, kindly teaching them about the areas they colored in, and helping the younger ones steady their hands as they tried to paint within the lines.

It was a heartwarming sight that filled your heart.

The Ushijima of Hyquile is wonderful with children, despite the fact that he himself was not afforded a carefree childhood of laughter and games.

You wondered if Ushiwaka is as good with children, though imagining the stoic athlete around children caused you to giggle to yourself.

One of the younger girls reached for Ushijima's glasses, accidentally pulling his hood down instead. With a gasp, your hands shot out to pull the hood back up before any of the adults could recognize him. At the same time, his hand came up to keep his hood in place, incidentally grasping yours as a result.

The two of you blinked at one another, similar flushes of pink on your cheeks.

"S-Sorry…"

"N-No...thank you."

You retracted and rubbed your hand, the lingering warmth of his palm fresh and keeping the pink on your face.

The atmosphere is peaceful, brimming with the laughter of children and chatter of people in the square and you relaxed next to Ushijima, shoulders lightly brushing his arm.

There was a mop of bright orange hair by the corner of the drinks stall that reminded you of Tendou's equally bright and fiery red hair.

"How did you come to know Sir Tendou?" You absentmindedly asked.

Ushijima looked up from the map that a freckled boy is in the midst of coloring. His brows rose curiously, glasses sliding along his nose. "Why do you ask?"

"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean anything rude by it...I just thought that, well, Sir Tendou is a very... unique person."

Ushijima chuckled at your choice of word, which he wholeheartedly agreed with. "He certainly is."

"And you know, I noticed that he doesn't care much for protocols and such. And you...kind of let him get away with it?" You said, face twisting awkwardly with each word that spewed from your mouth. Now that you said it, you definitely could have said it better.

You had just needlessly beaten around a bush that either needed no beating or required more finesse.

"What I mean is, ugh, well-"

Ushijima leaned back up from the map he was hunched over. His form towered over yours even as you both sat, the top of your head barely coming up to his shoulders. A small smile tugged the corners of his lips.

"It's alright. I understand what you are trying to say."

"S-Sorry...I was just curious because you're-" you lowered your voice and sat up to whisper into his ears, "- the crown prince -," your body dropped back from its stretch, "-and he's very carefree regardless of who is there or the topic at hand."

"I take it you're especially referring to when you arrived in the baths?" There is a hint of amusement in the way he said the word baths.

You pouted with a flush and nodded.

Ushijima rolled the brush in his hand as he sifted through all his memories that involved his Thaumamancer.

"I met Tendou when we were both young children," Ushijima recalled the very first memory that led to his fateful meeting with one of his trusted confidants.

"I snuck out of the castle one day after a particularly harsh training from my instructors, at my grandfather's behest. It was the first time I ever wandered beyond the castle walls, but I could not bear to be there any longer that day."

Your heart squeezed sadly. Ushijima really was not afforded a simple and normal childhood…

But you also smiled, beginning to see where his habit of dressing down and sneaking into town came from.

"I was lost and overwhelmed from the sheer size and crowds of Aquila, and it wasn't long before I found myself escaping to quieter areas if only to get away from the many people and guards that roamed the streets. That was when I first saw Tendou."

"He was being bullied."

Ushijima's eyes widened at the sight of a group of kids kicking and throwing rocks at a boy with bright red hair. He was in the fetal position, hands thrown around his head in a feeble attempt at defending himself from the rocks and feet being hurled his way.

"You should just leave!"

"We don't need a monster like you in our city!"

"Yeah! Your hair is the color of blood!"

"So are your eyes! That's so creepy!"

"It's scary! You're a monster! Just like your mum!"

"You and your kind aren't wanted here!"

"Stop it!"

Before he realized it, Ushijima had thrown himself in front of the red-haired boy with his hands stretched out wide.

Behind him, Tendou sniffled and looked up with dumbfounded amazement at the boy who stood protectively before him. No one has stood up for him before.

The children, a mix of boys and girls, blinked and cocked their heads in confusion at Ushijima. They didn't recognize that he is their Crown Prince.

He's never left the castle before this, and it would be several more years before he did anything of official capacity in public. Outside of those who worked in the castle, no one knew what their future Emperor looked like.

"Don't you know what he is?" The tallest kid of the group spoke up. "He's one of them, the ones with blood hair and eyes!"

"Y-yea," A girl stammered this time, fearfully.

"He's got the Evil Eyes!"

Ushijima frowned. "It doesn't matter. What you're doing is wrong! You're all ganging up on him!"

The eldest in the group of children stepped up with a face full of scorn and distaste. "Well, I don't appreciate having him and his mother in our neighborhood at all! If you're going to be like this, you can join him!"

Tendou instinctively covered his head again, one eye watching his bullies descend on the boy who tried to save him. He should tell him to leave, that they only wanted him but...he's shocked and scared.

It was when the fastest boy to reach Ushijima tried to bring a stick down on his shoulder when the first crackle of purple lightning sparked along the length of Ushijima's arms, and a burst of electricity crackled out in a wave around him.

The boy dropped his stick with a yelp, crying at the pain in his arm where electricity had stung him.

The voltage wasn't high and was only meant to scare them off; it was enough to have the children back off and retreat.

Tendou flinched at first when Ushijima extended an arm towards him, expecting sparks of purple to harm him as well. But when no pain came, he finally dared to open his eyes.

Ushijima blinked in amazement at the crimson eyes that stared back at him, and Tendou naturally expected his would-be savior to retract his hand in fear and disgust.

But the outstretched hand remained.

"Are you okay?"

You found yourself biting your lip, rubbing at the corners of your eyes at Ushijima's recollection of his first meeting with Tendou. It was horrible, what those kids did to Tendou.

"And just because he has red hair and eyes…"

"It wasn't pleasant, and this in no way justifies it but...those children were influenced by the words of adults as well." Ushijima sighed, watching the children that surrounded him now happily color the simple maps he made for their pleasure.

"Tendou comes from a bloodline known for their crimson hair and eyes. Even amongst humans, those of his lineage were not looked kindly upon because of the unique nature of their magic. They were persecuted as a result."

"What?! That's terrible!" You couldn't believe what you are hearing. Not just the fox-folks but even humans were persecuted by their own? Noticing some of the children looking at you curiously due to your outburst, you reeled your voice back down. However, the unrest in your heart will not be stilled. "Humans persecuting humans?" Your voice was barely a whisper, unable to grasp everything you are hearing.

"Humans and other folks alike feared them, and a lack of understanding for them brought upon decades of discrimination against those with red hair and eyes. It's rare to see anyone with both red hair and eyes now, as their blood has been diluted over the course of history, with many of them either dying alone or choosing only to have children that will not have red hair and eyes. Those that do have both usually hide their natural features but Tendou never did. He wore his with pride."

You recalled all the times you've seen Tendou's crescent eyes and the glint of his smile; a part of you felt guilty that you had so quickly laid judgement on him. You hadn't tried to understand him at all, just like those that persecuted his ancestors.

"It certainly wasn't easy convincing my grandfather to allow Tendou to become one of my select retainers, but his talent, wit, and skill were so evident that even Emperor Washijo was unable to deny it," Ushijima's gaze focused out on yet another faraway memory that is lost to you.

You're starting to understand the depth of the trust and friendship between Ushijima and Tendou. But there were still things you didn't fully understand yet.

"I still think you're very lenient with him though, and I don't think you play favorites like that." Your face scrunched up in thought.

"And what is it about his magic that made people fear his bloodline so much?"

A deep chuckle reverberated from the man next to you. "Your curiosity and eagerness to learn please me greatly. It's refreshing to see."

An appreciative smile so warm and compassionate alighted upon his face, and you could only stare at the sight.

Circled by children with their youthful grins and the sun bathing all in its glow, the gentleness that emanated from Ushijima, a man with a towering physique and the strength to easily overpower those who faced him, was so sincerely pure that it touched your heart, filling it with warmth at the knowledge that he used his strength to protect and to teach.

This is the moment you knew with absolute certainty that the Crown Prince Ushijima Wakatoshi is not at all like his grandfather.

You snapped your mouth shut when he spoke again. "I admit that my giving Tendou free reign isn't entirely out of the leniency of my heart because of our friendship."

The same little girl that nearly took off his hood pulled at his hand, begging for his help with a difficult part of the map with many lines. You waited patiently with a smile as Ushijima tended to her first before returning to his conversation with you.

"Tendou's bloodline, and thus his magic, is blessed with the gift of clairvoyance."

You blinked.

"Have you ever tried having your fortune divined?"

Is that...what Tendou meant at that time in the gardens?

"So he can predict the future?" You asked.

Ushijima shook his head. "Not exactly. Tendou's clairvoyance itself has certain conditions that need to be met for it to be actively used. It still has its limitations, however. Outside of that, it is more of a...heightened sense of perception, or a more defined gut feeling, you could say."

"I allow Tendou to do and say as he pleases because more often than not, he is being led by this enhanced 'gut feeling ' of his. He can't explain it, but he just knows that doing or saying something will lead to an occurrence down the line, even if it seems completely illogical or meaningless at that moment in time."

Blocks slid and clicked into place in your mind. You're starting to comprehend the things Tendou says and do now.

"But it is because of this blood gift that his lineage was feared. No one liked the thought that someone could possibly influence their futures or even read it, after all."

You drooped against the trunk of the tree, tiredly sliding and falling against Ushijima's shoulders. He shifted at the abrupt contact but did not seem to mind, smiling at the comprehending expression you wore.

"That's...that's a lot to take in. I had no idea," you exhaled.

"Not many do, as history has proven as much as the children that bullied Tendou that day, as well as their parents that allowed it to happen."

Silence.

"Thank you."

"Huh? What for?" You were confused again.

Ushijima turned his gaze from the grand fountain up ahead to look down at you, the top of your head lightly pressed against his arm and messing up your hair. There was no smile nor chuckle when this Ushijima looked at you, only a very faint lift of his brow that softened his entire visage with the gentlest of touches.

And it held a depth beyond any smile.

(it was just like the time Ushiwaka visited you at the hospital, a bouquet of roses in hand)

"For making the effort to understand."

As different children came and went once their curiosities were sufficiently satisfied, you could not help but notice one child that continued to remain a distance away, by the corner of the drinks stall where you first spotted him.

You saw him earlier but had been so caught up in your conversation with Ushijima that you didn't pay him too much mind but he's still squatting there next to the stall, out of the way of the people milling around.

He's been there staring at you and Ushijima for a while.

Did he want to join in but was too shy?

You smiled at him and waved, but he only balled further into himself.

Oh...he's really shy.

"I'll be back!" You stood up, grabbing an uncolored map, and made your way towards the orange-haired kid.

Stopping before him, you clasped your arms behind you as you bent down towards him.

"Hi, did you want to join us?"

Brown eyes stared up at you blankly.

Uhhh…alright, your experience with the twins (they are just big babies) taught you that you just need to persevere some times with certain children.

Remaining undeterred, you grinned at him. "You don't need to be shy. All the other kids are really nice, and the more the merrier~"

He finally pouted at you and shot up from his crouch. "I'm not a kid!"

Now that he is standing at his full height and wasn't hidden underneath the long cloak he wore over his clothes, you saw that you greatly mistook him as a child. He just looked like one when he was curled underneath the cloak that was slightly too big for him.
"O-Oh, I'm sorry," you stood back up. "I didn't mean to offend...I just thought you wanted to join us because you kept looking over."

The orange-haired boy scowled and crossed his arms. "I was just wondering what you're doing with all those children, that's all!"

You smiled and rolled the map open for him to look. "We were coloring maps."

With a giggle, you rubbed the back of your head sheepishly. "Child or not, you are still free to join us if you're interested. It's pretty fun!"

The boy stared at the map in your hand blankly, and your hands lowered at the sight of his brows scrunching.

"I don't know how to…"

You couldn't explain what it was that you felt looking at him right now, but...you felt your heart clench reactively.

"I...I never learned geography before."

Brown eyes slid away from the map in your hands, staring off to the side pointedly.

He yelped in surprise when you abruptly grabbed his hand and pulled him forward.

"H-Hey!"

"Well, it's never too late to learn!"

You knew that better than anyone.

Returning to Ushijima, you pulled the orange-haired boy to sit next to you, handing him several brushes and the color key.

Ushijima looked back and forth between you and the newcomer but gave him a welcoming smile nonetheless. His attention was occupied by the same little girl from earlier that has found a seat in his lap.

"Here, I'm not the greatest at geography either-" especially not Hyquile's geography, "-but I'll teach you what I know. Anything else we can ask this man here!" You patted Ushijima's shoulder with a laugh, prompting the girl in his lap to giggle as well.

The boy shifted uncomfortably but accepted the brush you gave him, warily looking around at the circle of messy children with ink splattered on their clothes and cheeks, the tall man with his glasses nearly sliding off with each bounce of the child in his hold, and you smiling widely at him.

"What's your name?"

His brows furrowed as he dipped the brush in the bottle you held up to him.

"Shoyo."

Ghosts We See / ficlet 04: Hips Don't Lie

This ficlet was inspired by Hips Don't Lie [Bardcore/ Medieval Style Cover] and I recommend listening to it as you read this ficlet :)

When Oikawa Tooru, Crown Prince of Aoba, took up Iwaizumi's suggestion of taking you to the festival in Seijoh tonight, he had no idea that it would come to this.

You had been distressed as of late with everything going on, and you had always been an easy one to read. You wore your heart on your sleeve, just as Oikawa wears a smiling mask.

Attending the festival had instantly put a bright smile on your face, blindingly so, and Oikawa had found himself seeking out that light as your hand pulled on his arm, weaving your figures through the crowds and the stalls that popped up especially for tonight. Iwaizumi is nearby as always, dressed in regular clothes instead of his gleaming armor that he usually wore as a Blue Knight, following after Oikawa and you to make sure nothing happened to the Crown Prince and that you didn't drag yourself into danger as you were apt to do.

Oikawa is careful to keep his own disguise on, one hand frequently pulling down at the beret that shadowed his eyes and steadied his glasses that slid down every time you tugged him forward.

Oikawa did not know you had it in you to- how did you put it again?- 'party' the way you did. He supposed the novelty of experiencing a festival in an alternate world could fill anyone with an abundance of excitement. You tried every single food and candy, and Oikawa is more than happy to try them with you. It has been years since he ate some of these local sweets; his caretaker had been quite strict with his diet growing up, and rarely did he get to enjoy the sweeter foods his own people would often produce and eat.

Food was one thing but you did not back down from all the liquid refreshments that jolly stall owners would push into your hands and bid you to try.

Most of these beverages were alcoholic, and you had cluelessly drank the deceptively sweeter ones fairly quickly, their honeyed freshness and fruity bites easing the drinks down your throat like a flowing river. Oikawa only smiled in amusement, nursing his own woody drinks at a steadier pace. He still felt the telltale heat on his skin and a low buzz in his head, but he likes to think he could hold his liquor.

Apparently, so do you because despite his and Iwaizumi's warnings that the sugary drinks you've been having can be deceivingly strong, you had airily waved them off with giddy titters, saying you did 'shots' in your world. Whatever that meant.

"I ain't carrying her back if she passes out," Iwaizumi had grumbled in annoyance when you stepped away to happily order a cup of "their sweetest beverage!" from the next stall owner.

Oikawa laughed, his own inhibitions just slightly lowered with the substance flowing through his system, and clinked the goblet in his hand with Iwaizumi's. His childhood friend is still on his first drink. "I can carry her but I hope you'll carry me with her, at least," he joked, doubting that he would be able to safely carry anyone in his state. He still had his wits about him, but the humming in his ears told him he might not be the sturdiest of transport right now.

Iwaizumi scoffed and took a long drag from his cup, before he suddenly choked on it with wide eyes. "Please don't tell me she's-"

Brows creasing, Oikawa turned to see what made the usually steely Iwaizumi so anxious, and both his brows shot up in surprise when he saw that it was you that was the cause.

Of course it's you.

"I-I know THIS SONG?!" You hollered loudly, drunkenly (Oikawa has no doubts that the latest cup in your hand is what pushed you over the edge) to no one in particular and the gaping night air. Suddenly, you pushed your empty cup back to the store owner who fumbled with your messy pass, before rushing out towards the center of the large square where a group of musicians was infusing the festival atmosphere with jolly tunes and notes from their instruments.

"It's alternate Hips Don't Lie!" You guffawed with such pure honesty and excitement that no one in your vicinity had the heart to tell you that they had absolutely no idea what you were talking about, and merely took steps to avoid your swaying figure.

Iwaizumi straightened and placed his cup down on the table next to where they stood. "We should get her before she- ugh, no," he groaned and slapped a palm to his head in mortification.

Oikawa hadn't taken his eyes off you since the moment you rushed into the crowd of spectators with your drunken babblings. He saw the very moment you stepped up to the musicians and their dancers with a wide grin beaming across your lips, enthusiasm oozing from your very aura. The performers had shot each other and you confused looks, but it was wiped and replaced with amusement and encouraging laughter when you spun in place, and began to dance with them.

Perturbed onlookers quickly became cheering spectators, the musicians poured an additional dollop of gusto to their playing, and the dancers twirled around to your sides, giving you center stage and adapted their own movements to yours.

Oikawa hadn't noticed his feet taking him towards the front of the crowd that had begun to grow around you.

The cloth bodice you wore is a perfect fit on you, courtesy of his royal tailor, and the knee-length dress you donned lifted and swirled with your every moment. It gave Oikawa, and everyone watching, a clear, perfect view of your dancing figure.

He had no idea you could dance like that.

The length of your body twisted and flowed with a sensual fluidity that Oikawa did not have words to describe. Your chest jerked vivaciously in reversed tandem to your swirling hips, arms lifting to arc and swing in time to the beat of the music and your body. Like a gale that dared to tempt him, with each rotation and rise of your hips, your arms spread out like the wings of a bird, and you took flight in graceful circles around the lines of cheering onlookers, bottom lip bit underneath a youthful smile that spoke of freedom and release.

You were in your element.

And when you spotted him at the front of the crowd, watching you intensely with those dusky eyes that spoke of hidden knowledge, wisdom, thoughts, feelings...Oikawa couldn't help but swallow when your hooded eyes glimmered with a mischievous glint- fueled by liquid courage- and a coy smile- invigorated by rushing adrenaline- rose on your lips.

Whether you knew it or not, Oikawa is hypnotized.

Even without realizing it, Oikawa knew he was not able to stop you when you danced your way towards him with teasing steps, waist curving with a menace he can never hope to thwart, and reached your arms out to curl on, around, and all over him. The audience roared and he could hear Iwaizumi groan in mortification behind him but all Oikawa could focus on was the way you fitted your back to his chest and slid along his body; every gyration of your hips spurred by drunken fire and dizzying applause that thrummed through you from the pulsing air, seeping into Oikawa with every press of your flesh to him.

The snake charmer made the snake dance to his bidding but in the face of your beguiling eyes and bewitching body, you were the charmer that had Oikawa under your spell.

The spell was broken when you spun away and rejoined the other dancers, laughing and jumping with them in childish glees and a final hurrah of spontaneous moves just as the music came to an end. You swayed unsteadily in your finale posture, and the alcohol in your system must have decided that now is a good time to disable your legs for you stumbled forward. One of the dancers caught you, a boisterous chortle rising from them at your flushed state as another clapped you on the back for your spirit.

With a chuckle of his own, Oikawa finally moved to collect you from the performers.

"Ugghh, I'm so d-dizzy..." you muttered, momentarily choking on air as he curled an arm around your waist. Iwaizumi glared down at you but you were too dazed out to notice it.

"After all that spinning you did, I'm not surprised," Oikawa laughed, following after Iwaizumi who paved a way back to the castle through the crowd.

When you stumbled again, Oikawa promptly decided that it is easier to carry you instead. He lifted you up in his arms with ease, and your head fell against his shoulders immediately, eyes already sliding shut.

Earlier, Oikawa wasn't confident he was sober enough to be carrying anyone but you had quite efficiently woken him up.

The next morning, you refused to leave your room when you hazily, and shamefully, recalled that you threw it back on the Crown Prince of Aoba.

Notes:

1) So remember me saying I will update with a special fic on Oct 5th in the last chapter? If you haven't seen it yet, I wrote a side-fic with the GWS Miya Twins in Better Us Than Them. Note that this is a NSFW fic.

2) On the SFW side, I wrote an Atsumu one-shot called Summer Chills. For those that can't read Better Us Than Them (aka, BUTT hahaha), please redirect here for a uhh...attempted wig-snatching experience by me.

3)Also, I made a discord server for GWS/myself if any of you all are interested in interacting with fellow HQ fans, GWS readers, and me there! :) 18+ only; please note that you will be asked to provide verification (something that shows your YEAR of birth; crop/block everything else)
Discord for GWS/Renesis-JJ

Please do leave a comment if you enjoyed this, or any other works you might enjoy anywhere 3 Comments are really important to authors; it's like water to plants for us; it motivates us and inspires us a lot. Someone on Tumblr posted about the skewed effort to feedback ratio for fanfic writers and it really hit the nail on the head, since I can easily spend more than 15hrs writing one chapter, not including the time to plan the story. It really is an endurance sport.

So support the authors of the stories you read with a little time out of your day to acknowledge, with words, for their effort 3 On behalf of writers everywhere, we will really appreciate it! *bow*

Chapter 27: The Currency Known As Time

Summary:

The Summit Arc

Notes:

I passed the 1000 kudos mark a few days ago! Thank you SO much everyone for your support! I can't believe how far I've come with GWS, and how big it's gotten, both story and following wise. Really, really grateful for all your support and constant love and encouragement! 3

So I have a discord server if any of you are interested in interacting with fellow HQ fans, GWS readers, and me there! :)
We passed the one month anniversary of the server recently and I can't believe how much it has grown. Everyday I am so grateful for all the people I got to know on there, who has made my server this amazing place that has become a strangely integral part of my daily life. It's strange how much things can change in one month, with a choice made in a single day.
Please note that it is 18+ only and you will be asked to provide verification of your YEAR of birth; crop/block everything else)
Discord for GWS/Renesis-JJ

This hasn't been edited at all as it would take me another 1-2 days to edit but...
Without further ado, please enjoy Chapter 27 of Ghosts We See!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Shoyo.

He doesn't talk about himself much. Well, he talked, but less of his own accord and more to proddings.

If you asked him a question, he would answer. But if you didn't ask him a question, he didn't speak either. Conversations with Shoyo involved a lot of questions on your part.

"Do you live in Seijoh?"

"No. Just visiting."

"Ah, with family? Like a family trip?"

"No, with some friends."

"I see! That sounds fun. So where are you from originally?"

"The north."

"Which part of the north?"

"Towards the north west."

"Hmm, I'm not familiar with Hyquile's geography…"

"Me neither."

"Right, yeah, I remember you mentioned."

"Yeah."

"So you wouldn't be able to tell me where your home is even with a map?"

"...no."

"What is it called?"

"You wouldn't know it. It's not famous."

But if you touch on a topic that gets him going, Shoyo can get pretty riled up and adamant.

"But...how do you get around?"

"I read the terrain. Or follow others."

"Reading the terrain sounds a lot harder than reading a map though?"

"It isn't if you know how!"

When he gets passionate about the subject, there's always this bright glimmer in Shoyo's eyes. He has a lot of interesting things to say when the topic is right up his lane, and you've heard more about how people can read the skies and earth from him than you ever heard in your entire lifetime (then again, you've never been much of a camper).

He didn't stick around long after you invited him to color maps with Ushijima and the kids, but it was long enough for him to leave an impression on you. It's hard to forget sunkissed hair like his and the huge gap his personality takes from being withdrawn to almost childlike.

After meeting Shoyo for the first time though, you found yourself always seeking out that mop of bright orange hair whenever you ventured out of the castle, leaving Mori behind in your room as always. Actually, you're not entirely sure if you were seeking him out but you can't help but spot him around Seijoh every time since.

Orange hair isn't easy to miss.

(You've been going to the city almost every trip since you went out with Ushijima that one time. Usually, Kunimi or Kindaichi would accompany you as a safety measure at the behest of Oikawa and Ushijima...who would sometimes have Goshiki go with you if the two Blue Knight hopefuls were caught up in training, much to the chagrin of the Royal Guard.

"But Prince Ushijima, what if something were to happen whilst I am away?!"

"I will merely be in the castle, attending political talks with Prince Oikawa and his people. It is a far better use of your time and skills to go with her."

"But your safety is my utmost concern!"

"Me and Sir Tendou will be with His Royal Highness, Goshiki. Do you not trust us?"

"T-That is not what I meant, Sir Semi-"

"Goshiki my boy, even if you were in the meeting your scowl just makes it so hard for anyone to say anything to us~"

"Sir Tendou, that's-"

"Goshiki, calm," Ushijima laughed softly then.

"Compared to me, the cure to The Rot is more vital to the future of everyone."

"But-"

"You won't have to do this for very long. It's only for a few more days until he arrives.")

Shoyo never approaches you, you're always approaching him. But he never rejects your approach, even if he might squint and turn a little frown at you every time your voice reaches his ears.

When you first called out to him standing outside a quaint cafe run by an old couple, he was defensive upon sighting Kunimi behind you. The laidback guard didn't have anything against Shoyo outside the standard questions of who, what, why, and where that he performed as your escort. The same procedure was almost repeated by Kindaichi the following day when you pinched Kindaichi's gloved hand and told him to stop interrogating and scaring Shoyo.

Shoyo protested immediately. "I'm not scared!"

You blinked at his outburst and then smiled. "I know you're not. I'm just making sure you feel welcomed."

You knew what it felt like to be under scrutiny despite being innocent. Shoyo didn't deserve that just because you could be the only cure to a magical disease and you chose to associate with him.

He's a prickly fellow but you quite liked spending time with him.

Oikawa, Ushijima, and the others are often busy and were not always able to spend vast amounts of their time with you when you're around, which is understandable. Kunimi, Kindaichi, and even Goshiki with all his strictness are good people. But it was rather nice being able to talk to the people of Hyquile that didn't know who you are and that you're from another world.

It made you feel like you were blending in (fitting in) to their world, and not a mere traveler from the beyond.

Shoyo didn't give you any special treatment or placed consideration into how he talked or acted towards you, not knowing that you weren't from his world.

It made it hard to follow what he meant or was saying a lot of the time but...you liked not feeling as if you were a clueless outsider every single moment you spent in Hyquile.

Kyoutani spared a small glance as the light of the illusionary barrier that shielded the Inarizaki House from the rest of the world shimmered, the one named Akagi blankly watching him from behind the closing rift. He nodded at the dog-folk in one last farewell, a reminder in his dark eyes that should Kyoutani ever reveal anything about the fox-folks that he saw tonight, there would be consequences.

They were not beyond tracking him to the North to hunt him down. They know who he is, and who he works for...and there aren't a lot of non-humans in Seijoh, needless to mention one who served the royal family specifically.

He started on his way back to Seijoh, more than eager to step past the land that marked the West of Hyquile from the rest of the known realms. He didn't belong here, as much as he didn't belong in Seijoh. But if he had to pick, he'd pick Seijoh because at least it didn't stink of rotten wood and filthy animals there.

When he finally stopped for some rest, he could no longer see the desolate marshlands and bogs that festered across the fox-folk's land. Having witnessed the illusion barrier himself, Kyoutani wondered if the illusions stretched out this far, or if they were real remnants of the past.

He didn't linger on the thought too long though, as there was a scent in the air, intentional and palpable. Instantly Kyoutani knew that whoever it belonged to meant no harm because they meant to be discovered.

Kyoutani crossed his arms, an exhausted frown overtaking his features. "Come out."

To the side, grasslands and dried shrubbery rustled before a head of golden hair popped up.

The stranger rose from his crouch with arms raised, an easy but arrogant smile on his lips and a twinkle in his brown eyes. Large ears the same shade as his hair sat upon his head. Behind him, a golden tail was in the midst of dissipating, shedding bright strands and tufts of hair as it morphed and retracted into itself.

His clothes only consisted of a long yellow coat that remained unbutton, showcasing a lithe form of compacted muscles that were honed from a life of constant movement and natural diet. Over his shoulders was thrown a large scarf with brightly colored patterns; it hung loosely around him like a shawl, the trailing ends billowing in the night wind. The patterns were familiar to Kyoutani from his distant memories, for they were distinct to his people, long forgotten by him as they were.

Dog-folk.

Kyoutani narrowed his eyes.

"Greetings!" The stranger raised one hand up high and waved in lazy arcs.

"What do you want? I'm in a hurry," Kyoutani huffed, warily watching the stranger as he approached closer.

"I saw you entering the fox-folk's domain earlier tonight and-"

"If this is about the stupid territory feud you lot in the West have going on, I'm not interested." Kyoutani cut him off, beginning to walk away.

"No, no not at all!" The unknown stranger jogged up to Kyoutani, matching his steps with his. Kyoutani grimaced in annoyance. Already he could tell this dog-folk is going to get on his nerves.

He growled at the stranger threateningly, warning him to back off.

He raised his hands in front of him defensively but maintained a wide grin. " Easy-! We're fellow dog-folks, aren't we?"

Kyoutani didn't respond and silently continued on his way. There was a long sigh from behind him.

Intentionally loud footsteps matched his. "Yeesh, what's got you all bothered?"

"None of your business."

"Hmm, you're a dog-folk and yet you serve Aoba. Isn't that my business enough as your fellow friendly canine?"

"No."

"You're not a very nice one are you?"

No reply.

"Not like that human girl who could cure The Ro-"

Kyoutani whirled on the other male, hand flashing out to grab his throat and squeezing. The stranger's eyes widened but the nervous smile on him showed that this reaction wasn't unexpected by him.

Kyoutani snarled. "How do you know?"

No one outside Prince Oikawa's closest confidants and those accompanying the Empire Crown Prince, besides Kyoutani and the messenger sent to The Dominion, should know about you who could cure The Rot.

So how did this dog-folk know?

He couldn't have been spying when he met the Alpha-Leader of the foxes. If he were, the fox-folks would have found him out easily.

Dog-folks were good trackers, but they weren't the best at hiding their own tracks.

The stranger grabbed Kyoutani's hand, tapping at it with a plea for him to loosen his grip. And yet, there was no hint of nervousness or fear in him at all.

This guy is down-right facetious and it irked Kyoutani. He squeezed a little bit tighter and this time, the unnamed dog-folk actually started to look worried, his mouth parting for air.

"O-Oof- a-alright-" He struggled to speak through the grip Kyoutani had on him so the Aoban dog-folk shoved him to the ground. He glared down at the coughing male who rubbed gingerly at his neck.

"Answer. Now."

"Sheesh, I hoped it was just your appearance but you really aren't friendly," the stranger drawled, leaning back on two arms as he looked up at his fellow dog-folk that towered over him. He didn't look the least bothered by his current predicament.

"But that isn't my style so let's at least exchange names first. Names are very important to us dog-folks after all," he stuck his tongue out in a wide and cheeky grin, showcasing a glinting silver stone.

"I'm Terushima Yuji, chieftain of the Johzenji dog-folk tribe!...at least when my old man kicks the bucket!"

Kyoutani stood before the Alpha-Leader Kita for the second time within the last few hours, this time with Terushima next to him. He was filled with no little amount of annoyance at having to backtrack, but if what the dog-folk claims is true, then Kyoutani had nothing to lose.

He preferred not having to return to Seijoh with news that the fox-folks will not be joining the Summit. It wouldn't be his fault for he is but a messenger on this mission, but he doubts that the other soldiers and trainees in the barracks would care for details like that.

It was the one named Suna who appeared before the two dog-folks when they approached the two trees once more, which saved a lot of trouble on their end; had it been the twin foxes, another fight will likely have broken out and it'll be worse than the first round when Kyoutani fought them alone. Kyoutani did not want to think about how a fight with them that included Terushima would have gone down, considering that the playing field would be considerably leveled. Not to mention, he doesn't actually know if this Terushima can fight well.

If Suna had been surprised at seeing Kyoutani again, he did not show it. His blank expression also barely changed when he saw the additional dog-folk behind Kyoutani, tapping the top of his shoes on the ground in a rhythm carelessly.

Suna recognized Terushima immediately, remembered him as the one you healed from the forest when the feral dog-folks attacked.

It was because of this recognition that Suna had listened to Kyoutani's reasons for being back with a 'friend' barely several hours since he left.

He had half a mind to turn them away when he saw them at the gates but as soon as Terushima revealed himself to be the son of the incumbent chieftain of the Johzenji dog-folk tribe, Suna decided that this deserved a hearing. Intrigued, he allowed them another audience with Kita.

It wasn't everyday that words beyond howls and growls during random encounters in the surrounding lands were exchanged between their people.

"Last chance. Don't return again after this."

The yellow-eyed fox-folk had murmured before signaling their entrance to the same room as before. Despite his words, Suna hoped that Kita would change his mind after listening to whatever they had to say.

He, and even Aran and Akagi, had all tried to convince Kita but the young Alpha-Leader was unable to see past the fear that still held onto him.

You had been the sole human amongst an entire village of fox-folks when Kita burned with the determination to acclimatize to humanity and work on restoring Inarizaki's position in the world but this Summit would mean traveling to an entire realm of humans. Even for Kita, willing as he is to refamiliarize with humans, it is a big leap.

Had you been here, perhaps Kita wouldn't have been this reluctant?...well, it doesn't matter.

You weren't here and nothing could be done about that.

What they got instead is two dog-folks.

Dog-folks who have been hounding the fox-folks and vice versa long before Suna was ever brought into this world, ever since West Hyquile fell into a vicious cycle of war and violence.

Dark lines rimmed Kita's eyes from having his sleep interrupted the same night for yet another audience with dog-folks. He usually did not have trouble with disturbed rest, even got used to it in the early years after the massacre, but with the added exhaustion of sealing The Rot in their lake daily, Kita is very, very tired.

But he listened with rapt attention to Terushima, a fellow leader of his people like him, even if Kita was forced to take up the mantle much, much earlier where Terushima is still...waiting for his old man to keel over, as he puts it.

(Kita wondered how his life would have turned out if his own father were still alive.)

"I am the one the human girl healed by chance in the forest, many moons ago," Terushima began but was cut off by a snarl.

"I still owe ya' a bunch from back then!" Atsumu sprang to his feet in anger with his fangs bared, the upset from the feral dog-folk's attack still fresh for him.

"Atsumu, stop it." A swift slap to the head from Aran brought him back down with a grumble. Next to his brother, Osamu scrutinized Terushima closely as he scratched his belly, already empty of the onigiris you made that he ate earlier.

Grey eyes picked out every detail on the Johzenji dog-folk, recalling features Osamu still remembered from when he was first healed. Unlike his brother that liked to charge into battle headfirst most of the time, Osamu preferred the chance to analyze his opponents, if given the opportunity. Terushima had run off not long after you returned to your world that time in the forest, but Osamu remembered that he had stopped a feral dog-folk with his bare hands.

He noted the bandages wrapped around Terushima's hands and along his forearms.

A brawler.

"Suna told me as much," Kita mumbled quietly, watching the frowning Kyoutani and strangely chirpy Terushima. "I wasn't aware that the Johzenji tribe had relations with someone from Aoba…"

"Don't get the wrong idea. This fool followed me after I left," Kyoutani huffed.

"And you return here with him after Lord Kita has turned you down," Akagi said with a quirk of his brow. "Any one person would have been lucky to be granted entrance to our domain once in their lifetimes. And you've been here twice ."

"For disturbing Lord Kita's rest, this better be good," Aran started with a stern cross of his arms, mimicking Omimi across the room from him.

"Yikes, you weren't kidding about them being hostile," Terushima leaned towards Kyoutani and whispered, non too softly. Several fox ears twitched in annoyance but a soft sigh from Kita stopped any of them from creating a ruckus.

With an exasperated groan, Kyoutani dropped to the floor with a thud, crossing his legs and glared up at Terushima. "Ugh, just tell them what you told me already and stop wasting time!"

"Alright, alright! You're all such a grumpy lot!" Bemoaning his luck at the less than friendly company he found himself in, Terushima turned towards Kita and belatedly tipped his head in respect to the gentle Alpha-Leader.

"It's a long story so I hope you're wide awake," he winked but Kita just blinked slowly at Terushima. Another sigh rolled from the future chieftain.

What a tough crowd.

Well, time to put on his business face then.

"Before I was infected with The Rot, I was searching for a cure with a group of my closest brethren," Terushima sat down as he began, recounting the tale that convinced Kyoutani to bring him to the fox-folks. "Many of the dog-folks, both from my tribe and others, have been infected with it and have lost their minds...and lives, as a result."

"Explains the rise in attacks from you mutts…" Atsumu grumbled under his breath.

As if he didn't hear him, Terushima jabbed a thumb into his chest proudly. "Hence I took up the mission to look for a cure!...but we were careless, and one of us caught it without any of us realizing until it was too late. Next thing I know...well, I don't really remember much from when I was feral."

"It was like...something else took over the entirety of me. I couldn't see or hear anything beyond a deep black. I was seeing through my own eyes but everything was dark. I don't know if that makes sense."

"So you weren't conscious of anything when you were feral?" Suna questioned with great interest.

Terushima scratched his head as he pondered the question. "For the most part, no, I don't think so? It's hard to tell when I really lost all awareness to The Rot; everything blurred together. I just recall….having thoughts; thoughts that I never used to have, accumulating and getting stronger over the days, and then it's suddenly all blank and empty."

"After I recovered, I spent some time trying to recollect my memories but I don't remember much…" Terushima trailed off dejectedly but it didn't last long.

He perked back up, the dog ears morphed atop his head flopping up alongside his head. "But rather than focusing on the past, I rather focus on the future!"

"So I decided to find the one who healed me! Many of my brothers and sisters are still out there scattered and lost to The Rot, including my friends that followed me."

Terushima leveled his eyes on Kita who had been listening with his gaze trained down.

"I owe it to them to bring them back."

Dead or alive.

The unspoken words hung in the air.

"I don't blame you for not wanting anything to do with humans in general, especially after what happened to your people. I'm really sorry about that by the way. Enemies or not, it's not something I would wish on anyone."

"But as far as I understand from what I heard from Kyo here-" Terushima slapped Kyoutani on the back who growled in return, "-the only known person who can cure The Rot is in the North and the future king has literally extended an invitation for you to go there. Heck, I want an invite myself! If I were you, I wouldn't lose that chance."

Terushima shrugged. "Well, maybe you foxes don't have as much trouble with The Rot as the dog-folks and might be able to take it easy? I don't know how it is with you all but...from my own experience, The Rot doesn't discriminate: young, old, humans, fox-folk, dog-folk, cat-folk...whatever. You never know when it might strike."

Terushima leaned forward, catching Kita's downcast gaze.

"From leader to leader-"

"I thought he's the future chieftain?" Ginjima asked no one in particular.

"You want to protect your people, don't you?"

Terushima's words resounded loudly within Kita with an empathy that only came from bearing a duty that was thrust on them from birth.

"Our people have never gotten along but truth be told, I admire you," Terushima continued to say and Kita looked at him in surprise.

"Admire...me?"

Why would a dog-folk admire him? He wasn't a strong leader, not like his father; wasn't brave like Terushima who ventured out to find a cure despite the risks whilst Kita hid his people away.

"Not everyone can stand back up after what you and your people have been through, much less rebuild themselves. When all of that went down, you ensured the fox-folks survived to this day! I was still eating mud and chasing scurridaes through the woods at that age!" Terushima barked with a booming laugh, and Kita could not help but give a small smile at the jovial dog-folk.

Perhaps he should be a bit more distressed at Terushima's light address of their dark history, but Kita could not find it in him to be upset.

He thinks that Terushima will be a wonderful chieftain one day.

When Terushima came across your scent on Kyoutani, faint as it were, all he originally intended to do was follow him back to Seijoh no matter what it took. He needed you to help heal his friends and people, much like you healed him.

Spying from afar, he then watched Kyoutani enter and leave Inarizaki, then squeezed out of the grumpy dog-folk the reason for him traveling all the way from Seijoh to the West (which is no short distance). Terushima made a deal with him that if he managed to convince the fox-folks to go to the Summit, Kyoutani would take him to Seijoh (smuggle him in, really).

Honestly, Terushima wasn't sure if he could convince Kita but...he can understand his plight. The dog-folks were lucky to have not been the subject of a massacre but Terushima understood the feeling of being helpless, unable to save their own people, for The Rot has been slowly and gradually taking his as of late. And all he could do was watch.

When he left Johzenji, he had decided he would not return until he had a cure.

After being tainted by The Rot itself, then healed...his determination has only grown rather than diminished.

Because he is proof that there is a cure out there.

Namely you.

"So? Will you reconsider attending the Summit?" Kyoutani broke the silence that followed Terushima's dimming laugh.

"Yeah, think about the future of your people. Even if you don't have The Rot now, you never know!" Terushima licked his lips nervously, attentively watching Kita in an attempt to read his emotions.

His gaze followed Kita's fingers pulling at the frayed threads of the cushion.

"...I'll think about it."

"Oh, come on! I tried my best! Help a dog out, won't ya'?"

"The deal was only if you managed to convince the fox-folks to attend-"

"He said he'll think about it!"

"That is not part of the deal."

"Come onnnn!"

…

"Go away."

"Well, it doesn't count if I'm going the same direction as you, right?"

"I swear I will kill you."

"Come on brother-"

"We're not brothers."

"-I'll teach you some really cool tricks!"

"I' .A. !"

"Ow!"

"Sir Aloes!"

The enigmatic royal advisor of Aoba stopped, turning his head to the side to see you walking up to him with a nervous and what you hoped to be a friendly smile.

Green eyes stared down at you, the mask only serving to elevate the daunting impassiveness of Aloes.

"..."

"H-Hi!"

"..."

"I was-"

Aloes sighed and you stopped. Long fingers adjusted the black mask that covered his face. "Is there a reason as to why you are speaking to me?"

"N-Not in particular? I just thought, well, I haven't really spoken to you before-"

"I see. Well, we have spoken now."

"-and thought it might be a good idea to learn from one of Oikawa's most trusted advisors!"

The two of you said at the same time.

You grimaced at the awkward tension that sliced into the carefully placed gap between you and Aloes. You didn't think he would be this difficult to approach...nor that he would be this averse to speaking to you.

Perhaps it had been presumptuous of you to think that Aloes, or anyone really, would be more open to speaking with you now that you were no longer considered a suspect to any plans that might harm the Aoban Crown.

Dark brows turned up at you, and Aloe's brilliant green eyes subtly slanted, in what might perhaps be the most confused you will ever see him. "I have nothing to teach you."

"I...I see," your foot shifted around in half-circles. "...not even about magic? I hear from Oikawa that you're a talented sorcerer."

"To teach someone a higher leveled skill, they must first have a higher level basic skill. I have nothing that I can teach you," Aloes told you coolly, not a hint of effort at sugarcoating his words. There was no malice or condescension in the way he spoke to you. He was merely reciting a fact that he believed to be true.

And you found that you had no argument for him. You felt quite silly that you approached Aloes to begin with.

You had time before you had to return to your world again, and you thought you could acquaint yourself further with the people around the castle, especially the ones you haven't had the chance to speak much to yet and Aloes had immediately come to your mind.

Out of everyone who was most involved in the issue of The Rot and you, Aloes is someone you barely interacted with save for the few glances he spared you.

Aloes sighed again when you failed to say anything in response. "I'm very busy and do not have time for you regardless of your current proficiency."

You looked up as he turned away from you, a small apology for disturbing him on your lips.

His next words gave you pause.

"If you wish to improve, you're already on the right path. There is no need for any additional fancy method or grandmaster advice."

He was speaking about your slow grind on improving your focus and channeling.

You blinked in surprise at his parting words before a smile broke out.

"Thank you!"

Your voice echoed down the hall but Aloes did not spare you another glance.

"Volleyball Circle activities for the year have been shortlisted. Thank you everyone for your input and votes. We will begin fundraising and planning for upcoming activities soon, with a focus on the trips which has received a majority of votes. I will be in touch with circle staff with details by next week."

-Kita Shinsuke

You slid your phone shut as your dad pulled the car over by the curb where your brother is getting off.

"Remember to run your sheets in the laundry!"

"Yes, mother, I will," your brother laughed as he leaned away from the open car window. He waved your parents and you goodbye, shaking his head at your mother's nagging.

"Thanks for dinner dad."

"Congratulations again on your promotion, son."

"Shouldn't you be the one paying for dinner then?" You popped your head out the window and your brother rolled his eyes at you.

"I'll get the next one. When are you going to pay for dinner?" He threw back at you flawlessly and flicked your nose.

You pulled a face.

"Alright, we still have to drop off your sister and I want to avoid traffic," your dad said, pushing down on the window button and you slid back in before the window clipped you. You waved at your brother half-heartedly as the car drove off.

Squeezing between the front seats, you ignored your mother's chiding to wear your seatbelt. "I can take the train back."

Your dad huffed. "It's getting late, and there was a 'human accident' along your line. Someone jumped and the trains are delayed. Do they need to trouble others even in death-" he muttered, fingers drumming in a fast rhythm over the wheel.

"Put on your seatbelt," your mother repeated, pushing you back.

Finally listening and clicking the seatbelt into place, you yawned, a full belly easing the exhaustion from the day into your bones.

It was nice, having dinner outside with your family. It's been a while since your family did it because, despite all of you living in Tokyo, there would usually be one or two out of the four of you who wouldn't be able to make it.

It used to be your dad in your younger years, as he frequently worked late and sometimes even on the weekends. Your mother often asked if he wasn't being overworked but he denied it, saying that he enjoyed his work. And you supposed he did as even if he left early and came back late almost daily, he never complained.

In recent years though the roles have changed. It is now your brother who is often unavailable, whether because of his work, his girlfriend, or the many other activities that he involved himself in.

Long gone were the days of family trips to Tochigi for strawberry-picking in the cool March air, or kayaking down the August rivers of Okutama with your brother in the lead as your mother hollered about her kayak being unsteady, your father laughing next to her.

Your mother peeked at you over her seat corner. "How are Atsumu and Osamu by the way? It's a shame they couldn't make it tonight."

Yeah, you didn't invite them that's why. "They're fine. Causing trouble as usual."

"They've always been a rowdy pair," she laughed. "We should have them over for dinner sometime. I didn't see them when they visited a few weeks ago."

Hm, you remember. It was when they went with your brother to buy furniture soon after you got out of the hospital.

"How are your classes?" Your father asked, snapping you from your blank daze. Turning away from the Tokyo lights whizzing by, you faced your father, meeting his eyes through the mirror.

"Good. I'm not failing anything." Yet.

All the times you had to ask Suna, and sometimes even Kenma and Osamu for notes went off in your head. Did someone say something to your parents about your recent lack of focus? Did one of your teachers contact them? You didn't think your grades were being negatively affected; you had to ask for help more, sure, and maybe your assignments were getting a bit sloppy since you rushed to finish them but your grade average still had its head above the water…

"Have you thought more about what you will do once you graduate?" Your father continued to question you. Music from the radio softly filtered to the back seat, your mother quietly humming as she changed the stations.

You crossed your arms, back pushing into the cushions as if you could avoid the question if you retreated into the plush shell.

"I don't know...I thought maybe something to do with the entertainment industry..."

"As?"

After spending most of dinner paying attention to your brother, why did he have to focus on you now?

You shrugged and pointedly looked back out the window. "I'll figure it out before I graduate."

"You're still taking that business class right? You can do something with that if you intern at a good company in your third or fourth year. Your brother might be able to put in a good word for you at his company."

"But what if I want to do something related to dance?"

"We've gone over this. It's not realistic. How are you going to support yourself? What's your plan?"

"Well, if I win enough competitions-"

"What if you don't win?" His words cut the air and your mother turned down the radio.

Your father meant well, you know he did. He's just worried about you, about his youngest child who isn't as academically successful as his eldest but you could not help but flinch, chin tucking in at his voice.

"I can work as a dance teacher at a studio first. There are some big ones around Tokyo."

He sighed. "Like NOAH?"

"Yeah."

"I've been supportive of your dance activities all these years, let you pursue what you wanted but it's about time you thought about your future more seriously."

"I am serious!"

"Dance is not-"

"Come on you two, don't do this in the car. And it's not good for your blood pressure," your mother patted your father on the arm and he sighed again, tense shoulders dropping.

"I'm just worried about you. I'm not saying you should stop dancing or anything. Find a good job at a good company and continue to dance on the side as a hobby."

You didn't reply, choosing to let the city lights burn your gaze instead.

Your mother leaned around her seat again, watching you stare out the window with a worried smile. "Your dad's right though. We just want a good life for you."

"I know."

You do.

The entirety of your head burned, steamed with the doubts and worries of your parents for your future.

They were right in that you didn't yet have a clear path, and maybe you had been more than a little naive going into university so far. You thought if you won enough competitions during your four years there, stood out enough, you would be able to figure out the rest easily once you graduated. But your dad's not wrong either.

What if you didn't stand out? What if you didn't win? You hadn't actually won anything significant in the solo division so far.

The window thunked hollowly against your forehead.

You'll figure this out later.

There were more pressing matters you had to focus on, and that was the future of Hyquile in the face of The Rot.

(People are counting on you.)

The day to the Summit approaches and you've been getting restless for one obvious reason: Having them all gathered together in one area at the same time.

When you asked for the Summit to be called, your intentions and goals were pure in that you wanted them to work together, all these realms and people who you've connected with and assisted you during your time here. They helped you understand your strange situation and this fantastical world with many more wonders to discover.

You didn't want any one of them to be left alone to deal with The Rot on their own.

Yet with each tick of the clock above your teacher, with every flip of the calendar days, you began to wonder just how exactly the entire situation should be approached. Where do you even begin? Where and what do you first have to look at?

You certainly have no clue in the first place on what steps could and should be taken.

The problem: The Rot.

The current cure: You.

The solution to bringing a cure to everyone: ?

Additional notes:

- Where did this ability to cure The Rot come from?

- Is she still alive?

And those visions...you haven't had one in a while, not since before she last spoke to you.

The entirety of everything is just too big for you to comprehend or handle.

You can barely heal one person, maybe two now, without being entirely drained.

How were you even supposed to help entire realms? On top of that, the sacred lake at Inarizaki is a different matter entirely.

It's a whole damn lake.

Where do you even start?

"Those are extensive notes."

With a stuttered jolt, you looked up and around to see Refined Oikawa peering over your shoulder, one arm outstretched and propping him up against the back of the bench you sat on, fashioned from the trunk of a tree with leaves and branches still protruding from it artfully.

You placed a hand over your chest, heart beating wildly beneath your palms.

"O-Oikawa...you scared me."

Oikawa laughed, mumbling a soft apology as he walked around the bench and took a seat next to you. He gestured at the planner in your hand, curiosity gleaming in sunlit eyes.

"Did you write all of that?"

The small planner, wrapped in a soft cover of your favorite pastel, was what you usually marked down your assignments and other important dates in. Each block of date was filled with words in black, blue, red, and green, detailing what was due or what activities you had planned for that day. Assignment objectives and points were listed on lined pages. Birthdays of your friends were marked with cute stickers from the 100 Yen store. One of your most recent entries is the family dinner celebrating your brother's promotion, circled in glaring red.

And towards the back, the section of blank pages was slowly being filled with your notes on Hyquile.

The colored map you worked on with Ushijima's help is neatly folded and tucked into the clear pocket at the back of the planner.

You handed Oikawa your planner and the prince flipped to the back of the pages, long fingers gently turning each page whilst hazel eyes took with interest your notes, thoughts, and musings about Hyquile and your situation here.

Momentarily, you froze with a panic when he turned to the next page where garish red lines drawn over themselves repeatedly stood out. In bold capital, the following words took up the center:

Is she alive?

Oikawa stopped briefly at the page and you bit your lip, scrambling to find something to say to him. But before you could, he turned to the next page.

He gradually looked through the front instead, handsome brows furrowing at entries unfamiliar to him such as "SHIBUYA MELTDOWN 2NITE" and "Suns Out Guns Out!"

He passed the planner back to you with an amused smile.

"Do I want to know what 'Shibuya Meltdown' or 'Suns Out Guns Out ' even mean?"

His remark took you off guard.

Laughter bubbled up your throat, wiggling through the spaces of your fingers pressed tightly against your lips. "No, not really."

You pondered addressing the large question that is surely on both your minds, but you could not help but feel you missed the moment to do so.

(what if you only hurt him?)

A transient silence passed with the wind that blew through the royal gardens, rustling the City of Trees with the jingle of leaves.

Tokyo never made sounds like this, could never produce such a chorus.

The sounds of Tokyo are metallic and heavy: the rumbles of wheels on tracks, the honking of cars and the sputters of engines, the roaring of overhead planes, and the bustling footsteps of a metropolis that never sleeps.

It's hard to believe Hyquile faced unrest and the looming threat of a magical disease, sheltered as you are in the bubble of sunlight and green that Seijoh provided for those lucky to be within its walls.

"I noticed that your accuracy has been improving," Oikawa broke the silence. His voice mingled with the winds and rustles. The vocals to a symphony. "You don't stray as far off the mark when you arrive, and I suspect you've started being able to control where exactly you manifest."

He smirked at you, a glint in his eyes that could be mistaken for the sun. "You never arrive anywhere near my private chambers."

You could not stop your hand from lightly smacking his shoulder, your indignant gape and gasp mixing with his laugh. Gently, you touched the tree charm dangling from your wrist.

"You said that it acted as a guiding rope that was attuned to your emblem. A rope that I can hold onto and follow to where you are," you said, looking up at Oikawa. "I've only learned how to apply it."

It was an unusual sensation at first (then again, nothing about anything you were experiencing is normal or usual), feeling yourself drift off to sleep only to find a glowing line of turquoise in the darkness.

It was like remembering a fading dream when you wake; you couldn't recall in detail what happened or what you did, but you have foggy recollections of clinging tightly to the rope the first few times you traversed between the two worlds.

As you traversed more, you began to gain confidence and felt more comfortable during the crossing, and started being able to control where you wanted to awaken to an extent. Faint images of the world would shimmer and ripple in the darkness of sleep as you moved, giving you a vague indication of where you were. And the closer to the end of the rope you went, the closer you were to Oikawa's position.

You've never lucid dreamed before, but you imagined it was something like this.

"You're improving much faster than I expected you to," Oikawa says, a soft lilt in his brows and cheeks. A sense of nostalgia and remembrance.

"I don't know...I still get so tired after healing anyone... if I'm successful."

"Celebrate your successes. Healing magic is not an easy one to master."

"No?"

Oikawa shook his head in the affirmative. A branch, sturdy and polished, on the back of the bench began to grow, gliding and curling along the frame towards you. Leaves sprouted and just as the branch stopped growing right before your face, a silky white flower bloomed.

White petals tickled your neck.

"Different kinds of magic require different conditions and skills. Promoting the growth of nature that is already there requires a steady pour of energy akin to filling a cup with water. Pour too fast and it splashes. Pour too little and the effects are minimal. Pour too much and it overflows."

"And healing magic is equivalent to gathering the spilled water and bringing it back into the cup," Oikawa explains, the corner of his mouth tilting cheekily. "Have you ever gathered spilled water from a surface back into its cup easily before?"

Fair enough.

Oikawa really, really is good at teaching others (how many times have you reiterated this thought?).

It was then you recalled a question you had been meaning to ask Oikawa for a while.

"When I first returned to my world using the tree charm...the hairpin you gave me traveled with me. Did you enchant the hairpin to move between worlds too?"

"No, I did not…it went with you?" He held his chin in thought, mumbling. "I did not expect that to happen but it might be a side effect of the charm. Remember how I said the charm is an additional pathway for your magic and that things might wiggle through? This is likely one of those times."

When you come to Hyquile, you manifest in the state you were last conscious of yourself to be, like a physical projection. And as soon as you leave, everything that came with you goes too. But when the hairpin went with you to your non-magical world, it is vastly different in that nothing ever returned with you from Hyquile before that. You had mulled over the possibility of it being similar to your manifestation in Hyquile before but Oikawa's explanation made more sense.

Oikawa snapped his fingers suddenly, looking as if a light bulb had flicked on over his head. "I almost forgot why I was looking for you."

"You were looking for me? What is it?"

"The messenger we sent to The Dominion has returned. You can expect the leader of the cat-folks to be at the summit."

Oikawa delivered the news to the tiny victory clench of your fists, and you blushed at his raised brow of amusement.

"What about Kyoutani? Is he back?"

"Kyoutani sent a messenger bird ahead of him. Says his return is being delayed."

"And the fox-folks?"

"...he says they did not give an answer, and that we should not expect their attendance."

"What?"

No, why wouldn't they come?

They had The Rot in their lake and Kita wants to re-acclimatize the fox-folks with the world, didn't he? He wanted the best for his people and this would be an opportunity for him to finally revisit the world, a-and participate in acquiring a way to save their sacred lake!

"That...makes no sense. Why wouldn't they come?"

"I am not particularly familiar with everything in the West but the fox-folks underwent a bloody event that has reached even us in the North. I am not surprised if they want nothing to do with humans, with the exception of you. You are a unique case after all."

"No- they…"

Oikawa doesn't know about their lake or how significant it is to them.

He stood up, placing a hand on your shoulder and gently squeezing.

"I know you wanted them at the Summit," he said.

You really did.

Seeing that your low spirit wasn't going away any time soon, Oikawa sighed.

"I'll have Kunimi accompany you out to the city. I know just the thing that will cheer you up."

"O-Oh, no, that's okay. I don't really feel like going out today…"

"Hm. It'll be quite un-princely of me to leave a pretty maiden moping, however," he hummed with feigned innocence. "It goes against all I have been taught." Oikawa motioned for you to stand up and you did so but not without heaving a sigh.

"I wish I could take you there myself but Aloes will gripe my ear off if I skipped another meeting," he laughed and you could not help but smile alongside him.

So you allowed Kunimi to lead you into the heart of the City of Trees, down to the affluent avenue where you first met Refined Oikawa. Self-consciously you ducked your head, hoping that no one recognized you as the girl that fell face first into the middle of a royal procession.

Next to you, Kunimi snickered when he noticed the embarrassed flush of your cheeks, knowing full well what you were thinking of.

"You sure know how to make an entrance," he commented, taking a long lick of his iced treat.

"Ugh...please don't remind me," you grumbled, biting into the soft bread Kunimi bought for you at the behest of Oikawa.

Royal Cloud Bread.

Cloud not just because the piece of baked food in your hand looked like an actual cloud, white and puffy with wisps of steam fresh from the oven wafting in the air, but also because it was so soft to the touch, sweetly molding against your tongue with each bite.

And because it happens to be Prince Oikawa's favorite food, they named it Royal Cloud Bread in honor of him.

"When we were younger, every time I was upset Iwaizumi would bring this to the castle for me. I hope it can comfort you as it did me. She first introduced it to me."

You took a large bite of the sweet bread in your hand.

You stopped walking and looked at Kunimi. "I'm feeling kind of thirsty."

Kunimi threw his head back, a quiet groan bubbling from him at which you pouted. "I'll find you something."

"You can't possibly be a Blue Knight if you can't even get me a drink-"

"That's why I'm going. Wait here and don't go anywhere."

"I don't have anywhere to go anyways…" you muttered after him, finishing your bread as Kunimi disappeared into the mass of bodies.

The avenue isn't as crowded as the day of the royal procession, but there is still a fair number of people milling along the stone streets, browsing wares through glass windows and fulfilling their tasks of the day.

Someone bumped into you from behind, a male in old clothes that has seen better days, but the perpetrator didn't stop and quickly walked away, brushing you off and leaving you with a stinging sensation.

You frowned.

(you were briefly reminded of when Frosty Osamu bumped into you that time in The Dominion, before you knew the pretty cat-girl is the alternate of your friend)

Some people are so rud-

Wait a minute. Something didn't feel right.

You looked down at your wrist where a sudden sting lingered.

Where'd it go?

Where did your bracelet go?

In an instant, panic froze your heart and your head whipped to the direction the person went.

Oh no, he didn't-

It all happened so fast and so seamlessly that you didn't-

Shit!

You bolted after him.

"STOP!"

Like a racer shooting off at your signal, the thief began to run.

Heads turned in curiosity at the commotion, following your sprinting figure along the wide avenue. People jumped to the sides to avoid you barreling into them and you were yet again hit with a sharp sense of deja vu.

Weren't you running like this from the guards when you first arrived in Seijoh, only you were mistaken as a thief at that time?

Why you? Just why you?

Can't even enjoy a piece of bread in peace!

"Stop him! Thief!"

In a flurry of tattered cloth, he skidded and turned down a side street, pushing away people and carts as he went. A basket of flowers flew towards you and you cried, whipping the basket away without stopping, nearly tripping over an empty rolling barrel on the way.

You thought you were about to lose the thief when up ahead, a man who had been dining alfresco stood up, scattering his chair backward.

In one smooth motion, his arm swung out and lashed across the neck of the thief, knocking him over onto his back. Pressing one boot-clad foot down onto the thief's chest, he leaned down and pried the bracelet from his hands.

"I don't think this belongs to you."

In the background, people called for the guards as you finally caught up to the thief and your savior.

"T-Thank you-...s-so much," you managed to gasp out each stuttering word from your constricting lungs. The man nodded, dropping the bracelet from Oikawa back into your cupped hands.

Oh….no, the clasp is broken.

A pair of guards arrived, hauling the thief to his feet and securing him before thanking the unnamed man and checking on your well being.

One of the guards blinked, recognizing you from the Blue Castle. He subtly nodded at you in acknowledgment but didn't say anything.

"You need to be more careful. Where there is wealth, there will always be those who aim to take it. The shadows of greed grow with the brightening of golden coffers," the man said plainly. He uprighted the chair he had thrown back in his haste and looked at you.

He is handsome in an unassuming way, with short dark brown hair and deep rugged eyes.

"If you're thinking I need a reward, there's no need."

"But, there must be something…" You didn't have anything for him but if you explained what happened to Oikawa, or even Ushijima, they would surely be willing to offer some compensation…

"Just promise me you'll be more careful from now on. That bracelet is of no small value."

He sat back down with all intentions of continuing his now cold meal.

"I will! Thank you so much again. I really would not have known what to do if I lost this bracelet." Truly, you would not have if that thief managed to get away. You're going to have to tell Oikawa and have the clasp fixed, but never, ever, will you let the bracelet out of your sight, ever again.

Tokyo living has made you inattentive, accustomed to the relatively safe streets as you were. Never have you imagined you would experience a theft directly from your person. Compared to all the other dangerous, fantastical, and grand things happening around you in Hyquile, a bump and grab had been the furthest thing from your mind.

"Is there truly nothing I can give you in return? This bracelet is very important to me, beyond your imagination." Not only is it a gift from the future king of Aoba, on it is your key home.

"Please, let me repay you somehow."

The man placed his utensils back down when you kept insisting, tilting his head in curious amusement.

"There really isn't anything that I want or need. At least, what I do want I doubt you will be able to give."

You personally know the crown princes of two realms, including the future Emperor of the Northern territories. You're pretty confident that whatever he wanted, either Oikawa or Ushijima would be able to provide (although you do feel guilty thinking this since it is your fault for letting yourself get robbed that easily).

You wished you could tell him about the powerful friends you have. "You won't know till you try! I might have what you need!"

The man stared at you, his skin and eyes dark from the shade of the table umbrella that embraced his figure in grey, catching the tips of your feet and half of your shoulders in an equal tone.

"What's your name?" He asked.

You told him your name in a heartbeat, smiling brightly that he finally seems to be acquiescing.

"Well, since you insist on rewarding me, would you mind giving me some of your time?"

You were not expecting this answer. Money, jewels...some form of monetary reward is the usual expectation but he's asking for…

"My time?"

"Yes, if you have any to give."

"...I don't understand what you mean."

The smile he wore spoke of a young and practical wisdom learned through personal growth and experiences, that continues to grow with each passing day and moment. There's nothing new, nothing groundbreaking in the words he imparts but his bland and humble way of speech brings to common logic a solid foundation that would make even rowdy children listen.

His voice isn't soft in any way; it's low and deep, thrumming with a gentleness that is uniquely comforting.

"Time is worth more than what many people think it does. There exists only one of every second, a second that will never return nor exist again. Outside of souls, I daresay time is the most precious currency of all."

If it had been some other stranger saying this to you, the likelihood of you waving them off as someone pretentious is high. But not this person.

You sighed with a light smile, deciding to relent. He's obviously compromising due to your insistence so you will do the same for him.

"Alright, if that is what you wish."

He gestured at the empty chair across from him but you shook your head, recalling that Kunimi would be looking for you by now.

"Someone's waiting for me so I have to go now but perhaps tomorrow or the day after?"

He nodded, returning your apologetic grin with a laidback chuckle. "Like I said, if you have any to give. I often spend my time along the central bridge leading to the Blue Castle. You can seek me out there whenever you are able."

The central bridge? What a bizarre place to spend one's day at but you supposed it has a stunning view of both the city and the castle that rises majestically over it.

"Ugh, it's really not my day today. I forgot to ask for your name earlier! Sorry, but what's your name?"

"You may call me Daichi."

The thief looked up when he heard footsteps from beyond the darkness of the city cell he has been locked away in. He pushed up from the cold ground where he had been waiting, gripping the metal bars that imprisoned him for his crime.

"Hey, you're finally here! Hurry and get me out of here!"

The cloaked figure on the other side of the cell stopped right at the edge of the shadows that kept him hidden.

"Ugh, it's cold here and I'm starving. Get me out of here and help me escape the city as you promised. Oh, don't forget the money of course, heh."

"There is no money."

"W-What'd you mean there's no money? You promised if I did what you asked there would be a reward!"

"Hn." A short hum. Dismissive.

"Y-You-! I'VE SEEN YOUR FACE! I'LL JUST TELL THE GUARDS THE TRUTH AND-"

"So?"

An arm shot out, dragging him forward by the collar of his shirt, mushing his cold, sweaty face into the bars. Gloved fingers pushed into his open mouth and down his throat, forcefully sliding a pill into him.

The thief's eyes widened in horror. There is an extreme pain in his chest and-

When was he lying down again?

How long or how short had he been on the floor?

"Dead men tell no tales."

Induced heart attack.

It's here.

The Summit.

You went to bed extra early, going as far as taking melatonin to help you ease into sleep despite having exhausted yourself from dance practice during the day. Atsumu had been quite frustrated that you refused again to go out for drinks with them on a Friday night.

It's the weekend and you were tucking into bed before night had fully set.

You promised Atsumu that you'll definitely hang out soon but you had 'things' to do.

"What 'things' do ya' have to do that are more fun than comin' out with me and Samu'?!"

Osamu got Atsumu off your back but you knew from the look he shot you that he thought you were acting unlike yourself. Usually, you were quite happy to go out with them and whoever else that got dragged along, not averse to drinking yourself.

And even if it wasn't for drinks or a night out, it wasn't uncommon for the three of you to hang out during the day on Saturday or Sunday either. But you had said no to that too.

And now here you were at the castle stables, waiting with Kindaichi who had picked you up from your room at the Blue Castle where you had arrived for everyone else.

Apparently, The Summit will not be held within the castle itself and a small bit of traveling by mount will be involved.

Footsteps crunched across the green grass that stretched through the large open area.

Unable to stop your mind from going back to Atsumu and Osamu, the immense guilt you felt at constantly lying to them ate away at your insides. You're turning into a pretty shitty friend.

You sighed.

Sometimes, it feels like all you do nowadays is yawn or sigh.

"What's with the long face? It doesn't suit you at all~"

You perked up at the new voice and Kindaichi turned around to see who it was behind you. His face scrunched with a tiny scowl.

You made to look too but large hands slipping across your eyes stopped you, holding your head in place.

"Guess who!"

You laughed, already recognizing his voice the moment he spoke up.

You'll never forget this voice, not after your struggle in bringing it back to him.

"Taichi!"

The man himself beamed at you, letting you turn towards him with his raised hands still hovering by your cheeks.

Taichi's grin widened and quirked with a lilting tease.

He winked.

"Hey, savior."

Scurridae: Small woodland critters with thick silky fur. Commonly hunted by humans to fashion into winter scarves and small accessories but hunted by young dog-folks for entertainment.

Royal Cloud Bread: All good citizens of Seijoh and Aoba as a whole know that this is Crown Prince Oikawa's favorite food.

Notes:

So- I wrote a NSFW Scary Bokuto fic called The Good, The Bad, The Ugly xp

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! LOTS OF NEW PEOPLE IN ONE CHAPTER HFHJJHDJHDS And NO, they will not be part of the harem hsjhfdbbfd please, I can't.

I can also be found on Tumblr here where additional drabbles for GWS (Nightly Hoots, MC's Playlist drabble etc) are currently posted.

Do leave a comment if you enjoy my story :) I would love to hear what you think of my story! As both a reader/writer, I understand that sometimes I do not know what to say, or a kudos is enough, but reviews/comments to writers are like water to plants. It encourages & motivates us a lot more than one might think. It lets us know without a doubt that people are reading, are enjoying it, that our efforts and time are worth it. I am sure many of us also tend to write faster when shown support in the form of words :D

Chapter 28: To The Summit

Summary:

The Summit Arc

Notes:

Oh my god.
This is a monster of a chapter (okay, my chapters are always long but this felt longer than usual). I haven't struggled with a chapter like this in a hot minute, not since the Hospital Day chapter I think .;
Apologies this took a while! I won't bother you with a long A/N as I'm sure everyone just wants to jump into it!

Please know that this chapter is unedited!I wanted to share it asap, as usual. So please forgive any mistakes.
On that note, I hope you enjoy chapter 28!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

remember.

8 hoots to turn around.

Daichi.

You've wondered what he meant by giving him some of your time. Turns out he meant it quite literally in the sense that he just wanted a companion to talk to, though you could not imagine him meaning it as anything else.

Says his friends, the people he travels with, aren't very good conversationalists and that he misses the simple joy of exchanging words between two people. That there's only so much the busy old mistress of his humble lodging or wait-staffs at establishments he visits would entertain him before having to leave in a hurry. Most times, the fair ladies (and men) of Seijoh thinks he has an ulterior motive for chatting them up and wouldn't give him more than a polite smile and his ordered food. Then again, perhaps he shouldn't be trying to interrupt them during work hours.

"I'm but a lonely traveler," he said with an embarrassed laugh and red on his tanned skin. "It's hard to make new friends when you're always moving about."

"Why don't you settle down then? It sounds like you're tired of traveling."

"Hmm, sometimes I think about it, just going home and having a quiet life. But not yet. There's still so much for me to do."

Daichi's very nice. He's young but wise. He brimmed with a muted type of energy that was hard to classify.

Unlike Shoyo where it fell to you to ask questions to get anything out of him, Daichi asked you various questions about yourself, easily guiding the conversation ahead despite your vague answers on your background.

"I'm not from here but what about you?"

"Ah, I'm from Aoba Kingdom, but not Seijoh."

"Moved to Seijoh for a city life, huh?"

"Y-yeah, the village gets boring very quickly."

"Oh, I totally understand where you're coming from. I used to be bored very quickly back home too."

You found him very easy to talk to, and he quickly helped you close the initial awkward chasm that existed between strangers before they became friends. Before you realized it, you found yourself giggling at his serious face when he recounted fantastical tales, nodding with rapt attention at every twist, and absorbing his snippets of wise-sayings as if you were going to be tested on it.

He told you a lot of stories from his travels over the times you saw him. Sights and wonders he has seen, tales and rumors he has heard, water and air he has tasted. Said that he isn't from Seijoh, that he's just passing through, that he's been moving around for a while. Hasn't been back home for a long time.

The central bridge where Daichi told you to find him wasn't far from the Blue Castle.
It was easy enough for you to find your own way there and back so you had gone out to see him on your own the first time. And the second. And the third.
There wasn't any need to trouble Goshiki, Kindaichi, or Kunimi (who was a little more than upset with you for disappearing on him like that. He truly thought he had to be the one to tell Prince Oikawa and Ushijima that he lost you. You omitted mentioning the attempted theft to Oikawa when you showed him the bracelet for fixing, feeling bad enough for the trouble you had caused Kunimi).

It quickly became a routine for you to seek Daichi out at the bridge. Always at the same time. Never a minute too early or a minute too late, like clockwork Daichi would be there at the bridge for a set period of time.

When you were early, Daichi would not be there until the sun was in its usual spot in the sky. And he would leave just as soon as the mother with green dangly earrings and her young daughter would amble by for their daily walk, past the bench at the center of the bridge where you and Daichi would sit. Sometimes he would have a snack or two with him to share, and he never forgets to have a drink on hand either which he also shares; an Aoban local specialty served in a drinking pouch made from a large leaf that reminded you of what you had in Aquila (you later confirmed with Ushijima that the drink he bought for you then indeed originated from Aoba).
One time, you were so caught up in the retelling of his encounter with a creature that had no eyes or nose but possessed the sharpest of ears when he suddenly stopped, telling you it was time for him to go. You begged him not to leave you at a cliffhanger but he laughed, waving a quick goodbye.

"I'll tell you the end next time we meet."

That was about a day or two ago in Hyquile time.

(It's hard to keep track of the passage of time between your world and Hyquile at times. You can't even keep track of your class schedules.)

As those privy to information about The Summit began to flitter about in preparation, you found yourself spending more and more time with Ushijima and Oikawa, trying to learn and retain as much as you can of the things they discussed and what possible plans of action they could take to curb The Rot with only you, the one known effective cure available (and you weren't even all that effective!).

In all honesty, there wasn't a clear answer nor an efficient one.

During one of their strategizing sessions, when Ushijima sighed at yet another stump at possible negotiation routes, Oikawa had sardonically laughed, "The Summit is meant to be a peaceful discussion, a unity against a common enemy. But I can't see it going well, even if it is just The Dominion's leader in attendance. I can't predict what he will bring to the table."

"Whatever it is, he's in our domain. We have the upper hand." Iwaizumi added so smoothly and oh-so-casually from beside Oikawa immediately after that you couldn't help but snort and laugh at his joke...until you realized that no one else was laughing. He wasn't joking.

Goshiki had clapped you on the shoulder once out of embarrassment for you before walking away.

Which brings you here, looking up at a bright and grinning Taichi. With both hands on his hips and chest puffed out tall and proud, his entire visage is a far cry from when you last saw him hobbling along with Shirabu's assistance.

You could guess without being told that he was brought in to join The Summit not only because he is one of the two Royal Guards that watched over Ushijima, but also because of what Iwaizumi said…

The Summit isn't going to be held within the Blue Castle itself not just for the sake of safety and secrecy, but also as a worst-case-scenario that if anything should happen, the people of the castle and the citizenry will not be involved or aware.

It would be bad for Ushijima if word got back to his grandfather that he is allowing a political meeting with non-human folks. And though Aoba allowed a controlled number of non-humans into its borders, nothing like this Summit has ever occurred in their history before, as far as you are aware. At least, not any that ended peacefully.

You hoped nothing bad would occur but it didn't change the fact that you were overjoyed to see Taichi again, even if he is here as an added warrior on the side of the Northern realms.

The elation of your heart at his familiar and glowing face had you reaching your arms out to pull him into a hug.

"Taichi! It's so good to see you again!"

Wrapping long arms around you, Taichi lifted you high off the ground, prompting a yelp of surprise from you. His laughter, clear and loud as the day reverberated in your ears.

"Well, someone missed me!" Taichi chuckled as he placed you back down on your feet.

"You look…" You eyed the man up and down and Taichi cheekily lifted his arms up beside him, twisting left and right in a flamboyant showcase of his figure as if he was modeling the latest fashion trend. "You look great!"

He really did. His full recovery is clear in the sparkle of his eyes, the gleam of freshly cut hair, and skin that had begun to soak up the kisses of the sun. Donned in the dark uniform of a Royal Guard similar to Goshiki's, Taichi radiated the strength he had always possessed as an elite soldier of The Empire before The Rot got hold of him.

His cheeky grin turned bashful at your words and one of his hands came up to rub the back of his head. The other lifted a finger to scratch at his cheek awkwardly. "Compared to the last time you saw me, I guess I look really different now, huh?"

Your smile softened at the shift in his character from exuberant to reserved. You saw him up close when he was at his weakest; when he was at the lowest point of his life and on the verge of fading.

It was not unreasonable for him to feel self-conscious around you, who has seen him at his most vulnerable when you were still strangers.

You shook your head and smiled sincerely. "No...you still look like the same Taichi to me."

Taichi's brows and lips scrunched briefly, the only tell of the swell of gratefulness in his chest, before they were quickly swept into another audacious grin.

"I don't suppose you've changed your mind in asking for my hand in marriage?" He teased.

Before you could reply, someone else spoke up from behind him.

"It's good to see you well and up on your feet, Kawanishi."

Taichi flinched and froze at the distinguishable deep voice, but he still managed to titter a laugh as he turned around to face his prince. He straightened and saluted Ushijima who just arrived with the others in tow, a mass of towering black and purple moving across the bright green grass.

"Crown Prince Ushijima! Thank you for your kind words. I am glad to see that you are in good health."

"At ease." Ushijima waved a hand lightly in the air, brushing off Taichi's salute with the motion. He smiled at you waving in greeting from behind Taichi before returning his attention back to the man himself. "You arrived earlier than I expected. We weren't expecting you until a little later."

"Knowing Sir Kawanishi, he probably jumped into the portal before it was even ready," said Semi good-naturedly, arriving at a stop next to Ushijima.

"Well, he wouldn't be here if the portal truly wasn't ready." Goshiki stoically corrected Semi, their advisor and magic specialist of the group, the joke passing over his head completely. A line of confusion crossed his brow at the thought of Semi making such a simple mistake.

It prompted uncontrolled laughter from Tendou who did not pass up the chance to make fun of the younger male, revealing to him that Semi was joking, much to Goshiki's mortification and chagrin.

Perhaps it was petty of you, but you stepped forward and reached up to pat Goshiki on the shoulder, immediately reminding him of the time he did the exact same thing to you.

"It's okay, Goshiki. It happens to all of us."

His scowl seared the air.

Taichi laughed with an abashed grin as he looked around at his fellow comrades surrounding him before finally settling on the prince he swore his allegiance to. "I spent more time indoors in bed than I would have liked the past several weeks, as much as I enjoy sleeping as the next person. I'm happy to be back in the field and in your service, Your Highness."

Ushijima placed a welcoming hand on Taichi's shoulder accompanied with a warm smile. "Likewise, it is good to have you. I, for one, know that Goshiki is more than eager to switch certain tasks with you."

As Goshiki stuttered and denied the accusations of his prince, fending off Taichi who pulled him into a headlock with a "Come on Goshiki, don't deny it! I know you cried for me-," you took several steps back towards Kindaichi, and quietly watched the camaraderie of the group howling and jostling with each other.

Tendou joined in on the pseudo-group hug, throwing his weight on top of Taichi and Goshiki from behind. The youngest Goshiki is entirely red in the face, both from his repeated attempts at pushing off his seniors and embarrassment. Despite Goshiki's calls for Semi to help stop the rowdy Thaumamancer and Royal Guard on him, the royal advisor of The Empire merely tilted his head in apology, mouthing words of encouragement at Goshiki.

And right by them, Ushijima was laughing, shoulders bent and shaking at the antics of his retinue.

They were certainly a sight to behold: an entire group of imposing men dressed in their domineering uniforms- intimidating weapons dangling off their sides and back- laughing and acting almost like children under the blue skies of Aoba.

Taichi is no longer ailing and is back to his usual self, Goshiki and you had come to a weird sort of friendship, and you had glimpsed an understanding of Tendou's eccentric character…

And unlike when you saw him in Aquila with its grey clouds and Washijo's presence felt throughout the city, Ushijima looks just that little bit lighter. It wasn't much, and perhaps it was just a play of the golden hues on his hair and along the rims of his clothes, but for this moment now at least, he wasn't carrying whatever burdens that came with being the Crown Prince of The Empire that constantly weighed on his shoulders.

Windy Aquila and his grandfather are far, and here it is warm with his friends.

Watching them like this brought a smile to your face too. It was a very heartwarming sight, even more so when you thought about the iron-fist of Washijo's rule and the horrors of the Empire's history.

You've never met any of the others in your world, but you know from Ushiwaka that Tendou used to play volleyball with him in high school. Looking at them all huddled like this, they didn't look much different from a team of athletes enjoying each other's companionship after a good game.

Ushijima noticed your gaze on him when the shaking of his shoulders gradually settled, and he tilted his head to where you were. Olive hair swayed with his motion, and he gave you an appreciative smile.

You didn't need words to know that he is silently thanking you.

It wasn't long before Oikawa with his own retinue strode out from under the large arches of the loggia leading to the royal stables, Aloes walking closely by him as the two talked softly between themselves in hurried whispers.

As expected of a prince hosting an unprecedented political Summit, Oikawa looked just as busy as he looked the part of host, garbed in royal raiments that boasted the brilliant white and turquoise of Aoba, as opposed to Ushijima's own formidable ebony and royal purple.

Unlike those who accompanied Ushijima in their heavy-duty black uniforms that stood dark even under the harshest of lights, the Blue Knights striding in a horizontal line behind Oikawa and Aloes gleamed in their ivory armors embossed with intricate patterns that paid homage to the nature magic and roots of Aoba.

You often saw Iwaizumi, and sometimes Matsukawa and Hanamaki around but this is the first time you've seen them gathered closely together.

In a row, Iwaizumi, Matsukawa, and Hanamaki were twice as impressive and thrice as daunting in white.

Things moved quickly with Oikawa's arrival.

Fast last minute words were exchanged between Oikawa, Aloes, Ushijima, and Semi. Kindaichi was saying something about Kunimi not being present, Iwaizumi overhearing and telling him that he was sent off to find Kyotani who hasn't reported in for duty yet. Kunimi arriving at the stables soon after, out of breath, reporting that he couldn't find Kyotani though Yahaba mentioned that he already left the barracks so he should be here. Matsukawa and Hanamaki remarked about how this will possibly reflect on Kyotani should he apply for the Blue Knights Trials, and how unlike the serious honorary dog-folk they thought it was.

As all of that went on, stablehands emerged with mounts saddled and ready for everyone and you gaped in awe. You weren't sure what you had been expecting though if you were being honest, you hadn't put much thought into what you would be riding to where the Summit is to be held.

You kind of just assumed...horses.

The mounts that now crunched at the healthy grasses in a line are definitely not horses. If you were to compare them to an animal from your world, you would say they resembled elks.

Very large elks.

The creatures were tall, large, and bulky, the smallest of them easily more than two meters in height with powerful muscles. Finely brushed coats of fur ranging from the lightest beige to woody browns sheened with a hearty glow in the daylight, an indication of the meticulous care they are given at the royal stables. Each of them had a dark stripe running down from their shoulders to their haunches on either side.

But their most eye-catching feature are the large antlers protruding from their heads. They grew up and out, twisting and curling like the strong branches of the sturdiest trees with a beautiful amber lustre. On these antlers grew thin vines and leaves, hugging along its length. Several of them had small red fruits dangling from them in small bunches.

"They're called Everhorns," Taichi said as he walked up to you gawking at one of them, a safe distance from its horns. "They say their horns never stop growing, hence their names. In the wild, they would grate their antlers on rocks and trees to keep it at a manageable length which, coincidentally, also sharpens it into deadly weapons to defend themselves with."

Nodding wordlessly at Taichi's explanation, your eyes roved over every new detail of the familiar yet unfamiliar looking creature. The Everhorns were beautiful, but their size and the growth on their antlers left you bewildered. Fascinated.

Taichi ran his hand down the nose of the Everhorn closest to you. "Tamed Everhorns like these ones here have it lucky; we manage it for them so they don't have to do a day's work." He cooed at the Everhorn. "Until we need to ride them anyways."

Plucking one of the fruits from its antlers, Taichi fed it to the Everhorn before plucking one more and holding it out to you.

"Everberries," he said simply.

Gingerly pinching the fruit between two fingers, you looked between Taichi and the berry in your hand. "...it's safe to eat?"

Taichi popped one into his mouth as a demonstration with a happy hum. "Hm-hm."

Seeing that Taichi didn't keel over from food poisoning, you followed suit and ate the berry whole.

A sweet burst of flavor exploded into your mouth from the tiny berry, more than you expected from a fruit so small. It's juice is fresh with an underlying tangy hint once the initial rush of sweetness passes. Its taste reminded you of mangoes whilst the Everberry's appearance is reminiscent of slightly larger red currants.

You wished you could bring some back for Osamu to try. He would have enjoyed this as much as you, if not more.

Seeing your eyes widen in surprise and the involuntary pleased hum that left you at the taste, Taichi passed you several more berries, watching in amusement as you popped them away in succession. "I don't recommend eating any more than this. In small portions they are perfectly safe to eat but having too many quickly results in a lethal concentration of poison. The name Everberries does not just reference the Everhorn itself."

You coughed, the last berry sliding down your throat the wrong way at the unexpected revelation. "W-What? Now you tell me?!"

His laugh rang clear in the chatter and noise at the stable fields. "Don't worry, you're perfectly safe. I would say seven berries is the limit before it turns fatal."

"It's one of the Everhorns' self-defense system." Ushijima said, joining you and Taichi with an Everhorn of his own plodding after him. With a gentle tug on the reins, he maneuvered his chosen mount to a stop, neatly lined in the grazing row. "The Everhorn drops the berries to entice potential predators into eating it with its sweet taste, preemptively protecting its territory with this trap."

"Huh, that's really smart." One really can't judge a book by its covers, can they? Other than its antlers, the Everhorns looked to be peaceful creatures.

"It looks like we're going to be moving out soon," Taichi said as he glanced around. "I best pick one before all the good ones are taken up!" He exclaimed, hastily bowing towards Ushijima before jogging off down the line, examining the Everhorns for one he liked.

His words dropped a sudden realization on you.

You don't know how to ride.

A stablehand came up to you, leading a smaller Everhorn. "This one's for you, miss. She's the smallest we have so she'll be easier to control. You know how to ride, yes?"

Before you could respond, the stablehand patted the Everhorn and moved on to help Goshiki with his own Everhorn that was starting to cause a commotion.

Ride a car and train, yes. But the only experience you had with horses was when you were still a child and your parents took you on a guided horse riding experience at a local farm in Hyogo. And this is certainly no horse.

Did you ever explain to anyone here about automobiles? Shit, you can't remember clearly in your anxiousness. With sweaty palms and a nervous sweat beginning to break out, you stared dumbly at the Everhorn crunching blandly away at grass in front of you.

Your uncharacteristic silence and the obvious nervousness on your face drew Ushijima's attention.

"Do you know how to ride at all?" He asked you again although he already guessed the answer based on your current state. When you looked up at him helplessly and shook your head, a small smile lifted his lips.

"Would you like to-"

Oikawa's voice calling for you had you whipping your head over to the other Crown Prince before Ushijima could finish his sentence.

Chocolate eyes creased in excited crescents as the Aoban Prince beckoned you over to him.

"Come ride with me!"

Relieved at the offer, you didn't need to be asked twice to agree, nodding eagerly at Oikawa's offer. You turned back to Ushijima, the previous creases on your brow noticeably gone.

You smiled sheepishly. "Ah, sorry about that. You were about to say something?"

Ushijima shook his head. "No, it's nothing. You should probably head over before he leaves without you." With a faint smile, he nudged you along.

Once you were well on your way to Oikawa, Ushijima's shoulders fell ever so slightly from its proper posture as he turned around to perform a last minute check of his mount...only to come face to face with Tendou standing on the other side of his Everhorn. He rested his arm against the saddle of Ushijima's mount.

"You know, speed is of the essence in war." Tendou hummed. "You need to move fast."

Ushijima went through the straps and belts of his saddle carefully as he replied with furrowed brows. "Yes, but last I checked, we do not have armies at our gates."

Waving a hand in the air, Tendou sighed dramatically. "All's fair in love and war."

Ignoring his Thaumamancer for the moment, Ushijima focused on completing his task. When he was done, he straightened and looked at Tendou across from him with mystified eyes.

"You say many strange things with no context, my friend. Unfortunately, I do not always possess the wisdom to decipher them."

With one smooth motion, he mounted the Everhorn as Tendou whistled at the sight.

"As expected of our Crown Prince. I wouldn't be able to get on this thing without a mounting block."

Giving him an exasperated smile, Ushijima stirred his Everhorn forward, meeting Semi who was already waiting for him on his own mount.

"Then you best find one quickly. It'll be unbefitting of us to be the last."

Without any fuss, not that Tendou cared much which Everhorn he rode unlike the two younger Royal Guards, he grabbed the reins of the smallest Everhorn that was originally meant for you, impudently whispering to himself with a smirk as he followed after Ushijima, Semi trotting alongside the prince.

"Semi's job must be so hard as an advisor to a prince that doesn't even follow his own advice."

"W-Woah."

"That was a steep one. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, it just took me off guard, that's all. I honestly don't have much experience with riding."

Sitting behind Oikawa on his personal royal mount, your two arms wound tightly around his waist which he did not seem to mind. The last thing you want is to slide off the back and shatter your spine...which you were convinced is entirely possible due to the height of his royal mount, Lucus.

They found him as a youngling in the forests bordering Seijoh when workers were clearing a grove for Oikawa's fifth birthday celebration. With fair antlers growing wide and bright, and unlike other Everhorns that grew furs in varying hues of browns, Lucus had a coat so light that it was almost white. It wasn't pure white, the color being a rarity amongst Everhorns to begin with but it didn't take away from its beauty and immense value.

Young Lucus was brought back as a gift to the equally young Oikawa and has been the prince's chosen mount ever since. Together, the two painted an exalted picture of a noble rider and his majestic companion, a gleaming beacon of white light paving a path forward.

You certainly thought so when Oikawa first brought Lucus in front of you, a hand extended down to lift you up.

Your group had left the Blue Castle through an entrance that only served the upper echelons of the castle that required privacy, avoiding the sight of the citizenry as the group exited the city. The journey to the Summit's location isn't long but a steady and fast pace was kept the entire way.

Oikawa rode alongside Aloes behind Iwaizumi and Matsukawa who took point at the front and led the group, whilst Hanamaki consistently rode further up both to check that the path was clear of any possible obstacles and as a scout. Behind you is Ushijima, flanked by Goshiki and Taichi, followed by Semi and Tendou with Kindaichi and Kunimi bringing up the rear.

The thundering hooves of the Everhorns pounded in your ears as you clung tightly to Oikawa, both exhilarated and jittery at the experience of riding such a fantastical creature through the outskirts of Seijoh which you were seeing for the very first time. At the same time, each powerful push of the creature carrying you had you instinctively squeezing tighter against Oikawa, fearful that you would bounce right off.

A hand on your arm made you peek up from where you have been pressing half your face into his back. Oikawa quickly looked back at you, the pace at which Lucus is galloping never faltering. He gave you a cross between a smile and a wince, raising his voice over the drumming of hooves.

"You're going to cut off my air at this rate!"

"S-Sorry!"

"Trust me, I won't let you fall! Just relax and enjoy the views of you- of my homeland!"

In a little less than an hour since departing Seijoh, you soon arrived at a forest glade where a handful of servants, the Headmaid (who personally handled every large hospitality event in the Blue Castle), and soldiers from Seijoh were already stationed and making the necessary preparations for the Summit.

Oikawa helped you down from Lucus before a soldier came up to lead the Everhorns away. You strolled into the clearing with wide eyes, taking in everything around you.

Although a glade, elongated branches from the surrounding trees stretched over the clearing, providing cool shade from the sun while simultaneously concealing the Summit from unwanted eyes above. Nature-casters stood at the base of the trees, channeling magic that manipulated the trees to grow into the protective umbrella they now are.

At the center of the glade are three long tables fashioned from wood arranged into a U-shape. Upon closer inspection, you saw that the tables were literally grown from the ground, sturdy roots digging deep into the earth. One of the older servants who was fashioning a wooden chair with magic told you that once the Summit is over, everything will be returned to nature and the spirits. As if they were never there to begin with.

Magic sure is convenient.

You can only imagine how many issues in your world could be solved if you had magic there too.

"When they first told me that the Summit will be held elsewhere, I did not think it would be outdoors." You commented from beside Semi.

"Hm, why not? It's a beautiful day out. Though I must admit there are rarely rainy days in Seijoh, unlike back home in Aquila."

"I guess I just wasn't expecting this considering who is coming."

Semi laughed heartily. "True, usually we would host important guests like The Dominion's leader in our grandest halls and council chambers. This is just a precaution considering...well, I'm sure you know by now our policies and the status of our relationship with non-humans. This is an entirely new thing for all of us here. Alarming the people is something we wish to avoid at all costs."

Gradually, the servants and soldiers left, leaving only the main participants of the Summit in the glade. The atmosphere is soft and quiet, the only sounds being the chirping of birds and voices of Oikawa and Ushijima speaking with Aloes and Semi in their own corner.

The sound of breaking branches underfoot snapped Matsukawa, the closest to the source, to attention. In a flash, he had the broadsword on his back pointing towards the trees and where the sound came from.

From behind the thick greenery emerged Kyotani, red-faced and out of breath.

Blinking at the young dog-folk, Matsukawa sheathed his weapon just as Iwaizumi came marching up angrily.

"Kyotani! Where in the spirits have you been?!" Iwaizumi fumed, pinning stewing eyes on his charge.

"You're late." Matsukawa drawled with a lazy smile.

"Very late." Hanamaki quipped from the other side of the glade.

Kyotani shifted under Iwaizumi's angry gaze, eyes not meeting his. "I was...caught up."

"With?!"

"...something."

Matsukawa snorted, smirking broadly at Kyotani. "Mad Dog is still as terrible at lying as ever. Not that it is a bad thing. I heard talk that Iwaizumi's cousin is also a terrible liar." He shot you a sly look and you flushed with a huff at his blatant call-out in front of everyone. Tendou whispered loudly to Taichi that he never once believed that sad excuse of a lie you made, further deepening the crimson of your skin.

Iwaizumi opened his mouth with all intents to pull a straightforward answer out of the young dog-folk but Oikawa approached with a short laugh and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"He's here now, Iwaizumi. We can question him all you like later. It's almost time."

Leaning back from Kyotani with a low grumble, Iwaizumi sent him off to receive his guard tasks from Kunimi and Kindaichi who had been covering for him.

"You three stay here with Matsukawa and Hanamaki and guard the perimeter."

Ushijima turned to Goshiki and Tendou. "Tendou and Goshiki too."

"But-" Goshiki began to protest but was cut off by a hard slap on his back from Taichi as he passed by.
"It's only a short while, right? It's not like we're going far."

"It just means we can take it easy a little. Relax~" Tendou added on, waving fingers at your backs.

"But the cat-folks, Sir Tendou! What if-"

"Relax." Tendou repeated whimsically. "Nothing bad's going to happen."

If their Thaumamancer with clairvoyance said as much, then Goshiki supposed he can trust in his words.

The rest of you followed Aloes and Semi on a short walk through a thicket of trees. They led you to two burly trees with their trunks entirely hollowed, creating a gaping recess that serves as the portal exit.

A tree sapling similar to the one you saw in Seijoh when you first teleported was freshly planted between the two trees. Around it, three maps of what you presume to be Seijoh and the two coordinates given to Kuroo and Kita have been drawn into the soil.

"Two portals?" You looked at Oikawa curiously. Didn't Kyotani say that the foxes weren't coming?

"Whether they attend or not is something out of our control. All I know is that we've extended the invitation and begun preparations for their portal long before Kyotani sent news. It would be a shame to let it go to waste. If they do not turn up, then so be it."

"And besides..." Oikawa glanced down at you. "You haven't stopped hoping they would come, have you?"

With a grateful smile, you shook your head.

No, you haven't stopped.

Aloes and Semi positioned themselves in front of each tree as the rest of you stayed out of their way. They began reciting verses as magic glowed and flowed from their bodies into the trees; Semi's with a soft shade of lavender, and Aloes with green as vivid as his eyes.

"How do you feel?"

"Huh?"

You looked up at Ushijima on your left. He kept his eyes on the slowly forming portal in front of Semi. "It's been a while since you've seen them."

You glanced back down. "Yeah...I'm...excited to see them again. I really hope everyone will get along."

Ushijima didn't say anything and only continued to watch as both portals glowed and filled with a bright light.

Together, Aloes and Semi extended an arm each towards the map between their bodies. Their magic streamed down to the earth and filled the carved lines in the soil, molding and surging to light all three maps in a dazzling glow that lit up the forest.

Your eyes flinched at the intense glare but Ushijima next to you hardly batted an eye. He was used to sudden flashes of light.

The two recesses are now filled with a rippling blanket of white that shimmered and creased with a rainbow of colors like that of a bubble. For a moment, you recalled the first time you were carried through the illusion barriers of Inarizaki.

Aloes and Semi stepped back from the portals with the completion of their spells.

Silence fell across the air.

A Summit done without the authority of The Emperor, the iron-fisted ruler of the North, nor to the knowledge of the people of Aoba save for the selected and trusted few.

Leaders of non-human realms in Empire territory in a capacity that wasn't war or defeat. When was the last time such a thing happened?

As everyone waited for movement from the portals, each was filled and pulled into the world of their thoughts that this Summit brings.

Oikawa, anticipation and also uncertainty. He cannot read how things will turn out.

Ushijima, worry and a hint of dread. There is a lot of history that stemmed from The Empire.

Iwaizumi, full of guard and caution. No matter what, he will fulfill his duty.

Kawanishi, burning determination and hope. No one should go through what he did.

Semi, intellectual curiosity and as much of an open mind he can.

Aloes, an empty calm.

And you...

Will Kuroo be glad for this Summit? Or did you overstep?

Will Bokuto be with Kuroo? You hope he isn't mad he didn't get invited. Speaking of, you haven't seen Mori at all today.

And Kita, will he be here? How are things with their lake?

What about the twins? Will Atsumu or Osamu accompany their beloved Alpha-Leader? Or will it be someone else, perhaps Suna?

There was a ripple from the portal that Semi opened and all your thoughts disappeared, pushed out by the wave of emotions that welled in your chest.

A tall shadow rippled in the barrier of light, and a figure you saw recently, and yet didn't, stepped out. Striking red flared and trailed behind him, and you remembered the warmth his coat enveloped you in many moons ago, back in the comforts and safety of a tranquil mountain pagoda.

A shudder of a breath left you as his familiar commanding aura made itself known to all present.

"Kuroo."

Majestic Kuroo.

The leader of the Nekoma Dominion.

Kuroo Tetsurou.

"Kuroo!"

Joy launched you across the short distance between you and where Kuroo had barely emerged from the portal before your body collided into his in a tight embrace, something you were not given the chance to do back when he came to save you from the fox-folks. An embrace long overdue.

The force of your collision didn't even make a dent in Kuroo's balance though he did take a step back out of pure surprise, not having expected this greeting when he crossed the portal.

He had considered a row of spellcasters at the ready, a circle of swords, spears, and halberds in his face, and maybe even a Northern war mount waiting for him. He certainly did not contemplate you charging straight at him.

Firm and gentle hands came up to your shoulders, steadying you against him.

Arms squeezing tight, you craned your neck to finally meet that unforgettable pair of magnificent golden eyes and face. They were just as you remembered: impassive, and somehow…

One corner of his lips subtly lifted.

Tears pricked your eyes at the sight, emotions overwhelming you. It felt like forever since you saw him.

It has been forever.

His lips parted and his voice washed over you in the same way ocean waves caressed the shore.

"You're alright."

It wasn't a question or a breath of relief or even reassurance. It was nothing more than a statement, a matter of fact, reinforcing the words he once whispered to you in the smoky halls of a burning .

"You'll be alright."

Biting your quivering bottom lip, you grinned widely with a nod.

"I'm alright."

Suddenly, a mop of golden hair and orange ears popped out from behind Kuroo, a smaller figure leaning around his side.

"Aren't you forgetting about me?!"

"Kenma!"

You squealed at the same time Kenma did, both of you leaping at each other in tight hugs.

"Kenma!" You cried again, another round of fresh tears welling up your eyes.

"I can't believe it! It's been so long!"

Energetic Kenma jumped up and down with you still in his hold, your laughters bouncing off the trees in echoes. He grabbed your shoulders and pushed you back suddenly, surprising you at the abrupt change.

"I'm so sorry you got taken away! I wasn't able to stop them-!"
"Oh no, Kenma! That isn't your fault at all-"

"It was my fault! I wasn't strong enough-"

"No! Just no! I never once thought it was your fault so please don't-"

"I brought you some milk tea! It will never make up for what happened-"

"I really missed your milk tea! But no, you don't have to-"

A very soft sigh sliced into yours and Kenma's blundering shrieking. Both of you turned to the side to see Kuroo with his arms crossed, staring blankly down at you and Kenma. Almost admonishingly.

Realizing that you have been acting in such an uncontrolled and childish manner right in front of Kuroo, you quickly shuffled back from Kenma with a blush just as he did the same.

"S-Sorry, Kuroo." Kenma dipped his head and apologized.

It didn't escape your notice that Kenma did not address Kuroo with a title, something that he used to do often even as Kuroo repeatedly told him not to.

This change, though small, emphasized the time since you last saw anyone from The Dominion.

Just as you have changed, so did Kenma.

Someone politely cleared their throat, bringing your attention back to the group that had witnessed your embarrassing spectacle. You grimaced and mentally scolded yourself for not having better self-control.

Oikawa stepped forward with a welcoming but tight smile, torso leaning slightly in a polite bow.

"Welcome to The Kingdom of Aoba, Kuroo Tetsurou. I'm Oikawa Tooru, Crown Prince of Aoba. Thank you for accepting our invitation."

Kuroo strode towards Oikawa, Kenma close behind him.

His cat-eyes quickly grazed over everyone in the vicinity, noting down anything that was worthy of remembrance. Kuroo's gaze paused, flickering over the golden eagle emblem on Ushijima's lapel, then continued back to Oikawa who was wearing his most charming smile.

"No, it is I who should thank you for having us," he said.

Ushijima stepped forward next, softly dipping his head in greeting and holding out a hand.

"Welcome, Leader of the Nekoma Dominion, Kuroo Tetsurou. I'm Ushijima Wakatoshi, Crown Prince of The White Eagle Empire."

Kuroo glanced down at the hand Ushijima held out for him to shake.

Unconsciously, you began gnawing on your lips when Kuroo didn't immediately take his hand. A beat passed and right before an awkward tension could seep in, Kuroo finally shook Ushijima's hand.

You let out the breath you didn't realize you had been holding.

"It is an honor to be here," Kuroo said, then held an arm out to introduce Kenma. "This is Kozume Kenma, my right-hand and member of The Dominion's High Council."

"It's nice to meet you." Kenma greeted with his usual energy muted and subdued.

You could tell from the faint wisps of orange smoke rising from his ears that he was still ashamed and trying to make up for his earlier display in front of their hosts. In a way, it was partly your fault as well for feeding his energy with your own excitement.

The others were briefly introduced to Kuroo and Kenma before you asked the question that had been bothering you, even if you already knew the answer.

"Kuroo, is Bokuto not with you?" You know he isn't. His scary presence is definitely absent. But the portals were still open and maybe-

Kuroo shook his head dismally. "No. Unfortunately, Bokuto has long returned to Owl Vale to see to his own realm when your messenger arrived. We have yet to see him since."

"Oh…"

"Well, we'll be sure to share whatever we learn with him!" Kenma said in an attempt to cheer you up.

Yeah, Kenma's right. The two realms were close allies so whatever Kuroo knows will surely be shared with Bokuto.

Semi put away the pocket watch he had been intently staring at since Kuroo and Kenma arrived. He turned to Ushijima with lips pressed firmly.

Ushijima understood the silent message without difficulty.

"I think that will be all who are joining us," he said, motioning for Kuroo to follow after Taichi and Iwaizumi who started to head back to the glade.

"W-Wait, what about-" you wheeled around, staring intensely into the bright portal of the other tree as if you could somehow will who you desperately wished to see to appear. It hurt your eyes, swirls beginning to dot your vision. A hand lightly tugged your shoulder, saving your sight from the blinding light.

Oikawa frowned down at you. "You'll hurt your eyes if you do that."

"But Inarizaki…"

"The portal's closing...I don't think they're coming."

Sure enough, the portal that brought Kuroo over was already dissipating into the air, light particles drifting and swirling away. The same process has already begun on the other portal that was meant for the fox-folks.

Oikawa squeezed your shoulder comfortingly, eyes apologetic and imploring you to come along. "I'm sorry."

With reluctant and heavy steps, you trailed slowly behind Oikawa. But the feeling in your chest wouldn't go away.

You really wanted them here. They need to be here.

Not just for the sake of their lakes but also because Kita wished to restore the fox-folks to the world, didn't he?

He dreamt of seeing the other realms beyond his own borders, didn't he?

You stopped and looked back towards the Inarizaki portal.

The portal from The Dominion has almost disappeared completely, whilst the base of its counterpart was nothing more than a mass of floating particles.

You kept staring, wishing, hoping-

Ignoring the calls of your name from up ahead.

Unheeding Taichi who backtracked to get you.

The Inarizaki portal is now half its original height.

And that's when you saw it.

A ripple.

With a gasp, you fully whirled towards the portal, rubbing your eyes furiously. Were your eyes playing tricks on you, already faulty from earlier?

You were sure you didn't imagine that.

Another ripple.

"Is that-" Taichi began but your loud cry of what he can only describe as victory overrode him.

"Someone's coming through!"

Two figures dived through the quickly fading portal, their bodies rolling smoothly across the ground to break their momentum.

Relief flooded your entire body and the desperate frown on your face beamed into a smile.

"Kita! Suna!"

At their names, the two looked up from their crouch to see you running towards them. A smile broke out on Kita's face and he was about to get up to meet you halfway when roaring voices from the other side of the portal cut into this side of the world.

"Arrrrghhhh! " Two voices.

"Jump, 'Tsumu!"

"I know, 'Samu!"

From the narrow slit that the portal had been reduced to, two lithe foxes dove in, barely making it through before the portal closed and dispersed on the ends of their tails, clipping off a tuft of golden fur and strands of grey. The two foxes landed without the elegance and grace of Kita and Suna, one considerably worse than the other.

The grey fox tumbled once, twice, before it managed to right itself onto its four feet.

Whilst the golden one, unable to stop its momentum, bowled over several times - painfully - and finally stopped when it forcibly morphed back into Atsumu. His legs dropped from its raised position in the air to the ground lifelessly with a loud thud.

"Atsumu. Osamu." Kita's brows furrowed in confusion at the twins. They were not supposed to be here.

Suna sighed, unimpressed at the twins' entrance. He had expected this to happen and yet he still found himself in disbelief.

"Uh…"

Four pairs of eyes converged on you, your eyes bulging widely at what just happened. The happiness that they were here has not diminished the least, but you did not expect all four of them.

"Wow," Taichiremarked, blinking dumbfoundedly from what he just witnessed.

"First we weren't going to get any fox-folks and now we have four ?"

After the dramatic entrance of the fox-folks, things were...hectic, for a while.

Customary refreshments were served, brought out by the few servants from a camp that had been set-up nearby.

This short time was meant so that amiable introductions and conversations to briefly acquaint everyone with each other could be done before the Summit began. Since, in general, folks are happy when their throats are soothed by a refreshing drink.

At least, that was the intention of such sessions as hosts of anything, according to the Seijoh Headmaid.

Obviously, the unexpected entrance of Atsumu and Osamu quickly became a headache for Kita and an annoyance for Suna, as one of the reasons why Kita denied letting them come in the first place is precisely this.

"I see ya' healed up well from our fight," Osamu drawled haughtily at Kenma as soon as he spotted him, a large pitcher of juice in hand. Instead of taking the cup the poor nervous servant brought, Osamu had taken the entire pitcher from the tray instead. He shamelessly chugged it without care for the bewildered eyes around him.

Kenma had let out a sound from deep within his throat that was akin to a hiss at Osamu's taunt. His orange ears were straight on the alert, short fur raised in agitation. He never retaliated, choosing to stick to Kuroo and focus as much as possible on the conversation taking place between Oikawa and Kuroo. He did not want to bring shame to his leader a second time in such a short period.

However, the constant tapping of his feet and flicking tail gave Kenma's distress away; he knew the fox-folks had been invited but he hadn't expected his attackers would be here at the Summit.

Next to Osamu, Atsumu kept shooting threatening looks at everyone, in particular Kuroo, growling every single time Kuroo even moved or spoke. He hasn't forgotten his fight with Kuroo in the forest.

Kuroo, for his part, focused his attention on things that took priority at this Summit and that was relations with The Empire and Aoba. It wasn't the arsonist that set fire to ; here is not the time nor place for that...although he might personally have a word with Kita later.

On top of all that, Kyotani is also throwing narrowed eyes at the twins whenever he passed by the glade on his patrol route around the area. One didn't need to be present to guess what happened when Kyotani went to meet the fox-folks.

With the aggressive energy that the twin fox-folks and dog-folk were putting out, further intensified by the cat-folk's passive defense against it, Goshiki constantly had his hand on the handle of his weapon, eyes darting non-stop at all the non-humans that flooded the vicinity.

And Tendou did absolutely nothing to assuage the young Royal Guard, instead having fun pointing out minute details the foxes or cats did that made Goshiki even more hyperaware. Semi's chidings for him to stop lest he sparked something went unheeded, much to his exasperation.

Matsukawa and Hanamaki were continuously on their guard too, broad shoulders tense and straight unlike how laidback they usually were. Never straying far from Oikawa, Iwaizumi watched everything like a hawk- humans and non-humans alike.

Aloes removed himself from the scene, remaining at the edge of the glade but close enough that he can still hear what Oikawa is saying to the others. He did not look too friendly in the eyes of the animal-folks.

All of this added on to the nervous wreck that is already Kita Shinsuke. Despite Ushijima's efforts to make light conversation with him, Kita barely responded with anything of substance, his senses on hyper-alert and flinching whenever someone of The Empire or Aoba walked by. Even the elderly Headmaid with her kind smile did not put Kita at ease, taking large steps to distance himself from her when she personally brought him a drink.

He confined himself to his chair at the table since.

Now that he is actually here in Aoba, amongst humans (and some were heavily armored and weaponed), he is actually glad the twins decided to disobey his orders and came after him and Suna.

They were volatile but Kita knew without a doubt that they had his back. It didn't mean that he did not trust Suna. Atsumu and Osamu were just two of their best fighters. Indisputably so.

Suna is capable in a fight in his own rights, but it is Suna's wits that Kita wanted here with him at the Summit. Most importantly, Kita brought him and not Aran because he also shared his views that not all of humanity is the same, which will be crucial in a political council with other human nations. Suna is also the most diplomatically inclined...not that it mattered much now when the twins' presence alone is razing any and all seeds of diplomacy before Suna can sow them.

No one had been expecting things to be peaceful to begin with but you didn't expect it to be this tense either. Though humans and non-humans alike moved around each other exchanging pleasantries, there is a prickle in the air that made your back stiff.

It would have been easier to navigate if everyone had been blatantly arguing or outright fighting. In the current situation, outside of the obvious divide between humans and non-humans, you don't know what each side is thinking or feeling.

The glade is a literal minefield.

One wrong step on the wrong toe and it would set off the entire place in an explosive chain reaction.

You wanted to check in with Kita and Suna, for you were not afforded the chance to do so earlier.

Their loud arrival (well, Atsumu and Osamu's really) had attracted the attention of Iwaizumi who had charged back at the commotion, armed.

A fight almost broke out when the twins reacted to his offensive stance with bared fangs. It didn't help that Kita didn't say anything to stop them either; he too had been distressed at the sudden appearance of the angry-looking Blue Knight. And his distress only further agitated Atsumu and Osamu's hostility.

Your worst nightmare of the Summit was only avoided with Taichi's and Suna's quick intervention.

Suna had jumped in front of the twins, barring them from lunging at Iwaizumi while Taichi- having witnessed the entire thing, knew that the fox-folks were not attacking and had only noisily blundered their arrivals- pushed down Iwaizumi's armed hands with a placating one.

With such a strained mood hanging over everyone, it had been difficult to approach them.

It isn't any easier now either, but you figured that things wasn't going to change and decided to bite the bullet.

Just as you were about to make your way to where Kita sat with his body hunched in on himself, clearly feeling out of place, Kuroo sat himself down on the center chair at the table opposite of where Kita is, placing him directly across from the Alpha-Leader. Crossing his arms, his golden eyes fell on Kita, then continued on to find Oikawa and Ushijima.

A silent signal for the Summit to take place.

The time for forced pleasantries is over.

Kita licked his lips, feeling insanely parched even with his cup emptied. Though Kuroo is a cat-folk and knowing the reports from Suna and the twins about him after their fight, Kita still felt the immense pressure of his impassive eyes and cold aura.

...a part of him wished he was a strong leader like Kuroo.

As soon as Ushijima and Oikawa took their seats next to each other at the center table, everyone moved to their respective sides: Kenma to Kuroo's right. Suna to Kita's with the twins plopping down one after the other next to him, much to his dismay. Aloes went to Oikawa's left and Semi to Ushijima's right.

Iwaizumi remained standing, as did Goshiki and Taichi. Kunimi, Kindaichi, and Kyotani continued patrolling the glade perimeters with the soldiers.

And Tendou…

The Thaumamancer snickered as he watched you move around awkwardly, body shifting left and right, uncertainty as to where you should go clear on your face.

It felt like the first day of college all over again.

Do you sit with Kuroo and The Dominion?

With Kita and the fox-folks?

Or were you supposed to join Ushijima and Oikawa at the center table?

"Lil' birdie! Why don't you sit over here~?"

Tendou pulled the chair next to Kita out for you, startling the Alpha-Leader. Crimson eyes closed into crescents.

Oikawa's brows creased at Tendou. "We have seats here."

Tendou's eyes turned into even sharper crescents. "Well, it's not very polite to our guests for us to not mix around with them, is it?" He waved you down again, insistently, demanding like a child.

Kenma perked up. "You can also sit with us-"

Red eyes slid over to him. His cat ears went up in orange smoke. Kenma pushed back into his chair.

Tendou bounced the chair in its place, lifting it slightly and dropping it back on the ground again, emphasizing that you should sit there.

"Tendou, enough. She is free to sit where she wants." Ushijima finally admonished his Thaumamancer although Tendou wasn't the least bit bothered. This is a common occurrence for them.

At this point, it would be even more awkward if you did not take the...offered seat by Tendou. So you made your way over to Kita, passing by the twins who scrunched their noses at you, and Suna who gave you a passing nod and glance.

Tendou held the chair out for you, pushing it in when you sat; you couldn't tell if he was sincerely being a gentleman or if this was some weird mock gallantry. Whichever the case, pondering over the eccentric Thaumamancer's actions will do you no good.

You turned to Kita instead.

And smiled.

"Hey."

The change was immediate.

Kita's face lightened, the uneasy clouds that hovered over him from the very moment he arrived dispersing to give way to gentle russet eyes. The heavy shawl of apprehension around him fluttered away at the sight of your familiar smile and his shoulders lifted.

"Hi."

After having spent most of his life secluded from humans, being surrounded by so many of them in such a close capacity had thrown Kita down a man-made hole he saw coming but didn't know how to avoid. He couldn't get out of it, as much as he tried. He still isn't out of it, is still stuck in the dark grave of fear, insecurities, and apprehension that humans have put him in.

But suddenly having you sitting next to him, sharing a smile and a simple greeting as if you were about to begin a round of stretching with the sun warming your necks on the edges of the rice fields of Inarizaki...Kita felt better.

You were one of the first humans to show him kindness, even as you were surrounded by the hate and abhor of his people. In a way, you experienced the same hate they had been subjected to.

Yet you came out of it with a heart full of compassion.

He admired you for that.

The effect you had on the meek Alpha-Leader did not go unnoticed.

Those aware of Tendou's abilities wondered if he knew this would happen but Tendou himself gave no indication that he did. Even when Ushijima looked at Tendou expectantly, the Thaumamancer merely shrugged and settled into his chair next to Semi, yawning sleepily into an arm.

With everyone finally seated, Oikawa took the lead as host to begin the discussions.

Ever the gracious prince, he began with welcoming and thanking The Dominion and Inarizaki House for attending a second time, moving on to explaining how it is the Summit came to be, shooting you a smile when he did. Kenma grinned at you from the other side, pride that his friend achieved this evident on his face.

You flushed and fidgeted under the attention but it didn't last long.

"Let's begin with what we know of The Ro-"

hoot

Several ears twitched, namely Kenma and the fox-folks.

Kuroo's eyes narrowed, mind already processing several dozen different scenarios that could possibly play out from now.

(What are the chances? He wouldn't- no, he's brazen but…)

Kuroo closed his eyes.

(No, he absolutely would.)

hoot, hoot

This time, Oikawa paused and Ushijima frowned.

hoot hoot hoot

You looked up.

Was that-

hoot hoot

"M-Mori?"

You paled at the sight of the tiny owl fluttering above the glade, slowly making his way down the magically grown branches and leaves that shielded the area. The thick canopy hampered his progress, even with his tiny body.

You haven't seen Mori since you arrived today but you did not expect to see him here! Did he follow you?

He isn't supposed to be here! Other than Oikawa and Iwaizumi, the others did not know about Mori! Iwaizumi is going to kill you! He told you to keep Mori hidden from the rest and here he is, flying above in plain view for everyone to see.

You stood up, the chair toppling in your nervous haste as you stared up at Mori in disbelief. Your heart was beating so loud in your chest that you were sure even Kenma and Kuroo could hear it from the other side.

"Is he yours?" Ushijima asked you. He scrutinized the tiny bird flapping down towards you.

His question was answered when Mori landed on the table right in front of you.

Atsumu and Osamu peeked around Suna to look at Mori with childish curiosity. They've seen owls before but this is their first time seeing Mori's species. They don't often have owls in their territory.

"That's one tiny-ass owl," Atsumu sniggered.

"I wonder if it tastes good…" Osamu licked his lips.

Gaping at Osamu in horror, you scooped Mori into your arms protectively.

Aloes looked at Oikawa, noting the mild surprise on his face. An intelligent person like Aloes figured it out quickly enough. "It seems you are aware of her possession of this avian, Your Highness."

"I heard talk about him but this is my first time seeing him…" Oikawa admitted to his royal advisor with a guilty wince, clearly aware that he might have broken his own kingdom's laws.

Eager to avoid the piercing gaze of Aloes and address the minor interruption, Oikawa gestured at the bird in your arms. "Why did you bring him?"

"I-I'm sorry, but I didn't-"

"NO! GET BACK HERE!"

"I'M REALLY SORRY BUT YOU KNOW THAT I- HEEEY! THAT'S DANGEROUS! WATCH IT!"

The sounds of clamorous rustling and snapping of leaves, roots, and branches reached the glade.

Matsukawa and Hanamaki jumped to action, quickly closing in on the side of the glade where the raucous approach of someone running through the forest came.

"What is it now?" Matsukawa gritted, broadsword raised in front of him. Didn't he do something like this earlier today because of Kyotani? Here he thought it was going to be a peaceful day and that he can just take it easy. But the whole thing's barely started and already there were so many things going wrong!

An ivory spear twirled flashily in the air next to him, courtesy of Hanamaki.

Matsukawa snorted at his friend's flashy display. What a show-off.

"Is it just me or did that sound like Kyotani?" Hanamaki drawled, ignoring Matsukawa's dismissal of his performance.

"Does it-" Matsukawa sucked in a breath and heaved his weapon up, "-matter?!"

He swung just as a blur of yellow burst through the thicket of trees.

"Oh- YIKES!"

The yellow blur disappeared, and his sword swung through empty air.

"What the-?" Hanamaki swiped his spear at the speedy yellow blur that had shrunk to avoid Matsukawa's attack. "A dog?!"

The golden-furred dog scampered towards the center of the glade, zig-zagging all over.

Kyotani stumbled in then, disheveled and evidence of a fight all over him. Kunimi and Kindaichi followed right behind. They didn't look any better than Kyotani.

Matsukawa snapped at Kyotani, but not out of anger towards their own dog-folk. "Did you bring a friend or something?!"

"No, he- I can explain-"

The intruding dog, one you can only describe as a golden retriever, tumbled and morphed back into his human form just as Taichi and Goshiki leaped at him and apprehended him before he got too close.

"W-Wait, let me explain!"

For the umpteenth time that day, your eyes widened in shock. You recognized him!

"It's you!" You exclaimed, pointing at him.

"OOH! It's you!" He pointed back.

"AHHH! It's you!" The twins shot up from their own seats, also pointing at the latest intruder.

"That Johzenji mutt! Teru-...Terusomething!"

"It's Terushima ya' idiot!"

"Ohhh, hey! You all came! We meet again!" Terushima tried to wave at the fox-folks but when he was unable to due to Taichi and Goshiki locking either of his arms, he waved his head left and right instead. He had the makings of a bird-folk in him.

"Wait, you know him?" You looked from the twins to Suna, then to Kita, incredulously. Terushima ran off as soon as he was healed as far as you know, so when did they meet?

"Do you know him?" Oikawa asked you the same question.

Oikawa has been trained since young to remain pleasant through the most convoluted of situations (a necessary skill as politics and dealings with nobles often devolved into utter chaos when someone even breathed incorrectly) but even he had his limits.

He already knew that the Summit wasn't going to be easy and that they didn't have a clear plan for how to resolve the multiple issues at hand but things were derailing faster than an ice cube can melt in a desert!

Annoyance pinched at his stomach.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Oikawa saw Aloes lean back languidly and merely shake his head at the rotshow unfolding rapidly before them.

What was he even paying Aloes for?

Tendou was cackling uncontrollably, enjoying everything way too much.

Ushijima rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. "Did you know this will happen, Tendou?"

"I- I might have- ha-haHAHA!" Tendou tried to speak but continued to double over in his seat, hugging his stomach so tight it was a miracle he can even breathe. "-but I wasn't sure- HAHAHA-"

Ushijima gave up on expecting a clear answer from his Thaumamancer, debilitated by laughter as he is.

Through all of this, you had a clear sight of Kuroo sitting calmly at his table, arms crossed and unmoving.

You always knew that Kuroo is calm, impassive, but to not even bat an eye at all of this is quite a feat. You had to admit that it is pretty impressive. Even Kenma was trying to make sense of everything happening, head whipping left and right as he tried to keep up with everything unfolding one after the other.

It was as if to Kuroo, none of this mattered because he's seen worse. Or was expecting worse.

But you can't see how this circus can crumble even further-

Two large arcs of pure wind sliced through the canopy above!

"What in the spirits-?!"

Iwaizumi leaped across the table, landing in a defensive stance in front of Oikawa. Immediately, he swung his arm up in an uppercut, and hard pillars of roots broke through the earth in tandem to his motion, shooting up towards the newly opened hole in the canopy.

You tried to look but the sudden shower of glaring daylight had you flinching, eyes closing in an attempt to adjust to the abrupt change in light.

Claws of wind burst down from above, cutting Iwaizumi's conjured roots into strips of wood.

Sticks, grass, leaves, loose stones, and cups scattered and blew everywhere from the gales.

You screamed at the powerful gusts tearing the area, instinctively shielding Mori with your arms. You felt someone cover your head from the flurry of debris, peeking up to see Kita with one arm around you, the trailing ends of his sleeves shielding your face. His other arm protected his own.

Suna stood by you and Kita with one arm held out in front of your figures, making himself an additional layer of protection against the sharp scraps that continued to whirl in the air.

The twins were on their guard next to him, ready to maul the new intruder (ironically) should they make the mistake of targeting Kita.

On the other side, Oikawa had a wall of wood raised before him as Aloes continued to sit relaxedly in his chair, green eyes lowered and hooded as if he was sleepy, or contemplating.

Tendou was another that didn't move at all though he had no need to. Semi is living up to his role as their magic specialist with a complex shield conjured around all of them.

Which was a good thing because Ushijima had not even bothered to try to protect himself, knowing that one of his retainers would.

A dark shadow fell across the glade.

The shadow plunged down and landed without a sound despite the speed with which it plummeted.

Large silver wings spread in the air.

No...way.

"Bokuto…"

Not far behind him, Akaashi glided down next though unlike his leader, he avoided the center spotlight and dropped behind Kuroo instead, sticking to the shades.

The leader of Owl Vale straightened up, head held high and proud, his wings flapping lazily behind him. He rotated his body, looking around the glade slowly, unbothered by the fact that Iwaizumi and the other Blue Knights had him surrounded. His gaze passed over you, large golden eyes piercing within you a feeling you haven't felt in a while. A feeling that only the Bokuto Koutarou of Hyquile can raise.

Bokuto ended his casual survey of the mess he caused by facing Oikawa and Ushijima. His lips twisted into a sinister smirk.

"Sorry we're late. Our invitation got lost in the mail."

Kuroo pinched his brow...

And sighed the loudest sigh any of you present will ever hear from him for the rest of your lives.

Notes:

This was a mess of a chapter but I hoped you all enjoyed it! SO MANY CHARACTERS IN ONE PLACE-! I AM LOSING MY MIND HBFHJDSHJDS. But thank you all for actually reading through that word vomit!
Also, I made a Twitter where I will post art which I hope to do more of soon! The art I post to Tumblr can also be found here, and I might shift to posting more art there, I'm not sure yet haha but I recently drew Alt! Suna's basic design so check it out 3
Just a heads-up that the next chapter might take a while again because I will be trying to focus on writing for a collab with my brightest star. We are writing three interwoven one-shots for a HQ!Tokyo Drift AU involving Oikawa, Kita and Kuroo. As I will be handling Oikawa and Kita, I REALLY need to shift into gear on those fics as I have so much to write, as we plan to post all three chapters at the same time.
So do look out for that!

My Tumblr where additional drabbles for GWS (Nightly Hoots, MC's Playlist drabble etc) are currently posted

Do leave a comment if you enjoyed my story :) I would love to hear what you think! As both a reader/writer, I understand that sometimes I do not know what to say, or a kudos is enough, but reviews/comments to writers are like water to plants. It encourages & motivates us a lot more than one might think. It lets us know without a doubt that people are reading, are enjoying it, that our efforts and time are worth it. I am sure many of us also tend to write faster when shown support in the form of words :D

Chapter 29: The Summit

Summary:

The Summit Arc

Notes:

Oh my god, this took forever to come out. For that, I apologize if I have caused any of you to worry!
I was caught up in a lot of things the past months, with my job, future plans for this year (visa, might have to move, rent etc), rediscovered my love for drawing, and also fell headfirst into the Genshin fandom.

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS LAST CHAPTER! I still find myself going back to reread all of them one by one every other day; I usually respond to every comment but I have not been able to get back to everyone as YOU GUYS SHOWERED ME WITH SO MUCH LOVE! I was both overwhelmed by feelings and by the amount of feedback I received! You all made an author very happy T_T
I will always try to reply to everyone, it is the least I can do to show my appreciation, and will slowly get around to the remaining ones from last chapter, but I just wanted you all to know that if you did not receive a response from me, it does NOT mean that I did not appreciate it! It takes a lot of time for me to reply to everyone, and that is only because you all have been so supportive with your feedback! There is so many I really do appreciate every single one of it!

Also, I know I said in the last update that the next fic to be updated is the HQ!Tokyo Drift AU I was working on but...ahahaha...WHELP! Here's chapter 29 of GWS instead ahahaha Tokyo Drift is still being worked on, just very slowly...as well as a bunch of other HQ fics I have had in mind for a long time x.x Also...Genshin fics now too...

I had to cut this chapter off as it was going to get long and I know people were getting antsy for an update so here's a crumb! It's a bit shorter than usual but this will hopefully tide you over and feed your conspiracy theories till the next update!
This has not been edited at all, as usual, so please forgive any mistakes! I will come back to edit it after some zzzz.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Kyotani swallowed the dread that was on his tongue, wide eyes watching the scene before him in frustration.

It's too late for him to do anything about it but he could not stop the string of curses whirling in his head, berating himself for his carelessness. He should have tied that damn dog down and left him in a ditch somewhere!

Terushima (the balls on him!) really followed him all the way from Inarizaki despite Kyotani's numerous attempts to outrun or lose him. For the second time in his life, Kyotani cursed the sharp noses that dog-folks possessed.

(The first time was when he smelled the men's toilets in the barracks at an outpost in the outerlands around Aoba.)

(Spirits take his soul before he has to step anywhere near there ever again.)

The damn fool Terushima would have got himself caught and jailed by the city guards if Kyotani hadn't done something about it and snuck him in. He still hasn't managed to remove all the golden furs and scent of wet-dog that stuck to his clothes from that day, no matter how many times he washed and sun-dried them.

In exchange for saving him from the city cells, Kyotani made Terushima swear on his father the Chieftain's soul that he will not leave his room at the barracks where he's hiding him.

"But your room is so small! I'm feeling cramped just standing here!" Terushima whined, the dog ears that Kyotani kept telling him to not morph appearing on his head. It drooped with its owner's frown.

"I don't care! Just stay inside where no one will see you!"

Terushima only listened when Kyotani said he'll bring you to see him but, as it is, Kyotani doesn't actually see you that often around Seijoh. And when he does manage to catch glimpses of you at the castle, someone is either with you or Kyotani is preoccupied with another task.

Kyotani had been naive -foolish- to think that Terushima would actually hide in his room quietly and not try anything. He should have been smarter and known that Terushima would try to tail him to the Summit.

He has no one to blame but himself, is what Kyotani thought, as Terushima struggled against Taichi and Goshiki who forced him down to his knees.

"Oh come onnn, he invited himself too!" Terushima protested loudly against Goshiki twisting his arm tighter, and threw his chin toward Bokuto who hardly spared him a flicker of a glance.

"Why am I the only one getting restrained? Bird-man's right there!"

Kyotani resisted the urge to slap his forehead. Of all the things that Terushima could have said-

Kyotani thought himself a fool for his oversight, but at least he wasn't at Terushima's level. The thought that he is even remotely related to the Johzenji dog-folk irked him.

Next to him, he could feel the eyes of his Blue Knight superiors Matsukawa and Hanamaki on him, plus the questioning gazes of Kunimi and Kindaichi from behind.

Gritting his teeth, Kyotani straightened his form and schooled his expression.

What's done is done, there was no point to him overthinking it now.

He can only hope his chances of becoming a Blue Knight in the future hasn't been squashed by this incident.

"Sorry we're late. Our invitation got lost in the mail."

Kuroo pinched and rubbed his brow with two long fingers. He could feel a headache coming on.

He has dealt with a multitude of difficulties and atrocities during his time as the leader of the Dominion but Bokuto's uncalled for gate-crashing of this Summit was certainly not going to reflect well on them politically. Relations were already strained as it is with The Empire and its vassal kingdoms and states.

Bokuto did not do the Dominion or Owl Vale any favors with his flashy stunt.

"Oh come onnn, he invited himself too! Why am I the only one getting restrained? Bird-man's right there!"

Before anyone could say anything in response to the dog-folk intruder's whining, Kuroo leveled gold eyes on Bokuto.

"Once again, you never cease to amaze me with your unconventional entrances, Bokuto." Despite his words, Kuroo's tone is wholly flat and unimpressed.

From behind, Akaashi approached Kuroo and lowly whispered into his ear, "Apologies. I tried to stop him but you know how he's like..."

Large silver wings flapped in the air, tiny debris swirling around with its motion, and Bokuto's lips lifted in a menacing smile at his ally. "A Summit with the human realms and you did not bother to inform me, Kuroo? And here I thought we were friends."

If it was in his character to do so, Kuroo would have rolled his eyes at Bokuto's pettiness. "Even if we had sent out a messenger, it would not have made it to you in time for this Summit."

"Still could have sent someone," Bokuto spitefully insisted.

Oikawa waved away the guards that came from the surrounding perimeters, attracted by the loud disruptions.

Brushing the front of his clothes, he looked between Kuroo and Bokuto. "This is... unexpected. I was under the impression that Owl Vale will not be joining us today."

Kuroo glanced away from him and to the side, the only shift in his expression was the soft lowering of his eyes. Besides Kenma, the others would not have perceived the subtle change but you have seen this look once or twice during your time in the Dominion.

It was incredulity, or at least how it looks on someone as impassive as Kuroo.

"I was not expecting him either."

You stood up with the help of Kita, Mori cradled safely in your arms.

Save for a few light scratches, no one on your side of the glade has been hurt by Bokuto's extreme arrival. You couldn't say the same for the expensive-looking cups that were strewn about in the gales, however.

"Lord Kita, are you alright?!" Atsumu whirled onto Kita as soon as he deemed the situation safe to do so.

Whilst Atsumu fussed over Kita, Osamu never removed his gaze from Bokuto, distrust for the owl-folk written on his face. Though they might have temporarily worked together to fend off the feral dog-folks the last time they saw each other, they had been fighting each other up until that point.

"Owl Vale barging in is one thing," Ushijima began, his eyes assessing the damage to the area and the hole in the canopy that Bokuto opened up, "I am more concerned about this one here. He is not known to us." He gestured at Terushima who was still pressed to the ground by Goshiki and Taichi.

Terushima muffled out complaints into the soil where his face is held against, which only prompted Goshiki to press down harder on his back and Taichi to bring his weapon closer to his neck.

"What do you want us to do with him?" Taichi asked Ushijima. "The penalty for trespassing in Empire territory by a non-human is death."

"Wait-," you shifted Mori from your arms, perching him on your shoulder before moving next to Suna and Osamu. "He is the one I healed in the forests of Inarizaki," you said, informing Ushijima and the others before they could prematurely sentence him.

"That's Terushima Yuuji, future chieftain of the Johzenji dog-folk tribe," Suna provided from beside you. "He came to us alongside your dog-folk messenger. Kyotani, was it?"

At this, Aoban and Empire eyes shifted to Kyotani who stiffened under the attention. His lips parted to spew the first explanation in his head but Oikawa raised a hand, silencing him.

"Iwaizumi will have your reasons later. I rather not delay our discussions any longer than necessary," Oikawa said, barely noticeable hints of frustration lining his handsome face.

"The only thing I wish to know is whether he is a threat." Hard eyes trained on Kyotani, probing him for any sort of lie.

But there was no lie or uncertainty when Kyotani answered his prince.

"No, Your Highness."

From underneath the press of Goshiki's palm, you can see a grin lighting up Terushima's face and his eyes welling with gratitude.

"He's too stupid to be a threat."

Terushima's grin was immediately replaced with vehement protests. "Who are you- hmpoofh- callin'- hrmmpff - stupid?!"

Kyotani ignored his muffled objections and continued speaking, albeit hesitantly. "And as far as I know...he's not a bad folk. He's only looking for a cure for his people...like all of us."

"He's still an uninvited dog-folk," Goshiki interjected, pushing down against Terushima's constant struggle.

"By the laws of our realm and the Empire, his intrusion is deserving of the death penalty," Aloes said. Calm green eyes sliding up to meet Oikawa's in a needless yet necessary reminder. His chin rested elegantly against the back of a hand.

At the sight of Oikawa's brows furrowing, you shook your head fervently. "Wait, please, let him stay," you pleaded with Oikawa, then Ushijima. "The point of this Summit is to work together, is it not? It's as much his problem as it is all of ours!"

You weren't sure if it was the play of the light, but a tight smile that didn't reach the eyes, almost ironic in manner, tugged at the corners of Tendou's lips.

A part of you spiked with worry at whether he knew or saw something you didn't but you pushed it away. It didn't matter if the turn of events here led to hardship in the future if it meant sentencing an innocent life.

You don't know if Ushijima felt the same as you, but he nodded at you after a brief moment of contemplation of your plea.

"Let him go."

Ushijima commanded and signaled his two Royal Guards to release Terushima. Goshiki and Taichi blinked at Ushijima as if questioning him before recalling who it was that is speaking to them.

The Johzenji dog-folk gasped and took large breaths of air as soon as his head popped back up from the ground, scattering bits of dirt as he did so. Goshiki grimaced unhappily when some bounced off of his clothes.

Oikawa looked at Ushijima out of the corner of his eye. He trusted Kyotani, and never had any intentions to sentence Terushima to begin with, but he hesitated in answering because -frustrating as it may be- he understood that he did not have the final say in this case.

Not when Ushijima is present.

"I was not expecting that..." Oikawa mumbled.

Ushijima leaned back in his seat and smoothed out his clothes. "She is right. The Summit is meant to be a peaceful gathering against a common enemy. It will not do to start it off with bloodshed," Ushijima said sensibly.

Then he cast a soft glance at Terushima, a promise within gentle olive eyes that even Terushima can't miss. "If there is any sign of ill will from you, know that the borders of the Empire is wide and you are deep within our territory."

Terushima laughed nervously and made a mental note to never mess with Empire folks. From that small interaction alone, Terushima instinctively knew that Ushijima is not inherently bad like he was told all Empire humans to be. But he also had no doubts Ushijima will have his head if he did anything out of line on northern lands.

The lightning magic of Empire royalty is renowned even in the West, and Terushima preferred not to experience it firsthand, even if he would like to witness it in action.

"How long are we going to gaggle on like this?" Bokuto complained loudly. While Terushima's fate was being decided, Bokuto had made himself comfortable next to Kuroo, whereas Akaasshi chose to remain standing, stretching his wings after their long flight.

Kicking his legs up on the table, much to Kuroo's exasperation, Bokuto crossed both arms behind his head. "Get started already. The Rot isn't going to wait around for you to get your mutts in order."

A low growl resounded from somewhere in the glade.

Heaving a sigh, Oikawa sat back down, glad that the rotshow is finally over and the Summit can finally start. He flashed a practiced smile as if nothing happened prior and certain participating members weren't outright glaring at one another (or that Terushima is sitting cross-legged in front of you on the grass instead of sitting properly on a chair).

"Let's restart from the beginning, shall we?"

"This is...troubling," Suna muttered the understatement of the year when Kuroo finished reporting the recent spike in cases at the Dominion.

With surprisingly less difficulty than what the Summit started off with, everything you have learned during your time with Oikawa and Ushijima, plus the state of affairs at each realm was shared between everyone, to an extent.

You had kept quiet when Kita omitted the part about The Rot tainting their sacred lake specifically (it was Suna who spoke on behalf of Kita, though you had no doubts the decision was mutual between them to keep their lake a secret).

"To summarize, we're all in a big doo-doo then." Terushima piped up.

Silence.

"...It is not how I would put it but...yes." Ushijima broke the pause that followed Terushima's less than eloquent contribution.

"I'm still tryna' wrap my head around the reality that her-" Atsumu pointed at you, "-ability to cure The Rot is inherited from her alternate -who is supposedly dead in our world last I recall- because she fused her Life to her soul?! Is it just me or does any of this sound insane to anyone?!" Atsumu exclaimed with arms waving about. "This is the soul yer all talkin' about! And between worlds!"

Osamu rolled his eyes at his brother. "The reality that she is from another world that is also host to alternates of ourselves is unthinkable in the first place. It's too late to question that ya' scrub."

"Samu' ya' shi-!"

Atsumu halted in his advance on Osamu when Kuroo's voice rang across the area.

"There are many unknowns- regarding magic, souls, and the universe at large- that we have yet to discover. It would impede, rather than assist, our efforts to understand The Rot and the circumstances that brought her to Hyquile if we investigated it through the lenses of conventional knowledge."

Kuroo's words stopped the twins before another argument could begin between them; there has been enough of them since the meeting started and frankly, everyone is getting tired of it. Despite the bad blood with the cat-folks, the twins settled down and seemed to consider Kuroo's words seriously, lapsing into a contemplative silence that is highly rare for them.

"So...there is no prophecy?" Kenma's orange ears drooped as did his shoulders.

The revelation that the prophecy was merely rumors blown out of proportion was a blow to him. He has long held hope for this prophecy that he...hoped would be a lead to a cure.

And yet, Kenma realized now in hindsight, perhaps he too, had been keen and much too eager for a cure, much like the people who looked for a light to idolize during these times. So much so that he clung to the first bit of good news he heard without verifying its authenticity.

He only had himself to blame for that. He of all cat-folk should have known better than to believe the trending talk of street hawkers.

"Unfortunately, no," Semi said with a sad smile. "I am not one for such beliefs but with things as they are and how much we do not know, a prophecy would be quite welcomed. It would be better than nothing."

"It is likely the people took inspiration from tales on the creation of Hyquile and spun it into a shield to keep their fears of The Rot at bay," Semi continued.

"What is this tale about Hyquile's creation?" You asked out of curiosity seeing as everyone else seemed to know it.

"Back in ancient history, when Hyquile as we know it was nothing but formless dust floating in universal darkness, there were two great spirit entities of opposing forces that created our world and all that resided within it with their magic. One, a spirit of darkness. And the other, a spirit of light." Suna began explaining for you.

"The spirit of darkness isn't evil as you might be quick to think, however," Suna said when he saw the assumption lining your features and the pucker of your lips. Many children thought the same when they first heard the story, as did he. "Stories often take the traditional form of good versus bad, light versus dark, as its core narrative but reality is never so simple. The spirit of darkness is merely just that- an epithet. The same applies to the spirit of light."

"Our earthly bodies and corporeal souls were fashioned by the spirit of darkness. The spirit of light then 'blessed' three parts of the soul created by its counterpart, purging it of impurities. This purification resulted in the three ethereal parts of the soul, in addition to the remaining seven corporeal soul parts."

"There are many renditions and variations of this tale at present but as far as I am aware, this is the story at its simplest and most basic of forms." Suna rested against the back of his chair when he finished, slightly adjusting the collar of his robes with a small frown.

It's hotter here in Seijoh this time of the year compared to the village where they were often surrounded by magical mists; both to stave off unwanted eyes and to shield against the sun on the hottest of days. The hole that Bokuto opened up certainly did not help.

Next to him, Atsumu is practically melting over the back of his seat, golden fox ears twitching as he tiredly listened to the ongoing discussions. Suna would not be surprised if Atsumu blew a fuse soon about the heat. Ironic, considering his preferred elemental affinity.

Further down, Osamu is doing better than his brother and looks mostly undisturbed by the sunny rays. He seems to be enjoying it, in fact.

Suna's attention was brought back around when the young royal advisor to Prince Oikawa spoke.

"All this talk of prophecies and tales do not contribute to the issue at hand and is utterly meaningless as a result. Let us not dawdle on what-ifs and the past and proceed," Aloes said, voice cool and low.

You internally winced when green eyes flicked towards you and understood his implication that your question has deviated from the discussion.

"Well then, as Aloes insists-" It was then that Bokuto sat up, withdrawing his legs from the table surface (to Kuroo's unvoiced relief), and leaned forward. Sharp eyes passed over everyone in the entire glade before landing on you.

With not even a hint of hesitation, Bokuto voiced the question that had been on everyone's mind, especially yours.

"How do we rid ourselves of The Rot if mousy here is the only cure?"

It's an hour? Two?- since Bokuto planted the elephant in the room and there was no conclusion in sight.

No one can agree about the following:

One, you are but one person and your magic is clearly not up to the task of healing a multitude of people. On the other hand, The Rot continues to grow and plague entire provinces.

Two, you are but one person from another world and is thus unbound to any realm by birth or allegiance. Even if the first problem was somehow miraculously resolved, where do you even go first?

Even if the decision was left up to you, you could not have chosen…

Sure, there was a surge in cases in the Dominion but the same applies to the Empire in its entirety, Aoba included.

And even if the fox-folks did not disclose that The Rot was tainting their sacred lake, it wouldn't have mattered because The Rot is just as rampant elsewhere. The urgency to heal the lake is neither higher nor lower than the urgency to heal those of the other realms.

Suna, try as he might, will never be able to convince the others to have you attempt to cure their lake first and vice versa.

Anything and everything suggested was constantly shot down by one or all parties, and old grievances were dug up to soil any reasonings given by the others.

"You burned our homes!"

"Well ya' leader over there trespassed into our territory, alongside his friend!"

"That's because you snuck in and kidnapped one of ours!"

"One of yours? Last I checked she isn't in allegiance to anyone here."

"Well you certainly weren't a friend-"
"-And maybe you need to check yer own defenses if we could get in that easily! Not that it would have stopped us entering anyways."

"Things are suspiciously calm at Owl Vale, isn't it?"

"Spit out what you mean, fox."

"How is it that all of us here are struggling with The Rot but there have hardly been any cases in Owl Vale?"

"I'll cut off your damned tongue-"

"Lord Bokuto, I advise you refrain from doing so-"

"I'll gladly make a fool of ya' in the face of my illusions again."

This is exactly what everyone expected to happen at the Summit.

Whether it was a self-fulfilling prophecy or not is irrelevant.

It doesn't change the fact that Osamu and Bokuto were throwing barbed words at each other and Bokuto is clearly close to throwing actual daggers at the silver-haired fox-folk, stopped only by Akaashi having smartly moved to loiter in his line of sight.

Or that even Kenma is caught up in side arguments with Atsumu, having had enough of the outspoken fox-folk arguing against anything sensible (in Kenma's opinion) that Kuroo might say.

Oikawa is understandably pushing for the good of his people first even as he tried to strike up a balance and Suna's sharp wit was not allowing the Crown Prince of Aoba to get what he wanted so easily, seamlessly piercing holes into any defence Oikawa put up.

Suna also didn't like the way Aloes and Oikawa repeatedly whispered amongst themselves, too low for even his fox-ears to pick up what they were saying. Any calls for them to plainly state what they were discussing was blatantly ignored, vexing even the usually tolerant Suna.

Terushima is not helping matters either by interjecting with careless words here and there, taking up the side of whoever is speaking even if he had been supporting the opposing party seconds prior.

The flaming flints added by Terushima served as an unlimited fuel of anxiety for Kita who has been largely overlooked by the more boisterous and confident speakers present...which is everyone but him. His eyes kept darting around to the human Royal Guards and Blue Knights, and even Kyotani, fearful of a sudden ambush with the bubbling tension.

Kuroo, who you thought would be one of, if not most, tolerant and understanding of the entire situation besetting everyone has also been shockingly severe, in particular towards the Miya twins and the fox-folks as a consequence (it didn't take a genius to figure out that he wasn't going to forgive the burning of so easily) and...Ushijima, surprisingly.

"And you know not the circumstances surrounding her death?"

"...no. A body has not been found."

"She was your betrothed, was she not? I did not think you would give up so easily."

"There comes a point where one must put the past behind them."

"Is that really what you have done?"

"Is it not what you should do?"

If anything, the subdued and comparatively quiet words exchanged between Kuroo and Ushijima were more…intense.

Scathing.

The surrounding raised voices and swinging arms were dull and muted against the icy tone Kuroo leveled on Ushijima's stone-cold defense.

You had been trying to help Semi keep things as civil as possible between the various solo factions popping up but four chilly words uttered by Kuroo brought everything to a grinding halt.

"You killed my father."

...what?

It was funny, really, how no one has been listening to anyone but suddenly, they are all listening to Kuroo and Ushijima.

You swallowed the lump that had lodged itself in your throat unbeckoned, turning wide, shaky eyes to Kuroo, then to Ushijima.

Every chaotic moment that has happened in the Summit thus far could not hope to come close to the frigid air swirling between them. The sky, which had been blue and bright, suddenly had dark clouds converging overhead.

You swore you could see the earth below Kuroo's feet tremble.

Aware of the attention on their conversation, Ushijima took a deep calming breath and composed his features.

"Lord Kuroo, you are well aware that it was years ago when it happened. I was but a young child-"

"Forgive me, allow me to correct myself." Kuroo unforgivingly cut Ushijima off.

"The Empire killed my father."

With features still as calm waters, Kuroo's amber eyes flashed a deeply repressed vengeance that reared its head. How long had Kuroo allowed this anger to fester within him?

Ushijima frowned. "The incident-"

"Premeditated." Kuroo appraised Ushijima coldly.

"Your father and his retinue had contracted what we now know as The Rot on their way to Aquila. They were near feral by the time they arrived at the Iron Wall. The Empire had no choice." Ushijima pushed on over Kuroo's interjection. He sympathized with the Dominion leader, but he will not be pushed into submission over an event that was out of their hands.

"You, of all people, surely understand that."

"W-What?" Were you hearing things correctly?

Judging by the stiff expressions on Oikawa and Iwaizumi, Kenma's pursed lips, and the looks of surprise on the fox-folks, you heard right.

Bokuto let out a low scoff and crossed his arms, scrutinizing Kuroo from the corner of his eyes. For all his talk about control and propriety towards Bokuto, this skeleton that Kuroo saw fit to fling out of the grave now of all times is hardly decorous.

You caught Akaashi's gaze from across the glade, wordlessly questioning him about Kuroo's grave accusations. He closed his eyes and uneasily shook his head.

What had been fresh forest air turned uncomfortable, not just for you but for the others in the glade. Even Terushima -who lacked the skills to properly read the air- is quiet, his eyes shifting between Ushijima and Kuroo.

Ever since you met him, the Kuroo of Hyquile has always had tight control of his emotions, scarcely allowing others to glimpse into his thoughts. So for this unexpected...outburst...

You remembered that time with him in his pagoda, that far-away glaze in his eyes as he recalled a distant memory, the closing of his fists that told of the turbulent waves he kept within.

'I have lost many good friends, brethren...and even family, to The Rot.'

The family he spoke of...it was his father?

Yet he blames the Empire for his father's death and not The Rot…

Kuroo tore his eyes away from Ushijima, exhaling harshly as the severity of what he has said dawns on him.

It was a foolish thing he has done. He had made it a point to keep things as civil as possible at this Summit but...

It left him before he could stop the words, the calm waters of his heart having stirred restlessly as soon as he laid eyes on Ushijima the moment he stepped through the portal, feelings that had long slumbered shifting beneath the surface.

He felt the acute sensation of Kenma and Bokuto's eyes trapping him, and your confused albeit worried gaze from across the glade. Knowing you and your boundless curiosity, Kuroo had a feeling he faced a barrage of questions from you later, if this Summit ever ended.

Composing himself, Kuroo reluctantly faced Ushijima again. "My sincerest apologies, Crown Prince Ushijima. I allowed my emotions to have the better of me."

Ushijima nodded but did not say anything in response.

Oikawa cleared his throat, a blatant attempt at purging the air of the unease that has settled. He linked his hands together and rested his chin on them, a headache pinching at his temple.

"We are not making any headway."

"As long as none of us can agree, we can not even hope to begin anywhere," Semi sighed tiredly, exhausted from all the peacemaking he had to oversee.

"Perhaps we're approaching it the wrong way…" Kita whispered so quietly no one heard him except for you and the fox-folks sitting closest to him.

You perked up and Suna asked his Alpha-Leader, "What do you mean, Lord Kita?"

Kita gnawed his bottom lip when the focus swiveled to him. Unconsciously, he avoided looking at the center table, occupied with unfamiliar humans as it is.

"We're looking to cure individuals of The Rot but as we all know, that is not a realistic option..." Kita mumbled, brows furrowed as he thought about the lake back home. He hopes the seals he placed are enough to keep the spread at bay until his return.

Those of the Empire and Aoba strained to hear what Kita was saying, lacking the sharp hearing the animal-folks possessed.

Tendou even exaggeratedly leaned toward your side and turned his head so that his ear is pointed towards Kita for better hearing. Irritated, you pushed Tendou's arm off your side of the table and he gasped with feigned hurt.

Realizing that the others could not hear, Kita gulped and straightened his back.

You gave him an encouraging smile, mouthing at him the words, "You can do it."

Kita spoke louder this time, with his face not towards his lap and instead raised towards those waiting for him.

"...Instead of curing individuals of The Rot, perhaps we should investigate the source of The Rot? Even if we were to cure an individual of it, there is no guarantee that they will not be tainted by it again."

He thought about the lake- supposed that they got you to heal their lake, who is to say The Rot will not return? They had to rid the lake of The Rot, as soon as possible but...they also had to make sure it never returned.

"And where do you propose we start looking for this source?" Bokuto flatly asked, examining his fingers.

"I...I don't know."

There was a huff of annoyance from Bokuto, but it wasn't one of derision towards Kita. It was merely frustrating how little they know about The Rot.

Someone obnoxiously clapped their hands in a bid for attention, and you were not at all surprised to see that it was Tendou.

"Your attention please, lady and gentlemen~"

The Thaumamancer sang gleefully, hands dancing capriciously through the air.

"I would like you all to know that it is almost high noon."

"And your point?" Bokuto snarled at the red-haired man. Did this red-head really deem this information important to share?

Tendou wagged a finger at Bokuto (which only irked the owl-folk) but did not give him an answer (which had Bokuto's fingers twitching over the many daggers slotted along his belt). Instead, he looked at Ushijima, silently asking for permission for...something. You don't know what.

Ushijima had an inkling of what Tendou intended to do, so he nodded his approval. "If it will help us out of this impasse, then please, by all means."

"What is it that he means to do?" Oikawa questioned Ushijima but before a response could be given, Tendou stood up and strolled around the table.

"For those new here, I am a Thaumamancer, blessed with the gift of clairvoyance...or cursed, depending on how you see it, considering my bloodline and all~"

"But that is a story for another time for those who are interested."

He began to slowly circle the center of the glade, moving along in front of the Empire side towards Aoba.

"I can feel the future, to a certain extent. Some of you may be more familiar with the term 'gut feeling.' Passively, my clairvoyance lets me 'feel' that certain actions undertaken will lead to an outcome in the future, whether near or far I can never say for certain. I also do not always know what events will occur, because the future is never set in stone."

He paused in front of Oikawa and Aloes, a dry smile splayed on his lips. Red eyes lingered on the two. "Pretty useless, isn't it?"

He continued ambling towards the Dominion and Owl Vale.

"Clairvoyance is finicky like that... my clairvoyance at least. There are those with more powerful skills of divinity but I digress. In all honesty, it is more useful in influencing the royal chef to give me an extra Everberry cupcake than as a reliable source of predictions."

Bokuto growled, his patience running thin. "Get to the point, Thaumamancer."

Tendou chuckled, tapping a long finger on the table surface directly before Bokuto. "What's the hurry? The Rot isn't going anywhere~"

"Tendou," Ushijima warned his retainer to not incite anything.

"Alright, alright-" Lips pursing into a childish pout, Tendou conceded and spun on his heels, marching towards Inarizaki's side.

"To summarize- passively, my gift is unreliable. But when the sun and stars align, the universe sees fit to be kind, and the weather is fair-"

"Tendou." Ushijima warned again.

"Heh~ sorry, force of habit," Tendou said with a false wince.

His expression shifted, taking on a slightly more serious, if not wicked, note as his eyes trailed along the four fox-folks, Terushima and then...

Tendou came to a slow stop and extended a hand towards you, beckoning for you to stand.

...Only you didn't, instead warily eyeing his hand and flicking your eyes up for an explanation, to find crimson crescents staring back at you against the backlight of the hot sun.

"When certain conditions are met, I can attempt to actively...seek out events or occurrences," he said. "All other personal conditions aside, the last condition is about to be met in a few minutes."

"I am so confused," Terushima whined, scratching the back of his head.

"High noon." Suna provided, surprising the dog-folk who had shifted to sit at the foot of Suna's chair due to Tendou standing where he previously occupied. "It is but several minutes away."

"It's too early for tea, Suna." Osamu stared at his friend.

Suna resisted a sigh, throwing a bland look at Osamu. "I meant his magic. Time of day plays an important part for certain types of magic, similar to mine."

"Can ya' stop thinking about food? Is it because of the owl?" Atsumu barked at his brother but this only prompted Osamu to take another long glance at Mori.

As if sensing the threat, Mori burrowed himself into the collar of your clothes.

"The fox-folk is correct. My clairvoyance magic reaches its peak during high noon. For the brief period our sun burns its brightest, so is the fog of the unknown the clearest."

"We do not have much time. Come over here lil' birdie," Tendou beckoned for you to stand again and you hesitantly got up, following him to the center of the glade.

With your movement, Mori quickly hopped out from where he was burrowed in your clothes and flew over to Akaashi, who smiled and allowed the Elf Owl to perch on his head.

Everyone closely watched the two of you, including Kunimi and Kindaichi from the outer perimeters of the glade, peering through the thicket of trees.

"What are you going to do?" You shifted nervously, both curious and slightly anxious about what Tendou could possibly need you for.

"I am going to read, sense, feel -whatever you prefer to call it- your future and other phenomena related to you," Tendou told you, his hands positioning you so you stood in the sunspot created by the hole in the canopy. For a second, you wondered if Tendou did not say anything about Bokuto arriving for exactly this reason.

"The Rot aside, you are one of the biggest anomalies we know that is related to The Rot in some way. You and her both. If we are to find out anything about The Rot beyond symptoms, it isn't strange to think you are crucial."

Tendou grinned, his eyes flickering to Ushijima.

"I have orders from my dear prince Ushijima to conserve my energy for this day exactly for this purpose."

You blinked at Ushijima who was deep in his own thoughts, worry crumpling over his brow. So it was Ushijima's idea to have Tendou do this?

"Though he left it up to me to choose what to use it on~ The Alpha-Leader inspired me with his insight. If he hadn't said what he said, I might not have done anything at all so we're pretty lucky, don't you think, lil' birdie?"

Ah, makes more sense now. Ushijima would surely have told you in advance if he knew Tendou was about to use you as a subject.

Noticing your gaze, Ushijima flashed you an apologetic smile. You returned it, mouthing that it is alright. If this can help everyone find a way forward, you're happy that you can be of assistance.

"So he's one of them," Kuroo mumbled, both surprised and not surprised at the revelation. He had suspected as much as soon as he saw Tendou's crimson eyes and hair, but he did not want to assume.

"The Empire is full of surprises, aren't they?" Bokuto sarcastically commented, offhandedly examining Ushijima and the tension in Kuroo's shoulder that hasn't left since his earlier...outburst. "Not many of those with the 'Evil Eyes' around anymore. What a foolish name."

"Folks fear what they do not understand. It was a tragedy that innocents had to bear the stigma of that fear..." Kuroo murmured softly in response. He paused as he studied Tendou positioning you around the circle of sunlight. "And continue to do so."

Tendou stepped back from you when he is absolutely convinced you are standing in the best spot that is most directly under the sun.

You squinted at him through the glare, holding a hand up to shield your face. Gosh, you hope you won't sweat too badly in front of everyone.

"Are you ready?" He asked you.

You gulped, suddenly feeling nervous. "Will this hurt?"

"Hmmm-" Tendou's face scrunched in thought, finger tapping away at his chin. "No?...usually."

"That wasn't very reassuring."

"You were the one who asked lil' birdie~"

You took calming breaths, still hearing your own heart thundering loudly in your chest.

As unpredictable as Tendou can be, you took as much comfort as you can from the thought that Tendou will not hurt you (...probably) lest he wants to face the repercussions from Ushijima, or even Oikawa. You trust without a doubt that they at least will not seek to have you in harm's way.

Not to mention Kuroo and the others are here too. Surely the Thaumamancer wouldn't do anything reckless…

Will he?

Seeing that you were as ready as you were going to get, Tendou stepped close to you.

"Do I have to do anything?" You mumbled.

You couldn't help but focus on the button of his uniform when his hands reached up, grazing past your cheeks. In a careful manner that you did not expect of him, his hands laid over your temples, gently holding your head in his grasp.

"Nothing at all~" He snickered at your obvious nervousness, red eyes watching the way you repeatedly licked your lips unconsciously and the constant wringing of your fingers. "Maybe relax a little."

"Easier said than done."

"Who knew you could be this disagreeable."

You gaped, offended. "I am not-"

You paused when you noticed his playful smirk, and realized that you were no longer nervous.

"Heh, better?"

"...yeah. Thanks."

"Fuh~ready to see what we can find then? Close your eyes."

You did as told. "What's going to happen?"

"There shouldn't be much on your end, but you might see vision leaks from me to you."

"It really won't hurt?"

"No promises~"

Tendou's hands are warm, so warm that you were hyper-aware of the feeling of his skin on yours, and the pads of roughened fingers pressing onto your temples.

Sunlight beat down on the back of your neck. It was hot, but not as terrible as the sweltering summers of Tokyo. A bead of sweat gathered and rolled down your skin. The sensation was...surreal; unreal with how sharply you perceived it.

Squeezing your eyes tighter, you told yourself that it was the effect of Tendou's magic on you that is making it feel like…the entire world is an extension of yourself.

Tendou's breathing cool as wind, Atsumu's jostling legs trembling the earth, each individual strand of grass swaying and bending under Terushima's weight, the tips of Bokuto's silver wings sliding over bark…

You wondered if the colored spots you are seeing were the scenes -sensations- you are feeling so vividly. Are you just witnessing them? Or are you feeling them? You couldn't tell, couldn't begin to split where one occurrence began and where you ended.

Suddenly, everything swirled and mixed together like spilled paint, spinning until everything turned grey and there was the feeling of static prickling all over your toes and hands.

There are sounds and voices-

What they are, whose they are, you don't know, you can't tell-

An entire cacophony resonating in your head and ringing your ears, crescendoing so much that you winced from the sharp piiiing that screeched somewhere inside your head.

"Tendou-"

Your hands flew up, grabbing his hands that had gradually tightened. It hurts.

It physically hurts, the strength with which he was digging his fingers into your scalp, wide palms pressing into your cheeks.

caaaw

"Tendou-!" You tried again but you choked when there was a searing pain…-somewhere! You aren't sure where. You just know there is pain!

The pain-

caaaaw

It really hurts-

Over the screeching in your ears and possibly your own cries, you vaguely heard Tendou groan, his breaths flashing out in intervals too short for proper life.

Where-

Where is it-

Where is the pain coming from?

Your eyes? Is it your eyes?! There's a hot feeling, a burn-

This burning in your eyes-

CAAAAW

It hurts!

"TENDOU!"

Someone prised Tendou off you and a different pair of arms pulled you backward, steadying you against them.

Your eyes snapped open and you keeled over, gasping for breath. Frantically, with shaky hands you clasped them over your eyes, touching and rubbing them to relieve yourself of the pain that had been-

What? There's no pain….

It doesn't hurt anymore...

The screeching continued to ring in your ear, or was it just a projection of your mind?

Through the shrieks, you heard your name resonating along with the shaking of your shoulders.

"Hey-"

Fighting against the nausea bubbling in your gut, you looked up to see it was Kuroo that had you, ensuring you didn't fall over onto your side. Next to him, Kenma peered worriedly at you- one of his orange ears missing, dispersed as smoke in his worry.

You squeezed your eyes closed and opened them again, repeating the action several times until you were sure where your feet stood rooted and that up is up.

"I'm...I'm okay-" You managed to croak out.

Swaying onto your feet, Kuroo kept a hand on your arm, preemptively making sure you were not going to fall flat onto your face. He raised a finger and waved it slowly in front of you, cat-eyes examining the motion and dilation of your eyes as they tracked his movements.

"You're alright but to be safe, try not to strain yourself for a bit longer," Kuroo said, offering you his arm to hold onto.

Gratefully taking his arm, you tried to look around his frame. "W-What happened?"

Moving his body to the side so that you may take in the scene behind him, you saw the backs of Ushijima and Semi leaning over who you can only assume to be Tendou. Kita is also right across from them, a soft white glow emanating from his arms.

Behind Kita, the twins stood on guard, their tails swishing back and forth furiously in agitation at seeing their Alpha-Leader in the midst of humans. They could care less about the Thaumamancer's well-being; their only priority is their leader.

"Is he alright?" You tried to move closer and Kuroo guided you, Kenma sticking close to your other side.

"Best hope you're not squeamish," Bokuto muttered when he passed by you as he moved away from where Tendou lay.

You gently stepped away from Kuroo and approached Ushijima's back. He was supporting Tendou's head for Kita to heal, from what you can tell. You couldn't see Tendou just yet over their taller frames so you bit your lip, steeling yourself.

"How bad is it?" Kuroo asked the retreating Owl Vale leader and Bokuto shrugged.

"He's not in any immediate danger and will likely heal but…"

"Let's just say he won't be doing that again anytime soon."

Semi noticed you coming up behind them and sighed with relief. "You're unharmed."

You nodded but your eyes flickered with worry. "Is Tendou…"

Semi shifted to make space for you and you closed the final gap between you and them, only to gasp at what you saw.

The right side of Tendou's face was covered in blood, red dripping down from his right-eye in dark streaks. They mixed with strands of his crimson hair, matting to his skin as red palettes of shattered glass.

Kita's hand is glowing brightly, pouring what healing magic he had into restoring Tendou's eye as much as possible before the damage became permanent. Tendou coughed, rolling away from Kita to spit out blood, staining verdant grass in red.

"Tendou, don't move. Lord Kita is healing you," Ushijima urged his confidant worriedly.

Tendou waved an arm around airily, the injury he sustained doing nothing to diminish his flippant attitude.
"I-I'm fine-" He spat out another glob of blood. "Just peachy."

"Ushijima, please tell your retainer that he does not look fine," Oikawa said, both exasperated and relieved that nothing direr has happened. He and Aloes stood nearby, with enough distance to allow space and air to comfortably circulate the group.

Aloes had a hand over the lower half of his face, a second mask over the one he constantly wore. His brows were furrowed, green eyes both studying the scene before him and zoning off to a corner of his mind that only he knows of.

"I...I have only managed to mitigate the damage...y-your eye isn't completely healed yet…" Kita nervously spoke, reaching out his hands for Tendou- and retracting them again fearfully when he realized what he had been about to do.

Tendou waved off his concern, only gaining Ushijima's admonishment for his trouble. Reluctantly, he settled down and Ushijima apologized to Kita. "Please help him."

With a wobbly smile, Kita continued healing Tendou and a cooling mist engulfed his hands once more.

"W-What happened?" You dropped to your knees next to Ushijima, taking in Tendou's entire state. From what you can tell, the only wound he sustained is to his right eye.

You couldn't help but shiver, feeling the chill of Kita's mist from your position as he poured more magic into Tendou.

It felt like your eyes were burning then. Did his eye...?

You touched Tendou's leg, concerned for his well-being. Nothing happened to you except for the pain you felt when you were still connected to Tendou. Only Tendou...

A single crimson eye rolled to find you from where he lay. Despite being faintly weak from blood loss and pain, Tendou's impishness still managed to shine through the red staining his teeth when he grinned.

The dried blood on his cheek cracked and flaked, drifting like snow onto his dark uniform.

"I might have attempted to see something I was not meant to see."

Notes:

Thank you all for reading! I...hope you enjoyed it :S
There was a lot to take in here...I think. I can't tell sometimes with my own writing but hopefully everything is still making sense so far XD;
Lastly, I would like to say the lovely Mariah has written a fanfic for GWS called Longing And Nostalgia Are Cousins so please do go check it out! (and perhaps prepare some tissues!). Thank you so much for the beautiful fic Riah!
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Do leave a comment if you enjoyed my story :) I would love to hear what you think! As both a reader/writer, I understand that sometimes I do not know what to say, or a kudos is enough, but reviews/comments to writers are like water to plants. It encourages & motivates us a lot more than one might think. It lets us know without a doubt that people are reading, are enjoying it, that our efforts and time are worth it. I am sure many of us also tend to write faster when shown support in the form of words :D

Chapter 30: Of Warnings And Lullabies / ficlet 05

Summary:

The Summit Arc

Notes:

Haha, hi, yo, hello everyone. This took a while. Things are a mess irl and I went on a brief hiatus but I'm back! For now. I kid. Am I?
I don't know how many of you saw the April Fool's joke I did on tumblr about discontinuing GWS but...sorry not sorry for the mini heart-attacks I gave people hahaha
ALSO, ALSO- A BIG THANK YOU to fidelcatsro of Tumblr for beta-reading! YES, I finally got a beta-reader! HAHA! IT'S ALL OVER FOR BAD GRAMMAR AND TENSES AND TYPOS! SHE HAS BEEN SUCH AN AMAZING SUPPORT AS I WROTE THIS AND THE HQ TOKYO DRIFT FICS! EVERYONE, PLEASE DO THANK HER! THIS CHAPTER CANNOT HAVE HAPPENED AS FAST WITHOUT HER!
Now please enjoy! Note, I have switched to writing in present tense from this chapter onwards, at least attempt to, in case the change is jarring to some of you. Hopefully you will all like the change! Old chapters will be updated with this change as well.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"I might have attempted to see something I was not meant to see."

Kita continues pushing his magic into Tendou's wound, brows furrowing with the strain. The severity of it required a sudden immense surge of Kita's magic to quell the blood flow and begin restoring what he could of Tendou's eye.

Tentatively, Kita uses the sleeve of his robes to wipe away at the blood; Tendou allows him to do so, his remaining scarlet eye flickering toward the Alpha-Leader.

"Your eye…it's like it was..."

It's strange. The skin around Tendou's eye shows signs of being burnt and yet, blood flow should have ceased if that was the case. And the eyeball itself…

Kita can't see it, but he can feel it- the path and shape his magic traversed imprinted an image in Kita's mind. Had Ushijima not intervened when he did, Kita is certain that Tendou would have completely lost his eye. It was like his eyeball was being turned in on itself? Contracted? No, perhaps it was being crus-

"You don't have to share it with me," Tendou cut him off with a chuckle. "I rather not know. But you can restore it, yes?"

"...Is this normal for your magic?"

"You mean nearly having my eyeball gouged out? No."

Kita had leapt to action as soon as he saw the Thaumamancer fall over in pain with blood dripping down his face. For a brief moment after that, Tendou had slipped into unconsciousness, awakening only when the soothing caress of Kita's healing brought him back.

The only thing he has in his mind is easing Tendou's pain and patching his eye enough that he is brought out of a critical state. Tendou would require more advanced healing for a full recovery than what Kita can provide, sooner rather than later, or he risked losing his eye forever.

Kita presses his lips together. "My skills cannot restore it completely. You will need to see someone who specializes in much more advanced healing magic, soon, or the damage might become permanent. I can seal the wound temporarily until you can return to Seijoh for treatment."

"Can't get any worse than this, can it?" Tendou mutters, earning himself another quick admonishment from not only Ushijima but also Semi this time.

"Lord Kita has graciously healed you Sir Tendou. Do not be impertinent," Semi chides him. "It's a shame that Shirabu isn't here with us."

"With your permission, Prince Oikawa, I'll have someone send word to the castle now to prepare a healer ahead of time," Matsukawa says, stepping forward from where he maintained his position.

Oikawa nods his approval. "Ask for the Royal Physician to be on standby for our return."

You gulp, averting your eyes from the red that stains Kita's white sleeves and Tendou's skin. You didn't think it was possible for the ebony of his Royal Guard uniform to turn even darker but it did.

The moment Kita finishes his sealing magic on Tendou, the Thaumamancer pushes himself up from the ground. His right eye has been sealed close, a band of glowing blue markings running from the top of his brow to his cheek.

Noticing your stare, Tendou snickers and winks at you in jest, resulting in both eyes closing. You roll your eyes in turn, exasperated. You worried for nothing. Even a mutilated eye doesn't change his wily ways.

So you turn your attention to Kita instead, noting the sheen of sweat across his forehead and pale skin. "Are you okay?" you ask worriedly.

Never would you ever think that your magical skills could even come close to what Kita or anyone else here has but having experienced firsthand the exhaustion that comes with using it, even if it was due to your inexperience, you could empathize with the fatigue that hung on Kita.

He shakes his head with a small yet grateful smile at your worry.

"I'm alright. Just...tired…"

"You were already tired from our journey and the sealing you had to perform on the lake before coming here," Suna murmurs so that the other non-fox affiliated folks can't hear, mindful of the equally sharp hearing the cat-folks possess. "It is of little wonder if you are tired now."

Rummaging through the pouch hanging from his waist, Osamu pulls out a homemade riceball and offers it to Kita. There is a smidge of reluctance in the way Osamu's face scrunches, unwilling to part with his food but also wanting to serve his leader. "I was savin' this for lunch but...here. Ya' need it more..."

Contrary to what Osamu said, Kita thought that Osamu needed the riceball more than him. Chuckling in amusement, he declines it.

"Thank you, Osamu. But it's alright."

Helping Kita to his seat, you look around for a cup of water to offer him but find none at your table. Osamu or Atsumu must have drank all of it...

It is then that you notice Kenma warily walking up to you and Kita, orange cat ears twitching uneasily. At his approach, the twins growl, stepping in front of Kita and blocking his path.

Atsumu's eyes narrow threateningly. "What do ya' want, cat?"

The pair suspiciously eye the well-wrapped jar Kenma held.

The seriousness with which Atsumu and Osamu took their duty to protect Kita was admirable, but you could not help but think it could also be detrimental. Rolling your eyes a second time today, you wedge yourself between the twins, earning their ire as you push them out of Kenma's way.

"Don't touch me, human!"

"We ain't lettin' a cat-folk near Lord Kita, least of all this one!"

"Stop it you two! This is hardly the time nor place," you rebuke them, slapping each of them on the arm as you did so. "Kenma clearly means no harm!"

Maybe it was because of where you are, and knowing who else is gathered in the glade, but the usual wariness you harbored toward Vicious Atsumu and Frosty Osamu isn't as present, if at all.

(Interacting with them like this, it almost felt like you were with 'Tsumu and 'Samu)

The Miya twins gape at you, aghast and less than appreciative of your unexpected gutsiness. Last they saw you, they still instilled fear and never failed to make you jumpy. Where the heck did that go?

Ignoring the fuming twin foxes, you grin at Kenma who relaxed somewhat with your presence, though amber eyes still flickered worriedly to the twins on either side. He holds the jar out to you.

"I-I was going to give this to you later but...maybe the Inarizaki Alpha-Leader can use it too," Kenma mumbles, his usual energy absent in front of the looming fox-folks.

Without needing to open the jar, you know what is in it immediately. You pull Kenma into a tight one-arm hug. "Thank you, Kenma, always. Let's catch up later."

Returning your hug, Kenma mumbles to you to not drink too much before scampering back off to the other side, a trail of orange smoke in his wake.

Kuroo raises an inquisitive brow at his return, having witnessed the entire scene.

Kenma shuffles under Kuroo's stare, kicking at the grass. His gaze shifts up to see you pouring Kita a cup of the milk tea he brought for you.

"Unlike the other fox-folks, the Alpha-Leader does not seem so terrible…" he mutters and shrugs.

Not far away, Ushijima helps his friend and confidant into his chair, like a mother hen worrying over her chicks. It is heart-warming to see, despite the dark stain on Tendou's uniform that glares at you. It isn't like you have never seen blood before- paper cuts, slip of the kitchen knife, deep scrapes on knees and palms.

Nothing like this.

Nothing caused by magic and possibly something malicious.

"That wasn't normal for you at all," Semi says, handing Tendou a wet handkerchief.

Semi has seen his fellow Royal Guard work his magic many times but nothing like that has ever happened before. At least, nothing that resulted in blood spewing from any part of Tendou.

"No, it definitely wasn't," Tendou gripes back, using the offered handkerchief to rid his skin of his own blood.

With a dramatic flourish, Tendou stands up again despite Ushijima's sigh of protest, making sure he catches the attention of everyone. "Let me just set the record straight and say that this- '' he points at his sealed eye, twirling a finger in circles, "-is not normal. My clairvoyance might be useless but it isn't lame."

Atsumu crosses his arms dubiously.

"Uh-huh. "

Tendou ignores him with a flippant wave of his hand which only serves to irk Atsumu.

The fox-folk bristles and is about to spite the Thaumamancer with choice words when he finds that he suddenly can't move nor speak. Eyes flicking down, he sees the ends of a yellow talisman flapping in the wind, stuck to his hand.

Shitty Suna-

"Not now, Atsumu," Suna softly chides, ignoring the silent albeit forced glare trained on him. Certainly Atsumu can deal with shutting up for several minutes.

Osamu snickers at his brother, having caught the moment Suna stealthily stuck his infamous talisman onto Atsumu.

"By all means, enlighten us then," Bokuto snaps, his wings flapping in agitation. Impatience.

If Akaashi was anything like this Thaumamancer, Bokuto would have gutted him long ago. How did the Empire Crown Prince even deal with him?

"As I said before, conditions -both personal and external- need to be met to activate my clairvoyance. This isn't one of them. If it was, I would have lost both eyes long ago," Tendou answers with an empty laugh, finding something comical that no one else does.

"No, this was inflicted."

"So you're saying someone tried to block you from reading the future?" One of Oikawa's hands covers the lower half of his face as he falls into thought. A deep crease lays between his brow, his mind going through everything he knows about magic. He glances at the Dominion leader, a silent question passing from him.

"It isn't implausible," says Kuroo, understanding what Oikawa was hinting at. "But what bothers me is the fact that Sir Tendou was clearly inflicted with two different types of magic."

One slender finger traces the area around his right eye, referencing the burned skin Tendou sported before Kita healed him. Then closing his right eye, Kuroo lightly touches his eyelid- Tendou's eyeball itself, lacerated.

"Why go to the trouble of using two different modes of affliction?"

Bokuto scoffs with a predatory smirk tugging at his lip.

"Simple. You burn the body after a kill."

You blanch, unwilling to think about even a quarter of the images the current discussion conjured.

"And what do you mean you saw something you were not meant to see, Tendou?"

Ushijima does not like the way they kept having more questions than answers, the points being brought up one after another not sitting well with him.

"What did you see?"

Tendou is silent.

His expression is blank, yet grave, and your heart palpitates at the suspense and tension. The sun overhead is excruciatingly stuffy even though you no longer stand under it, huddled back safely in the shades of the trees with the fox-folks.

Save for the winds whispering between the leaves, no one speaks and no one moves.

Tendou parts his lips, and you hear the same screeching in your head-

.

.

.

"Nothing."

….

"What?"Bokuto stands with a snarl.

Tendou should be grateful that looks can't kill because he would be dead a thousand times over with the way the owl-folk leader pins sharp eyes on him.

From behind, Goshiki and Taichi tense, hands reaching for their weapons.

The Thaumamancer scratches at the inside of his ear with a pinky finger as if there isn't a very angry and predatory owl fixating on him from the other side of what was supposed to be a peaceful glade.

He blows lightly on his pinky, scattering invisible dirt.

"I said I saw nothing."

Bokuto's body turns towards Tendou and you are sure he would have lunged right for his throat if Kuroo did not place a calm hand on him, stopping him.

Akaashi breathes out slowly, the dagger he had half-pulled from its sheath slipping back into its case. You can't tell if he would have moved to stop or assist his leader.

"...Attempted to see something you were not meant to see."

Aloes's soft voice pierces the rigid silence that swirls in the sunny glade. The surrounding green grass and verdant leaves do not hold a candle to the emerald shade of Aloes' eyes, glinting in golden rays.

"In other words, Sir Tendou was unable to see anything for he was stopped before he could."

"As expected of Aoba's royal court advisor!"

Tendou makes an obnoxious puckering sound. A pin-pon that reminds you of buzzers on quiz shows.

"Truth be told, whatever I saw -or didn't- in her perceived future was bright, too bright, that I was unable to see. It was like staring directly into a flaming sun. And I'm not so averse to pain that I can keep my vision up whilst having my eye cut -crushed, whatever- and roasted."

Tendou laughs in his usual manner- empty and airy, a laughter that no one shared in. Even Ushijima, who has always been lenient towards this capricious Thaumamancer, looks at him with hardened eyes.

Before anyone can break out of their disbelief, Tendou -with his arms thrown behind his head lazily- twists to look at you.

His lips split into a knowing grin.

"But that does not mean we didn't hear anything. Right, lil' birdie?"

You didn't see anything at all but the burning that you felt then…

You start to feel sick at the realization that you felt whatever happened to Tendou, and even more horrible that there was a tiny voice in you that was glad it wasn't you.

And that screeching you heard…it wasn't imagined? That was a vision leak from Tendou?

It sounded like-

"Crows," you whisper, recalling the chilling caw of black birds in the hazy distance when you were still connected to Tendou.

"Crows," Tendou repeats, mimicking you.

"Crows?" Suna echoes, befuddled and trying to piece together everything they have.
Which isn't a lot.

"Great, more birds," Osamu mutters bitterly. Since meeting Bokuto, he's really starting to dislike all manners of birds and fowls that aren't on a dinner plate.

"I heard the sound of crows calling…" You look at Tendou, hoping he knows what it meant because you certainly do not.

"What does that signify?" Semi probes Tendou further, urging him to stop keeping them waiting with his mind games.

However, Tendou shrugs casually, dismissing all the expectant eyes on him.

"Beats me. Even I can't make heads or tails with just cawing."

Someone, likely Bokuto or Atsumu -who was finally freed from the talisman's effect-, was about to curse profanities at the Thaumamancer when Tendou squints up at the sky in thought. "But, unless my geography fails me and the topography of the realm has changed without my knowing it, to the far west of our northern realm lies-"

Kuroo finishes for Tendou, arriving at the conclusion before everyone else.

"Crow's Nest."

Stretching across the expanse of the north-west of Hyquile is a barbarous land. Vast and barren, fiery orange and angry.

The climate is harsh, stripping the earth of life with its arid weather and infertile soil. The sun is fierce and the winds even more ferocious. Anything that managed to survive there has savagely fought a battle for survival from the very moment they were born, against feral wildlife and unrelenting weathers. From the smallest weed to the largest creatures, every living being has fought for their place in the privilege others call Life.

To wander there unprepared is a death sentence but to learn how to survive there is to invite certain danger.

There, to be born is both a blessing and a curse.

It is in this merciless land the crow-folk made their home, driven there by encroaching Empire settlers of old.

Crow's Nest.

Soldiers of the Empire never bothered them on account of the harsh and unfriendly environment. The scarcity of resources is enough to hinder and kill the sturdiest of warriors and bravest of adventurers, needless to mention the savage creatures- molded by an unforgiving environment- that made the north-west their habitat.

Fear and survival drove the crows there, but necessity forced them to stay.

Empire settlement pinned them to this merciless realm, trapped between a rock and a hard place. Unable to leave without passing by and provoking Empire forces, the crows had no choice but to stay in their dwindled state.

So they survived.

Crows are smart and resilient, versatile and highly adaptable.

Whether this was a result of the land they lived in or an inherent trait that allowed them to survive in said land, it is debatable and irrelevant. Which came first, the crow or the egg?

It does not matter.

What matters is that the crow-folks survived with their wits and tenacity in hostile grounds that devoured the weak.

Over time, the crow-folk developed an unsavory stigma over their heads.

Their need for resources forced them to frequently steal and raid from nearby Empire towns, and sometimes even from other non-humans.

It turned them into bandits and raiders in the eyes of others but...they aren't wrong.

Since their ancestors were driven to the edge of Hyquile, they have always scavenged to survive.

They are scavengers.

"Didn't the Dominion trade with them in the past?" Akaashi asks.

"We used to," Kenma answers, orange ear twitching in thought. "But even then, it wasn't a steady trade relation on account of resource scarcity on their side. Records showed that they mainly traded for essentials in exchange for game and quills. We haven't had any trade relations with them in... years ."

"Empire border controls did not make trade easy," Kuroo coolly says. His arms are crossed and though he is not looking at the Empire side of the table, you would have to be dull to miss the sharp dig Kuroo threw at them. "Our old trades with them were less a matter of necessity and more of solidarity." Kuroo didn't want to say pity but no matter how he cut it, there wasn't any need for the Dominion or Lord Nekomata to trade with them.

Ushijima ignores the barely veiled provocation, calmly waving down Goshiki who unconsciously took a step forward.

"Regardless, the relationship was expected to be short-lived from the beginning, further reinforced towards the end of it when crow-folk merchants became...unruly," says Kuroo.

"When was the last time the Dominion had any correspondence with the Crows?" Oikawa asks, pushing the tension away and onwards. They were finally starting to get somewhere and he preferred avoiding another...heated discussion.

"The last time we saw any crow-folk traders was when my grandfather Lord Nekomata was still in power."

"It's been quite a while then," Ushijima frowns, wondering how his people could have missed any sort of trade relations between the crow-folks and the Dominion. It isn't against the law per se but the crow-folks would have to pass by Empire human grounds to reach the other parts of Hyquile.

Unless they went by other means. Like the sea.

Or from above.

As if reading his thoughts, Semi leans towards Ushijima and speaks softly. "Empire air defenses weren't as strong then, and were still being refined. Your grandfather Emperor Washijo has greatly fortified the Empire over the years."

But it isn't soft enough for the keen hearing of the cats and foxes, and even Terushima. Several figures tense and some animal ears twitch nervously; some in agitation.

Kenma's ears flatten against his head. That might explain why trade stopped with the crow-folks...the relation barely lasted for a few years before it stopped despite the efforts of Lord Nekomata.

"So what are the crows doing now?" Terushima innocently asks, genuinely curious about these mysterious crow-folks he's hearing about. They sounded awesome, living the rough life out there. Absolute diehards. Hardcore.

"They're part of Empire territory, right? So you must know a lot about them!" His golden tail wags and slaps continuously against Suna's leg, who either has the patience of Buddha himself or is close to snapping.

When the wagging suddenly stops, you are given your answer. Your lips purse to stifle an unwelcome laugh when you see yet another yellow talisman stuck to the back of Terushima's golden head.

Everyone naturally turns to look at Ushijima and Oikawa, more specifically Ushijima, considering that everything in the north is Empire domain.

He shakes his head, lips downturned in an unfortunate and apologetic frown. "The far North-West is inhospitable. Empire patrols and watches only extend as far as to the edge of the Uninviting Hinterlands."

Suddenly, Aloes' enchanting voice begins reciting, softly, like a song brought by the forest breeze.

"He's Hungry, prowling;

The earth bellows.

Above, black birds circle;

Below, the Bodiless cries.

If you are a good parent;

You will put me to Sleep.

Don't let me go."

A transient silence falls over the glade, both in wonder at what Aloes sang and in amazement that Aloes can sing.
Where's the golden buzzer?

A discernible shiver runs up Tendou's body and he rubs his arms, an empty chuckle leaving him. "Phew, haven't heard that in ages."

"It certainly brings back memories," says Semi, scratching at his cheek.

Behind them, Goshiki looks distinctly uncomfortable, muttering under his breath as Taichi pats him comfortingly on the shoulder.

"Spirits, I hated that growing up."

"There, there Goshiki. I would say you haven't grown out of it."

"What's a Bodiless?" Terushima whisper-asks the fox-folks sitting behind him, leaning backward on the grass towards their legs. A withered yellow talisman lays lifelessly next to him.

Suna shifts, grimacing at the constant invasion of his personal space.

Having received the same question from the Miya twins, Kita answers for Suna, a small effort at alleviating his discomfort. "I-I'm afraid we don't know."

"A children's lullaby," Aloes starts, unperturbed at the discomposure he has caused with the revelation of his hidden talent. "That parents used to warn their children about the Uninviting Hinterlands and its dangers."

Indifferent green eyes lower, looking at everyone and at no one in particular. "Lest anyone got any ideas."

"Nothing escapes you, does it, Sir Aloes?" Tendou says with a snicker.

Kita sits up straight. "S-Surely you're not thinking of…" His voice trails off, clamming back into his shell when the focus comes to him.

"In short, we have no other leads nor solutions other than a sound that is perceived to be crows, who we assume have something to do with The Rot, based on Sir Tendou's clairvoyance," Kuroo begins summarizing, bringing forward a conclusion he has already foreseen the moment they began discussing Crow's Nest. "Without any other viable options, both to healing victims of The Rot and stopping it permanently, we will most likely have to chase the one lead we have, no matter how far-flung it may be."

"Four realms, an empire, a visitor from another world, and a dog. Yet we have nothing but scraps," Bokuto counts with no small amount of mockery, looking like he wants to be anywhere but here. Which is ironic, considering he invited himself. He rolls his eyes.

"Just how desperate are we?"

"Pretty desperate when you put it like that, my liege," Akaashi quips with a tight smile.

"So we are assuming that the crow-folks are the cause of The Rot?" Oikawa taps a slender finger on the table. A sharp frown mars his handsome face. "Seems judgemental, condemning an entire race based on nothing but a sound from what you call an unreliable power, Sir Tendou."

A single red-eye slides towards Oikawa. "I made no such condemnation. I merely relayed what I heard with my clairvoyance." Tendou's lips twist into something that was neither a childish pout nor a malicious smile.

It is unsettling to see either way.

"We are not condemning anyone, Prince Oikawa," Ushijima slowly says. "This is merely a discussion of possibilities."

"Comin' from the human Empire Crown Prince. How ironic," Osamu mutters underneath his breath to the sniggers of Atsumu.

"Possibility of non-humans causing the great disease ravagin' Hyquile!" Atsumu chortles crudely despite Suna's sigh of disapproval. This was exactly why he did not want the Miya twins at the Summit.

Ushijima's hands on the table grip together tightly. He looks down and away, clearly distressed.

"I-Is there anything in the Uninviting Hinterlands that might be connected to my visions?" You go to Ushijima's rescue by interrupting, shifting the topic to something else, feeling sorry that he had to bear the brunt of the scorn towards the Empire.

Even when you were at Aquila with Iwaizumi, Ushijima was always battered with scornful remarks regarding the Empire. You do not agree with the Empire's laws and methods, but it wasn't Ushijima who penned those laws. Even now, it isn't him who upheld this archaic rule but his grandfather.

Perhaps you're being supremely naive but the Ushijima Wakatoshi who you've seen and known so far has been nothing but kind.

Tendou snaps his fingers, single eye wide and blinking. "I forgot about that."

Kuroo lets out a small breath, almost a sigh, picking up on where you're coming from and answers first. He is not below admitting that he has played his part in causing discomfort and tension towards the Empire today, and has to acknowledge that such aggression has no benefit other than a self-serving one.

"Out of everything you've mentioned in your visions, the only one I can imagine even coming close to a possibility is that of the desolate land...but without being able to see what you saw for myself, I can only presume."

That is true...you tried your best to describe in detail what you remembered from that time in the lake and when her Life merged with you but accuracy is always lost when tales are passed from the mouths of one to another. Hyquile is large, and with so many places yet undiscovered or thoroughly explored -the Uninviting Hinterlands being one of them-, who knows if what is conjured in everyone's minds with your description is even the same.

Kuroo looks up, straight and tall. His voice is level and in control, commanding respect. The Kuroo that had been under the control of his emotions for the early duration of the Summit is gone, pushed back and sealed once more under a tightly guarded veil. Present now is the Kuroo you first met, many moons ago.

"Regardless, this is all we have, and will continue to have for the foreseeable future unless a miracle occurs. And I do not believe in miracles."

"The Uninviting Hinterlands is not an empty name. Crow's Nest lies deep at the end of it. It'll be dangerous," Ushijima warns, not to deter but to make aware of what they are discussing will entail. "There are a few Empire outstations not far from where the Hinterlands meets Empire borders but anything further beyond is unknown to us."

Semi looks at Ushijima uneasily. "Your Highness, I highly do not recommend this path unless we have someone who is able to at least navigate the lands. Reports of folks both humans and non-humans disappearing in the Uninviting Hinterlands, unable to find their way back, are not mere stories."

You almost expect Aloes to give the same advice to Oikawa but he doesn't, continuing to sit with arms crossed, staring off at nothing in particular. How much is Oikawa paying this guy to sit there?

"Do we have anyone who has experience navigating the Uninviting Hinterlands in our ranks?" Oikawa asks his advisor.

The young royal advisor shakes his head, dark curls brushing against his skin.

"We do not."

A hand shoots up in the air and you stare down at Terushima who is smiling brightly, stark against the many grim faces gathered. "I have a very good nose! If you have something I can use to sniff them out, I guarantee I'll get you there! Kyo can vouch for me!" He points at Kyotani who slaps a large palm over his face in mortification.

Ushijima parts his lips hesitantly, uncertain as to what to say at the less than functional offer. "I...thank you for your offer, Sir Terushima-"

"Chieftain! Well, future chieftain but same-same."

"My sincere apologies, Chieftain Terushima. Unfortunately, we do not have anything connected to the crow-folk that you will be able to use."

"Oh, well, just putting it out there. I'm really good at looking for stuffs. And people."

"...Yes, we will keep that in mind."

At this moment, you think of Daichi, the youthful traveler who has been to many places and wonder if he has been to the Uninviting Hinterlands.

"I will have to ask but I met a traveler in Seijoh…" You say, looking around in uncertainty, briefly explaining what you know of Daichi and how he seems well-traveled.

"It's a long shot but I can ask him?"

"A traveler?" Oikawa stares at you in surprise, wondering why this is the first time he's heard of this traveler. He might need to have a word with Kunimi and Kindaichi later.

"We're talkin' about traversin' hostile, unknown lands for a slim chance at findin' anything to do with The Rot, with the lives of realms at stakes, and ya' want to ask a random traveler ?!" Atsumu slams his hand on the table and snarls at you. "How daft can ya' be?!"

"A-Atsumu!" Kita admonishes, brows fraught with stress.

"Daichi isn't a random traveler!" You immediately shoot back in defense of your friend, feeling a rapid rise of the same annoyance that the Miya Atsumu you do know often evoked in you. "He helped get my bracelet back when it was stolen!"

….Oh.

"Your bracelet was stolen?" Oikawa rubs his temple. Why did he not hear about this either? He definitely needs to have a word with Kunimi and Kindaichi later.

"I-, well, yes. A thief tried to steal it but Daichi stopped him! That's how I met him…" Ah, shit, you're going to have to come clean with Oikawa later.

"Even less reason for us to find ya' trustworthy when ya' allowed the only thing lettin' ya' traverse worlds to get stolen in the first place," Osamu lowly says, rolling a stray piece of leaf between his fingers absentmindedly. But his stony gray eyes are on you, next to his brother's flaming amber pair.

Ugh! These two irked you in entirely different ways than the Miya twins of your childhood!

Ushijima falls back against his seat, heaving an exhausted sigh. They are going around in circles and it's been a long day.

"Let us all reconvene later, shall we? Despite our differences and history-" olive eyes flicker towards Kuroo, "-you are currently guests of the Empire. Although we will have to ask you to blend in, you are more than welcomed to rest at the Blue Castle."

One corner of Oikawa's brow twitches. He doesn't particularly mind all these new folks staying at the Blue Castle, they have more than enough empty rooms as it is, but it is his castle that Ushijima is offering up without consulting him.

...Well, his castle as far as he is concerned, even if treaties say otherwise.

But Oikawa is not Oikawa if he can't pull up a practiced smile on command.

Nothing at the Summit was easy, not with the unlikely gathering of characters. Then again, if things had been easy, it would have been suspicious as well.

It had been with great difficulty that the trek back to the Blue castle from the glade began.

The animal-folks, in particular certain members of the fox-folks and one owl-folk, had been vehemently against riding any of the Everhorns back to the capital of Aoba. They were adamant they could get there faster in their animal forms than any real animal could carry them and no one doubted that.

However, that came with the risk of being spotted by citizens and soldiers, who were completely unaware that an inter-realm Summit has even taken place. Sure, there were some animal-folks existing in Seijoh at the moment but a whole political crew of them, gathering and moving together? Not to mention elusive fox-folks that are only ever talked about in tales, never before seen in the North?

Well, that would certainly attract attention which most preferred to avoid.

Kuroo, Suna, and Kita agreed, the latter two already morphing their fox ears and tails away.

Bokuto didn't give a shit and the twins just did not want to ride on the Everhorns.

Terushima is...well, Terushima.

Still, with some coaxing from Kita, the twins are now sat atop an Everhorn of their own, with fox traits hidden. Osamu is struggling to keep the mount walking in a straight line, especially with Atsumu screaming bloody murder behind him.

"'SAMU! Are ya' SURE ya' can drive this thing?!"

"It would be easier if ya aren't howlin' on its back!"

Kuroo managed to appease Bokuto somehow. Probably some compromise to let him use the windows, if you had to gander a guess. However, Bokuto refused to ride with anyone, forcing Akaashi to share an Everhorn with Taichi.

...They are getting along amicably, surprisingly.

Unsurprisingly, Kyotani is scowling to the high heavens with Terushima excitedly jumping in the seat behind him.

This left Suna and Kita to share a mount whilst Kenma rode with Kuroo. Out of all the animal-folk attendees, Kuroo is the calmest and most at ease with the unfamiliar mounts. Not that you were expecting anything less of him.

You glance at the Dominion leader from your place behind Oikawa, sighing softly. You thought you had understood the enigma that is Majestic Kuroo somehow, when he opened his pagoda to you and shared in rapport chrysanthemum tea. But evidently, there is more to him that you have yet to understand, and what you thought you knew barely broke the surface of the deep oceans.

Hopefully you'll be able to talk to him soon. It really has been a while.

"It's been a long day," Oikawa says tiredly, smoothly guiding Lucus for the two of you. After seeing the bumpy ride the Miya twins are having, you are glad to be riding with Oikawa.

You peer up at his face, stretching to look over his shoulder. They are faint, but you can see traces of grey underneath chocolate eyes.

"I guess even the Crown Prince of Aoba gets tired sometimes."

He chuckles in amusement. "I do not know what you are talking about. I am always tired."

"Are you? You're always busy with something every time I see you, working from day to night. Tirelessly, might I add. And you always have a smile on your face for everyone, even if you don't mean it."

You don't know how Oikawa does it, but you definitely would not be able to pull up a smile, fake or otherwise, if you do not feel like it.

"Hm, it's second-nature by now, I suppose," he hums. "I've been doing this for a very long time."

"Your duties as a Crown Prince? Or smiling even when you don't want to?"

There is a short pause.

"Diplomacy."

A peaceful silence falls between you again, blending in with the general quiet of the traveling group. Save for the Miya twins' bickering and the occasional laughter coming from Akaashi and Taichi, everyone is mostly quiet; tired from the day's activities, long journeys and teleportations, and an even longer Summit.

The sun has not even begun setting, but exhaustion is clear in everyone involved, including the staffs and guards who had an early day preparing everything for the Summit. They most definitely deserved a day off after this.

Kenma is even dozing off behind Kuroo, his head falling forwards and jerking up again repeatedly. Kuroo is careful that his friend does not fall off the Everhorn.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the bracelet," you say, peeking at Oikawa under the curtain of your hair, ashamed.

"That's alright. I was just surprised you felt the need to hide it from me. I thought it strange that the clasp broke. It's made with the finest sterling silver by a skilled craftsman and should not have broken easily, not without force."

"Yeah...I guess I was ashamed to tell you. It's so important and I let a petty thief get his hands on it…"

"That is in no way your fault. You didn't mean for it to get stolen, did you?"

"No..."

"Then there is nothing to forgive. Maybe, try not to lose it again," Oikawa turns his neck to look at you and winks with a boyish smile.

You nod, relieved and heart warm at his kindness and understanding. Tightening your hold around his waist, you let your head rest against his back.

The gentle rocking of Lucus and Oikawa's warmth prompt you to yawn, thoughts of the Uninviting Hinterlands parting to give way to dreams, but not before one last question pops into your head.

"Oikawa?"

"Hm?"

"What was her affinity?"

As you wait for Oikawa to answer, your eyes fluttered close, surrendering to the lull of sleep. A nap you gratefully took.

Oikawa's voice echoed in the distance, steeped in nostalgia and memories.

"She was a daughter of the Blue Leaf through and through."

"Daichi!" You wave at the dark-haired man, weaving between the traffic of bodies.

Daichi blinks in surprise at the sight of you, a leaf straw hanging from his lips, mid-sip of his regular drink. "Oh, I didn't think I would see you today. It's almost time for me to leave."

As soon as you arrived at the Blue Castle, you bounded off to find Daichi, hoping that he would still be at the central bridge where you usually met him. There was still some time remaining before he left- if he even went today.

You still never found out what he does at the bridge but you supposed everyone has their own quirky hobbies.

Iwaizumi was nearly sent along with you but you insisted that it would be fine, as you'd been doing this for a while. Though reluctant at first, Ushijima and Oikawa let you go without an escort to meet this mysterious traveler they only heard about today.

"Yeah, that's fine. It won't take long," you pant between words, having run most of the way here. Wow, were you this out of shape?

Straightening, you train serious eyes on him. The man tilts his head in confusion at your almost comically grave expression.

"Daichi, I can trust you, right?"

"Well, it depends on your standards for trust?"

You wave your hands in front of you, brushing your question away. No, no, that's not the way to go about asking him.

"Sorry, forget that, let me restart."

He raises an amused brow at you, defined fingers folding his empty leaf-cup into a neat box for disposal. "Take your time...well, you have a few minutes before I have to leave."

"Right." Composing yourself, you decide that being forthright with him will be better in the long run, considering what's at stake. On the off-chance that he can be your navigator in the Uninviting Hinterlands, he will have to know what's going on anyhow.

"Have you ever traveled to the Uninviting Hinterlands?"

After listening to your condensed request and explanation that you are searching for a navigator for the Uninviting Hinterlands, if such a person even existed, Daichi's eyes had closed slowly and opened again, mouth parted in an 'O.'

"Yeah, some years ago. Not looking forward to doing it again."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah. I was young, full of energy and daring. The danger and thrill of the Hinterlands called to my soul!"

"You're still young now..."

"Hah, not as young. Still, I guess there aren't many people in the world who can say they ventured into the Uninviting Hinterlands and got out alive."

Just as he turns away to leave, right on time as always, to the tune of you trying to convince him to meet 'some friends' of yours who have to go to the Uninviting Hinterlands, he agrees, giving another date and time to meet these 'friends.'

He'll probably be in for a shock when he sees that they are political leaders that include the Crown Princes of the Empire and Aoba.

Dinner that night was uneventful for the most part, which most were glad for, still exhausted from the day's revelations and developments.

Bokuto wasn't there, out doing spirits knows what and Akaashi did not join as well, saying he was going to visit Bosco at The Rotund Pub & Inn for dinner instead.

Kita was going to have his meal later, for he was passed out from exhaustion.

Suna and the twins joined, though you had zero doubts the twins would not have if the spread at the dinner table had been any less luxurious. They practically inhaled everything, especially Osamu, who ate enough for three grown men.

One would think he did not get fed at Inarizaki House.

Suna was mostly quiet at dinner, though polite.

Terushima was somewhere with Kyotani, much to Mad Dog's displeasure. Iwaizumi was out looking for Kyotani to question him on everything he omitted from his report and Terushima's presence in Aoba.

That left Kuroo and Kenma who graciously accepted the Kingdom's invite to dine.

Kuroo is...Kuroo. Impassive, calm, quiet.

He was cordial and polite when spoken to but did not say much, thoughts unreadable. It must have been hard for him to be sharing a table with Ushijima.

Kenma was back to his usual self by this time and chatted energetically with you through the entire affair. It was great talking to him and catching up on everything.

Ushijima and Oikawa listened to yours and Kenma's conversations with much interest, joining in on the conversation. It's probably the first time you saw the two Crown Princes talk so much without a tension of some sort lingering. Perhaps Kenma's energy is just that addictive.

"So you return to your world when you go to sleep?! That's amazing!" Kenma gushed, his ears popping back out in his excitement. When he realized, two hands quickly pressed down over them before orange smoke seeped out from underneath his palms.

"S-Sorry...it won't happen again…" Kenma grumbled, apologizing with a flush to the Crown Princes.

"No, it's us who should apologize for asking all of you to hide away your natural traits," Ushijima replied, curiously eyeing the orange smoke dissipating in the air. "The staff serving us here are the same from the Summit this morning. They can be trusted."

"I've heard about the morphing smoke of the cat-folks but this is the first time I have seen it," Oikawa had an interested glimmer in his eye. His interaction with Kenma reminded you that Oikawa is the Crown Prince of one of Hyquile's most magically progressive realms, and is a bit of a magic fanatic himself.

After dinner, Tendou sought you out, appearing from nowhere after heading off with his fellow Royal Guards earlier.

"Lil birdie! There you are~"

"Urk-" You squinted at him.

"What's with that face? It doesn't look good on you. Come, come."

Bidding the others good night, you caught the curious look Ushijima gave his Royal Guard before retiring to his chambers.

You followed the Thaumamancer to one of the empty gardens of the Blue Castle; the very same one he approached you in when Kunimi temporarily left you alone during your early days in Seijoh.

The flowers and shrubs of the gardens lit in yellows and golds during the day now bask in the cerulean glow of the Blue Castle, mystical and beautiful with silver moonlight.

"What did you need me for Tendou?" You cut straight to business, familiar with how things will drag on if you allowed Tendou to set the pace.

He places a hand over his heart, feigning hurt. "You wound me lil' birdie. Can I not talk with a good friend?"

You don't know if you and Tendou are really even friends, needless to say 'good' ones. You know that he isn't an enemy though.

You sigh, plopping down on a stone bench, tired and full.

"How is your eye?" You ask.

The seal Kita placed has been replaced with proper bandages, wrapped securely around Tendou's head. There was some scribbling in black ink on one side of the bandages, and you distinctly read the signature 'Kawanishi.'

"Oh, this thing? It's fine."

It didn't look fine earlier.

Seeing the look of doubt and disbelief on your face, Tendou chuckles. "The Alpha-Leader's magic prevented my cells from deteriorating any further and the Royal Physician of Aoba is skilled. I'll heal. Worst case scenario, I'll just have Shirabu take a look at it."

"...If you say so. I wish you a quick recovery."

Tendou moves to stand on the other side of the bench but does not sit. The wily smile you have come to expect from him is missing.

For the first time since you met him, there is no humor, no wickedness, no impishness on his face.

Crimson eyes that are always bright are now dark and somber. An image of the dark stain on his uniform flashed in your mind.

"That said, I mentioned that this occurrence to my eye isn't normal, didn't I?" He looks at you from the corner of his eye.

"Do you understand what that means?"

Your lips part, a quick answer on the tip of your tongue, but you close them again, thinking about his words. When you first arrived in Hyquile and Aoba, you often spoke without thinking.

You've learned since.

Wordlessly, you nod, shoulders sinking alongside your expression.

Tendou smirks when he sees that you came to the conclusion on your own. It wasn't much, but you've grown since the time he first cornered you here. You were such a nervous wreck then, like a baby bird that fell out of its nest.

"Whether intentional or accidental, regardless of the how's and why's, someone or something did this."

Long fingers brush white bandages.

You don't say anything, only pursing your lips tightly as the weight of his words further sinks into you.

Tendou turns to fully face you then, hands stuffed into his pockets. You look up at his uncovered eye.

His eye reminds you of the crescent moon, the way it looks down at the world below- a watcher of things passing in the dark.

"If you continue forward, this will turn into a painful experience for you."

You shiver, whether it was due to the night air or his words, you weren't sure.

"This will no longer be a magical experience of wonders and fantasy."

Your hands grip together.

"Lives are at stake."

The cat-folk at Cat Alley, spasming on the ground, dark ooze spewing and spurting from his mouth.

A young female cat-folk staggering around on her feet, chest heaving, her small hands desperately clutching at her chest.

"More realms and lives will be at stake."

The sacred waters of Inarizaki, swirling with an ominous taint, stark against the red of the torii.

The dog-folks in the forest, eyes wild, red, and feral, black saliva drooling between their canines.

Taichi, skin pallid, hair mussed and grimy, eyes bleak and hopeless with ghastly veins creeping up his neck.

"Do you understand what I am saying now?"

Your face... her face, dried tears on her skin, staring at you from the darkness, lost and broken.

"If there is a time for you to back out, it is now."

The next breath you take is deep and long, cold as winter's air, enveloping your chest and your heart.

A part deep inside of you quivers, intensely so, manifesting in the faint shaking of your hands.

You grip them tighter, killing the shivers.

Looking up at Tendou, you narrow your eyes at him in scrutiny, a half-pout on your lips.

"Is this a prediction of my future?"

Head tilting, his eye closes into a sharp crescent, impishness returning to him.

"Heh, no. Think of it as a friendly warning."

"This doesn't sound very friendly."

Standing up, you stretch your arms up high, groaning in satisfaction at the pop that goes off in your shoulders and back. Gosh, at this rate, Kuroo will be the one helping you stretch and not the other way around.

You look up at the moon, somehow not surprised to see that it is a crescent moon tonight.

"I'm not going to back out."

You can't.

You won't.

Not with everything you have seen and experienced.

Besides, you've already come to terms with the reality that things are not going to be easy when you first decided to return to Hyquile to help them.

Your feelings have not changed.

You cannot, not in good conscience, abandon the friends and people you have met here, forget about this fantastical world you are growing to adore. How can you, knowing that you hold the key to a cure that will save countless lives?

You will never be able to face your friends again, the very same ones who are vastly different yet similar, to their counterparts in another world.

Most of all, you will never be able to face yourself again.

Tendou is silent as he studies you before throwing up two hands in a shrug.

"Well, don't say I didn't warn you. No one ever takes us fortune-tellers seriously."

You laugh, shoulders shaking at his response. He's impossible.

Shaking your head, you smile at him gratefully.

"Thank you, Tendou."

"Don't thank me."

He's just doing what he felt like, gut feeling or not be damned.

"By the way, what's the personal condition for your clairvoyance? You never explained it."

It might be the play of the darkness and blue lights but you think you see his eye shift; almost sadly, in its slant. Then you blink and it is back to its usual ominous crescent.

Yeah, it's probably just the darkness and your imagination.

Tendou lifts a finger to his lips into the universal sign of silence. And secrecy.

He winked with his one good eye.

"It's a secret."

Tendou watched you go, returning to your room for the night.

Returning to your world.

He chose to stay in the garden for a little while longer, to enjoy the solitude the vacant garden gave him.

Here, in the empty space with the residents of the castle and city tucked away, he can have absolute Silence.

His stomach and chest aren't assaulted by unexplainable pricks and squeezes, feeling like he has to do something or say something that even he cannot understand at the best of times. He isn't bothered by ceaseless, irritating flashes of pictures and sounds in his head that has no meaning whatsoever, whenever he so much as touches someone.

In rare times like this, when he is alone, he is granted a moment of peace.

Only in solitude can he have peace.

...Usually, at least.

He hasn't been able to have that Silence for a while, since you bumped into him in the dim corridor that night.

He's seen things.

Things he cannot say.

Even if magic enabled it, there are things in the world that mortals should not meddle in.

Running a thumb underneath his bandaged eye, Tendou can clearly recall the burning of his skin, like a fiery phantom clinging onto him.

He doesn't know whether he wanted you to back out, to take the door he has so graciously pointed out for you. He also doesn't know if he did that out of some guilty conscience, something he doesn't feel very often.

All he knows is that he respects you for not running away, even if a part of him might think you are naive not to.

Ghosts We See / ficlet 05: Similarity In The Dissimilar

"I don't think that's a panda."
"It displays the traits typical of one."

"...pandas don't live underwater though."

Both your and Ushijima's head tilted to the side in confusion and thought at the strange drawing projected on the wall in front of you.

A few seconds later, Ushijima let out what you can only describe as a sigh and you giggled, "We might be thinking too hard about this. They are drawings by children."

"I suppose," Ushijima simply agreed, remembering the days when he, too, drew strange creatures, sitting on the tatami floors of his family home with crayons galore surrounding him.

You never believed it would really happen but here you were, with The Ushijima Wakatoshi , at Odaiba's famed lights exhibitions.

Despite all the going ons with Hyquile, the promise you made with your world's Ushijima not long ago has always sat in one corner of your mind. You rarely forgot promises and appointments made with others, and it seems even the cropping issues of an alternate world isn't going to change that.

If you were being honest, you thought that Ushijima himself would forget about his own insistence on doing something to make up for spiking a ball into your head and putting you out of commission for 9 days. He is quite busy, what with his team practices and training, not to mention classes and various interviews with magazines and groups eager to delve into the mind of a rising superstar athlete. It would be understandable if he forgot.

Choosing what to do took less effort than you thought it would, considering how stumped the two of you had been when he spoke to you outside your school's dance studio.

You've always heard about this lights exhibition, Borderless , and your friends often squealed about how beautiful it is. You have always planned to visit, and you thought you will likely end up going with the twins or one of your girl friends. That plan obviously changed the moment Ushijima chose this exhibition from a list of various options you texted him.

You never picked him as someone with an interest in any forms of art but then again...when you thought about Crown Prince Ushijima, how wonderful he had been with the Aoban children and his unexpected talent with a brush and cartography, perhaps you shouldn't have been so surprised that Ushiwaka preferred this exhibition over a baseball game.

"More than that, I really want to have ours up on the wall too! Come on!"

Lightly tugging on his sleeve, you lead him towards the corner where the exhibition staff was handing out pieces of paper to guests who wished to draw their own aquatic creatures and have it projected onto the room walls.

It's strange, Ushijima thinks, how you so easily adjusted to his presence and conversed with him. He might not be the best at picking up social cues but even Ushijima is aware of the great difference between the time he visited you at the hospital and the present.

Where you used to stutter and dissolve into a bundle of nerves when he so much as looked at you, you now easily conversed with him, happily even, and comfortably moved him around the area with tugs on his clothes, light glances on his skin and childish beckonings of your hand, an excited smile splayed on your lips.

Almost like you've done this before.

Ushijima isn't one to become nervous over anything but compared to his high school days, he has become more adept at recognizing that he cannot bulldoze through every situation on the wings of his skills alone, and that his linear approach to everything isn't always acceptable now that he is considered an adult, in all meanings of the word. Because of that, in the last several years, he has also become consciously aware that sometimes (most times), he does not know what is socially appropriate or the best way to socially tackle a problem.

Ushijima expected this day to be quite uncomfortable and he had been prepared for that.

He was the one who hospitalized you, and Oikawa's words to him during practice were like a stray pebble bouncing off the back of his head, flicking on the switch that enlightened his thoughts. Perhaps his subconscious already knew he was missing something, that there is something he should be doing in regards to you but he didn't know exactly what until Oikawa, even if it had been ill-intended, made him realize.

"Shouldn't you show just a little bit more concern, Ushiwaka-chan? You did put her in the hospital after all."

Ushijima rarely apologized to people. There usually wasn't a need for him to apologize, because he never believed he was wrong.

But there is no denying that he is in the wrong here, even if it had not been his intention. Having a hyper focus on honing his volleyball skills does not mean he did not have honor.

Still, it is hard to miss the way your eyes sometimes quickly turned away from him and glazed with guilt. As if you were blaming yourself for something.

"Can you pass me the orange crayon?"

Your voice brings Ushijima out of his thoughts, and he passes you the crayon you asked for.

Ushijima shifts uncomfortably, the bright low-table obviously meant for children too small for his stature and size, not to mention the little boy that animatedly jostled about in the space next to him, crying about wanting to draw a mutant tiger fish to his mother.

Sitting with his legs crossed, try as he might not to, his knee frequently bumps into your thigh. As for his other knee, the little boy on his other side constantly slapped a small hand on his leg, to the fervent chiding of his mother to "Stop bothering the nice young man."

"But I want my fish to be a lighter green! This is too dark!" The boy wailed impudently, much to his mother's chagrin.

"They don't have a lighter green. This green is nice too," she tried to appease her young child.

"Noooo!"

"Why don't you try purple instead?" He picks up a purple crayon and holds it out to the boy.

"But I want green ."

"A purple mutant fish is more scary than a green one."

You stare in awe at the scene next to you. You don't know if the always blunt Ushijima truly meant that a purple mutant fish is scarier than a green one, or if he just said it to appease the boy, but it works somehow.

With only a little bit of reluctance, the boy had taken the purple crayon and started coloring in his fish. Ushijima even offered another crayon, saying that black horns will make it stronger, a suggestion that the boy agreed to and drew on.

The mother sighed in relief, happy that her son has finally settled down. She smiled tiredly at Ushijima over the top of her son's head. "Thank you so much."

He wordlessly nodded.

"You're really good with children."

He turns to see you smiling up at him, a wistful look in your eye, as if recalling a cherished memory.

"No, I just told him what I honestly thought about his mutant fish."

You burst out laughing at his straightforward answer, and Ushijima blinks at you in surprise though it isn't unwelcome. Slapping a hand over your mouth, you try to muffle your laughing that had started to attract the eyes of the other guests.

"H-How can you be so s-similar and yet so different?" Through the peals of your laughter, Ushijima heard you chuckle to yourself. He isn't sure who you mean exactly, but he supposes it's fine.

You're certainly different from when he first knew you, but he thinks this difference isn't bad.

The sleeping guilt in his heart stirred as he listened to your voice fade to a giggle.

He was the one who put you in the hospital.

He doesn't know how long or even how exactly he should be going about making it up to you for putting you into a coma. But if you laughing at his expense is one way, then…

He holds up his drawing, a strange mesh of a fish and bird. "I'm done."

You laugh harder at what he shows you, leaning over to look at his drawing better. "W-What is that?"

The aquatic creature Ushijima drew is certainly... unique , more so than any mutant fish. Yet, there was an imaginative quality about it that you would not have expected from him at all. At least, not before this.

(Not before Hyquile)

You line your own drawing next to his, a cutely drawn clownfish. Your clownfish might earn points for effort but you will certainly give creativity points to Ushijima's bird-fish instead.

"I like yours better," you pick up his drawing, chuckling at the googly eyes staring up at you from the page.

"Yours is done well." A devastatingly honest compliment.

The time you spent with Crown Prince Ushijima underneath the tree at Seijoh's fountain square, surrounded by the cheers of children and warm sunlight surfaced in your heart.

Here, you are sit on cushioned floors in a dimly lit room with colorful projector lights, fantastical drawings by children and adults alike swimming on the walls of the room, projected as part of the exhibition's feature. The room is chilly with the steady blow of the air conditioners, and just a little bit stuffy with all the people crammed in it, moving in and out in undulating waves.

It's different, and somehow similar.

Just like the straightforward man with olive eyes next to you.

"Let's go project ours on the walls too!"

You stand up, offering a hand to Ushijima to help him out from under the low-table that you are certain hasn't been kind to him. He accepts and takes your hand, even if he didn't need it, much larger hands closing over your small ones.

(He can't explain why it feels so natural)

"Sure."

(Have you changed, or has it always been this easy being around you and has he just been slow to notice?)

With much excitement and anticipation, you hand both your drawings to the staff and Ushijma follows you around as you flit near the walls, looking for any sight of your drawings.

"Look! There's yours!" You point at a spot on the wall where a distinct bird-fish floats by underneath white lights.

An orange clownfish morphs next to the bird-fish.

"That's mine!" You begin to eagerly snap photos of your drawings floating side by side, showing them to Ushijima immediately who squints at your screen.

The photos aren't the best, coming out a little blurry due to the dim room but Ushijima can clearly tell it is his bird-fish and your clownfish.

A small smile tugs at the corner of his lips.

"We should take a picture together," Ushijima suggests. To your absolute shock.

Your mouth goes slack in surprise, eyes wide as you stare up at him. Did The Ushijima Wakatoshi just suggest taking a selfie? With you?

His head tilts in confusion at your stupefied silence. "Is that not what people do on days out?"

People like couples and friends!

Well, technically, you suppose you are friends with Ushijima. Are you? Are you friends? Wait, is this a date? No, this isn't a date. This only started because he wanted to make up for hospitalizing you and you wanted to ease a perceived guilt that shouldn't be his to bear in the first place. So what does that make you and Ushijima? Just friends then, right? Right. Before he spiked you, you hardly talked to the man, and sure you've been interacting with him more since and even have him as a contact on your phone, which is unbelievable in itself, but Ushijima never once said anything about being friends and-

"If you rather not, we don't have to-" he starts, beginning to think he might have misunderstood some social cue and insulted you.

"N-No! I would love to!" You quickly cut in, snapping out of your stupor. "I-I was just...surprised."

"Surprised?" Why are you surprised? Surely taking photos is not such a rare event.

You shake your head, easing his befuddlement by stepping close to him, hoping that the multiple artificial lights are enough for a decent photo. "I didn't expect you to want to take a photo."

"Hm," Ushijima hums. He doesn't say it, naturally thinking that the day overall so far spoke for itself, but he is actually enjoying himself. Something to remember it by will be good.

"Tendou often sends me photos with his friends so I thought I might return the gesture."

Hah, Tendou. There's that name again. You're familiar with the Thaumamancer but the Tendou of your world is still unknown to you. But you get the idea that he and Ushijima are good friends.

Ushijima bends down to your level and in the cold room, you can distinctly feel his body heat radiating warmly against you from this distance. In your jittery nervousness, the good kind, you nearly drop your phone but save it at the last moment. A long arm extends towards your outstretched hand, easily reaching yours.

"Should I do it?"

"O-Oh, thank you. Yeah, it'll be better that way."

click

Never did you think there would be a day you would get to take a selfie, of all things, with The Ushijima Wakatoshi , a model student the entire student body admired, yourself included.

But as you send the photo to Ushijima, you can't help but grin up at him, genuinely happy in spite of the initial doubts you had when you left your home.

When you finally leave the exhibition, the orange skies over Odaiba greet you. Its dress of fiery amber adorned with ribbons of white is beautiful as always, but your attention is stolen away by a certain olive-eyed male.

"I had fun. We should do this again."

Ushijima had been looking at the photo the two of you took before he turned his gaze to you. There is a faint lift to his brow that you've seen before, under a different sun, that softened his entire visage with the gentlest of touches.

A depth to it that was beyond any smile.

You blinked momentarily at him before a sincere smile overtook you.

Sentimental Ushijima is what you've always dubbed the Crown Prince you met in Hyquile. At the time, you couldn't really understand the reason why he gave off the feeling that he isn't as stoic or as fierce as his default expression might imply but…

You are slowly beginning to understand.

"Haaaah- ?! Iwa-chan look at this! I can't believe she went to Odaiba with Ushiwaka and not me !"

"Oh yeah, she mentioned something about that."
"You knew?! Why would she go to Odaiba with that brute?! Odaiba's so romantic, I could have shown her the best picnic spots and we could have laid under the lights at that exhibition-"

"Don't ask me-"

"-and Ushiwaka doesn't know the first thing about romance and wooing a woman! I can't believe- OW!"

"You're really a shitty person Shittykawa."

Atsumu looked up from his video game when he heard a disgusting splat that sounded like a pancake hitting the floor.

He turned towards his brother. Yep, there's a pancake on the floor. Whatever it was, it was shocking enough to make Osamu drop his food, which said a lot.

"Yo, 'Samu! What's up with ya'? Ya' just wasted an entire pancake ya' scrub-"

"Look at this."

"Huh?"

Atsumu moved to stand behind his brother and squinted down at Osamu's phone screen, dirty with food oils. Osamu clicked on your social media story that was updated not long ago.

His eyes bulged wide.

"Har?! Did she go to Odaiba with Ushiwaka?!"

Notes:

Phew. Lots to take in again ;w; Oh, and if anyone is curious, the end part is based on a real exhibition in Odaiba, Japan! One of my favorite places to go actually haha

Oh, and this is your last chance to vote in this poll if you haven't! I haven't forgotten about it nor the winner from the first poll LOL It's just taking a while as I wanted the story to get to a certain point first.
In case you all forgot, the winner of the last poll was Kuroo. So in addition to whoever wins this poll, they and Kuroo will have additional scenes written for them! Otome fluff and all; we like that shit.

Who is your favorite Hyquile Alternate Bachelor? (Grand Prix 2)

Do leave a comment if you enjoyed the story! I understand that sometimes we do not know what to say, or a kudos is enough, but comments to writers are like water to plants. It encourages & motivates us a LOT It lets us know without a doubt that people are reading, that our efforts and time are worth it.
Please comment on the fics you read and support your favorite stories and writers! It is SO important yet still needs to be more widely upheld!

My Tumblr: Follow my tumblr for early ficlet updates and sneak peeks!
My Twitter: If you wish to see my art. There are some early drawings of the GWS boys here though there is more Genshin art lately haha

Chapter 31: Halcyon Days: Kita Shinsuke

Notes:

Eheh, a short chapter this time but I wanted to change things up a bit :p It was supposed to be part of a long chapter but it felt good to take it out as a standalone chapter so...here it is!

Finished this at 4am on a work night (rip) and it was a mess but fidelcatsro of Tumblr saved the entire thing with her beta-reading, and on such short notice too! Literally dropped this off to her at 4am and it was done when I woke!

I hope you all enjoy! 3

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The smell of rice and acrid smoke.

Iron blood and burning skin.

When Kita woke the first morning of his stay in the Blue Castle, he was drenched in sweat.

A nightmare of flames and water.

Then he remembered where he was, and he fell into an unease so deep he dared not move.

"G-grandma...grandma…"

Everything here is...foreign, so vastly different from Inarizaki House that Kita has trouble adjusting, processing, the cacophony of emotions that cycle within him.

Walls here are made of stone- cold and smooth.

Where in Inarizaki they are of wood- warm, sometimes wet, and rough.

Here, the bed is lifted from the floor by wooden frames, lined with gorgeous silk linens and pillows that mould under his every movement. In Inarizaki, he sleeps on tatami floors, in futons made of simple cotton.

Everywhere he looks, trees with leaves of a strange green and blue shimmer line the streets and gardens. Flowers bloom in abundance along cobbled paths, their fragrance permeating the air, and the sun is blindingly bright first thing in the morning.

Kita is used to the rice terraces of Inarizaki, the scent of fresh mud mixed with golden stalks in the village and soft soil beneath his toes.

In Inarizaki, mornings belonged to the mist. The sun has its turn after.

"Grandma…"

Here in Seijoh, everything is unfamiliar, and the sounds and smells of humans pervaded his senses.

All is dark; there is no quiet.

Water rushed.

It did not soothe.

He would have stayed in his room, in his bed, until called for a meeting, if you hadn't come knocking for him.

All is burning.

"Kita! There you are! I heard you haven't left your room since last night!"

And he wouldn't have stepped beyond his door at all if you hadn't taken his hand and tugged on it. The suddenness caught him off-guard, leaving him no opportunity to resist.

"You said you wanted to see Hyquile one day, and visit human realms right? Well, you're here in the City of Trees now! I'm going out to the city with Kenma and you should come with! You'll love it here, I'm sure! It's a pretty city!"

"B-But the Summit-"

"I checked with Ushijima already and he said it'll be a deadlock until they meet Daichi! So we're free for now!"

"...I'm scared."

Which is how Kita found himself walking between you and Kenma down the streets of Seijoh, fox-eyes darting around both fretfully and curiously.

"Ohh, and you should try this too! It's called Royal Cloud Bread! Apparently named as such because it is Prince Oikawa's favorite food!"

A piece of fluffy white bread is shoved into Kita's hand and the Alpha-Leader gingerly takes it, Kenma next to him already scarfing down his second loaf.

Kita can feel his heart beating with both nervousness and excitement in his chest, palpably so, as he took his nth bite of human food from a human realm. It's only been a day since he arrived and he's stuffed to the brim, despite having skipped breakfast and most of last night's dinner.

If any of his retainers were here, in particular Omimi, they will have surely tested the bread for poison before allowing him to even touch any food from a human store.

"...please don't leave me…"

Suna was back at the Blue Castle, having volunteered to remain as a representative in his place for anything with the other leaders that might crop up.

Kita felt guilty, since he really should be the one attending any further meetings with all the other great leaders, but Suna insisted that he take the chance to see Seijoh.

To see a realm beyond their own.

Human soldiers.

Enter.

A human realm.

You had curiously said to Suna that he should take the opportunity to see Seijoh too, since it isn't often that fox-folks strayed far from Inarizaki territory. But the private fox-folk had merely closed chartreuse eyes, mysteriously whispering that it was unnecessary, for he has 'seen them before.'

Atsumu, on the other hand, had been viciously insistent that Kita stayed at the castle for his safety. But after a single yet purposeful tug on his arm from Osamu, he reluctantly backed down.

The twins, for all their relentless vengeance towards humans, respect and love their Alpha-Leader more than anything. As much as they hate it, they understand how much he wants to reacquaint the fox-folks with humanity, how curious he is of their world at large.

So it was with great apprehension that they did not do more to stop Kita from going out to Seijoh with you, though Kita is very sure they have been following the three of you from a distance since his first step out of the main castle doors.

"Look at this!" Kenma holds up a baked pastry in the shape of zelkova leaves, all but shoving it in Kita and your faces. He is wearing a beanie cap that the Headmaid gave him, in the case he accidentally let his ears out in his excitement.

"Zelkovian Stew Puffs! They are so good!" You gush, already moving to pay the grinning stall owner with money that Oikawa gave you to spend with the group. "Kita, you have to try one too!"

With weapons,

of spite and cruel magic;

fire, water, resentment.

"Fresh out of the oven, young sir!" The jolly man says to him, gesturing behind him to where the entrance to his bakery stood with quaint decorations. Inside, a lady is busy restocking the shelves with baked goods.

Kita ducks his head at the older man's booming voice, an instinctive reflex to shouting humans that dredged up unwanted memories of similarly loud human soldiers tearing through his village, burning and killing as they went.

Voices raised

alongside gleaming steel.

The owner's brows furrow with worry at Kita's paling complexion. Swiftly wrapping up one more Zelkovian Stew Puff in a leaf, he holds it out to Kita.

"You look like you're going to blow over like a leaf! Have one more on the house!"

Kita flinches at the outstretched hand. "I-...I can't possibly…"

Charging.

He laughs, taking Kita's hand and shoving the pastry in it. "It's fine! Take it! If these don't sell out by noon, I'm going to have to eat them all or my lady's efforts will have been in vain!" The stall owner pats his belly proudly, happy evidence of good food every night and day on display.

Kita starts when you nudge him and he shyly accepts the extra serving with a soft mumble.

"Thank you…"

"Lord Kita...I'm hungry."

They are starving.

.

.

.

They starved.

That one single puff tasted more delicious than anything else he ate that day.

The rest of the time spent exploring Seijoh with you and Kenma passes by in a similar manner, jumping from store to store and trying out all they have to offer. Kita had expected it but he is still surprised at how different the local cuisine here is from Inarizaki's rice-based and simpler ones.

Another thing unfamiliar to him is how often he had to crane his neck up to take in the sights- carved statues and fountains, gilded stone columns, and towering trees that grew and expanded alongside buildings and blue roofs.

In his homeland, their buildings rarely go higher than three floors but here they go to five, six, and even seven.

There is nothing left.

"Kita."

"Grandma, I miss you."

Kita draws his attention away from the headless fountain statue he had been admiring with wonder when you call him.

You sit next to him on the fountain edge, hand swirling around the cool waters as your legs kick back and forth leisurely.

Kenma had run off to find a drinks stall, the poor cat-folk finding himself in need of constant hydration due to all his excitement and energy.

You smile at him tiredly- the good kind of exhaustion that comes from time well-spent exploring with good company and hearty meals.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" you ask him expectantly. Eagerness shines in your eyes, hoping for a positive answer from him; that he enjoyed the tour of Seijoh, the food, people, and the sights.

You may not be a native to the realm, but you spent enough time roaming the streets during your time here that you have several choice areas you enjoy: the library Akaashi showed you, the grand fountain square where you colored maps with Ushijima and local children, that one cafe where you spotted Shoyo once, the main avenue where you first met the Oikawa of this world...

"I did. I especially loved the library. I shouldn't have been surprised but I was, when I realized the entire library itself is living."

Kita thought back on his visit to the Blue Leaf National Library. That nature magic can be mastered to such an extent...Kita was moved by the precise control of whoever designed and created the library.

Will he ever reach such a level one day with his own magic?

Will Inarizaki have a library of that scale one day?

Will he see her again one day?

You make a loud noise of agreement, nodding avidly. "Right?! I felt the same way when I first saw it!"

When your excitement passes, you settle back down, bumping your shoulder with his. Kita tilts his head in confusion at the unfamiliar gesture from you.

"You looked really down yesterday during the Summit and after...I suppose you had a long journey, and the magic you did for Tendou probably tired you out but…" you started, looking away from him sheepishly.

"I guess I was worried. I know your past with...humans. And your wish to reintroduce the fox-folks to the world. It must be hard, confusing, for you to be here I imagine..."

"I believe you will bring peace to the realm. That is your legacy and not the ambitions of your father...because you are my dear grandson, Shin."

You sigh, guilt weighing your shoulders. "It's kinda my fault you're here."

"W-what? No!" Kita exclaims, upset that you think him being here is your fault. "I made the choice to attend the Summit in the end. It's not your fault at all."

"Yeah but if I hadn't-"

"No."

Before he realized it, Kita has taken your hand, squeezing it reassuringly with both of his.

"Someone is always watching."

"You remembered us. You could have forgotten about us and left us to deal with our own fate but you remembered us, when the world has largely forgotten us over the years."

Your hands are familiar. How many times have you pushed and corrected his form when he joined you in your stretches, with these very same hands?

"After being kidnapped by the twins? I doubt I can forget you even if I wanted to!" You joke, face heating with his words and the brush of his thumb on your knuckles.

Kita smiles softly, russet gaze lowering to your hand in his.

Your hand is warm, just like the Zelkovian puff given to him by the human man.

A human he doesn't know. One who doesn't know him in turn.

An unfamiliar human.

And he was very kind.

"I...I often talk about reacquainting Inarizaki with the rest of the world again one day. But I have never acted on it, not until I met you. And after you left...I probably would have continued to remain in a standstill if your letter did not arrive. I even rejected it once, I'm sure you've heard..." Kita mumbles, unable to meet your eyes. Shame clutched him at the memory of how quickly he turned down Kyotani's missive.

"Kita, you've all been through so much. It was understandable-"

He shakes his head. He and you both knew that rejecting the Summit was a foolish move, driven solely by his fear. He is embarrassed to admit it, even now as a light tinge colored his nose, but he recognizes his own flaws.

He always has.

The fear and trauma rarely leave him, often visiting as night terrors when others sleep, mercilessly reminding him.

All around him, the voices of humans, young and old alike mingle with the atmosphere, joining with the rushing of water and rustle of leaves.

Kita finally looks up, taking in the scenes circling your figures.

Human children splash water at each other not far from him, several droplets landing on the edge of his clothes. A human father bouncing his daughter on his shoulders, his wife lovingly putting their daughter's fallen shoe back on her. An old man and old lady, in the late stages of their human life, sitting side by side on a bench under the tree, their hands entwined. Up ahead on the other side, Kenma, immersed in the sales pitch the human lady selling drinks is giving him.

"The Rot aside…" When Kita turns back to you, he feels light. Not a lot, just a feather's worth, but lighter than he's been in a long time. The necklace of fear around his neck does not feel as tight; he can breathe new air.

Kita hasn't let go of your hand. You haven't taken it back either.

"If I did not come here, I would not have seen the kindness humanity possessed."

He would not have been able to face the terrors of his mind.

"Seeing...is believing. There is truth to this."

He's seen here firsthand, experienced it himself, the warmth of humanity. Saw that they are living, loving, growing.

They aren't of angry flames and hateful deluge like his mind, his weakness, will have him believe.

He still has a long way to go, and it'll be a while before he completely overcomes his inner demons. But this is a step.

A small step.

One that he very much needed, to begin the journey he has put off for far too long.

Fear...is not his legacy. Neither will it be.

He has sullied his grandma's final wish long enough.

It's odd, how much one day, one meeting, one fateful encounter can change.

Meeting other humans and fellow animal-folks fighting against the same cause.

Meeting the store owner.

Meeting you.

It's ironic, that the stone that rippled the lake was thrown by human hands.

With your hand still clasped between his, Kita lifts it, pressing his cheek to the back of his.

Your heart beats at the innocent intimacy, fingers subconsciously curling around his, brushing strands of silver and black.

This touch that should be between lovers does not discomfort you. It doesn't feel strange, holding each other's hand like this. There is a comfort that cannot be explained, only felt, through this familiar connection.

Perhaps it is because it is Kita that it feels that way.

The very same private Kita who hid his identity from you, who used to flinch from your reach.

Kita Shinsuke, as you know him in both worlds and as different as they are, is pure, good, and honest.

You trust him. Both of him.

A visage of peace drapes onto his features for reasons unknown to you. His brow softens, eyes slowly closing like falling into sleep. Maybe he would have, if you were back at the castle. Telltale grey told of a sleepless night.

When Kita reopens his eyes, there is something different about him.

His shoulders do not slump and his back is straight. His eyes do not waver at the slightest of movements, remaining firm and steady.

His mouth moves.

The children are loud and the grand fountain is louder with its rushing water.

But Kita's voice is stronger still, with its quiet spirit.

"You have nothing to apologize for. Rather..."

He smiles at you, and you realize the difference.

His smile is open and weightless. He looks...lighter.

Freer.

There is an imperceptible tremble to his hands that seeps into you, through his palms and down your wrist.

It isn't nervousness or fear. You recognize the faint shivers as the same ones you got before you went on stage, or when you almost master a new trick...

And when you began discovering the wonders of Hyquile.

"I have everything to thank you for."

"'Tsumu…"

A gruff sound of acknowledgement. "What?"

"I want to eat Zelkovian Stew Puff too…" As if on cue, a loud grumbling noise made itself known.

"Tch, I swear all ya' think about is food."

A short pause.

"Let's go steal some, 'Samu."

Zelkovian Stew Puffs: A crispy pastry stuffed with hearty cream stew. Its thick, golden crust keeps the stew inside without losing its crunch. The trick to eating it is to keep the puff upright and consume it from top down. This prevents the stew from spilling and allows one to even drink from the puff directly. It is best eaten fresh as leaving it too long will cause the puff to turn moist.

Notes:

This was meant to be pure fluff originally but...yeah. Ahahaha i hope everyone liked the chapter! YAY for jaggy character development!

Do leave a comment if you enjoyed the story! I understand that sometimes we do not know what to say, or a kudos is enough, but comments to writers are like water to plants. It encourages & motivates us a LOT It lets us know without a doubt that people are reading, that our efforts and time are worth it.
Please comment on the fics you read and support your favorite stories and writers! It is SO important yet still needs to be more widely upheld!

My Tumblr: Follow my tumblr for early ficlet updates and sneak peeks!
My Twitter: If you wish to see my art. There are some early drawings of the GWS boys here though there is more Genshin art lately haha

Chapter 32: The Fellowship of the Ring

Summary:

The Uninviting Hinterlands Arc

Notes:

WE'RE BACK TO BIG CHAPTERS GUYS!
Okay so I know a few chapters back I named the arc "The Two Worlds Arc" but I'm changing them. I found it hard to break into smaller arcs with an overarching title like that
Also, those who follow me on Tumblr know why this/last chapter came out so fast but I can't guarantee the same for C33, as I have two other fics to prioritize before that atm hjdbxhfHNGGGG not enough time in a day to spend writing orz

AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ARE ALWAYS COMMENTING! I swear, you guys keep me going strong for this story, and the story only got this far because of you all as well! Thank you everyone for always motivating me with your comments T_T

And thank you once again to fidelcastro of Tumblr for beta reading this!
Now please enjoy 3

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"No, Lord Kita. Nothing else happened other than the twins being the twins. Again," Suna resists the urge to roll his eyes.

"Their food theft has been settled with both the store owner and Crown Prince Oikawa, who has been most gracious in his understanding," he continues dryly. "I, for one, would not have let them off so easily."

Kita heaves a tired sigh. "Tell Atsumu and Osamu that I wish to speak to them later tonight, when they are done with cleaning the Everhorn stables."

"Of course. I will also let the maid know to bring you your dinner-"

"No," Kita interjects and Suna pauses.

Kita turns to his retainer and smiles softly, tugging with slight nervousness at his sleeves. "I will join everyone for dinner tonight. It will be impolite of me to withhold my attendance a second night."

Suna doesn't say anything for a few moments as surprise takes hold of his words. Then he nods in understanding.

"Then I will see you this evening to escort you."

Suna bows and retreats from Kita's temporary chambers, closing the doors behind him to allow his Alpha-Leader some rest after a full day out exploring Seijoh with you and Kenma.

He makes his way back down the many long halls and flights of stone, returning to the guest study where he last left you to see Kita off. Why the royal family of Aoba requires such a needlessly large castle is beyond Suna's understanding but he supposes if Inarizaki House had a castle like this, he would be able to evade the twins more easily.

When he enters, he finds you lounging languidly on the couch, body half splayed across it in rest. You make an effort to sit up when you finally notice his silent entrance, embarrassedly fixing the scattered cushions as you do so.

"Don't bother. I have seen your ways when you were a guest at my home," Suna says, taking a seat across from you.

"Wha-?! I wasn't a master cleaner but I was no slob!"

Suna hums but does not respond. You are about to make a case and defend yourself against his insult when you see the twinkle in his eye.

Shitty Suna-

"I can never tell when you're joking," you pout, squinting at the fox-folk.

"Whoever said I was?"

You immediately throw a cushion at him.

Suna easily catches it without looking before placing it down neatly next to him. It's honestly unfair how good his reflexes are.

Rolling your eyes, you huff and flop back onto the couch. "Did you come here just to make fun of me?"

"I do not have so much free time like the twins," he blandly replies.

You stifle a laugh, sitting to face him properly. "How are you? It's been a while since I...well, you know."

"All things considered, quite well," he starts, eyes flicking up at you.

"Did something happen in Seijoh today?" he asks, skipping the small talk and confusing you with the assumption that an incident of some sort had occurred.

As far as you know, only the Miya twins happened. Word travels quickly between those who were present for the Summit, passing from foot soldiers to realm leaders to other realm leaders in no time, after all. It isn't very different from gossip filtering down school hallways.

Your head tilts in question. "No, not really. Why?"

"I see, it's nothing."

"Suna, I know you well enough that you do not do anything without reason." Both the athlete and fox-folk.

Brows pinching, Suna gives in and answers, finding he has no energy nor will to invest in either a proper explanation or half-assed reason. What little energy he does possess has already been spent negotiating the twins' way out of jail.

"Lord Kita seems a little different is all."

"Different? How so?"

Suna briefly ponders your question, recalling the moment Kita said he will be present for dinner tonight with their human hosts. It isn't like there was a big tell or sign that screamed to the world that there is a change. But Suna knows Kita- his Alpha-Leader, whom he has followed and served for most of his life. He understands his little ticks, habits, tells, that gives Suna glimpses of his state of mind.

Sometimes, Suna thinks he knows Kita better than he does himself but Suna also knows that Kita is very self-aware of his own shortcomings, if not his strengths.

The Kita that Suna knew, the one before he met you, would never have stepped up to join humans in anything, especially not in their stronghold where hiding and escape was not a possibility.

A lot of things have been, are, changing with your arrival. Kita has been changing, slowly but surely, ever since the twins literally showed up with you on their doorstep.

His lips lightly lift; not a smile, but an acknowledgement, when he looks at you.

"Just a hunch."

Your legs won't stop bouncing.

They would stop when you take notice but after a few minutes, start right back up.

Shake, shake, shake. Bounce, bounce, bounce.

You can't stop it.

The vice president of the volleyball circle is going on and on about funds, schedules- whatever. To be fair, you're pretty sure that what they are talking about is pretty important to the circle, and to the de facto leader, Kita, who is listening attentively.

If your mum saw you now, she would slap your thighs and scold you for jiggling all the family fortune away.

You've been feeling like this for a while; jittery, not anxious but just...restless. It is similar to having too much adrenaline, or maybe caffeine. And not in an entirely good way.

It's noticeable to even yourself that you are always gunning-perhaps way too much, even- to leave school, club activities, or any kind of social outings as of late.

All to get home.

To get to Hyquile as soon as possible.

You don't know, you can't pinpoint the source of this well of congested energy that only finds an outlet when you are in Hyquile. No, that's not it...you kind of do know what is causing this restlessness.

You just didn't want to admit it.

It began four days after your day out with Kita and Kenma in Seijoh, so two days ago in your world. You traversed to Hyquile that night and found that the meeting with Daichi was already over.

Like, for real?
Four leaders of their respective realms had gone to see Daichi at the arranged time and place, minus Bokuto.

(Apparently, Bokuto found the first Summit meeting irritating to no end, having gone on and on in endless circles. So he delegated it to Kuroo to represent Owl Vale in tandem with the Nekoma Dominion.

In light of that, why he even made such a grand effort to crash the Summit in the first place escapes you. Best not to think too hard about what goes through Bokuto's head.)

They met Daichi at the restaurant where he had been dining alfresco when the thief ran by. The entire place was empty that day, save for Daichi and their group. Iwaizumi had taken the pains to have the owner clear out the entire place for His Royal Highness prior. Monetary compensation also made sure he kept it hush-hush.

It isn't like they meant to go without you. Rather, it was you who did not make it in time as you were caught up with your own life, heading to bed later than you usually would when traveling to Hyquile.

You had wanted to be there when they met Daichi, since you were the one who made the meeting happen. You wanted to introduce the first friend you made in Hyquile who wasn't someone you met because of your situation with her.

It's silly that you feel this way. Completely illogical and you know it.

You shouldn't feel miffed that they did not wait for you, there was no time to waste after all. Yet...

You feel left out.

(Like you were a young kid all over again, left behind by Atsumu and Osamu as they chased after volleyball)

(Like your parents uprooting you to Tokyo for your brother)

Your fingers curl in on themselves, crinkling your empty notebook page.

(You feel like an outsider)

It's stupid and childish yet you cannot stop the feeling.

Everyone suddenly gets up from their seats and you sit up, belatedly realizing that the circle meeting is over. Gathering your things in a haphazard rush, you try to make for the door- eager to get home and the other world- but the calling of your name stops you.

You rub the back of your neck in embarrassment and turn to face Kita.

Is he going to say something about your leg jostling? It must have felt like an earthquake.

Kita approaches you, his own bag slung over his shoulder. "How are you? I noticed that you have been out of focus lately."

As expected of Kita Shinsuke to notice, you suppose. It'd be strange for him not to.

When you stop to think about it, his Hyquile alternate Clumsy Kita is very perceptive too, au contraire to your nickname for him.

"Ah- yeah, I'm just...overwhelmed with...stuffs."

A vague understatement.

"I hear that you've been struggling with your notes and homework?"

"...Did Suna rat me out to you?"

"I overheard him telling the twins."

Shitty Suna-

Pushing the door to the clubroom open, Kita politely waits for you to leave before locking it.

Kita eyes you- not in the same manner that has cold chills running up the backs of people on the wrong side of his scrutiny- but it is similarly point blank and analytical.

It makes you want to wince, to hide, worried that if you keep eye contact with him too long he could somehow read your mind.

Of course, he'll never be able to imagine something like traversing worlds or dimensions and alternates. Even if you logically know that, his gaze is so sharp, penetrative, it certainly feels like he knows what you're thinking about.
Explains why the twins often complain about Kita's mind-reading superpower.

Other than that, the guilt you've carried since you woke from your coma still weighs heavy. You do not enjoy hiding things from the people around you, more so if they are only worried for your wellbeing.

A white lie is still a lie.

Yet, you can never speak about this to anyone. How can you?

No one would believe you. Even if they did...they cannot help you.

You do not want to worry your friends, and especially your family, any more than you need to. You doubt your parents, in particular your mother, have fully recovered from the scare you gave her with your coma even though several weeks have passed since you first woke up. It's not something people can get over easily, especially when it involves your children…

Heck, it would probably affect you more too, if it had been a simple coma and did not involve your soul being pulled into an alternate world.

You only began to realize it lately, a change in your parents' social habits with you. It isn't a major difference, but compared to before being spiked in the head by a future Japan's Cannon, your mother texted you a lot (well, a lot for her). Just the usual parental things- have you eaten, where you are, and what are you doing etcetera.

Your father hasn't changed his habits much though he does call you alot more often, as if checking that you aren't passed out on a random weekday evening. You understood this is their way of caring and worrying.

As for your brother...well, he's the only one who hasn't changed in his social habits towards you. Other than talking with you about it a few times after you woke up, he never directly brought it up again.

Maybe he didn't know how to, maybe he sensed your awkwardness when people talked about it.

Either way, you find his lack of change...

So many things have changed for you and towards you since that day you woke up in Hyquile.

The one thing that has remained the same is the relationship between you and your brother.

(It's comforting, familiar in a world and phase of changes.)

A hand touches your shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Kita's brow furrows with worry.

"Yes, sorry. I spaced out for a bit," you avert your gaze.

"That's exactly what I meant by you being unfocused lately," Kita says, eyes gentle with worry. "You've been a great help with the volleyball circle, so if there's anything troubling you, you can tell me."

Kita stops walking as he turns to face you, displaying the honesty and intent in his words. You never would have doubted Kita's sincerity to begin with, and you appreciate his offer but…

Your fingers brush your wrist, tracing the tree charm.

Since the thief incident, you made it a point and a habit to always be aware of where your bracelet is, Hyquile or otherwise.

Shaking your head, you waved one hand casually in the air. "I'm alright, really! I'm just struggling with the current coursework."

Kita's head tilts to the side in question. "Do you need help studying?"

You blink, momentarily surprised before your lifted hand moved to rub the back of your neck sheepishly. "I don't want to impose."

"You wouldn't be. I planned on making sure the twins and Suna studied properly as well," Kita informs you, the corner of his mouth twitching into a wry smile.

You don't think you're terrible at studying on your own, and you've managed to maintain a passing grade so far…

But that was when you didn't have to juggle your studies, club activities, and social life with interdimensional travel to remedy a magical pandemic.

Kita waits for your answer patiently, and your eyes flick over him, momentarily seeing a much meeker Kita in his place.

The irony of the situation isn't lost on you, how in Hyquile it is Clumsy Kita that would require help from others. Whilst in your world, Kita is unbelievably perfect in everything he applies himself to.

If it had been foolish of Clumsy Kita to turn down the invitation to the Summit, then you will be equally foolish to turn down studying help from Kita Shinsuke.

You can't ask for help in regards to Hyquile but you suppose you can accept it for your studies, at least.

You sigh begrudgingly.

"In that case, yeah, I will really appreciate it."

From the Summit to the upcoming journey to and across the Uninviting Hinterlands, there has been no time for a break for the hardworking staff of the Blue Castle.

Servants run around preparing travel packs for a trek into a place they do not know how to pack for.

The castle cooks bustle daily trying to keep their pantry and serving dishes filled, baffled as to why freshly prepared meals went missing almost as soon as they are ready (Osamu has been sneaking into the kitchens with his illusion magic and hijacking the food).

There are daily notices of fire at the barracks due to Atsumu's magic which did not complement well with the nature attributes of many things in Seijoh (seeing as Inarizaki is surrounded by a forest, you suspect Atsumu isn't putting any effort at keeping things chill at all ).

Unwitting maids complained of chills in one of the hallways from mysterious mists filling the air despite sunshine (Kita, who found comfort in the mists, unconsciously creates them when he's alone in his room).

Couches had to be dusted off twice daily of suspicious shaggy golden fur, raising questions amongst the staff that were appeased by Iwaizumi who lied about training a new hound (Terushima).

Rumors of a haunting circulated amongst the night guards of strange scratching sounds coming from the gardens on late moonlit nights (turns out it was Suna working on his talismans).

The troubled crease between Oikawa's brows is near permanent nowadays.

Daichi has agreed to be the navigator for the group traveling to Crow's Nest, whoever they may be.

Whether he can be trusted -both as a person and as a reliable navigator- remains to be seen but Ushijima is giving him the benefit of the doubt on account of you.

Kuroo has his reservations but is of the opinion that they can use him whilst remaining cautious.

Oikawa has his doubts too but when you asked, he says that he took a chance on trusting you too when you first arrived.

"We're doing pretty well since then, no?" he had said with a boyish smile.

Iwaizumi gave him a lot of grief for trusting yet another stranger.

Bokuto does not trust him outright but then again, when does he ever trust anyone easily?

Many members of the Summit have their doubts about letting Daichi lead but most accept that it is better than no guide at all.

To be honest, you are now beginning to question if bringing in Daichi was a good idea, mainly because he has nothing to do with the astronomical task that the Summit members are undertaking to begin with but...he'll be involved now.

If you hadn't approached him...

There is still much you do not know about Hyquile, least of all the Uninviting Hinterlands, but based on what everyone has said so far including Daichi himself, it is going to be dangerous there.

Not to mention Tendou's warning to you that night...your mind might be made but it doesn't make you any less apprehensive.

Of course, Daichi isn't providing his services without compensation and from what you heard, it is no small sum. Nothing that the Empire or even the Dominion cannot cover (...maybe not Inarizaki House though) but Goshiki had some choice words about the man when he heard what the asking price was.

"We're endeavoring to find a cure to the Rot and uncovering the cause of it and t-this..-this avaricious, Everhorn-humping greedy, rotted, spirits-forsaken SOD is asking for a sum equivalent to the Eagle Crown's jewels?! Well, he can have MY JEWE-"

You never knew the stoic Royal Guard had such a dirty tongue.

As to who will be going to the Uninviting Hinterlands, like with everything else brought up at the Summit, there isn't a unanimous decision.

Right away there were already splits in opinions on whether you should even be going.

You, as the one with the ability to cure the Rot and whose perceived future has some meagre, unexplained connection to crows, it made sense for you to go.

On the other hand, bringing you, a non-fighter on what is expected to be a harsh trek, did not make sense.

Those in favor of you going:

You (duh).

Ushijima (hesitant but respectful of your decision).

Tendou (obviously; this entire thing is his making).

Kuroo (despite taking consideration of your origins from a safer world without magic, it is a logical choice).

Suna (similarly, it makes the most sense).

Akaashi (after how you handed yourself over to Aoba under his watch, he had a feeling you wouldn't stay silent at being left behind anyways).

Terushima.

Those not in favor:

Oikawa (extremely worried).

Bokuto (extremely against you going).

Atsumu (also extremely against you going).

Osamu (not as extreme but thinks you'll be an additional liability).

Kenma (this one surprised you but turns out he is really worried too).

Terushima (...).

Neutral:

Kita (thinks it is risky but he felt that you should decide).

Daichi (wasn't given an opinion).

In the end, it made less sense for you to not go, so your side won that dispute by one vote.

Confirmed Party Members:

You

Daichi

It was quickly agreed between everyone though that a large group would complicate the journey. To keep things fair and balanced between all parties, each leader is only allowed to pick one member to represent their realm.

Who they will be, you do not yet know but you do not doubt that everyone will have made their decisions come the day of departure.

Kuroo had been aimlessly -or at least as aimless as someone of his nature can be- strolling through the many gardens of the Blue Castle, mulling over The Rot, the Summit, the upcoming trek through the Uninviting Hinterlands, when he came across you.

He stops in his tracks, watching you sit in the grass with that owl, Mori, hopping around you as you flipped a feather and stray zelkova leaves around in the air with magic.

Ah yes, he has heard about your practice rituals from Kenma.

The feather and leaves flop lifelessly to the ground when you look up and spot him.

"Kuroo!" You wave at him, face lighting at the sight of him.

Tilting his head in a silent greeting, he makes his way over to you, footfalls as silent as the impassive cat-folk himself.

Mori flutters up into the air at his approach, hooting at the Dominion leader familiarly.

"Do you know each other?" you ask, surprised at the way Mori flits around Kuroo.

"We've seen each other a handful of times over the years, on the rare occasions Akaashi brings him to Mt. Nekomata," he responds, expression stoic even as Mori flies around him insistently, close enough to his face that if it was anyone else, they would surely flinch away. One might even call it annoying, though the elf owl is cute enough to get away with murder.

Lifting an arm, Kuroo allows the elf owl to perch on him, before gracefully lowering himself to the ground in front of you. The ends of his trailing red coat splay onto the grass, resulting in a splendid splash of color across verdant green.

When Kuroo settled with one knee raised and the other crossed under it, Mori hops off his arm and back into yours.

Since Mori's memorable prelude to his lord's infinitely unforgettable gatecrashing, the elf owl has more or less been given passage to roam around the Blue Castle as your...pet, for lack of a better word.

You aren't allowed to tell anyone who doesn't already know that he is officially part of Owl Vale. And if anyone asks, usually the maids who coo at his 'handsome, adorable, fluffy, charming, cute' visage, you have a made up story of how you saved him as an owlet from a fox that would have turned him into dinner (inspired by Osamu's constant ogling of the owl).

You stare at Kuroo, a mixture of comfort from his presence and uncertainty, what you do know and don't know about his accusations towards Ushijima and the Empire, eating at you.

For all his impassiveness, Kuroo took you in and gave you shelter when you first arrived. He did not look upon you with hatred or suspicion, only understanding, at the plight of a lost girl from another world. He opened his land and home to you, comforted you when you needed it, allowed you to cling to him like a child when you feared your own reflections.

He had been a steady pillar of solace, still is. You know you can depend on him for anything.

Which is why his unexpected outburst towards Ushijima, who is also a pillar of support you rely on, troubled you.

Kuroo nods at the feather and leaves scattered around you. "Show me what you can do. I heard from Kenma about your progress."

Gathering your thoughts, you let your hands hover over the feather. Barely a beat passes before they begin floating, swirling easily in the air between your bodies.

"I'm impressed. You've changed a lot since I last saw you in the Dominion. You knew nothing about souls or magic then," he comments. His head lightly tilts in approval, amber eyes glinting with respect and recognition.

For some reason, receiving acknowledgement from Kuroo made you supremely happy. If it had been the volleyball player instead, you would have merely rolled your eyes and threw jokes at him.

The Dominion leader isn't the most expressive cat-folk and only says what is necessary. So to have his attention and acknowledgement, no matter how small, is a great compliment.

You imagine this is how Kuroo's subjects feel, motivated to do their best for their magnificent leader, for even a moment of his time, which he barely has enough of for himself.

And he's given more to you than he should have, ever since that day in his pagoda.

"But you've gone as far as you can with mere feathers and leaves," Kuroo muses to himself, studying your current magic application. He shifts to a cross-leg position, shrugging his signature coat off his shoulders.

"Try adding this."

Turning a palm upward, a small stone shakes and dislodges itself from under tightly packed soil, flying up to join the feather and leaves.

You try to take in the stone, to add it to the others you already have under control without pausing. But as soon as you channel your focus towards it, the feather drops and the leaves blow away.

"Wha-"

Kuroo nods, having expected this. "A stone is much heavier than a feather and will require more than what you're currently channeling. But adding too much to accommodate the additional weight will result in the feather and leaves going out of your control. It's a balancing act."

Right, you remember Oikawa saying something similar to you before. To think you had been so pleased with yourself for managing feathers and leaves...you had been taking it too easy.

"As rough and disruptive magic can be at its worst, it is also delicate. You will need to balance how much you channel towards both sides simultaneously. Try again, with just the feather and stone."

Pursing your lips in determination, you do as instructed.

Kuroo helps you adjust your focus and magic balance to levitate both the feather and stone, using his own magic to support you.

After a while, your hands hover in the air, stone and feather hanging side by side between them. White light pulse gently from you.

Kuroo's large hands, glowing with a lustrous gold, envelop yours, barely a breadth of space between your skins.

Gold dances and merges with white.

You, and Kuroo, are brought back to the time in his pagoda with the chrysanthemum.

A little smile lifts your lips at the memory. His tugs up a fraction in one corner.

Peaceful silence circles your figures.

It is a nice moment. Warm, one you will think on again fondly...and you have to ruin it.

"Kuroo, did the Empire really kill your father?"

Gold fades and his hands drop. The stone follows.

The feather sways left to right, left to right, then settles on the fallen stone.

Kuroo pulls away from you, shoulders weighing with the burden your question threatens to dredge up, pushing at the tightly sealed doors of his heart and mind.

He has been expecting this question from you, if not someone else who witnessed his slip of control at the Summit.

"Back then...you were talking about your father, weren't you?" you continue in a whisper, belatedly afraid that you might have possibly crossed a line.

Is it okay for you to ask this question of Kuroo? It's not something that is easily breached for anyone, needless to say for him. But you want to know. Need to know.

Kuroo blames Ushijima, blames the Empire for the death of his father. To him, Ushijima and the Empire are one and the same; you cannot fault him for that, knowing their history. And surely there is more you do not know that you can only hope to uncover and learn during your time here.

Yet, you refuse to believe that the same Ushijima, who patiently taught children how to read and draw maps….is anything like the Empire in the eyes of the world.

Did Kuroo blame Ushijima merely because he is the Crown Prince of the White Eagle Empire?

You do not think Kuroo is one to judge others for their lineage. The middle blocker isn't that kind of person either.

You just...want to understand, you think.

Emotions and thoughts are difficult things to dissect, to understand, even if they belonged to oneself.

Maybe a sentimental part of you is still unable to compartmentalize, unable to see past the fact that they are completely different from the ones you know who, despite their differences, are able to work together amicably as a team.

Perhaps it is naive of you to hope that their Hyquile counterparts could possibly be the same.

You stare at him, eyes wide and insistent, and Kuroo gives a breathless sigh.

After his unseemly display at the Summit, you deserve an explanation, he supposes. Considering your position it is only fair for you to know a little more about those who you are lending your help to. You, a visitor from another world willingly offering your help, of all people deserve to have your many questions answered.

"My father was to be the next ruler of the Dominion, after my grandfather Nekomata. But he was killed, body burned and unreturned, by the Empire on a peaceful mission to Aquila. My father sought peace above all else, even with the Empire. The cat-folk of today are partly descended from a human male from the then State of Date, as you know."

"Empire missives claim they were feral from The Rot, leading to their extermination but without a body…" Kuroo's eyes lower, brows muddling in doubt and hesitance. "Emperor Washijo was never known to be kind to non-humans, even when compared to his forefathers."

"...I was unable to simply accept what the Empire deemed as truth."

Memories of his father, kind and humble, always ready to play with him and Kenma, surfaced.

Kuroo loved... loves, his father greatly. All the cat-folks did. Grandfather Nekomata used to joke to whoever would listen that Kuroo's father would be a more popular leader than Nekomata ever was when he took up command. His father had a way of connecting with the people that Grandfather Nekomata or previous leaders did not have.

The duty of the ruling leader has always been the well-being of the Nekoma Dominion, diligently protecting their borders and ever looking for ways to further expand and secure their lands. But his father took that above and beyond.

His father saw the Dominion not just as mountain ridges and earthly borders, but as its very people. No matter how busy or tired, he always made time daily to amble down the narrow streets of Moggie Boroughs or to visit the old grannies running the bathhouses of Cat Alley.

Border guards and scouts are never forgotten, far away from home as they are; his father put in place the tradition, now adopted by the Dominion's military, to dispatch regular care packages that bring a little bit of home to them during their extended deployment.

In the months that followed his death, Kuroo gradually stopped being a young lad still growing up.

He had watched his mother succumb to her grief at the passing of her forever love, her soulmate, withering away in tears that ran dry yet never ceased.

Kuroo did not have the power nor strength to stop those tears for her, having been lost to his own pain. In his weakness, he did not see the depths of her anguish, did not think that he should be with her. Did not think that his absence amplified her loss and loneliness.

No, instead he ran.

Hiding in the hollow caverns and echoing forests of Mt. Nekomata if only to escape the ringing of prayer bells sending the spirit of his father, burial rite chants encompassing the slums and mountains as the Dominion mourned a beloved leader for days and nights.

It was then that Kuroo developed a habit of covering his head and ears with pillows when he was in bed to drown out the haunting night vigils of monks and citizens, his mother's anguished cries, and his own screams.

Once, in a moment of self-deprecation, his younger self wondered if maybe his hair turned out this way because of this.

Had he been there for her, would she have lived?

The Empire might have killed his father, but his own neglect killed his mother.

The double blow had been devastating to the cat-folks.

Oh, how Grandfather Nekomata, Kenma, and others close to him worried constantly, fretting endlessly. At the same time, Kuroo himself was worried -scared- for his grandfather, who lost a son and a daughter-in-law.

At his age, he should not have to bury his children.

Somewhere along the way, Kuroo switched himself off on the outside to protect himself and others. He did not want others to worry about him, yet he couldn't force himself to smile. Over time, this temporary shield became his default and the norm for him.

It took all of Kuroo's focus to keep his composure. Being physically here in the Empire, so close yet impossibly far away from where his father's body was burned, never to be seen by family again, disturbed the sleeping mountains inside of him alongside oceans of guilt he holds towards his mother.

He is acutely aware of the tightening of his skin, the tension underneath his cheeks and jaw palpable even if he is able to effortlessly remain straight-faced.

He's kept his emotions repressed for so long that Kuroo is not sure how to allow himself to be...himself again, whoever that may be.

How does one feel again without effort? What does flowing joy feel like, overt and unhindered? And what of sadness? Excitement or even embarrassment?

Kuroo cannot remember how to allow these feelings to naturally surface.

You listened to Kuroo quietly the entire time, allowing him to entrust his personal tale to you without interruption. You don't know what to say either way, because what can you say? What are the right words, if any?

What you did not have in words you only had in actions, having reached out to take his hand when he began speaking of his mother's passing, squeezing as if to reassure him you are there. You don't know if Kuroo even realized you had taken his hand in yours, lost to his memories that have been kept at bay for years, amber eyes gazing into the distance at something unseen to you.

The way Kuroo cared for his people, taking everything onto himself…

He was emulating his father, his hero and aspiration. But his boyish respect and reverence mutated in the wake of his father's death, followed by his mother's, into this need to shoulder everything himself to protect all others.

"...Do you want revenge? Against the Empire?"

Kuroo tears his eyes away from ghosts newly arisen, finally noticing the soothing hold upon his hand.

When did he reach out to you? Or was it you, to him?

He sees your eyes shine with unshed tears, and he wonders why you feel sad at his story, how you can allow yourself to feel without walls.

His younger self succumbed to it. He is now unable to.

He doesn't think he can anymore.

What happened at the Summit...was rare.

Kuroo surprised himself too, and its occurrence only reinforced, reminded him once more why he put in place such control. He could have dissolved the fragile and temporary peace the Summit brought about had Ushijima reacted unfavorably towards his uncharacteristic outburst.

Emotions cloud judgment, affects one's performance, especially someone with his power and position.

Kuroo pulls his hand away from you, perhaps a little too fast.

Hurt flash across your features, but you bite your lips and he faces away.

Gathering his coat, he pulls it back across his shoulders as he stands, majestic red flaring in an arc before you; red walls that block him from you.

Revenge? He doesn't know if that is what he wants. But he also can't say with confidence that he won't take the chance if given. There are too many factors to consider...

His head says no, but his heart says...

In yet another rare occurrence, Kuroo is at a loss.

He stills, the lack of an immediate answer troubling him. This doesn't usually happen to him.

Closing his eyes, he takes a deep breath, allowing the cool air and scent of leaves to cleanse his thoughts.

When he reopens them, his face is blank once more.

"It doesn't matter what I want. The dead should remain dead, as should the past."

"Sigh anymore and I'm going to feel sad," Daichi chuckles nervously next to you, leaning back on the bench. "Cheer up."

You sigh again before mumbling an apology to Daichi, watching people bustle by on the central bridge where you and he often met.

Kuroo's story and words keep replaying in a loop in your head, stealing your entire focus and energy. Whenever you see him and Ushijima in the same room, you cannot help but think about it with renewed force. It has you walking on eggshells when the two are together.

Perhaps you are thinking too much about it, and you most definitely are but...

You can understand Kuroo's feelings towards the Empire, he has his rights...as do many of the other animal-folks in your vicinity. But Ushijima is a dear friend, considerate and thoughtful. You cannot help but worry for him and how he is coping with the twins' daily ire, Bokuto's daily ire, and Kuroo's…

Why should Ushijima bear the sins of his forebearers? He isn't like Washijo, he isn't...

Sigh.

"Sorry," you mutter, realizing you sighed again.

The man laughs, patting you on the back. "Care to share what troubles you? I thought you'd be happier, considering everything I have heard so far. I still can't believe you're not from this world…," he trails off then perks back up with a broad smile.

"And, you found your navigator!" Daichi points to himself proudly.

"I wish I had your positivity," you almost sigh but convert it into a smile when you remember Daichi's words.

"It's a learned skill. So, tell me what bothers you? It might help to let it out than stewing in your thoughts."

You hesitate, finally shaking your head. "No, it's alright. It's...not something for me to share."

Daichi hums with understanding. "I see. That's fine then. I do not know what it is but if it is something you cannot change immediately, try not to let it consume you. It won't do you or any of the others around you any good."

"The others?" What do the others have anything to do with it?

"I just meant that if you're down, you drag the others along with you. They are quite attached to you."

"For all the wrong reasons…" you say, shuddering at thoughts of the twins and Scary Bokuto.

Daichi laughs, standing and extending a hand for you to take. "I have to go soon and we should get you back to the castle. I don't think the others like me very much and I rather not earn their wrath for not sending you back to them safely."

You take his hand, allowing him to pull you up. "Thanks for keeping me company, Daichi. I really appreciate it. I needed this walk more than I thought I did."

He grins with a wave, leading the way back to the Blue Castle. "Anytime."

Only moments after you cross the bridge, you spot a mop of familiar orange hair in the corner of your eye.

Immediately, you call out to their owner.

"Shoyo!"

Shoyo's shoulders twitch up at the sound of your voice and his name, and he turns around reluctantly. His face is pulled into a displeased pout but you pay it no mind.

By now, you are used to his less than enthusiastic reactions towards you but he never sends you away either. He's quite adorable that way, and he makes for a great listener, much like Kunimi.

"It's you again," he grumbles when you are close enough. Crossing his arms, he squints at you. "What do you want now?"

"Oh, don't be like that Shoyo. It's been a while since I saw you around."

"It's been barely a few days."

"Hm, is it?" You giggle at his expression.

If you had a little brother, you would want him to be like Shoyo. Shoyo isn't as tall as some of the other people you know, but at his full height he can definitely dwarf and overpower you if he so wishes. Yet, there's something about him that makes you want to just tease him and spoil him. Maybe it's that defensive tough guy act he's always pulling, quick to deny and bristle. It reminds you of a child.

But now that he brought it up, you're going to leave for the Uninviting Hinterlands soon. You might not see him, or any of the others staying behind, for a while...

"Can you meet me at the central bridge tomorrow? I want to give you something."

Shoyo takes a step back as if your inane question repels him. "Huh? Why would I want anything from-" His protest sizzle into garble when you reach out to ruffle his hair fondly.

"Oh come on, don't be like that."

Laughter from behind pulls both your attentions towards Daichi, who backtracked through the crowds to you. "This is where you went! You just ran off suddenly before I realized it."

You wince. "Urk, Daichi, sorry!"

In your excitement at spotting Shoyo, you completely forgot about Daichi. Shoyo's hard to catch on the best of days and if you didn't move fast, he is apt to disappear- orange hair and all.

"It's alright. Who's your friend?" Deep eyes flicker toward Shoyo, who stiffens underneath his gaze. Almost as quickly, his shoulders relax, chin sinking into his dark cloak.

"Daichi, this is Shoyo. Shoyo, meet Daichi! He's passing through Seijoh, like you!" you introduce the two of them. You feel weirdly happy, introducing people you met like this, even back in Tokyo. There's a type of warm joy that can only be found from connecting people you know. You weren't present to introduce Daichi to the others, so this makes up for it.

Not only that, knowing Shoyo's awkward, standoffish attitude towards people, he can do with some friends!

"Nice to meet you, Shoyo!" Daichi extends his hand for a friendly shake.

Hazel eyes stare at the hand before them, going back up to their owner and down again.

"Nice to...meet you…" Slowly, Shoyo takes Daichi's hand and the older man shakes it vigorously.

"It's honestly great meeting your friends like this! Remember when I told you my traveling companions aren't the best conversationalists? But through you, I'm meeting so many more people in this city. It's not as lonely anymore," Daichi laughs good-naturedly, hands on his hips.

His friendly vitality is addictive, spreading to you like flowing water whenever he spoke. You are honestly lucky to have met Daichi in Seijoh, both as a friend and for his help to bring your group through the Hinterlands.

Maybe it is this very vitality that makes Daichi a traveler, moving from place to place, unable to settle down. You can't see anything bringing him down, and his easy sociability allows him to blend simply with others.

"I'm glad you feel that way! I was a little worried, truth be told, about...you know, dragging you in with the other group," you told him, careful of unnecessary leaks in Shoyo's presence.

"Oh, not at all. I was thinking of moving on from this city soon, and I doubt my companions will mind," he reassures you. He turns to Shoyo.

"We've only just met but I have to get this one home and I myself have to run along. It's good meeting you, Shoyo. I'll hopefully see you around."

The corners of Daichi's lips twitch. He isn't smirking but he seems to find something funny that you are unable to see.

Shoyo doesn't say anything in response, merely nods and turns his back to you, blending into the streets and people soon after. How he is able to move away from sight so effortlessly with bright orange hair, you will never comprehend.

You turn to Daichi apologetically on behalf of Shoyo. "Don't mind him. It's not you. He's like that with everyone."

"He's like the one rebellious younger brother."

"I don't have a younger sibling but I know exactly what you're talking about!"

The air is buzzing, a blend of tension, nervousness, excitement, adrenaline, coming together to crackle against your skin and jolt your heart.

It isn't just you either. The others are feeling the same way.

A restlessness that spreads and seeps, akin to a contagion moving amongst you.

Each realm has casted their chosen champions on the journey to Crow's Nest and the choices have left many befuddled.

Representing Owl Vale is Bokuto Koutarou himself.

He claims that it is because he does not trust anyone else in the group to get anything done.

Akaashi says it is also because Bokuto does not like governing and that this is a good chance for him to escape his responsibility, leaving his retainers behind to do his dirty work. Again.

This choice immediately has you teetering on your toes as you haven't quite gotten over how terrifying and difficult it is to even converse with the owl-folk. And to have to journey through unknown lands with him?

The powers that be help you.

Bokuto Koutarou has joined the party.

Similarly, Kuroo has also volunteered to go.

There is no time to have Yaku or Lev journey from the Dominion to Seijoh, and Kenma is not the most prudent choice to send. It made sense for him to go as the Dominion will have Kenma and Kai to oversee everything in his absence. Not to mention that Kuroo is a proficient fighter himself and who knows what they might encounter on the journey. The group will benefit with someone of his caliber.

The knowledge that Kuroo will be with you on the journey is reassuring, and you're glad that he will be...though you do worry about him, now that you know his tale.

The fox-folks were one thing but what worries you more in regards to Kuroo in comparison is that the fox-folks are clear cut in what they desire. Be it the twins' hatred towards humans in general, Suna's tolerant stance or Kita's pacifism, it is comparatively easier to read and know what to expect from them.

But Kuroo is an enigma, a puzzle yet unsolved.

He wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the peace, you are clear on that, but...you are also aware of just how much the leader of the Dominion is concealing within him.

Kuroo Tetsurou has joined the party.

The next one took you off guard completely…

Atsumu and Osamu.

You were so damn sure that it would be Suna but Kita shocked everyone, including the twins themselves, when he announced their names during the latest meeting.

Ad verbatim:

"Atsumu and Osamu are brave but extremely brash. There is much they need to learn about themselves and others. On top of that, they have committed a grave crime against the Dominion when they set fire to the homes of cat-folks."

"That was 'Tsumu-!"

"Oi, ya' really gonna sell me out and save yerself!?"

"-So until the leader of the Dominion, Kuroo Tetsurou, deems them forgiven, they will lend their services to him and to the mission of this Summit, which is to bring an end to The Rot. Meaning, you will now serve Lord Kuroo and her in any endeavors they require."

…

"ARE YA' SHITTIN' ME-?!"

Miya Atsumu and Miya Osamu have been forced into the party.

The next two both surprised and saddened you in that you'll miss them for a while...

Oikawa and Ushijima will not be traveling with you, for obvious reasons.

Unlike Kuroo and Bokuto, Oikawa and Ushijima did not have as much freedom in leaving their respective realms in the care of others.

Oikawa is appointed regent for the bedridden King Irihata; to have the regent king absent is, without question, unacceptable.

Aloes Yuj was also greatly insistent on this, pushing furiously before Oikawa even expressed any interest in joining the journey (although he most likely wanted to, if the slightly forlorn smile he shot you was any indication).

Iwaizumi will be representing Aoba in his place.

Iwaizumi Hajime has joined the party.

As for Ushijima, he would not have been able to explain his extended absence from Aquila to his grandfather, Emperor Washijo, without raising suspicion. He has chosen Taichi, who also volunteered himself, to go instead.

Kawanishi Taichi has joined the party.

And last but not least, and to no one's surprise, Terushima Yuuji will be going himself, as a representative of the dog-folks. Of Hyquile. Not just the west. As he so claims.

He wasn't even meant to join the Summit in the first place but at this point, no one has the heart to send him away.

Terushima Yuuji has forced himself into the party.

To keep the Emperor's attention off the Summit group and their joint mission, Ushijima will return to Aquila but not before escorting the group to the Iron Wall of Date.

That's right.

You'll be making a stop at the section of the Iron Wall closest to the Uninviting Hinterlands to rest and restock before venturing forth.

The journey through the Hinterlands will be tough, and traveling packs will only be packed with enough for a return journey to avoid it becoming cumbersome.

Although it is hardly the time for it, you are very excited to see the Iron Wall of Date up close. You've only seen it from afar as a black mass lumbering in the horizon so the opportunity to visit it is one you are looking forward to.

To think that you'll see the Iron Wall of Date before you even see the Great Wall of China is honestly ironic.

And thus, the final party members are as follows:

You

Bokuto Koutarou

Kuroo Tetsurou

Miya Atsumu

Miya Osamu

Iwaizumi Hajime

Kawanishi Taichi

Daichi

Terushima Yuuji

"It's like we're the Fellowship of the Ring. We even have nine members," you chuckle, fingers rubbing together in nerdy glee when all of you stand together at the end of the meeting that decided the members. Lost to your own fantasies, you don't even realize you had been grinning to yourself, looking quite maniacal by your lonesome.

The twins tilt their heads, befuddled.

"...The Fellowship?"

"Of the Ring?"

"What in spirits name is she muttering about? Who's Boromir and how am I similar to him?" Bokuto clicks his tongue, yellow eyes narrowing at the sight of you mindlessly giggling and grinning all by yourself.

"I...I'm not sure," Kuroo replies, beginning to worry about the unhinged look in your eyes. "I hope the stress hasn't gotten to her."

The night is quiet as the city and the world fall to peaceful slumber, awaiting the next arrival of the sun. At a humble inn located in downtown Seijoh, night winds blow through a window left ajar- perhaps on purpose, perhaps not- on the highest floor.

The third floor.

In the room, Shoyo sat on the ground with his back against the cold walls. The room is dark, the only source of light being the strip of moonlight cutting across wooden floors. Lamps prepared by the inn's owner for the rooms' occupants were ignored, left where they have been since they arrived.

The lack of light and warmth did not bother him, his cloak enough to sustain his body.

Compared to his homeland, everything about this city is too easy: the climate, the harvests, the people...

Shoyo looks up when he feels a familiar presence enter the dark room, window curtains billowing from shifting air. He doesn't need light to see, nor know, who the new company is.

"You're early," the figure, hidden in darkness, hums in approval.

"It's because you're always on time…" Shoyo responds quietly.

Footsteps echo against creaking floorboards, and the mysterious figure steps into the moonlight with purpose; an actor making his stage appearance.

He breathes the night deeply, appreciating the darkness and silence of a city that is always humming with noise and life during the day.

He turns, and deep eyes illuminate with a silver glow.

"...Daichi, sir."

Daichi smirks, clearly amused. "Shoyo, huh?"

Shoyo looks away, brows knitting tightly. If Daichi didn't know his companion as well as he did, he would have said the younger male is embarrassed.

"I didn't know what else to use."

"Whatever, it's fine. As long as it doesn't compromise us…"

His neck cranes to look at his companion.

"...Hinata."

"Of course."

"Still, she speaks fondly of you. I did not think you would allow her to get so close," Daichi taps his chin, eyes rolling up in thought.

Hinata is under no illusion that Daichi is seriously thinking over your relationship with him. He doubts the man truly cares. So he shrugs.
"I don't know either. Meeting her at the square was not supposed to have happened in the first place. I am unable to comprehend her motives."

"Implying you've thought about it?" Daichi prods playfully but it is anything but. Hinata knows that.

"I've...considered it. Tried to analyze it. I do not understand her incessant need to befriend me," Hinata pauses. "Or others."

"Hm, well, so long as it-"

"-doesn't compromise our mission."

"Good to see that you understand."

"Without question."

Daichi sighs in exasperation as he looks around the room, searching for something. Or rather, someone.

"Where is he?"

Again, Shoyo shrugs carelessly. How would he know? He's not his caretaker. "Don't know. Don't care."

"Thinking about it again, you're not very cute," Daichi mutters to himself, wondering how did he ever agree with you that Shoyo is anything remotely like a little brother. He must have lost himself to his role. "If he's late again-"

"I'm here."

Daichi pivots to face the newcomer, chastise ready on his lips.

"Kageyama, what did I tell you about being punctual?" Despite his displeasure at the latecomer, Daichi is impressed as always at his silent movements.

The one named Kageyama rolls his eyes. He leans against the wall opposite of Hinata, casually crossing one leg in front of him. He scoffs and crosses his arms haughtily.

"Does it matter? I'm here."

Ugh, another one that isn't cute. Not one bit.

"I told you two many times about the value of time and being on time."

"I'm not going to waste my time waiting like Hinata."

Hinata does not retort though he narrows threatening eyes on the other male.

"You don't have to. Just get here at the agreed time," Daichi says, not letting him off the hook easily. How can he trust someone who will not show up at the agreed time?

Many things require a fine precision of being executed at exactly the right second. In battle, a move taken a minute too soon or a second too late can turn the tides of events.

Things, big and small. A droplet spilled, a harvest missed. A late meeting, words overlooked.

They add up to create a person, an entity, an event, bigger than what one can imagine in that moment. Life taught Daichi that.

"Don't be late again, Kageyama."

"Yeah, yeah," Kageyama waves Daichi's warning off with a lazy wave.

"Did you find anything?" Daichi asks after a tense pause, deciding against antagonizing the younger Kageyama any further.

"No, the so-called national library had nothing, neither did the scholars at their academies."

"Kageyama, you didn't-"

"I didn't kill anyone. They won't even remember I was there. I made sure the drugs are strong enough. They'll only remember having a little to drink, quite literally. They were out by the first sip."

"I see. Keep searching for information regardless."

"What's the point? There probably isn't anything. It's a waste of our time."

"It's better than wasting our time waiting."

Kageyama grits his teeth in impatience. "Just take her and force it out of her."

"It won't work. If it did, they would've found all of it by now. They tried it, three years ago."

"Tch."

A thick silence blankets the room but is quickly lifted.

"So you're going with them?" Hinata questions curiously. He heard about it briefly from Kageyama a few days ago when he saw him but Daichi hasn't disclosed the details to them.

"An unexpected turn but not unwelcome," Daichi answers. He paces around the room leisurely, swiping his finger along surfaces, inspecting for dust. His nose wrinkles when his finger comes off grey after running the length of the corner table.

Wiping his hand off, he glances back at Hinata, then Kageyama.

"Our plans won't change. But…"

"You two will be coming with. Tail us."

Hinata looks at his leader with apprehension. "If we're found out…"

"We know the terrain better than anyone. Most you'll have to watch out for are the loud owl and the cat. The two fox twins might pose a problem but they are easily distracted. Just keep your distances and you'll be fine."

Daichi smiles encouragingly at Hinata and the orange-haired boy looks up at him in a daze, amazed that this enigmatic man who has more criticism than compliments is praising him.

"You're a good tracker, Hinata."

Notes:

*insert Bilbo Baggins going on an adventure gif here*
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and the additional lore! Whoowheeee! We're finally gonna rotate the harem! Sayonara for now, Oikawa and Ushijima!

LASTLY! ThatLofiGuy wrote a fanfic for ALTMC! Please check out Dreams Come To Pass! It is SUCH a refreshing take on AltMC and GWS, as not many people pay attention to AltMC this much beyond a plot point and I was so moved and touched by his take on AltMC's past. A very lovely and bittersweet read, I highly recommend it! I might take inspiration from it in the future...:p

As usual, please do leave a comment if you enjoy the story! 333

My Tumblr: Follow my tumblr for early ficlet updates and sneak peeks!
My Twitter: If you wish to see my art. There are some early drawings of the GWS boys here though there is more Genshin art lately haha

Chapter 33: Answers & Farewells Share A Face

Summary:

The Uninviting Hinterlands Arc

Notes:

Heh, I was on fireeee when writing this. Wrote most of this in 2 days?
Anyways, I know people want to jump right into it so I won't hold you all.

Please enjoy Chapter 33 3

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The central bridge leading to the castle district is busy as always. Everhorn-drawn carriages and man-pulled carts weave alongside pedestrians ambling down the streets. Some rush to their destinations, others take their time enjoying the walk.

You stand by the thick stone railings, gleaming white under the hot Aoba sun, and lean against them as you wait for Shoyo. Watching people pass under the arches below you, disappearing to the other side and likely never to be recognized by you again in the large city.

Hands fiddling with the gift you prepared for Shoyo, made possible with the help of Prince Ushijima, you can't help the slightly nervous patter of your heart.

Is it too presumptuous of you to want to give this to Shoyo?

He said he didn't want anything from you, and it's not like you had a reason to give him anything to begin with. At the same time, did you really need a reason to give anyone anything?

With your imminent departure from Seijoh, you could not help feeling restless about bidding goodbye to the City of Trees and its inhabitants, some of whom you've come to know well.

The baker who makes the best Royal Cloud bread, the Headmaid who always sneaks extra servings of cookies for you onto your snack plate, the guard who regularly patrols the hallway leading to your guest quarters.

You are sure to meet many of them again, when you return from your journey. Prince Oikawa, Kunimi, Kindaichi, Matsukawa, Hanamaki, and even Aloes, to name a few. They'll be here when you return because Seijoh is their home.

Shoyo, however…

"I'm here so make it quick."

"I actually didn't expect you to show up."

"I can leave now."

"Wait- nooo! Don't be like that!"

It's always easy to spot his bright orange hair, even in the most crowded of streets. Catching him and making him stay long enough for a chat is another matter entirely, one you do not have many qualms with. Shoyo is free to come and go whenever and wherever he pleases, just as you come and go between your world and Hyquile.

He isn't one for small talk or talking in general but always makes for an attentive listener. Many times you have found that he remembers things you say during moments when you thought he wasn't listening.

He's very self-contradictory, whether he realizes it or not. Even now, as he approaches you with a scowl and reluctant steps, he is still fulfilling your sudden request of meeting here.

Running your eyes from his orange hair to the soles of his boots and back again, you shake your head with exasperation, watching as he pulls at the collar of his cloak. The weather is warm and sunny as it always is in Seijoh but Shoyo never fails to wear his cloak.

"Don't you get hot in that thing?"

"This thing is my cloak and it's none of your business."

Shoyo is always garbed in dark clothes consisting of the aforementioned loose cloak and fitted garments underneath. In the glimpses you caught of his figure underneath the thick cloth that never leaves his shoulders, you can see that he is built. Lean and lithe.

You hold out the item in your hand to Shoyo - a scroll, neatly rolled and bound with an attaching ribbon.

His eyes narrow in scrutiny as he takes the scroll from you warily. Brown eyes, almost orange under sunlight, glance at you.

"What's this?"

"Open it," you gesture at the scroll with two hands before they quickly retract and fiddle amongst themselves nervously. Gosh, you hope he doesn't hate it.

It's Shoyo though. There's a good chance he's going to come at you with a scathing remark about how useless and needless your gift is but…you really want to give him something.

Shoyo stares down at the open parchment, confused to find a map of Hyquile within its contents. He recognizes it as the same map that he colored on that day in the fountain square with you and the Empire prince, which he returned to you for he had no need of it. It seems you didn't discard it, and even filled it out with significantly further details - names, borders, territories. What was once a simple colored map is now a rainbow of the world.

It's damningly childish.

His hands, covered by fingerless gloves, grip the parchment with unnecessary force, crinkling the edges underneath them.

"I didn't do this all by myself though. A friend helped me. I don't know if you remember but I'm not great at geography either."

"Why are you giving this to me?" he asks roughly, forgoing a 'thank you' in typical Shoyo manner.

You realized the other day that you might not see Shoyo again. That today might be the last time you see him; a bittersweet feeling wells within you at the thought.

He's a traveler, passing through Seijoh. Not unlike you, passing through Hyquile.

When you next return here, whenever that may be, he may have moved on to the next city, to wherever the wind and his travels take him.

"I'm leaving Seijoh for a while. I don't know when I will be back yet but hopefully it won't be too long."

His lips purse, imprisoning words he'll never say. Then he shrugs and rolls the map back, tying it neatly with deft hands you did not expect from him.

"Still doesn't explain why you're giving this to me. It's not like I can...read it…" he mumbles finally. "I told you before I don't need this."

"I know but...I don't know. I wanted to give it to you," you shrug lightly, tugging at a lock of hair. "You said you're traveling around, right? A map might help you one day, and just because you don't know how to read one now doesn't mean you can't learn!"

Shoyo glares at you. That irritating positivity of yours always bugs him. It's annoyingly naive.

"I told you before I don't need maps to find my way," he grumbles. Yet, he slowly pockets it, slotting it underneath his cloak.

You laugh at yet another contradiction from him, pushing yourself away from the railing to take a step closer to him.

"Yeah, yeah. We might not see each other again though, so I wanted to give something. And," you lightly slap his shoulder, "you said you read the earth and whatnot to find your way. Well, a map is like the earth in your hands!"

Shoyo stares at you as if that's the dumbest thing you've ever said but to him, everything you say is dumb regardless so you grin it off.

But the cheer falls from your lips when you catch sight of the Blue Castle, grand and beautiful, rising against the blue sky over Shoyo's shoulders.

You should return soon. There are so many things you need to do.

(There is hardly a distinction for you anymore, whether 'return' meant to Oikawa and the rest... or to your own world)

Partings are bitter, no matter the manner of it, and this farewell with Shoyo isn't any different.

Like watching the final moments of a setting sun, or turning the last pages of a book well-read. Or bidding goodbye to your favorite characters at a series' end, or farewells to family and friends.

You like to think that you and Shoyo are friends. He's always scowling at you, quite adorably in your opinion, yet he has never once pushed you away.

Maybe if you had more time, you could have known him better - gotten to understand why he tries to put distance between himself and others with barbed words, yet accompanies it with contradictory actions.

Alas, Shoyo is one of those people whose path only crosses yours long enough for them to get to the other side, only to continue on into the distance.

Growing up in a world where internet technology dominates, even if you part ways with people you never felt this sense of loss that you're feeling now. Here in Hyquile, where the benefits of the phone and internet are non-existent, parting with more than acquaintances and barely friends likely meant you will never see each other again.

Before Shoyo can scurry away, your arms reach out to pull him to you, engulfing him in a friendly hug.

It hasn't escaped your notice that since coming to Hyquile, you've gradually become open to expressions through touch with others, something the old you might have shied away from.

Perhaps it is due to the lessons on the precious value of life, and time, that you have learned since. During both your days here... and during your nights away from home.

Life changes with the snap of a finger. Yours has changed in the seconds it took for a volleyball to hit you.

Life is also easily lost. You've seen that firsthand with the Rot, heard it in the distant memories of those you've met in Hyquile.

Each moment spent here, each day spent away from here...there's so much to do, and it never feels like there's enough time.

(Unbidden and out of nowhere, in the back of your mind, you think that you haven't hugged your own parents and brother in a while)

"Shoyo, I hope we see each other again."

He stiffens in your hold, and you think his hands tremble. Very faintly but…perhaps you are imagining it.

Then, he squirms and pushes at you, muttering under his breath about 'suffocating him' and how annoying you are. Wiggling out from underneath your arms, Shoyo brushes his hair and fixes his clothes with a grimace despite the red on his ears betraying his thoughts.

You roll your eyes at him and laugh, earning yourself another glare in the process.

(You should hug your family more)

Life apparently loves throwing you curveballs.

Strike one is being spiked in the head only to be pulled into an alternate dimension.

Strike two is finding out you inherited a piece of your alternate's soul and now possess the only known cure to a magical pandemic.

Lastly, strike three is meeting Shoyo's alternate barely less than a day after you bid him goodbye.

Or should you be calling this serendipity? That whole one door closing only for another to open - does that apply here?

Because you bade goodbye to one Shoyo only to meet another who looks exactly like him and is also the complete opposite of him.

Hinata Shoyo.

So that's his full name. Shoyo never gave you his full name before.

Briefly, you wonder if this is a breach of privacy of some sort. The circumstances were different but it was the same with Bokuto too.

Scary Bokuto nearly sliced your neck clean off for uttering the entirety of his name the first time.

Hinata Shoyo is very much the antithesis of Shoyo.

Like Bokuto, he is a bundle of energy and fire, burning bright with deafening shouts and overexcitement. You were surprised by their contrast initially but after the multitude of contradictory experiences you've had with the others, Scary Bokuto and Bokuto to name one off the top of your head, you adjusted to the personality difference almost immediately.

It's at a volleyball match where you meet him. The one Atsumu, Kuroo, and the others have been telling you about, mentioned here and there over the weeks leading up to the game.

A large part of you went out of guilt; you feel bad for skipping so many of their matches the past couple of weeks that the guilt is beginning to cripple you. Atsumu and Oikawa's daily petty complaints aren't helping either but you can't blame them.

And another part of you honestly misses your friends - the ones from your own world.

There's no denying you've spent more time with their Hyquile counterparts in recent weeks than you have with them, especially when considering that...they come from the same reality as you.

That... doesn't feel right. But what can you do? There's only so much time you have in a day, even with the time gap between the two worlds.

Daichi's constant rambling about the importance of time has never resonated so hard.

It's hard to process your feelings at bidding goodbye to Shoyo and accepting that you will never see him again, only to meet Hinata.

But that's life, right? Life for you now, at least, with its nonstop curveballs.

Life didn't just stop at Hinata Shoyo though.

Together with him came Sawamura Daichi.

The two are there to watch their old friends and rivals play in a game, cheering for them from the sidelines as if they were playing themselves.

"Oikawa-san! You've lost your touch over the years!"

"Oi, Kuroo! You're not going to let them make a fool of you like that are you?!"

Sawamura...isn't very different from Daichi, is he? Kinda like the twins. Kinda.

He's very nice in both worlds, carrying an aura of reliability around him. You saw him briefly interact with Bokuto and Kuroo before the match and immediately knew they were good friends.

Spirits know those two need someone to reel in their scattered brains-

When did you start saying spirits?

You tear your eyes away from the pair when you feel a nudge at your side.

"Hey, ya' good?" 'Samu asks, grey eyes searching your face. You can feel his gaze linger on the skin below your eyes, where fatigue has made a home for itself. He passes to you a pack of gummies, his way of trying to impart some energy into you.

"Thanks," you say, chewing on a red gummy. Next to you, Hinata's leg briefly makes contact with your knees when he jumps in excitement the same time Kuroo successfully blocks a spike.

"Hinata, sit back down!" Sawamura hauls him back onto his seat. He raises a hand at you in apology for his ex-junior's unruly behavior.

You wave his apology off with a laugh and Sawamura turns back to the game, hollering another jab, this time at Bokuto who hears it from the court. The silver-haired male turns to his old friend and points two fingers at him, screaming something intelligible before the coach shouts at him to focus.

You rub your forehead as you think about Scary Bokuto and Daichi, recalling the blatant distrust the owl-folk holds towards your navigator. It's a miracle you haven't gotten whiplash yet.

"I'm surprised ya' actually came today. Thought ya' were gonna flake. Again," 'Samu tells you without mincing his words, causing you to grimace. He offers you another gummy as if it could help soften the blow.

"Look, it's not like I didn't hang out with you all because I didn't want to. Because, trust me, I did."

"Sureee-"

"I'm serious, 'Samu!" You punch his arm lightly, jostling the gummy pack in his hold.

"Yeah, yeah," he bats your hand away, protectively holding onto his snack.

All around you, everyone is cheering for their respective teams, combined voices resounding off the walls. It mixes with the squeaking of shoes and the booms of leather against skin and linoleum.

'Samu leans into his chair, throwing one arm over the back. This same arm lifts to flick two fingers on the back of your neck and you yelp at the unexpected pain.

"'Samu! What the hell? What's that for?!" you hiss, pinching his thigh in retaliation. 'Samu jerks his leg away from you, free hand pushing yours away.

You can hear Daichi - no, Sawamura, ugh, this is getting confusing - laughing at your antics, remarking about how close you two are.

You've seen him without his two front teeth before. If that doesn't make you close, then you don't know what would.

'Samu stuffs the empty gummy pack into a plastic bag and you automatically hand him a wet wipe before he can try to wipe it away on his pants.

He watches his other half set up a beautiful spike as he cleans his fingers before he glances at you out of the corner of his eye.

"Ya' know, ya' don't have to explain yourself to us or anythin'. It's not like me or 'Tsumu are the best at keepin' promises either," 'Samu shrugs, discarding the dirty wipe into the same plastic bag as the gummy pack. "If ya' have other things to do or other people ya' wanna hang out with, that's cool."

"'Samu, I swear that's not-"

He flicks your forehead this time, a small smile gracing his handsome features. "Ya' worry too much about others. We don't need to be around each other 24/7. We're not kids anymore, ya' know? Even if 'Tsumu is one big baby all the time."

You can't help but snort at that, looking down at Atsumu's disgustingly sweaty figure fondly.

"We're just worried about ya', is all. Ya'...haven't been like yerself lately but ya' also been through some weird shit…bein' spiked and all that," he mutters, nose scrunching at the memory. Then he clears his throat, eyes looking everywhere but you. "What I'm sayin' is that ya' have friends. If there's somethin' troubling ya', ya' can talk to us."

'Samu acts as if what he said isn't one of the cheesiest things you've ever heard him say and puts out a nonchalant air about it, but his drumming fingers and the pink of his ears belies his embarassment.

"Thanks, 'Samu." You bump shoulders with him and he grumbles. He doesn't stop you when you shift to rest your head on his shoulder.

A great sigh heaves and leaves from the very depths of your chest, and you feel it all slide and tumble onto 'Samu, his sturdy shoulders and arms collecting the weight of your worries and troubles. Even Hinata's gradually growing shouts and Daichi's reprimands are unable to pull you from this brief comfort where everything is light.

And so like this, weightless and empty against 'Samu, until the end of the match, you were able to forget about the other world.

Just for a while, you were able to sleep - less a slumber, more a long nap - without the disturbances of waking dreams and thoughts.

You were able to just rest.

For a little while.

"Here."

You watch as Oikawa unclasps his royal emblem from the lapel of his coat and hands it over to the Dominion leader.

Kuroo accepts it carefully, cat-eyes studying the gleaming emblem in his palm.

"With that, she will arrive in your vicinity when she crosses over from her world," Oikawa tells him. He has his diplomatic voice on, the one he uses when he means business but you can't help note a drop in his usually airy voice. It's not hard to tell with a voice as distinct as his.

"Tell me why you are entrusting this to me and not your own knight? Sir Iwaizumi will be with us." Kuroo eyes Oikawa closely, searching for an ulterior motive.

They might agree that the Rot needs to be stopped but Aoba is still an Empire vassal.

Oikawa smiles, tight and thin. "A sign of goodwill."

"Uhm," you start, drawing their attention. "Oikawa, why don't you have another one made?"

There is an uncomfortable pinch at your heart seeing him pass on the emblem tethering you to this world, to Oikawa, away like that.

Even though you did not think about visiting Seijoh whilst the others are away at the Uninviting Hinterlands, the thought that you always have the option to visit whenever you want has been comforting. A safety net of sorts. Before now, it did not cross your mind that Oikawa would entrust the royal emblem to someone else.

It's not that you dislike being tethered to Kuroo. In fact, other than maybe Iwaizumi or Taichi, you feel most reassured knowing that it is Kuroo to whom you will appear. You doubt you will cross over into Hyquile again if it was the twins or Scary Bokuto.

"I have spares of the emblem but there is only one that is attuned to your charm. It will take time for another to be enchanted."

Oh. Well, you'll be returning to Seijoh at some point. There isn't a doubt in your mind that you will see Oikawa and the others staying behind again.

Several steps away, you see Kita and Suna addressing the twins, giving them words of advice and warnings they are one hundred percent liable to break or ignore. The Miya twins look forlorn, pouty, as they kick at the dirt beneath their feet. Not unlike children being sent away unwillingly by their parents.

"Atsumu. Osamu. Do ya' understand yer responsibilities?"

"...Yes."

"...Hn."

"Spirits, you'd think someone died or something," Suna snips, slowly reaching the peak of his limits.

"Yer're not the one goin' on this stupid trip!" Atsumu bites back.

"Yeah, switch with me, Suna," Osamu adds. "How come yer're not the one goin' anyways?"

Suna shakes his head in disbelief at their childishness whilst Kita sighs, what little strength he had left drained by them. Your heart goes out to Kita - the Miya twins are a handful as regular humans but adding on fox-traits plus magic turns them into walking catastrophes.

"Atsumu, Osamu. This task is important. We need to do all that we can to stop the Rot and find a viable cure. We can't hide and wait for others to do the work, hopin' for a cure to come to us," Kita chides them gently.

Russet eyes flicker to you and Kita gives you a small smile before returning his attention to the sulking twins.

"I chose you two to go for many reasons," Kita continues softly. "One is that the two of ya' are strong. Two is that, despite bein' strong, all the focus of yer strength is misplaced. Ya' two need to see the world and learn there's more to it than just the village, than just fox-folks and humans."

"But ya' want to see the world too-" Osamu begins to say but stops when he sees the way Kita looks at him and Atsumu.

Light and serene, with a warm determination brewing behind gentle eyes. Very much unlike the meek, unambitious Kita they always knew.

"Did ya' think just because I am sendin' ya' two troublemakers in my stead that I gave up on my dreams?" Kita raises a fine brow dubiously at the twins who shake their head side to side furiously. He laughs and drops the stern act when nervous sweat trickles down the twins' necks.

Fingers fiddling with his sleeves, Kita's eyes cloud and look somewhere far ahead, far beyond physical sight to the unforeseen future. A future he yearns for.

"I will see the world, one day."

His focus returns and Kita looks at the twins, soft eyes steeling.

"With everyone back home."

Choosing to send Atsumu and Osamu on this journey is not merely for the cause of the Summit and certainly isn't for himself.

It's for them and the future of the fox-folks.

If the two most willful and obstinate of his brethren are able to open their minds, then there is hope yet for the others.

"And there you have it," Suna cuts into the stunned silence of the Miya twins. He hands them several slips of yellow paper.

"Here."

"Huh? Why are ya' givin' us trash?"

Suna sucks in a breath, willing himself to be patient with them. "I made these last night. They're enchanted to activate with basic magic energy so even you two can use them. Use them during emergencies."

The twins take several slips each, throwing looks between each other and Suna. "Don't think we'll be using them but thanks."

Suna ignores them and heads towards you instead. You jolt at having been caught listening in...actually, they probably already knew from the beginning.

"These ones are for you." Suna holds out slips of the now familiar talismans to you.

"Thank you, Suna. I'll take care of these."

He shoots you an incredulous look. "Don't take care of them. Use them when you need them. It's not much but it should buy you enough time to escape if anything happens."

"R-Right," you titter nervously.

Right... Where you're going, it might not be safe and you don't know how to defend yourself. You swallow the painful lump growing in your throat.

Suna returns to Kita's side, leaving you with Oikawa. Kuroo has gone off to speak with Kenma, giving him instructions for Kai and the others during his absence.

"That was nice of him," Oikawa says, breaking you out of your reverie.

"Y-Yeah...yeah. They're really nice." You store the talismans away.

"Hard to think that they kidnapped you."

"Well, the twins did that. Suna and Kita are the nice ones."

Oikawa's shoulders shake in muffled laughter and you can't help but smile. You're going to miss him.

He walks you towards where your Everhorn stands waiting, handing you her reins.

She was prepared for you when you had made the decision to try and learn how to ride during the journey. You figured it wouldn't hurt to learn and become less dependent on others when it comes to transport in Hyquile, teleportation aside.

"You still have time to change your mind. You can ride with Iwaizumi. I'm sure he won't mind."

"I'm pretty sure he will mind," you reply with a wry smile, taking the reins from him. "In any case, I do want to learn even if I'm not going to ride on my own right away. Don't need the entire city seeing me fall on my face again."

You made the joke at your expense, in an attempt to lighten the awkward tension beginning to descend with your imminent departure, but it backfires when you feel the mortification return to you. Does a spell for targeted memory erasure exist?

"Well, Sundance here will take care of you. She's a very gentle soul but strong," Oikawa tells you as he caresses Sundance's sandy coat. "They named her Sundance because she's always playing in the sun even when the rest have retreated into shade."

He grins. "Kind of like you."

Only... you grew up dancing in the comfort of studios and four walls.

You stare at Oikawa, a little bit too long to be considered standard and he notices. Of course he notices. Oikawa, the prince, the athlete - it doesn't matter because it's Oikawa, who has a gift for noticing things.

You pull your eyes away and so does he, his hands pausing on Sundance's fur that now looks a bit too bright. Glaring, even.

That awkward tension from before mutates and evolves into a strained silence that is palpable and sticky, melding onto your warm, sweaty skins.

"Oikawa-"

"Shit."

You've never heard Oikawa, the Crown Prince, curse before.

"Forgive me. I-" he trails off, eyes wavering with a ghost that haunts you to look at. You don't like this look on him. One hand goes to cover his eyes and he breathes loudly through his mouth.

The silence is loud and you can't help but regret that you never got to talk about this with Oikawa. There's no time to talk about it now either.

You had been scared, nervous, to broach the subject with him - with anyone, if you are being honest.

How do you talk about someone who looks like you, who is almost, kinda, you? Who is supposed to be dead - has been dead - for three years only to rise in dreams and darkness with no certainty to her survival or passing?

How do you talk about someone who entrusted you with a piece of themselves - a piece of their soul - with those beloved to her, where you fell in one day and unraveled the past for them?

How do you talk about her with those who held her dear, who you have also come to hold dear?

Oikawa, and surely even Ushijima... must have felt the same.

"I'm so sorry," Oikawa apologizes again, the pain of a scar reopened twisting his features. "I did not mean to-" he breaks off, scrambling for words he did not know, "I mean- shit. You're not-"

"Oikawa." You grab the hand at his side and pry his fingers away from his palms where deep crescents are engraved.

"It's okay. I know," you say, to soothe him with words in much the same way your fingers attempt to soothe the marks in his skin.

This isn't the first time that you've caught Oikawa speaking to you as if...you're someone else.

As if you're her.

It might not be the last too but this is the first time you acknowledged it, instead of pushing it away with feigned ignorance and innocence.

This time, it was too difficult to ignore. Too upfront, too direct, too…

Your grip tightens on Oikawa's hand - loose in yours, yet, weighing heavy.

"I don't believe she's dead."

Oikawa frowns. "What are you-"

You really don't.

How can she be? She reached out to you. She pulled you to this world. Tethered you. You don't know anything about how the afterlife works in Hyquile or if one even exists, as a concept or a literal place, but you do not believe she is dead.

It's been years for everyone else but that isn't the case for you. You didn't know her to be dead for three years.

You touch your chest, feeling the beat of your heart.

Her Life is with you.

Perhaps that is why you feel this way. You don't know.

It's been days, weeks, since she last reached out to you. You do not have an unquestionable answer or evidence of her survival since.

Everyone thought she had been dead for years. But there's no way she could have reached you if she was dead...could she?

...the answer is lost to you.

But your feelings do not change. You do not believe she is dead.

Now you just need to find evidence of it. Find her.

"I'll bring her home."

Oikawa doesn't know what to say in response to your bold statement, well-meaning and wicked as it is.

He searches your eyes, looking for the source of this certainty, this strength, that he's seeing from you. How can you be so sure she's alive?

Or maybe, the better question is…

How can he be so sure she is dead?

A ball of mess inside of him - rolling and unfurling and curling again - shakes, trembles, turns into static against the walls of his stomach.

It's been three years.

The pain has only dulled, never left, without a certainty to seal the wound. It's harder letting go of the unknown than accepting the known.

And right now, a part of him is also...uncertain. Maybe even fearful.

Your existence, that began as a farce of a waking dream - laughing and cruel - gradually turned into a daily reality, a welcomed presence, before he realized it.

He looks at you, with your perfect reflection of her face.

Or is it more accurate to say her reflection of your face?

Oikawa is Crown Prince of one of the most magically progressive realms in Hyquile.

He has at his disposal knowledge of all corners of the known world, some edging on the unknown. Has generations upon generations worth of tomes, research, and notes by scholars, intellectuals, sorcerers, and common-folk of all races in his reach.

He can understand magic that traverses worlds, and possesses the means to create enchantments that cross dimensions. He can answer almost every single unexpected question from you and everyone.

But he has no answer for the questions in his own heart.

"Goodbye, everyone! We'll see you again soon!"

"This isn't a damn fun trip, mutt!"

"Now, now, Lord Bokuto. Play nice. You'll be stuck together for a while."

"Taichi, take care of yourself, alright?"

"Please, Semi. We'll be back before you know it."

"I certainly hope so! Don't come back with the Rot again~"

"Was that necessary, Sir Tendou?"

"Goshiki, see to it that Prince Ushijima returns to Aquila safely."

"Of course! On my life as a Royal Guard!"

"Man, Semi. Way to fire up the kid~"

"He's not much younger than you, Tendou."

"Kenma, please pass my apologies to Kai and the others for my abrupt absence. I entrust state affairs to you and Kai."

"Have a safe journey, Kuroo. Leave the Dominion to us!"

"Heh, maybe it'll be burnin' when ya' get back."

"Atsumu. Apologize. Now."

"S-Sorry Lord Kita…"

"Not to me. To Lord Kuroo."

"...hngh- I'm...s-so- so-..."

"Idiot. Don't choke yerself."

"Why do the twins never learn..."

"Why are ya' lumpin' me with him, Suna?!"

"Iwaizumi, take care of everyone and yourself. We do not know what to expect."

"Who do you think you're talking to?"

"That should be my line."

Oikawa and Iwaizumi share a laugh, and then the Blue Knight is upon his mount.

The Crown Prince of Aoba watches his childhood friend ride down to the gates where he waits for the group, and then makes his way to where you stand waiting for Ushijima, whom you'll be riding with.

You look up from where you fumble with the reins at the sound of gravel crunching underfoot, forcing a small smile when you see it's Oikawa. Remnants of tension from earlier, expanded by his lack of a reaction to your statement, continue to hover between you; this is not the way you wish to part from Oikawa.

And it seems that he feels the same.

"About earlier…" he starts but you interrupt him, the apology you've been meaning to say for a good half an hour spilling out.

"I'm sorry!" You wince, your voice coming out much louder than you intended, attracting the eyes of Matsukawa and Hanamaki who are waiting nearby for their prince.

You lower your voice and murmur again, "I'm sorry. I...spoke out of turn."

She's not dead? Bring her back home?

In the moment, you did not hear yourself; didn't realize how careless, callous, your words had been. You perceived only your own emotions and failed to take in Oikawa's.

"No, it's...quite alright. I know you meant well." Oikawa brings out his trademark smile but it's a tad dull. It doesn't reach his eyes or the apple of his cheeks.

He pauses, taking the reins from you and you let him without anything more to say. He checks that everything is properly harnessed, even if the stablehands has performed the checks multiple times prior. This is merely to fill the silence, you and he both know that.

Nodding to himself when he's done, Oikawa turns to you. "Are you ready?"

You take a breath and nod, taking the gracious opportunity he's laid out to push on from the awkwardness.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Oikawa laughs and leads Sundance to the gates for you. Falling in step next to him, nothing feels real.

The sounds of the city behind white walls and the beaming sun on your backs, the figures of the Royal Guards, Blue Knights, Aloes, Kunimi, and even Kindaichi as they watch the departing group conclude their last tasks and words.

"It pains me that I am unable to accompany you on this journey," he sighs softly as Sundance nickers, nudging his shoulders and slobbering drool onto Oikawa's expensive clothes, as if telling him in her own way to cheer up. He only pats the Everhorn appreciatively on her cheeks.

"It's okay. Aloes will never let you go anyways, Mr. Crown Prince. Besides, the others will be with me."

"Right," he breathes airily, eyes crinkling at the corners. He stops and takes your hand, placing the reins in them.

"Promise me that you'll be careful," he whispers quietly, curling your fingers onto the leather.

Oikawa keeps his gaze on the space in between you, entwined by Sundance's reins. His hair curtains his eyes, veiling them in dark shadows that hides him away.

A thought you dare not voice crosses your mind.

Is he seeing her departure in the shadow of yours?

She left one day and never came back, and Oikawa lost a dear friend before he even thought to say farewell.

That is all you know.

"Don't end up like me."

Her voice, from a distant dream, echoes in the space separating you and Oikawa. A mere step that stretches three years. An expanse that transcends worlds.

You grip the reins tightly and say to him, "I'll see you soon."

As the group passes under the outer gates of Seijoh, Oikawa watches you depart alongside those staying behind.

He watches you wave back at everyone with a bright smile, a little bit nervous at the edges, but heartwarming to see all the same. It stirs the heart to think about the lengths you're going to in aid of a world that isn't yours.

He thinks about your parting words to him, and the absence of a farewell or even a goodbye.

He can't remember exactly what her last words to him were. Those last memories are a blur, taken for granted and forgotten as they happened, because he thought there would be a tomorrow still.

He can't remember if she ever bade him goodbye.

He wonders if it's alright for him to not want to remember.

Drifting lost like this feels so much easier.

Notes:

Sayonara, arrivederci, zài jiàn, Oikawa!
...I asked this before for Daichi and it somehow started an entire conspiracy theory against him, poor guy, but...hehe, uhh-
Thoughts on Alternate Futakuchi and Aone? :p
If you enjoyed this chapter or GWS in general, please consider leaving a comment! I would love to hear what you all thought about the story so far, the current developments, and how you think it will go 33

ALSO! Let me shamelessly plug some other fics I wrote during the time before this update here:
Lover's Silence: Kuroo x Reader drabble.
Fireside Tales / A Legend of Scritches [Inarizaki Vol.]: Inarizaki x Reader fluff and crack, that's part 2 of the Alt!Atsumu headpat fic in Chapter 25 of GWS.
heart of the moon: GWS!Suna x Reader NSFW fic.

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Chapter 34: And They Should All Die

Summary:

The Uninviting Hinterlands Arc

Notes:

Hi. Yes, this chapter came out quick
I was going through a lot irl, and writing helps me forget my problems so voila, this happened.

Unedited, as sadly, my proofreader has had to retire. If anyone is willing to help proofread chapters, please do reach out to me on Tumblr or Discord!

Aug 4th 2021: Edited with the help of bananabossbitch on Tumblr! Thank you so much bbb for your AMAZING help and keen eye!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

When the departing group is no more than a dot in the distance, Oikawa faces the remaining animal-folk. "And what are your plans? If you wish to remain in Seijoh until their return, you are all more than welcome to. It will have to be under the same established restrictions, however," he says, referring to the ban on showing any of their animal traits.

Kita and Suna share a glance before Kita shakes his head. "Your offer is kind, Prince Oikawa, but I am afraid we must return. There are urgent matters we must see to."

Oikawa nods in understanding. He has a feeling the fox-folk are hiding something ever since the Summit but decides not to pry.

"I see. Unfortunately, we do not have any teleportation circles that will take you directly to your territory. However, I can arrange for you to be escorted to the farthest edge of my kingdom from where you may continue to travel safely. It'll draw less attention from White Eagle eyes if you move under the colours of Aoba."

"That will be appreciated, Prince Oikawa," Suna thanks him, politely dipping his head. "If possible, we would like to leave at the earliest convenience."

"I will have someone make the proper arrangements," Oikawa replies with a smile, before turning to Akaashi and Kenma.

"And you two?"

"I will be returning to the Dominion immediately as well. An escort to the fastest route will be appreciated," Kenma says, expression tense as he tries to maintain a formal and polite demeanor.

"Nothing for me. I will find my own way," Akaashi tells his host, one hand stroking Mori atop his head. Akaashi thinks about all the times he's infiltrated this kingdom and even the Blue Castle...alas, guilt has no place in his profession.

He leans his head close to Mori and whispers furtively to the elf owl. "Isn't that right?"

"If that is all, my prince, there are other matters we need you to attend to," Aloes speaks up as soon as a lull settles in.

Oikawa leaves with Aloes in a flurry of Blue Knights and guards in tow. The animal-folks disperse on their own way in turn, leaving the last two Royal Guards in Seijoh to make their way to the Blue Castle at their own leisurely pace.

"Ah~ what a way to start the day. The prince is gone, Taichi is gone, and even Goshiki has left the nest!" Tendou wipes at nonexistent tears. "Everybody's all grown up."

Semi smiles despite shaking his head in exasperation at his fellow Royal Guard's dramatic antics. It is quickly replaced with worry as he eyes Tendou.

"How are you feeling, Tendou?"

Tendou notices his stare and touches the bandage around his eye. "Oh, this thing? A few more trips to the doc, maybe I'll bug Shirabu too for good measure when we get back, and it'll be-"

"I don't mean that." Semi frowns. Spirits, why must his friend be so difficult?

"Your clairvoyance."

Tendou plays ignorance. "What about it?"

"You used it at the Summit. How many times does that make it?"

The red-head shrugs carelessly. "I dunno."

The subtle shift in attitude doesn't go unnoticed by Semi. The Thaumamancer can pretend to be as carefree and callous as he wants but Semi doesn't buy it. Who can, knowing that-

"Don't tell Ushijima. Or Goshiki and Taichi. And the lil' birdie. Or anyone, really. Just don't tell anyone."

All traces of play have disappeared from Tendou, leaving an empty slate that's somehow peaceful in its nothingness. No anger, grief, or denial. Not even his usual smirk that makes many want to smash their faces in the wall.

"Tendou-"

His irritating grin returns in the blink of an eye. "Honestly, you weren't supposed to know either, Semi, but I guess we can't have everything in life, even with the power of foresight," Tendou tsks, recalling when Semi found him semiconscious in an empty wing room where he naively thought no one would find him.

He should have known that someone who enjoys creating music like Semi, yet prefers to hide it from others, will have found the same room for the same reason.

Neither of them wanted to be seen.

Semi opens his mouth to speak but Tendou waves a hand airily. "I've come to terms with my blood 'gift' a long time ago."

"...Prince Ushijima should at least know."

"Ushijima is the last person I want to know."

"Tendou, if you don't tell him, he'll think it is fine for you to keep using it!"

"And it is."

Semi's fists clench in frustration, a rarity for someone of his gentle disposition. "Do you place such little value on your own life?"

"I do not. I mean, I quite like my life."

"Then why don't you tell them?!"

Semi can't help it. The frustration is too much. He can't decide if his friend is selfish or selfless! His arm swings out, expelling the anger bubbling, spurting from his chest. He shouts.

"Every time you actively use your clairvoyance, your lifespan is shortened!"

Semi takes a deep breath to reel in his emotions, glad that no one is nearby to see this side of him nor hear what he just said.

This is unlike him but can anyone blame him? To find out, by coincidence, what Tendou sacrifices in exchange for a glimpse of the undecided future, to know that he has seen him perform this clairvoyance enough times and never stopped him…Semi is beyond angry; at Tendou, at himself...maybe even Ushijima, who of all people, should have known this. They all should have known.

Magic always comes at a price. One does not glean information about the future for free.

Red-eyes blink rapidly and Tendou gapes in surprise, not expecting his friend to shout. Then he sighs and throws an arm around Semi's shoulder, walking back to the Blue Castle with his friend, side by side. Soft tremors travel from Semi into his arm and Tendou pats him on the back.

"Thanks. For caring," Tendou says. For the third time in his life, he is being genuine when he says this.

It sounds like he doesn't mean it but he does. Not a lot of people in his life care for someone like him. "But I'm alright. I've had my entire life to accept this."

"Well, I haven't. I only had days ," Semi mutters bitterly, rage boiling down to a simmer. "Tendou, we could have chosen to not use it-"

"And then what?" Tendou chuckles. "We sit around baking ourselves to a nice crisp under fine Aoban weather for hours? Even when using clairvoyance, we barely got anything. Just caw, caw, caw! " He makes a horrible imitation of crow-calls.

"Besides, it's not like I'm going to drop dead right away or without notice. It's dependent on how much I see and I haven't seen much in the few times I have used it. I probably will still live long enough to have a grey hair or two...probably."

Semi cannot believe the flimsy attitude Tendou has towards this and yet, he expected no less of him.

"I'm not eager to die, Semi. But I'm not going to be a romantic about living either. This world sucks. It sucked for my mother, it probably sucked for my old man, wherever he is, and continues to suck for people like me. Also, it sucks in general for a lot of folk and things."

Semi's brows furrow. "This isn't-" He wants to argue that he's missing the point, that the world has good things, has good people, has people that care for him, that there's more-

"It sucks but I'm not throwing my life away needlessly. I'm not generous like that, you know me," Tendou barrels over the seeds of Semi's counterarguments. He has a feeling of what he's going to say already. And even if he didn't, it wouldn't be the first time he's heard similar words from people who knew.

Semi takes his time processing Tendou's words and the Thaumamancer lets him. They have a long walk back to the Blue Castle anyhow. They have time, for now.

It is when they are halfway back when Semi finally speaks. "Promise me that the next time you choose to use it, you will consult with me first. I will not let you do so until I know for certain there is no other way."

"Who are you, my mom?"

"Yes. I am your mother because you are incapable of taking care of yourself."

"Actually, you're worse than my mother, bless her soul~"

"Tendou." Semi's steely gaze levels on the Thaumamancer. "Do you promise me?"

"Yes, yes, yes! I promise! Do you want to pinky swear on it?"

"If that is what it takes," Semi lifts his pinky finger up, dead serious in the face of Tendou's impishness.

"Two grown men donning the darkest of black, servants of the White Eagle Empire, personal Royal Guards to the future emperor, shaking pinkies~" Tendou hums with a satisfied nod.

"What a wonderful world."

"You just said it sucks."

"Steady...that's it. Remember, they are sensitive creatures. If you're scared, they'll feel it."

"Huh, just like horses," you mutter, full focus on Sundance below you.

Ushijima walks next to Sundance, ready to help if you lose control. He worries needlessly because Sundance is a dear and you're doing amazingly well on your own.

"Go any slower and we're going to leave you two behind!" Taichi shouts from up ahead. Next to him, an overly worried Goshiki rides on the Everhorn Ushijima was using before your riding lessons began. The young Royal Guard is constantly looking over his shoulders, keeping an eye on you two - well, his prince, in all honesty - and making sure you aren't left behind.

Your ragtag group of Model United Nations is traveling on foot to Kakugawa - the River Tribes - from where you will teleport all the way to the Iron Wall of Date, or at least a section of it.

Logistically, it's faster to teleport from Seijoh directly, but teleportation points within the Empire are constantly watched by the Emperor's eyes. The closer to Aquila, the greater the scrutiny.

By traveling on foot to the outer provinces first, the risk of detection is lowered.

Travel to Kakugawa will take at least a week at a good pace. To save time, the group has unanimously decided that they will continue moving even when you're in your world, which adds onto your growing restlessness.

The FOMO is real.

It's going to be the weekend soon at least. If your estimates are right, the group will have reached Kakugawa and teleported to the Iron Wall around then.

You reel Sundance to a stop, beaming under Ushijima's praise at your quick learning as you shift to let him mount. You wouldn't mind riding her solo for a little while longer but making the future emperor walk any further feels disrespectful, even if it gives you a mini power trip.

With Ushijima back in control, Sundance quickly catches up to the rest and your head perks up at the conversations raging around.

"OOH! That's so awesome! Did you see that, Kuroo?! We don't have birds like that in the west!"

"..."

"Woooah, what's that mountain ridge over there? Do you know, Kuroo?"

"...please do not address me so casually."

"What else should I call you- oooh, look at that! Look at that! It looks like an Everhorn baby!"

"...please stop moving."

You cannot suppress your giggles at the sight of Kuroo looking clearly uncomfortable with Terushima sitting behind him, despite his best efforts to maintain his neutral expression.

Terushima is as excited as you at the prospect of seeing more of Hyquile, maybe even more, as he hasn't stopped gushing at every single new sight, small and big. Every bug, flower, stone, building, strangely colored grass - anything he hasn't seen before prompts him to spew a torrent of questions and excitement to whoever is closest to him. And right now, that unfortunate soul is Kuroo.

"Regretting letting him ride with you?" you tease when Ushijima pulls up next to them, your eyebrows wiggling at Terushima bouncing excitedly behind him.

"I did not exactly have a choice," Kuroo replies calmly. But the subtle shift of his brow betrays his thinning patience.

With the number of Everhorns available and the way the group is split, Terushima had to ride with either Bokuto or Kuroo. And there was no way in hell Bokuto was going to let anyone ride with him. Ever.

The owl leader made it clear that the only way it will happen is if Terushima is tied in ropes and dragged.

Kuroo struggles with Terushima's jostling, which threatens to send both of them hurtling off, expertly reining their Everhorn and keeping it calm. "I just wish he would stop moving so much. It makes riding...unnecessarily unpleasant."

Ushijima cannot help but chuckle at that. It draws Kuroo's attention, who tenses and turns his focus onto the road. The shift comes to your notice instantly, and you sneak several slips of Suna's talismans to Kuroo when Terushima is distracted, knowing he knows what to do with them.

Giving the Dominion leader a sympathetic smile, you urge Ushijima to move further up where Bokuto is with a point of your finger, eager to separate them. Maybe you're being overly cautious but it would be equally as awkward and uncomfortable for you and everyone else if they got into a fight.

Nearing the others, you are just in time to hear Bokuto snarl at the Miya twins.

"Why are the both of you here?! The agreement was one representative from each realm!"

"We're a set. Ya' can't just have one," Atsumu drawls.

"Buy one get one free," Osamu follows up lazily with a yawn, one hand on the reins.

The twins high five each other before Atsumu narrows his eyes on Osamu.

"Yer're the free one, ya' know that right?"

"No, everyone in the village knows ya' are."

"But I came out first!"

"Debatable."

"Deba- 'Samu! I'm the elder twin!"

"Ya' said it yerself. We're twins. It doesn't matter!"

"Yes it does!"

"Someone skin me and spare me this torture," Bokuto mutters under his breath. "We have a mutt and you two might still be the dumbest ones here."

Daichi laughs from his Everhorn. "That isn't very nice, Boku-"

"Don't talk to me. Do your job and navigate."

"I was hired to navigate the Hinterlands specifically-"

"I don't care. If we're lost for even a second, I'll feed you to the dog."

"I don't think that's allowed? That would be cannibalism."

"Debatable."

"No, it isn't-"

"It's only cannibalism if you eat your own species. Last I checked, you're not a dog-folk."

"...You know what? You got me there. I guess I better do my job properly to avoid becoming dog food," Daichi laughs nervously.

Bokuto stares at Daichi in the way only Bokuto can, with large unblinking eyes that gradually narrow the longer he focuses on Daichi.

"Just what are you anyways-"

"There's a child running over there! I'm going to go see what's wrong!" Iwaizumi calls out and kicks his Everhorn forward.

Ahead on the road, a young boy is indeed running frantically in the same direction, hair dusty and clothes brown with dirt from one tumble too many. Iwaizumi catches up to him easily, and the boy cries in fear and shock. He trips on his own foot, rolling off the side of the road.

Iwaizumi reacts immediately, thrusting his arm out and calling forth roots with magic to break the boy's fall. Jumping off his Everhorn, he quickly checks the boy for injury. The Blue Knight frowns when he sees the cloth messily wrapped around his forehead on which there are two little bumps. A poor concealment.

"Hey, it's okay. You're alright," Iwaizumi reassures him when he starts struggling.

The boy shakes his head, scratching and kicking against the roots curled around his back. "No! Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!"

"Sir Iwaizumi, is he alright?"

The boy freezes in terror, eyes blowing wide when he sees the group approaching from behind the man who has him in his hold. In particular, his vision tunnels onto the two figures in black, blood draining from his face. His breathing turns short, and he curls into himself and the roots that he had tried to get away from only seconds prior, seeking protection in them.

Iwaizumi looks over his shoulder at Ushijima. "I think he's scared of you."

"...Me?"

"...Your clothes," Iwaizumi nods at the imposing black of Ushijima's attire, doing the same to Goshiki. His eyes pass over Taichi, who has discarded his uniform for wear more suited to a journey like this.

"...He's an animal-folk."

Goshiki steps forward. "In that case, he needs to be accompanied by his parents and will require a permit to travel-"

Ushijima silences Goshiki with a quick raise of his hand. Without a word, Ushijima begins to remove his outer coat, vest, and cape, leaving him in a dark grey shirt that is, most importantly, not black.

"Goshiki, you too."

Unable to disobey a direct order from his crown prince, Goshiki removes his outer coat, folding and holding it in his arms together with Ushijima's.

Carefully, to avoid spooking him, Ushijima crouches in front of the boy, asking him gently, "Would you mind telling us why you were running? Is something wrong?"

The boy continues to shiver, though colour gradually returns to his face when he doesn't see black anymore. "M-My mum...s-she's sick…she needs help! She needs help! I have to find help!" He shoots up and resumes his struggle.

You share glances with the others. It's a wild assumption but...it isn't unlikely either.

Iwaizumi retracts the roots and lets the boy stand but keeps a firm hand on his shoulder. "Are there no doctors where you live? Can you describe for us her ailment?"

"She's weak...she has been weak for days. And she keeps coughing up blood...d-dark blood." The boy sobs into his fists, hands pushing the cloth around his head loose enough for you to see what the bumps underneath them are.

Two small horns protrude from his skin, round and blunt, barely large enough to be considered horns and cute as buttons. If the circumstances were different, you know you would not be able to resist rubbing them.

"It might be...you know," you suggest softly, not wanting to alarm the boy.

Iwaizumi nods in agreement. "We should help them."

"We can't go around helping every single case we come across," Bokuto cuts in harshly, golden eyes sharp. "We have a mission. We need to get to the Hinterlands."

"Bokuto is right. If we stop to help everyone we see on the way, it will detract us from our mission considerably," Kuroo adds.

You stare at Kuroo in stunned silence. You expected this cold logic from Bokuto but from Kuroo?

...No, you have learned that Kuroo is kind, warm, underneath his cold mask; to the point that you forgot he is absolutely capable of making the hard decisions no one else will, as demonstrated with the way he contained The Rot in the Dominion. It is only through ruthless isolation and containment that the disease hasn't taken hold as much as it should in a slum-city like Moggie Boroughs or , places quartered between mountains and woven by narrow caves.

Kuroo is used to making - choosing - sacrifices for what he believes to be the greater good.

He's done it ever since he was young.

"Are you hearing yourselves? Our mission includes curing all folk of The Rot! If his mother has it we can't just leave them to their fates!" Taichi shakes his head in disbelief at the two.

He knows the Rot in ways that no one else here does. He suffered it, had been debilitated and broken by the darkness crawling inside of him. He recovered as fast as he humanly could after you healed him and volunteered for this mission so that he can help stop others from experiencing what he did.

"It's easy for you to say because none of you know what it's like to be taken by it." Taichi's voice is low, lacking any of the warmth you have come to associate with him; hazel eyes darken with unpleasant memories of his days in a cell dressed up as an infirmary.

"You know nothing of our experiences." Kuroo faces Taichi, a brewing golden storm.

This doesn't look good. The journey's barely started and already rifts are starting to appear with the first obstacle.

"This is gettin' good," Atsumu snickers, bumping hips with Osamu, who reflects his brother's entertainment.

"Glad you two are enjoying this!" you berate the twins without thought.

Two pairs of predatory eyes land on you, and you take a second gulp. Shit, you got to stop reacting like this around them. They are not the Miya twins you know. These two will slice your neck if given the chance!

"Let's all calm down for a moment," Daichi says, stepping in between Kuroo and Taichi with a placating hand on either shoulder. Kuroo barely spares a glance at Daichi before removing his hand from him and stepping away whilst Taichi takes deep breaths and thanks him.

"Spirits, we have a distressed child and you are all bickering like children," Iwaizumi grumbles, harshly pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Sooo- what do we do?" Terushima asks brightly. "Kid looks like he's about to burst if we don't let him go soon!"

You can't decide if he's ignoring the tension in the air or if he's oblivious to it, but either way, he's right. Time is wasting and a decision is needed.

"How far away is your mother?" you ask the boy, kneeling to his level. You brush the cloth from his eyes, tucking it behind his ears for him.

"N-Not far…" He points somewhere in the direction from whence you all came and you bite your lip. You will have to backtrack, and even you know that isn't ideal.

But there are worse choices. Mind made up, you look at everyone.

"When I chose to help cure The Rot, I did not mean selectively. I intend to help where I can, and we can help his mother."

It's been...a while since you healed someone of the magical disease. The last time you did was a case in Seijoh, before the Summit took place. The fatigue on your body then wasn't much different from when you healed Taichi.

"I will likely become fatigued...become a burden after healing her and might require assistance but you cannot ask me to walk away from someone I can help."

Your head lowers - a plea? An apology? Out of habit?

Is it alright for you to make this decision? What if this does detract from the mission considerably, resulting in further loss and delay to curing The Rot as a whole?

One life over the greater good. Can you say you made the right choice with confidence?

Ushijima shakes his head and grips your shoulder reassuringly.

"Let us help them."

He still remembers clearly how scared and uncertain you had been the first time you faced the coppery doors leading to Taichi. He remembers his words to you in the gardens when your first attempt resulted in failure, and he thinks about how his feelings have not changed.

He still believes in you, and the choices you are making, even if you have yet to find the courage to trust all of your own.

"Bov, where have you-"

You try hard not to stare at the male that stepped out from the makeshift tent, but it's hard not to when he has two horns, large enough to skewer you, decorating the sides of his head, even if one of them has been cut in half.

"Dad!" The boy jumps off Iwaizumi's Everhorn and runs straight into his father's arms.

"Bov, who are these people? What did you do?!" The father hides his son behind him frantically, eyes darting around the strange group at the front of his tent.

"They said they can help mum so I brought them here!" Bov jumps with excitement, pulling at his father's arms. His father doesn't share in his joy.

"B-Bov, they're humans-"

"Please, we mean you no harm. We only want to help your wife, and then we'll be on our way," Ushijima approaches him slowly, two hands raised in the air to show he poses no danger. The articles of clothing he took off earlier are tied on the back of his Everhorn.

"H-How do we know we can t-trust you?"

Kuroo steps forward then. Bringing one hand up, he brushes the hair that curtains his right eye to the side.

You can't see from your position behind them, but the father's eyes widen as he gazes upon Kuroo.

"Y-You're not…" he stammers, unable to comprehend why an animal-folk is traveling with humans.

"Will you accept our help now?" Kuroo asks this time.

"I do not know if you can…s-she has it. T-There's no cure," he takes a shaky breath. "It's best if you do not get close, it's contagious-"

You weave in between Ushijima and Kuroo, walking towards him without any hesitation. "Please, let me try to heal her."

You touch his hand and he stares wide-eyed where you touch him.

In this small act, sincerity of a thousand-fold is held. For The Rot truly is contagious, and for you to touch him, who has clearly spent prolonged periods next to his infected wife...

He finally nods. "My name is Bos."

Bos pulls the tent covers aside for you and you bend to enter, but not before telling the others to wait outside.

Inside, two cots are arranged next to each other, one on which a female with horns similar to Bos' lays asleep. Around the tent are scattered dirty clothes and rags with dark stains, alongside other items necessary for survival in the wilderness. The stench of illness hangs heavy, clogging your nose like hot cotton.

Your heart falls, wondering how long they have survived out in the open like this, sharing a single tent that is barely holding up; how long they stuck together like this, knowing that The Rot will easily pass on to them, if it hasn't already...

Bos and his son enter after you, quickly filling up the small tent.

One careful step takes you to the mother's side. Folding your knees below you, you glance at Bos. "Is it alright if I..."

He nods quickly, taking up the space next to you. Bov squeezes in with a whine, to the shushing of his father.

"Her name is Nae," Bos tells you quietly as you pull down the blankets covering her arms and torso. A long breath leaves you unbidden when you see the dark veins on her arms and neck.

"When did you first know she contracted it?" Is this how doctors feel when they treat their patients? With hearts beating faster than it should, nerves eating at them?

"She started showing signs a few weeks ago…" Bos answers, his eyes reddening at the edges as he looks at the state of his wife. He rubs his face, breathing harshly. "W-We were thrown out of our community when we could no longer hide the symptoms. They had to, to s-stop it from infecting the others," a strangled choke, "I thought I could get us to Aquila before the worst of it."

"Aquila?"

Why would they go to Aquila? It's the center of the Empire. Security there is stronger than anywhere else, and so are the reinforcements against animal-folk.

"I know what you're thinking. That it's suicide to go to Aquila but...we heard w-whispers, rumors, that someone m-might be able to help us there. To get out of the Empire entirely..."

Your eyes shift to the tent, uncertain as to whether you wanted Ushijima to hear this.

"It's nothing more than a slim chance. It might be nothing at all but...I don't know what else t-to do. Our people expelled us, and we can't go to humans for help. By The Rot, humans, or nature, we will have d-died either way."

You couldn't stop your own eyes from watering when Bos pulls Bov into his lap, kissing the top of his son's head before burying his face in his hair to hide his tears.

"That's... I'm so sorry, Bos, that all of you had to go through this…"

He shakes his head but doesn't say anything more, merely stares at his wife with tired eyes lined with unshed tears.

"P-Please, just h-help her," he pleads, hands squeezing his son.

You take one of Nae's arms, gently running your fingers across her skin. Her current state is not very different from Taichi's when The Rot had him. Her breathing is weak, so soft that you can barely hear it.

You did not want to think about what would have happened if your group did not find Bov; did not want to linger on the thought that, if you had continued onwards, she would have…

Instead, you focus on the tiny sparks of life still remaining within her.

The subtle rise and fall of her chest. The slight twitch of her finger. Her clammy skin, damp to the touch.

And you imagined that all of these grew stronger, warmer, brighter. With your mind, you returned air to her chest, life to her limbs, and warmth to her skin.

White magic seeps out in strokes of heavenly light from between the space where your skin meets, and the darkness retreats from its victim host, shrinking with ghastly slithers into the pull of your magic.

Bos and Bov's gasps of awe turn into sobs of relief when they see the dark veins gradually disappear, and Bov wastes no time in diving onto the cot to hug his mother.

Her eyes do not open but she groans at the weight upon her, a frail arm curling loosely around her son.

"T-Thank you!" Bos blows into his sleeve once, twice, the waterworks finally bursting forth. "Thank you!"

You shake your head with a small smile. "Don't thank me yet. I'm not finished."

Without further explanation, you take Bos' hand into yours, focusing your magic into him as you did for Nae. Then you repeat the same for Bov, white light filling the tent a third time.

Honestly, you don't know if this will work, but if they have been spending all this time in such close proximity with Nae, they might have already contracted The Rot.

There is no way to test it nor is there time to wait for them to show symptoms. You can only hope that this will be enough.

It has to be enough.

"Thank you again. I will be sure to tell my people of your deed."

You scratch your cheek in embarrassment. "Please, there's no need. I'm just happy I was able to help."

With Nae healed and resting in the tent, Bos has decided to bring his family back to their community of bovidae-folk as soon as Nae is well enough to move.

"We leave right away. We'll be riding nonstop for the next few hours to make up for lost time," Iwaizumi announces as he pulls himself up onto his Everhorn.

"Hey, aren't ya' the navigator? Why's he takin' the lead?" Osamu asks Daichi as Atsumu struggles onto the Everhorn behind him.

Daichi rubs the back of his head with a good-natured laugh. "True, true. But I'm not much of a leader-type. Best leave that to Sir Iwaizumi and the rest who know better."

"Lame," Atsumu grunts, finally managing to mount.

"Yer're lame. Can't even get up on a damn Everhorn."

"It's not my fault! I swear these things hate me!"

"Everyone hates ya'."

"Wha- that's not true! Say it isn't true!"

"Are they always like that?" Ushijima asks you, looking at the twins bicker with a curious glimmer.

You laugh, allowing Ushijima to pull you up onto his Everhorn behind him. Sundance will be ridden by Goshiki for the time being, as there likely won't be an opportunity for lessons for a while. "Siblings. They're dumb like that."

"It seems nice."

You blink at the way his gaze lingers on the twins arguing, recalling that he's an only child growing up alone in a cold castle.

"Ushijima…"

"That uniform on the back there belongs to you, doesn't it?!" Bos shouts suddenly.

You startle, checking what caught Bos' gaze: Ushijima's black uniform.

His attention must have been drawn to them when you mounted, spotting the clothes tied onto the saddle.

"Bos-" you try but he ignores you, marching right up to Ushijima's side. Despite Ushijima sitting on a lofty creature, Bos shows no hesitation as he glares right up at his realm's crown prince.

"Y-You're one of the Emperor's people, aren't you?!" Resentment brews in his eyes, puffy from crying over his wife through sleepless nights. Yet it does nothing to hinder the bitterness spilling over like venom, twisting his mouth into a sneer.

Goshiki swiftly pulls his Everhorn around. "Pri-"

"Goshiki!" Taichi stops his junior before he says anything further.

But it isn't enough. The moment they reacted with immediate urgency, Bos knows that Ushijima is someone important. The Empire does not assign guards to a nobody.

"I am," Ushijima answers truthfully. He remains calm, as if one sharp horn isn't mere inches from piercing his thigh.

One of Bos' feet stomps the ground with a strength that trembles the earth and your ears. In your rising panic, your fingers squeeze Ushijima's waist and he places a hand over yours, steering his Everhorn so that you are placed further away from the angry bovidae-folk.

"You-" Bos stomps the ground again. Soil rattles loose into the air at the impact point, and Bov comes running out from the tent at the commotion.

"D-Dad?"

Suddenly, Bos yells.

He yells and yells and yells and both his feet are stomping up and down, up and down - thumpthumpthump - and he howls long and loud, back bent, shaking fists clenched into his chest; yells until he is hoarse and flushed and the veins on his neck pops with an angry purple.

Ushijima's Everhorn threatens to rear at the nearby threat.

With undeniable expertise, Ushijima calms his mount, reining it in from throwing the two of you off and turning tail.

Taichi and Goshiki are now at your side, prepared to defend their prince if they have to; even if Bos' son is watching from a mere distance away.

When he finally stops howling, Bos glares at Ushijima, bitter fury incarnate barraging the earth. "On account of the missy here saving my wife, I will do you no harm," he huffs, voice hoarse and breaking with restraint. He casts furious looks on Taichi and Goshiki, then points up at Ushijima.

"But you tell the Emperor, tell that rotting corpse-arse" he heaves, "that he'll get what he deserves one of these days! All of us animal-folk-! We suffer needlessly under his bloody rule, it makes his ancestors look like paragons of justice!"

"He deserves to die! THEY SHOULD ALL DIE FROM THE ROT! Suffer it! Choke on it!"

"Him and his entire bloodline! They'll all get their just deserts! Him and those who serve them willingly! Justice will find you all one day!"

"YOU SHOULD ALL DIE!"

"JUSTICE!"

The next few hours are largely spent in silence, save for the sound of galloping hooves and thundering earth.

When you finally stop to make camp, night has long fallen and so has everyone's spirits. The long ride has taken its toll on all of your bodies.

You wring your wrists as you look around the dark field for Ushijima, spotting him a short walk away from where everyone else is gathered by the fire.

He hears you approach before you can announce it, the crunching of grass giving your presence away.

"You're still here," he says when you drop to the grass next to him. "I thought you would have returned to your world by now."

"I'll go back later."

He doesn't say anything further and stares pensively into the inky horizon. Resting your arms on your knees, you tilt your head to look at him.

His olive eyes are darker in the evening veil, opaque with emotion and thoughts, converging into a dark mass that keeps everything in and everyone out. Sentimental Ushijima has always been forthright with what he's thinking, whether by his nature or his principle. He often speaks his mind, sharing it with you and others.

But he feels a lot like Ushiwaka in this moment - you can't tell what he's thinking.

"What are you thinking about?" you ask softly.

He takes a long breath. Then an equally long exhale. There's so much weighing on his person that you wish you could help take away from him.

But you know you can't. This is all you can do.

"I love my grandfather."

He starts so suddenly with the unexpected topic that you only manage to blink slowly at him, processing.

He loves his...of course he does. He's his grandfather. And you have only ever known him to be the iron-fisted ruler of the Empire.

"But Bos...he really hates him," Ushijima laughs softly but mirth rings empty in the echo of his chest. "My grandfather. Me."

You bury your head into your arms, and the vivid rage of Bos appears to you in the dark. How he rocked the earth with just the stamp of his feet...it terrified you. The way he lost himself to hatred and rage in the presence of a human he knew to be the Emperor's people...what would he have done if he found out Ushijima is the future emperor himself?

He likely would not have stopped at mere howling and stamping.

"I always knew that there was discontent with the ways of the Empire," he whispers, and you wonder if he even means for you to hear his words. "I knew there was, but...it never once occurred to me how far that discontentment runs. Or maybe I did, and I chose not to see it. Out of sight, out of mind."

He laughs again, louder, voice impaling the night. "Discontentment is an understatement, isn't it?"

"They used to bring in animal-folk of all races to the castle to meet me when I was younger. I still remember, each and every one of them, how they spoke of happiness and gratitude to the Empire and the Emperor…in hindsight, I should have known that it was all a pretense."

"Ushijima, you're not your grandfather…"

He shakes his head no. "But I am his grandson. I am the son of my forefathers, mighty men who ruled and built the White Eagle to what it is today. Through iron rule and order, they brought peace and united the warring northern tribes under one flag."

"Humans and animal-folk used to war, daily , long and bloody battles that were inanely…" another heavy breath, through the mouth, that dries and scratches the throat, "...meaningless."

"That all stopped, eventually," Ushijima shrugs, as if he isn't talking about his forebears stopping entire wars. His gaze lowers.

"But at what cost?"

Like so many other moments that you come to regret later - when you are laying in bed and the events of the day replay on loop incessantly, ticking at your temples, an itch you cannot possibly scratch - you do not know what to say.

Be it in the intimate privacy of your shower when you are home, or the lonely comfort of your Tokyo bed, you know you will have hundreds of imaginary scenarios, what-if's, and other lines you wished you had said, could have said, when this conversation with Ushijima inevitably comes to visit.

You scoot toward Ushijima and lean your head against his arm. The last time you did this, it had been in the square with the grand fountain statue, children and sunlight surrounding you.

Now, it's dark and quiet, save for the trickle of chatters from the camp.

Even through the thick cloth of his black coat, you can feel his arms tensing and loosening, repeatedly, against your temple. You wonder what he's trying to stop himself from.

From crying? From standing and screaming his anger into the sky? From feeling?

Ushijima Wakatoshi has always had control.

From his absolute power in the court...to the absolute power of his royal lineage and privilege.

Right now...perhaps the tightly strung threads of control are beginning to slip.

Words come to you. Whether they are the right words to say or if they even needed to be said is beyond you.

They are just words you've heard around during your life - in the languid strum of a song about heartbreak, in the pages of history books, in the big screen when the hero falls, in the diligence of your father and his hammer to your broken dollhouse...

You nudge Ushijima with your shoulder.

"We always build it better the second time around."

"You think we're being followed?" Kuroo asks Bokuto again.

He heard it the first time, his sharp hearing couldn't miss it even if he wanted to, but this is Bokuto. The Owl Vale leader often straddles the line between madness and vigilance.

"I don't think we are. I know we are," Bokuto insists.

Kuroo's eyes narrow as he expands his senses and awareness to his limits, cat-eyes piercing the shadows. But minutes pass without him detecting anything out of the norm.

His eyes, ears, nose, and even the earth attuned to his very soul - they return with nothing.

Madness? Or vigilance?

"What makes you think that we are being followed?" Perhaps additional clarification will help decide.

Bokuto rolls his shoulders and neck, waving a hand around in irritation. "The damn hairs on the back of my neck are all standing! I don't know!"

"Well, you do have spiky hair-"

"Didn't take you for a joker."

"-and reliable instincts."

Indeed, the owl-folk has killer instincts, quite literally, and Kuroo would be a fool to ignore it. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

Sadly, as it is, there is nothing that gives irrefutable proof that the group is being followed. And that can only mean that either the spies are extremely talented at what they do, or that Bokuto is mad.

Bokuto is focusing hard on something - or rather, someone - and Kuroo follows his line of sight to find Daichi at the end of it.

"Hey, you! Mutt! Get over here!" Bokuto orders Terushima suddenly.

When Terushima hops over happily and without qualms, the Dominion leader is unable to decide if he should think of that as endearing or pity the poor dog.

"You called for the great Johzenji chieftain?!"

Pity. Definitely pity. And wasn't it future chieftain?

"You said before you can use your nose to sniff out what folk an individual is," Bokuto cuts to the chase, patience already wearing thin at the dog-folk's hyperactivity.

"Nuh-uh." Terushima wags a finger that is dangerously close to being lobbed off. "I said that I have a good nose and I can find folks with it!"

"Then can you figure out what animal-folk someone is?" Bokuto grits through his teeth.

"I...guess? I can smell you're an owl-folk right away and the Miya twins' tails reek of fox."

Understanding dawns on Kuroo as he finally figures out what Bokuto is getting at. It's smart. Even Kuroo did not think of it.

Everyone, human and animal-folk alike, has a scent of their own that no others have. Then there are distinct scents particular to their groups, and in the case of the animal-folks, scents that are imprinted on them by their animal traits.

It is how those like him with a sensitive nose can tell by the scent in the wind whether a human, wolf, or even a weasel is in the vicinity. As a dog-folk, Terushima will have an even sharper sense of smell compared to cat-folk.

But who does Bokuto want Terushima to scent out-

Bokuto juts his chin in Daichi's direction.

"Him. Can you tell what he is?"

"Daichi?" Kuroo frowns. "Isn't he human?"

"Yeah, isn't he human?" Terushima parrots.

"He might be," Bokuto says, crossing his arms. "Just making sure."

"Instinct?" Kuroo looks at the owl-folk.

"Instinct." Bokuto glances back.

Terushima's gaze darts back and forth between the two. He scratches the back of his head in confusion. "I'm pretty sure he's human though? I didn't smell anything on him-"

"Go and take a second whiff!" Bokuto barks at him.

Tersuhima nods his head rapidly at the order and quickly bounds off. Kuroo shakes his head, both amused and exasperated at what is quickly becoming a habit between Bokuto and Terushima. Without Akaashi around, Bokuto needs a new gopher afterall…

Barely ten minutes later, Terushima returns to them, dejected. He eyes Bokuto somewhat nervously.

"He's...human? I don't smell any animal traits on him."

"Go check again-"

Kuroo stops Terushima before he can run off a second time. "I don't think the answer is going to change, Bokuto. Perhaps your instinct is wrong this time."

The Owl Vale leader scoffs indignantly. "It's never wrong."

"Never?"

"...That time was a fluke."

Notes:

Poor Ushi. Poor Daichi. Everyone needs to leave Daichi tf alone, including Bokuto. Man can't catch a break, can he?

If you enjoyed this chapter or GWS in general, please do leave a comment! TwT They really help writers stay motivated and I am definitely no different, as I live and work for the validation ;w;

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Chapter 35: The Things We Do / ficlet 06

Summary:

The Uninviting Hinterlands Arc

Notes:

Are people still reading this lmaooo

Also, if it isn't obvious after reading, I'm fast forwarding the story.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"The Eagle is mighty when alone.

But give to it

A sword of Unbridled bravery,

A shield of Unbending loyalty,

A spear of Unwavering trust,

A tome of Unbounded wisdom,

and it becomes Unstoppable."

"Breakfast?"

"Yeah, it's been a while since we all had pancakes together. You like the pancakes there, don't you? Your father also likes the warabi-mochi from that corner stand. He won't admit it but I can tell he's craving it. Your brother's going too."

"Yeah, I guess but… can we have an early dinner on Friday instead? I'll go over right after class ends."

"In that case, why not both then? You and your brother can both stay over and we'll drive out Saturday."

"Sorry mum, I can't do Saturday. I'm going out with friends."

"Oh, is it 'Tsumu and 'Samu?"

"They're not my only friends, you know..."

"I know but you're always with them even before we moved to Tokyo! I'm surprised you're not seeing one of them yet-"

"Mum!"

"What? It's just girl-talk."

"We don't do girl-talk."

"Of course we do. I still remember when I used to help you with your costumes for dance and we'd talk about the girls in your class, and the boys too~"

"Mum, that was ages ago."

"Is it?"

"Ugh, anyways, I can't make Saturday but I'll see you and dad on Friday."

"Alright, alright. I'll check with your brother again."

"Yeah, yeah. I have to go now. Got homework. See you Friday. Good night."

"That was delicious! I haven't had your homemade curry in so long!"

"That's because you hardly come over. Both of you."

You wince sheepishly whilst your brother turns to look at your mother with feigned innocence, a finger pointing at himself, soap running down his arms onto the floor.

As you promised, right after classes on Friday you went straight to your family home. Emi was disappointed that you would not join practice, but you promised her to review the routine on your own time over the weekend. She doesn't know that you'll be in a literal world away during that time, but what she doesn't know won't hurt her.

Dinner with your family was as normal as it could get, with talk about your parent's and what they have been up to, your studies and future, and your brother's successes with his work. Out of habit, you might have rolled your eyes a couple of times when your parents praised him for the 125th time.

You bend to wipe the soap your brother left before resuming drying the dishes that he passed to you.

"So how have you been?" he asks, smoothly sliding you another clean plate. Why must he be good at everything including household chores?

"We just spent the last hour and a half talking about how we've all been the past week," you gripe sarcastically. As much as you try to control it, your brother always manages to bring out the little beast in you. "Are you really asking me that?"

Guess you're not so different from the twins.

"Yikes, someone's grumpy," he chuckles and passes you a bowl. "As usual."

"Shut up," you mutter, kicking him in the back of his knees.

"But seriously, are you good? You seem distant lately."

You quirk a dubious brow at him. "Distant?"

"Yeah." He shrugs. "You used to visit mum and dad all the time."

"You speak as if I don't live less than an hour from them. And so do you."

"Exactly! You'd be here almost every weekend and most nights after class before…" he trails off.

He didn't need to finish his sentence for you to know what he's referring to. After a pause that feels dreadfully long, you finally sigh.

"I've just been busy, that's all."

It's not a lie, technically. "Why do you care what I do anyway?"

You don't need your brother on your back on top of your parents. He, and his all-star grades and performance, is a little too much for you to bear if it comes from him. You stack the bowl in your hand with a little more force than necessary.

"Careful with my plates!" your mother reprimands from the living room.

"Well, for starters, I'm your brother." He hums then lifts two fingers. "Secondly, I'm your older brother."

You groan. Is he really going to do this?

"Hey, I know we weren't always on the best of terms but you're still my sister...even if you hang with the Miya bros more than me," he says. "How are they by the way? Haven't seen those runts in a while," he adds with an easy laugh.

"They're fine," you mumble.

Your brother looks at you expectantly and you sigh. "I'm fine too. Like I said, I've been busy."

"I suppose you have those competitions coming up. You're still participating in them, right?"

"Yeah."

That is the plan, at least. If you're being honest, you're not entirely confident you'll be ready for all of them. You can't let Emi and the dance team down, so you'd have to shift what time you have to focus on the group routines, sacrificing your solo.

"Tell me when they are. I'll come watch."

"Nah, you don't have to. You're probably busy with work and a lot of other things."

Your brother taps you on the head with a knuckle, flicking water onto your face in the process.

"We can always make time for what matters."

You look at your brother to find him grinning cheerfully at you, dimples decorating his cheeks. Sometimes, you wonder how he does it, being so perfect at everything without letting anything drag him down. You can't remember a time where you've seen him worn out despite maintaining a stellar record in everything he touches, juggling them without issue. Sure, he didn't travel worlds to fight a magical disease, but you just know that if it was your brother in your place, he wouldn't be struggling like you. Hyquile would have been saved within a week if it had been him.

"How do you do it?" you ask him.

He blinks, confused. "Do what?"

You lean against the counter and feel yourself slump against it wholly, completely, immediately. A stiffness that you've been feeling in your back the entire week, but never consciously took notice of, loosens with the temporary crutch provided by the counter. It made you aware how stiff your entire body has been.

"Just...being so good at everything. Doing all that you do without burning out."

When you're in Hyquile, magic, the fantastical sights and creatures, the people, and your quest itself, they don't allow you to feel this lethargy; this pressure. There's no time or room for that as everything and everyone is constantly on the move.

But here, talking to friends, sitting in hour-long lectures, and eating with your family, your mind wanders, spreads to the mundane.

You're feeling it now, standing here in the kitchen of your family home, washing the dishes with him. You feel like you shouldn't be here as long as you have. And at the same time, you also feel the need to be.

Your brother turns off the tap and leans back on the counter right next to you. And like the model son he is, he even made sure to dry his hands. He crosses his arms and nudges you with his shoulder. "Burning out?"

"A little."

He scratches the back of his neck in thought. "You're not going to like my answer but there's no secret recipe for a cocktail mix of Monster and coffee, or meditation form or anything. You just...do what you gotta do. No shortcuts."

Welp, it's on you for thinking your ace of a brother will have some great wisdom to impart.

He sees your disappointment and laughs, nostalgia seeping into his voice. "You probably don't remember because you were still a tiny shrimp then, but I used to be mum's greatest nightmare."

One of your brows rises in doubt. "You? Really? "

"Yeeep. I raised all sorts of hell. Tracking mud all over, refusing to eat, picking fights with other kids, screaming back, cheating, stealing- "

"You stole? "

"Yeah, 5000yen from the money meant for the gardener."

You stare at him and he shrugs. "You can't blame me. The money was just sitting there on the table. It was free real estate." He pauses then adds, "Also stole some candy and a copy of Shonen Jump from a store."

You can't imagine your brother doing any of the things he's claiming he did.

"Anyway, I was a shit kid. An even shittier son!" His laughs subside, eyes trailing to the living room where the faint shadows of your parents can be seen, stark against the tv lights spilling onto the floor. You turn to look at the backs of your parents too.

"What made you change?" you ask, smiling when your dad does his iconic boisterous laugh that never fails to make you cringe.

"Well, I got home one day and found mum sleeping on the living room couch, with you sleeping on her. You were already drooling in your sleep way back then by the way." He nudges you again and you roll your eyes.

"There were all these tissues around her that even as a kid, I knew she had been crying. Plus her runny mascara."

"She had been...reading these reports. From the school, notes from my teachers. There were even letters from the shop owner I stole from, the neighbours, and parents of the other kids."

He didn't need to elaborate anymore for you to understand but you still found it hard to believe that your brother used to be a delinquent. A very bad one at that.

"And mum...she just looked so tired, you know? Exhausted. You can just tell by the way she's passed out, with you no less, on the couch. You and I both know that mum doesn't let anyone sleep on that old lavender couch of hers, not even dad."

He's right about that. Your mum used to have this lavender colored couch that she loved for reasons beyond any of your comprehension.

You remember when 'Tsumu and 'Samu were over at your house in Hyogo to play once, and 'Tsumu made the mistake of napping on the couch. She saw, took him aside for a talk, and he never did it again. At least, not when your mum's around.

"And…I decided then that I wanted to be a better son for her." Your brother shrugs quickly, carelessly, and insecurely, hands coming up to rub himself on his shoulders. In all your memories of your brother, this will be the very first one you will have where you've seen him not as that distant role model to be jealous of and to run after, but as just another person, who is maybe not so perfect after all.

"That's not to say it was easy and it still isn't. I worked hard, still do... " he trails off. He picks up a dirty plate and spins back around. The sound of rushing water fills the kitchen. "You just have to do it. There's no other way."

He cleans the plate and hands it to you.

"And I find it easier when there is a goal, someone to do it for. In my case, it was mum. I wanted to make life easier for her, Make her proud of me."

You take the plate from him and the two of you continue cleaning up in a retrospective silence. When he hands you the last dish, he leans over to whisper in your ear conspiratorially, eyes twinkling as he glances at the living room.

"Don't tell dad any of this though."

Later, when you stand at the entryway to the house with your parents seeing you and your brother off, you do something that you haven't done in a while.

You hug them, and tell them good night as you hold them. First your mother, then your father. Surprise colours their features as nervousness drums in your chest.

It's telling how far apart you have grown from them when you feel nervous doing something as simple as hugging them. What happened over the years to let this happen? There isn't a substantial or concrete reason for it. It is just one of the effects of growing up.

You hug your brother, too, when he drops you off at your apartment.

You feel even more nervous and stiff, leaning over to pull him into an awkward one-arm hug. The way he pats your back in scattered intervals tells you that he felt weird about it too.

But as you crawl into bed that night, dressed in clothes that were clearly not meant for sleep, you are glad that you hugged them.

People often use the expression 'the days pass like a blur.'

But to what extent do they feel this 'blur'? Is it anything similar to what you are experiencing now?

You've had your share of busy days, where things move by so quickly that they blend as one. Next thing you know, everything is over.

As if someone took their thumb and swiped it over a swath of your life, whisking events into an undefined period of fuzzy colours and sounds. You can truly say that your life as of late has been passing like a blur, where instead of a thumb, it is a giant whisk blending everything into mush.

You've been travelling back and forth between the two worlds for a while, but you have never felt it this closely, this vigorously, to this extent. The constant jump between worlds...it is like a foggy haze has fallen over you as you move through the motion – days.

You don't know how you're doing it but you are.

Jolting from Hyquile to the blaring of alarms that jumbles with the drones of professors and students, the foreign yet uncannily familiar taste of Frosty Osamu's cooking merging with 'Samu's trademark homemade onigiris, the swing of Scary Bokuto's arm as he throws a dagger blending into Bokuto's powerful spike–

Kuroo's cackling face that tones down to impassive amber, and Sentimental Ushijima's small smile that fades into Ushiwaka's stoic line; sometimes, you do a double take to check that you are speaking to the correct Atsumu.

Then your eyes are closing, falling, only to awaken in Hyquile.

The days pass like a blur.

Tests are being thrown at you left and right by your professors in preparation for the upcoming exams. Your grades are hanging on, barely. It's getting hard to deny that your grades are slipping with the bare minimum of studying you have been doing. The fact that Suna shares his notes with you without you asking is hardly a good sign, though you appreciate it. Even Kenma is helping you with your work during the brief periods before class begins.

Alongside 'Samu and 'Tsumu, you've begun study sessions with Kita, who has graciously offered his time and assistance in ensuring his juniors do not fail college. Even Suna – whose grades are faring way better than all three of yours – joins once in a while.

Honestly, you feel quite bitter that your grades have fallen to 'Tsumu's level, to the blonde's glee.

Additionally, there is the matter of your dance club. Emi has been working the team harder than usual, the group's performance not up to the level she has been expecting by this time of the semester.

She has also been keeping a close watch on you, noting the light bruises you've been incurring from falls. A bruise here and there isn't uncommon in dance, but her attention is less due to the spots and more because you have been racking up mistakes. Not that you need her to tell you — you know it better than anyone else.

It's been hard trying to focus when your mind is elsewhere.

The days pass like a blur.

Bov and his family were not the only ones in need of curing, nor will they be the last. You come across others, humans and animal-folk, that suffer from the Rot.

Stragglers from their communities, wayfarers along the road, locals of towns and villages you stop at for rest. And each time you stop to heal them, despite disgruntled mutterings from several in the group.

In spite of that, the Company is making good progress.

With or without you, they set off early before the sun rises and continue on late into the night. A part of you knows that the group is being pushed on by the likes of Iwaizumi and Kuroo to make up for lost time, but you cannot bring yourself to leave anyone to suffer the Rot, knowing that you can help them.

Between continuing on for the greater good and stopping to help the little people, there isn't a right or wrong choice, only differences in opinions; you've made your opinion known when you chose to help Bov.

Honestly, the days do not pass like a blur.

It's a damn whirlwind that ceaselessly pulls you along with it. You haven't tried to run, but you knew that even if you did try, the gales of obligation will only drag you back with stormy claws of morality. But which way is it pulling you in?

You have a responsibility and a duty to your parents, friends, club members, and even to yourself, to keep up with your own life.

Then there are people, lives of entire realms , counting on you– in a world that isn't even your own.

But there's only one of you, and only so much time.

You are biting off more than you can chew.

"This is what you call a dorito?"

"Yep. And these are pudding cups!"

"What a curious way to eat pudding."

"Why can't ya' eat them normally with bowls or somethin'?"

"Who cares, it tastes amazin'!"

You watch happily as Taichi and Terushima dig into a bag of dorito chips as the twins inhale an entire pack of pudding cups by themselves.

With everyone else doing majority of the work travelling, you've started bringing snacks and other miscellanea to Hyquile to share: onigiris, gummies, chips, and even card games. Small contributions to help ease the stress of the journey...or so you're hoping.

The first time they played UNO, Atsumu had set your deck on fire when Daichi kept UNO reversing him. With half the cards gone and deeming the deck useless, Osamu used the remainder as camp tinder. Without your permission.

The loss of your UNO deck aside, you think the snacks and games you brought have helped everyone bond in some way, even if several are more reluctant and stubborn about it than others.

What faster way to make friends than exotic food and a round of poker, right?

Right.

"Do you want some, Iwaizumi?" you offer the Blue Knight.

"We're gonna finish it if you don't!" Terushima declares through a mouthful.

Iwaizumi cringes in disgust at the yellow sticking around the dog-folk's face. The colour reminds him too much of Terushima's hair, if he's being honest.

Shaking off the nausea, Iwaizumi rejects your offer. He waves his portion of the onigiris you passed out to everyone earlier. "I'll pass, thanks. This is enough for me."

Kuroo approaches you and stoops to help you gather the plastic wrappings foreign to Hyquile. Polluting Hyquile with plastic is the last thing you want to do so you take care to bring any resulting trash back with you. There's enough environmental issues on Earth for both worlds.

"I must apologise again for almost running you over yesterday morning," Kuroo says as he stuffs the last of the discarded wrappings into the bag you held up.

Ah, yes. The terrifying memory of almost being trampled by an Everhorn yesterday is still fresh in your mind.

Perhaps you arrived later than you always did, or the group departed earlier than usual, but when you followed the familiar glowing string – now a golden-red instead of turquoise – in your dreams to Kuroo, you had opened your eyes to the sight of a galloping Everhorn mounted by Kuroo heading straight for you.

It is only with the fast reactions of Bokuto, who jumped from his Everhorn even before his wings fully manifested to swoop you into the air that saved you from grievous injury.

Swooping is bad whenever Bokuto is involved, but yesterday, you were thankful.

After that harrowing experience, landing in Oikawa's royal baths no longer seemed so terrible.

"Does that have anything to do with why everyone is moving out later today?" you ask, securing the trash bag onto your backpack.

Kuroo nods, affirming your suspicions. "I wanted to make sure you arrived safely first. I would like to avoid a repeat of yesterday at all costs."

"I'll...try to arrive earlier. I do not want to delay everyone more than I already am."

It'll be tough but if you push yourself, you should be able to do it. Considering what is at stake, you're not trying hard enough–

Kuroo shakes his head. "We cannot ask that of you. Arrive when you can, we'll wait."

You open your mouth to... argue? Agree? Say nothing? You're not entirely sure.

You remain as conflicted as you have been the past week, in your world time, over the spiralling balance of priorities stacked as tall as a precarious tower in your hands.

There's nothing more important than finding a viable way for you to cure the Rot and every moment spent away from Hyquile puts you on edge, feeling like you shouldn't be away. Business Statistics isn't going to help you save lives anywhere.

You should be here, helping who you can, journeying with them late into the night and setting off before dawn; not have them wait around for you.

But there are exams, homework, dance, family and friends and–

Kuroo sees your wavering silence. "Are you alright?"

You close your mouth into a tight smile. "Are we almost there yet? My thighs are starting to hurt a lot."

In the end, you didn't say anything because... what can you say?

"According to Ushijima, we should arrive at the borders of Kakugawa by noon. We'll leave as soon as you're ready." He awkwardly passes you a bundle of your clothes.

To avoid the difficulties of explaining your modern clothes to locals, clothes for you have been packed by the Headmaid of Seijoh.

You had to hand it to her, she thought of everything. It never occurred to you, or the others for that matter, that your choice of wear for the journey might not blend in with the locals with its eccentric tags and logos.

Iwaizumi quickly figured out the extra garments in his pack that were clearly not his size aren't for him. He has left custody of them to Kuroo, seeing as the cat-folk is your line to Hyquile.

And so, everytime after you arrive, you'd pull on the clothes provided to you.

The group departs soon after, keeping a fast, steady pace. You start off riding with Ushijima but choose to challenge yourself by riding solo from the first water break onwards.

As the sun creeps higher in the sky, so increase the speeds at which everyone rides.

With Ushijima at the front, all the other Everhorns easily fall into line behind him, following his lead. As the least experienced riders, you and the Miya twins are made to stay in the centre of the line whilst Iwaizumi brought up the rear, much to the twins' annoyance. Some inane nonsense about needing space.

A little before noon, Ushijima raises a hand and slows to a stop.

"We're here."

"There's rotshit here," Atsumu complains. Using Osamu's shoulders as support, he lifts himself up from the saddle to survey the area.

As Atsumu eloquently put it, there's nothing around but trees, grasslands, and a river.

Ushijima leads his Everhorn to the riverbank, allowing it to drink as he looks around.

Daichi rubs his chin thoughtfully. "I see–"

"There's nothing to see," Bokuto mutters loudly.

"I've heard of the unique way of life of the River Tribes but have never come across their village before. I think I know why now," Daichi continues with a self-satisfied grin, as if he didn't hear Bokuto's snark.

"Why's that?" you ask.

Goshiki huffs, chest puffing with nationalistic pride. "The reach and influence of our Empire is great, encompassing territories and cultures beyond your knowledge! I'm not surprised by any lack of comprehension of the extent of it!"

Taichi slaps his forehead in embarrassment at his junior's behaviour. Goshiki's loyalty is commendable but spirits, can he not read the atmosphere?

"I want to beat him up so bad–" Osamu mumbles to no one and everyone.

Fortunately for Goshiki, he isn't the only one who can't read the room.

"Oooh! Do tell, do tell!" Terushima jostles excitedly from behind Kuroo, who grimaces at the discomfort.

Goshiki inflates with Terushima's encouragement, and he motions for everyone to follow him to the riverbank where Ushijima is, giving a lecture on Empire geography whilst he is at it. A couple of the animal-folks roll their eyes at the Royal Guard but you listen intently, fascinated and eager to learn more about Hyquile.

"The Midea River is the longest known river in the Empire, spanning from one end to the other, crossing borders and territories. Kakugawa, which the partly nomadic River Tribes call their homebase, is only one section of it."

"The River Tribes of Kakugawa are largely composed of fishermen and fisherwomen; a significant portion of our Empire's seafood is supplied by them. Through the year, they sail along the Midea River in parallel to the season's best catch, only returning to Kakugawa for short periods of time. They are also well-versed in aquaculture, raising and farming a variety of marine life and plants which are consumed by our people all over."

"So I assume the seafood here is pretty good then?" you ask.

"But of course! The freshest and best you'll ever find!"

"I guess that should make you pretty happy, eh, Kuroo?" Terushima grins innocently at the cat-folk.

Kuroo stares at Terushima. If he was more expressive, you're sure disbelief would be painted all over him.

"That's an incredibly insensitive thing to say," Daichi laughs. This guy too; you can't tell if he is trying to ease the tension or if he is just as dense as Terushima.

"Why? He's a cat-folk. Don't they all like fish?"

"If that ain't the most racist thing I heard all day," Atsumu drawls.

"Rich, coming from you," Taichi quips back.

"What did ya' say, human? " Atsumu growls.

"Idiot, you just proved his point." Bokuto rolls his eyes. The day this trek ends cannot come any faster. Why did he volunteer himself again? Oh, right, it's supposed to be better than reading endless paperwork and dealing with those senile elders back in the Vale. Two terrible choices either way.

"We're not staying in Kakugawa." Iwaizumi interjects the ensuing argument and misplaced excitement for seafood.

"So all this seafood talk?" He looks pointedly at you and Terushima. "Not going to happen."

Iwaizumi doesn't know if he wants to scream or laugh. It's been days, seemingly endless days, of foolish madness with this group. He'll be damned if he's going to let it drag on another day longer by spending a night in Kakugawa. Nope, he's going to herd everyone straight to the teleportation circle if it's the last thing he does.

Your shoulders sink. "Aw…"

Terushima pats Kuroo on the shoulder. "It's okay, I'll catch you some fish elsewhere."

Taking in a deep breath, Kuroo ignores Terushima and urges their Everhorn forward, nearly sending the dog-folk off the saddle. He stops next to Ushijima.

"You say we're here but what are we waiting for?" he asks the Empire prince.

Ushijima looks up and down the river, before his eyes settle on a large mass sailing against the current, approaching your group.

"Ah, there they are. Just on time."

"The head of the River Tribes, Yuzuru Komaki, is nothing but punctual," Taichi agrees, one hand waving at the mass.

The sound of a horn blows loud in the area, echoing up the current, and the surrounding trees and grasslands, scattering birds and small critters with its powerful resonance. You yelp in surprise, nearly falling off Sundance at the unexpected boom. It was so loud that it felt like you were standing next to a cruise ship, the tremors reaching your very bones.

Your jaw drops in awe when you realise what it is.

A boat, huge and ponderous, groans against the water, making its way towards the riverbank where Ushijima stands; wind and water both are repelled by its sturdy timber, dark and weathered over seasons.

Its sides are decorated with beautiful plates of lime-green, each individual plate intricately carved into the shape of a feather. They cover the head and tail of the boat, all the way to the ends where oil lamps hang from talon-like ends.

Rows of manned oars push and pull it through the currents, all in tune to the jolly singing of the people despite their laboured breaths.

At the centre is an open-air cabin, its entrances lined with lime curtains fluttering in the river wind. But what catches everyone's eyes is the gilded statue of a great eagle, with wings spread wide and proud, perched at the top.

Though it is a transport built for use in water, in spite of its massive size, the craftsmanship of the boat evokes the undeniable image of an eagle in flight, cutting through the river.

"Don't tell me we're riding that..." Bokuto almost sighs. First Everhorns and now a boat? He has wings! Let him use them already! His back is starting to itch from keeping them away for so long.

"We are, in fact, riding that," Ushijima replies calmly, unperturbed by the owl-folk's clear displeasure. "The homes of the river-folk are inaccessible on foot. The only way in and out is either by flight or water."

"In that case, I'm flying–"

"In case you have forgotten, Lord Bokuto, but our original agreement of keeping your animal-traits hidden within Empire territory still applies, unless circumstance calls for its use."

"Tch." Bokuto didn't forget. He just didn't want to give a rat's ass about that agreement; it's not like he agreed to it in the first place, if not for Kuroo. Spirits, he absolutely hates diplomacy.

Before long, everyone found themselves strolling along the boat's deck, ducking and weaving around the rowdy crew and swinging oars.

The boat is one of the largest transport vessels belonging to the River Tribes, and it's been sent with the sole purpose of greeting their Crown Prince; it is sizable enough for even the Everhorns to board, where they are given food and rest.

The River Tribe had been alerted to your group's arrival by eagle, sent ahead of Ushijima's departure from Seijoh; they have been eagerly awaiting his approach since. It is not often that someone from the royal castle visits their humble river-faring community, much less the Crown Prince, so Ushijima's visit has generated much excitement amongst the nomadic-fishers of Kakugawa, even if he is merely passing through.

Like the massive boat he commands, the captain is a tall young man named Hyakuzawa, who seems more fit to be on a volleyball or basketball court than a river-faring boat. He easily towers over everyone else on his crew.

Hyakuzawa and his crew made every single accommodation for your short stay to be as smooth as possible but were unable to do anything about the overwhelming fishy smell. Not even the smell of the Everhorns can cover it up.

Hyakuzawa laughed and said, "Even if we're not technically a fishing boat, we still end up fishing a lot when sent out. We couldn't get rid of the smell in time for the arrival of our prince."

It must suck to have a heightened sense of smell right now.

"Is the smell bothering you? You keep scrunching your nose."

You turn to find Daichi, holding a plate of shrimp skewers which he holds out to you. Taking a skewer, you return to gazing out at the Midea River, stretching off into a horizon that never moves.

"No, not as much as some of the others at least," you say, pointing at a hurling Atsumu and munching on your food.

Without anything else to do, you and Daichi talk about all the sights he has seen on his travels once again, enjoying the breeze and the sun soaking into your skins.

"But the most amazing thing I saw on any journey is your magic by far." Daichi looks at you with an expression you cannot place, but can only say is filled with wonder. "I have to be honest, when I first heard the story from the others back in Seijoh, I had a hard time believing it."

"If you didn't believe me, why did you agree to help us then?" you ask curiously.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I believed you . But being told that you came from another world and possessed the ability to cure the Rot, something that no other has been able to do? Even the most fanatical might have a hard time grasping that."

"You're right, I suppose. I apologise for doubting you~" You fake curtsy, pulling your cloak up like a dress.

Daichi rubs his chin in mock thought. "Hm, I guess you can be deemed as being sincere. Apology accepted– on one condition."

"Playing hard to please, are you? Fine." You play along, placing a hand over your heart. "What would you ask of me, your Greatness?"

He crosses his arm sternly, eyeing you up and down with a calculating eye. "Have no fear, I won't ask for anything unreasonable."

"You are too kind, my liege."

Daichi laughs, breaking character and sitting down against the rails. He pats the spot next to him and you sit.

"How do you do it? Your magic. It's unlike any magic I've ever seen or heard of, and the others seem to know even less."

"Even less? Are you implying you know more about magic than say, Oikawa or Kuroo?" you tease the man and he rubs the back of his head sheepishly.

"I mean, I've seen some things in my travels."

"Wait, can you use magic?" Speaking of, you've never seen Daichi use magic of any sort before. The others are always blasting off magic in one form or another, from lighting fires to moving stones and even blowing away dirt with wind. Well, if Bokuto flapping his wings counts as magic.

Daichi shakes his head in answer to your question. You want to ask if it's because he never practised or chose not to, but something in the way his eyes lower makes you decide against prodding further.

It's not your business, and Daichi surely would have told you if he wanted to. The man is as friendly as the day is bright, with words, jokes, and tales for every occasion imaginable. Even the most sociable people have stories they do not wish to share.

You look down at your hands, smiling wryly at his question. It wasn't that long ago you asked a similar question to your own brother.

How do you do it? Hell if you knew.

"I don't know," you tell him honestly because you truly didn't have any other answer. "I woke up one day in another world and next thing I know, I've healed someone of a magical disease that has no cure."

"And she told you nothing else? The you of this world."

"She didn't have anything else to tell me." And if she did, she didn't have the time to… "She was just as much in the dark as me." Quite literally too…

"Surely she must have said something else that might tell us about this magic!" Daichi shakes his head in disbelief. "She's had it since she was a child, did she not?"
"Yeah but it manifested suddenly one day with no explanation."

"And none of Aoba's royal tutors knew anything?" Daichi questions, leaning in.

"No, they theorised it as a new form of healing magic." You learned from Oikawa later on that they tried researching it further but with nothing to go on, the Seijoh academics didn't get very far. That she was unable to call upon it at will further made it a hard subject to study.

"And the visions? Have you seen anything else that might tell you what you saw?"

"Other than the City of Trees, no, I haven't." You look at Daichi strangely, noticing now how close he's moved into your space. Self-consciously, you lean away. "Why are you asking so many questions anyway? It's not like we know anything new that will help us solve the mystery. It's why we're going to the Uninviting Hinterlands."

Daichi finally notices your discomfort and leans back, going as far as scooting away from you.

"Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable!" He waves his hands frantically in apology.

"No, no, it's not like that. I just don't understand why you're asking all these questions all of a sudden, is all. You already know everything we do."

"After seeing you work your magic through the Empire countryside, you can't blame me for becoming curious."

He has a point. Your magic is a wonder to even yourself; it must be nothing short of a miracle for the people witnessing it.

"I know I was only brought in to help you navigate the Hinterlands, but I want to solve the mystery as much as you and everyone else does," Daichi says with such a serious expression, you almost want to tease him for it. "I may not be a ruler with the lives of entire realms like them," he nods to where Ushijima, Kuroo, and Bokuto are gathered, "but the Rot affects all of us. I have people I wish to protect too."

You smile at him and he grins back with an embarrassed flush. "Oops, got a little sappy there."

"No, you were being sincere. It's sweet."

"Now you're making me blush."

The next few hours pass easily in Daichi's company.

Each tale he tells you of his travels and of local stories he's learned seems taller and more extravagant than the last, but they never fail to enrapture you. He easily draws you in with his lively speech and passionate acts, almost as if he's still there facing off a horned-bear in naught but his underwear and a leaf for a weapon, or living the life of legends.

He's an amazing storyteller.

"The military outpost we're looking for should be northwest from here."

"Tsk, since when do you use maps." An observation, not a question.

"I cannot track anything without trails. By the time we find one, we'll be behind the group."

Kageyama scoffs but Hinata does not let it affect him; he is used to his disagreeable attitude. He is rolling up his map – the one you gave him — when Kageyama snatches it from him.

Kageyama sneers at the colourful parchment, eyeing it disdainfully. "Where did you get this? It's childish."

Hinata snatches it back and quickly puts it away. "It's none of your business."

Kageyama stares at his partner, scrutinising him a beat longer than comfortable. When he opens his mouth, it is to mock him. "It's from that girl, isn't it?"

Hinata doesn't say anything and Kageyama knows that he guessed right.

"Che– , you better not be getting attached to this so-called friend of yours."

"She's not my friend."

"Sure. Whatever. Just don't let it get in the way of our mission."

"You're the last person I want to hear that from."

They fall into silence as they begin their trek northwest.

"This is so troublesome," Kageyama grumbles, batting away at shrubbery whose sole purpose seems to be to obstruct and tickle him. "You better be right about this."

"If you have a better idea, do share," Hinata snaps, slapping an obnoxious plant away from his face. "We can't follow them into Kakugawa so we have to find another way to the Iron Wall. That is our checkpoint so as long as we get there, it doesn't matter how. Daichi said nothing about having eyes on them at all times. We are merely to follow."

"And if no one uses the teleportation circle whilst we're there? We'll be sitting ducks in a camp full of Empire soldiers."

"It's a chance we'll have to take. It'll take us too long to reach the Wall if they're teleporting from Kakugawa."

Kageyama hates to admit it but Hinata's right. Teleportation is the only way to ensure they reach the Wall in time, but he doesn't like the chance factor at play.

Hinata understands his doubtful silence. "It's a military outpost for supplies. They'll definitely be using the circle. And if they don't… well, you like violence don't you? They will need casters to work the circle."

Between their bickering and the rain that began halfway through, Hinata and Kagayema soon find themselves sneaking through a camp of hungry soldiers.

Kageyama leans his head around an empty tent, checking for guards. "We're lucky. Everyone's at the mess hall. Let's move."

With rain and shadow as cover, they make it to the back where a teleportation circle is drawn on the ground, guarded by a measly pair of guards. One sweep of the area tells them the caster overseeing the circle is in the fancy tent nearby.

No words are needed between them; they both know what they have to do.

As Kageyama heads for the tent, Hinata goes straight for the guards, efficiently knocking them out with two strikes before they have a chance to realise what is happening. Moments later, whimpers can be heard from within the tent and Kageyama emerges with their caster.

Kageyama has one hand clamped over her mouth and the other has her arms twisted behind her back. A sickening crunch reaches Hinata's ears, sharp above her muffled screams.

Hinata frowns.

"The circle. Now."

Kageyama pushes her towards the circle's edge and kicks the back of her knees. She falls to the ground, grasping her broken hands.

She opens her mouth to scream but before she could utter a sound, Kageyama catches her tongue between his fingers. He pulls on it, tilting her head up to face him. His dark eyes are focused, threatening, a cold fire burning in them that eviscerates any sign of sympathy.

He sneers at her. "You don't want to do that."

"Kageyama, stop it."

Kageyama pushes her away and pulls out a knife. With its tip, he draws a soft trail around her neck – gently, affectionately – like a lover.

He lifts the necklace she wears, allowing the dainty jewellery to sit precariously on the knife's sharp edge. A heart charm dangles before her frightened eyes.

Hinata turns away from the scene. He never liked how Kageyama does things.

Kageyama hums, lifting the necklace higher so that the charm spun teasingly. Teary eyes flicker to the man at the other end of the knife and Kageyama nods at the circle.

"Do it. Crow's Watch."

He lets the necklace fall and the caster scrambles forward. There is no misunderstanding the threat; she wants to see her beloved again.

Despite the agonising pain burning her arms, she activates the circle and soon, the two are stepping onto it, fading into light.

Before they disappear completely, a dispersing hand stretches out from the light. In its grasp is a glass bottle of flaming liquid.

The bottle falls.

A pillar of celestial light shines high into starlit skies, whilst a different light, furious and red, paints the camp in an explosion of scorching vermillion.

The River Tribes of Kakugawa.

It was the second territory to form under the Empire.

It sparks your curiosity, makes you wonder what a place that is only accessible by water is like, but your imagination falls short of the actual place.

The veil of an indigo night has already begun to drape across the skies when you first glimpse the beginning of the entrance to it.

A humble house floating in the water marks the start of a waterway that leads not to the ocean, but to a basin lake formed by mountain valleys.

As the singing crew pulls the boat further in, the number of buildings on floating panels and boats grow. They dot and trickle along, an undulating snake of structures that moves yet remains fascinatingly in place.

A tall gate looms into view. It stretches across the waterway, built out of the rocky land masses that pinch the river. You haven't noticed it at first, caught up as you were in conversations with the others, the dimming daylight certainly not helping either, but when did grasslands and woods turn into cliff sides?

There is a loud boom, the same as before, resounding from a bronze horn placed upon a platform at the deck's centre. Hyakuzawa is standing next to this horn, taking another deep gulp of air. He blows into this horn another time, and you cover your ears.

Somewhere, you think you hear Terushima howling about his sensitive hearing. Or maybe that was Atsumu. Maybe this is why they do not use horns in western Hyquile.

Moments later, the gates that blocked the boat's passage begins to part. The horn has been so jarring to your ears that the sound of sloshing water and creaking wood soothes.

But any worry of possible hearing loss is forgotten once the boat passes through and what was once hidden is revealed.

Towering peaks of limestone rise all around, resulting in a natural basin through which the river ran. And in the cradle of its aqueous bosom is a community built entirely above its sapphire surface.

Similar to what drifts outside their gates, entire congregations of structures are built upon floating panels of wood, stilts, and boats.

Distinctive colours and patterns mark each structure and with a closer look, one can see that the city is split into several sectors according to their architecture. It is not a random amalgamation of buildings and boats. Despite this subtle division, the complex assembly of buoyant constructions is held together by rope and magic, resulting in a floating city that circles around the basin.

You remember that the divided river tribes of old united under the Eagle King and became the Kakugawa River Tribes of today. This part of their history is evident in the city's construct, with each tribe's trait appearing in the sectors whilst remaining as part of a whole.

Boats of all shapes and sizes carry their passengers to their destinations, whilst networks of bridges and log stumps connect the city as pathways; people run and jump across them without worry of falling because they delight in the act of plunging into the blue depths.

Two long trails made of stumps lined next to one another cut across the basin lake, side by side, with each stump measuring only wide enough for one person to stand safely on it.

On these stumps a train of people are jumping from one to the next, each waiting for the person in front of them to move forward before they take their place. One line moves left and the other right, in a peculiarly amusing variation of a two-way pedestrian road.

Once in a while, someone inevitably screams as they fall into the water and is thus forced to continue with their day soaking wet as everyone else laughs.

The risk of getting wet aside, it makes for a fun and unique way of crossing the basin.

You lean over the boat's edge as it passes by what you dub the Trail of Stumps, waving down at the river-folk of all ages who return the gesture.

"It's Crown Prince Ushijima!" Someone shouts and immediately, the boat's vicinity erupts in cheers and excitement that quickly shockwaves through the area. People clamor away from what they've been doing and rush to get a glimpse of their Crown prince, others jump into their boats and row with all their might, and some jump into the water and swim.

Ushijima winces with a light-hearted smile, and steps out of the shadows where he's been hiding to wave at his people. His people, who are beyond happy to see him.

"YOU SHOULD ALL DIE!'

"Prince Ushijima! We love you!"

"JUSTICE!"

"Prince! Please marry me!"

The animal-folk shift uncomfortably. The eyes and voices of all these people, calling for their prince and declaring their love for him… it's hard for them to ingest, some more than others.

"Tch, damn humans," mutters Atsumu. He ducks into the confines of the cabin, followed by Osamu. Kuroo follows soon after.

Bokuto is nowhere to be found, and the only one who remains in the open with you is Terushima. Unlike the others, the fanfare doesn't bother him although his usual liveliness is subdued, replaced by a respectful stance.

He feels your questioning gaze and flashes you a grin, winking. "Thought it best if I didn't act up right now. It wouldn't be very nice of me to steal his thunder if I spoke up now!"

"Pfft–" Thunder. Right. That was a good one.

"Why are you laughing? Did I say something weird?"

...Oh. He was being serious.

"I don't think you can steal the spotlight even if you tried." Taichi looks at his prince. His hand sits atop his weapon, ever on guard even in friendly territory.

"The Empire has its problems, as you have seen, but there are many more loyal to the Empire."

He signals Goshiki to take a position closer to Ushijima, and the young guard dutifully leaps to it.

"They always have."

Hyakuzawa and his crew stop the boat to join the rest of their people in welcoming their prince.

They whistle and clap, and blow into their horns; others follow suit, their bellows rising and joining into a thunderous percussion that pounds the basin walls and shakes the water.

We love you!

We love you!

The people cry with reaching hands.

"And always will."

As much as Iwaizumi wants to teleport immediately to the Wall, it is an undeniable fact that everyone is tired and famished after an entire day of travelling; not to mention hungry. Night has also fallen, and thus Iwaizumi is easily outvoted by everyone.

Not that the Blue Knight could have gotten the likes of the Miya twins to move if they did not want to. They abhor staying in another place consisting entirely of humans but the prospect of proper food is unrivalled to even them.

Chief Yuzuru Komaki was more than happy to host everyone, insistent even, and jumped at the chance to speak with Ushijima at length, who confided in him the real reason for his sudden visit to Kakugawa.

As a community who spends majority of their lives on the water, the Rot hasn't reached them. They heard of the incident at the harbours of Aquila, but nothing of the sort has happened to Kakugawa.

Yet.

With luck, it will stay that way. Kakugawa relies heavily on their fishing for survival and they are a key food contributor; if the Rot ever affected their waters, the strain would be felt through the Empire.

In a few hours, you will have to be ready to teleport to the Wall. You should be getting some rest but the adventurous side of you couldn't pass up the chance to explore Kakugawa.

Taichi, sweet soul that he is, even accompanies you to the Trail of Stumps despite the late hour. The two of you have a jolly time crossing it, although you fall into the water right away. Taichi isn't spared either; he slips when he's too busy laughing at you.

You are wet, cold, and leaving watery footprints behind when you part ways with Taichi for the night. He waves at you as he walks backwards, heading to his own accommodations.

"Get some rest and don't be late tomorrow!"

"Right back at you!"

You are about to enter your private quarters – a simple, cosy hut built on stilts that overlooks the waterfront – when you spot a familiar mop of grey hair. You'd recognize that hair anywhere.

Approaching him, you find it odd that he hasn't noticed your presence when he's usually screaming bloody murder if you get too close.

What is he doing out here anyways? His back is turned to you, blocking your view of his hands.

"Osamu?"

splash

Osamu jerks up at the sound of your voice.

Whatever he was doing, he must have been extremely preoccupied for you to be able to sneak up on him. Osamu twists around to glare at you, annoyed. A dark patch colours his shirt; his hand clamps over it when he sees your gaze fall to it.

"What do ya' want?" he growls.

You throw your hands up. "I was just wondering what you are doing. No need to be testy."

He rolls his eyes at you and faces forward again.

"It's none of ya' damn business–"

"It's none of my business," you mimic. "I know, I know."

Knowing they will no longer harm you has removed much of your apprehension towards the Miya twins. It's made it easier for you to fall into the familiar manner with which you interact with them in your world. Each day you spend with them brings out more of the old habits you've formed with your childhood friends.

He glares at you. Next thing you know, there's a bright flash right that blinds you momentarily, enough to send you toppling off the bridge. When you resurface, you are greeted with the sight of Osamu clutching his stomach, cackling madly at what he certainly caused.

"You jerk! I could go blind!"

"Luckily ya' only got wet then!"

His cackles push at all your wrong buttons, fueling annoyance with anger so without thinking, your hands latch onto his half-submerged ankles.

And pull.

In his surprise, Osamu slides into the water but manages to catch himself on the ledge, saving his torso from aquatic karma.

"Ya' –! "

"Serves you right!"

A low growl rumbles from his chest and his grey eyes narrow into slits. Suddenly, you feel scared, fearful that you might have taken it too far. This… he isn't 'Samu.

He raises one hand and your eyes squeeze shut.

A powerful wave smacks you in the face, water gushing into your nostrils. You sputter in disbelief.

Osamu just splashed you! It wasn't an ordinary splash either, it's way too powerful to be one. The jerk worked magic into it!

"Ugh!" You splash him back.

Neither of you notice that you are now caught in a water fight, splashing angrily and throwing watery tantrums at the other. The laughter of passersby snaps Osamu out of it in time for you to get one last wave into his face.

He doesn't retaliate and instead climbs out of the lake. When he turns around, you are still in the water, staring blankly up at him.

Osamu looks at you as if you're helpless and he kneels, offering you his hand.

"Get out. If ya' get sick, it's yer own damn fault."

"R-Right…" You take his hand and allow him to pull you up.

As soon as you're on your own feet, he lets you go as if you repelled him. Stepping away, he gives the quiet water a long look and ignores your presence, as if your water fight did not happen.

"Are you homesick?"

He sighs. "Can ya' not stop talkin' for even a second? Yer're as bad as 'Tsumu."

Seriously, all he wants is some peace and quiet to think. Atsumu's knocked out like the pig he is and it isn't often his brother sleeps earlier than him, so Osamu took that chance to come out here. But then you had to show up and bother him in place of his brother.

You ignore his snappiness. "Does the lake remind you of home?"

Osamu scoffs. "What do ya' know of anythin'?"

A lot more than he thinks.

They might be from different worlds, but what makes 'Samu inherently 'Samu doesn't change. Same goes for the others. You learned this, through time spent with all of them; saw the intricate variations that made each one an individual, yet simultaneously similar. You thought a lot about her too – her differences… and similarities.

You know that 'Samu thinks of Hyogo often, and has plans to return there.

It hasn't been long, but Osamu is very protective of his village and the other fox-folks. He and Atsumu would go to any lengths for Kita and their people. Hell, they were more than willing to risk war with the cat-folks when they kidnapped you in their desperation to save their lake.

Against the lights of Kakugawa dotting the basin lake reflecting into your eyes, the ominous black that plagues Inarizaki's lake rises in your mind.

'We'll save your lake. I promise you.'

You want to say to him, to reassure him, but the words won't leave you. There's too much you do not know for you to make such a promise so lightly again.

So you promise it to yourself.

Osamu presses his lips tight. After a pause, he breathes out harshly, "I told ya', I'm not homesick."

With that, he leaves you shivering on the bridge with your silent promises.

Ghosts We See / ficlet 06: An Indignant Owl

(based on a Tumblr Ask)

Since coming to Hyquile, you learned that many things you once thought to be impossible are in fact, actually, possible.

Dimension travelling, magic, animal-folk, ice-cold leaves, spy owls - the standard fantasy fare.

Today, you learned that it is possible for Scary Bokuto to be late.

Yes.

Scary Bokuto is late to a meeting with the Summit members.

...Actually, scratch that - he has been late before. Back when he arrived at the first and original Summit meeting, he was not fashionably late, but just plain late. Needless to mention his spectacular gatecrashing.

But that had been under gatecrashing circumstances. This time, he was properly invited and given a precise time and location that is exactly three floors down and seven hallways away from his guest chambers.

And he's late.

Akaashi is out looking for him at this moment and until they return, everyone else is on standby and doing their own thing on the castle grounds, including you.

It's been hectic lately, and this unexpected delay is a welcome reprieve for everyone.

So you take the chance to explore a section of the royal gardens you've yet to venture into.

Oikawa's ancestors are either big fans of gardens or maybe it has something to do with the nature affinity of the population, but the Blue Castle has gardens that rival - maybe even exceed - the magnificence of the Gardens of Versailles.

The section you are currently exploring even has a hedge maze! If only there wasn't a meeting soon… you'll have to come back another time and give the maze a try. Who knows when Akaashi will be back with his lord in tow. It could be minutes or it could be an hour from now.

Skirting around the perimeters of the maze, a broad walkway shaded by rows of thin, tall trees opens up ahead. At the centre of this walkway, shorter trees line the white gravel from start to end. Sunlight filtering through the emerald canopy splashes the ground with specks of gold and white.

You walk to the centre and take a deep breath. Crisp air enters your lungs whilst whistling wind and rustling leaves caress your ears. The area is empty save for you, and a peace you can only find in such moments in a place of beauty falls over you. In this evanescent tranquillity, you can understand the garden mania of the Aoban royals.

You were minding your own business, ambling down the walkway and enjoying the tranquil respite when from out of nowhere, a large owl swoops down right by you! Close enough that you felt the swipe of a feather tip along your cheek and the wind rushing in its wake.

Sputtering at the invisible dust settling onto your shocked tongue, you stare up at the rogue owl that has taken residence on a low branch in one of the stout trees.

It casts golden orbs over you that reminds you too much of someone but… nah, it can't be him. This is an owl. And that menace is...well, him.

Now that you think about it, you've never seen him or Akaashi transform into full owls before, unlike the cat-folk. They always only had the wings on their backs.

You know that owls can be aggressive at times, some more than others, but you figure that if this owl truly wanted to attack you, it would look more threatening. Instead, it has chosen to ignore your existence completely, eyes closing as its head snuggles deep into its feathers.

Stopping right underneath the branch the owl has colonised, you gaze up at it in wonder.

Its feathers are of a beautiful sheen of silver, highlighted by strokes of dark greys and black. On its head is a pair of long plumicorns that flutter with its every movement; a cape of silver contrails that crowns the owl with a kingly aura.

The colours and shape of its plumes also reminds you a lot of…

"You look a lot like someone I know," you mutter to yourself. "I don't know why, you remind me of Scary Bo."

Amber eyes snap back open and the owl, 'Scary Bo,' stares down at you condescendingly, to your astonishment. What an amazingly anthropomorphic owl.

The owl ruffles its feathers angrily in response to your gawking.

Foolish girl. Do you have any idea just who he is? Who you're muttering cluelessly in front of? Obviously you don't. You should be cowering, for he is 'Scary Bo' himself! Bokuto Koutarou, the notorious leader of Owl Vale!

'Scary Bo'... is that what you think of him? Pfft. Damn straight. You should be scared of him. Even in this form, he can claw out your eyes and sever your neck without any effort. No daggers needed.

By the spirits, have you no shame, staring mindlessly as if he's up for display?

Stop gawking!

"Hoot!"

Laughter bursts from your chest and you can't help but clap in glee when the owl hoots. It's very cute, despite its angry-looking demeanour. In the same way a snobby, standoffish cat comes off as adorable because of its less than pleasant personality, this owl is very much the same.

Your excited claps and cooing about his cuteness is not the reaction that Bokuto wanted from you, and only serves to make him more indignant.

He has half a mind to revert back to his human form and terrify some sense into you but as it is, he's currently on the run from Akaashi who he knows is out looking for him.

Yes, yes - there's another spirits-forsaken meeting that he has to attend. Which is precisely why he wasn't there for it the first time. It was no mistake that Bokuto was 'late' to the meeting.

All those pretty princes and frail foxes - even Kuroo! - can talk and babble in circles all they want but Bokuto will have no part in it. When he invited himself to the Summit, he expected faster solutions than this. Grass grows faster in the desert than they can make decisions!

It's a wonder how their nations haven't fallen into political disarray from lack of decisiveness.

Cease your foolish fawning, mouse!

"Hoot! Hooot!"

"Awww–!"

The more Bokuto orders you to stop your silly babbling, the more you coo sweet baby talk at him.

You, on the other hand, hear and see nothing but a large, puffy owl bobbing its head furiously whilst hooting strings of deep, melodious sounds. You told yourself that if it truly meant to harm you, it would have done so long ago. As such, its delightful headbanging did not worry you in the least.

Adrenaline fueling your courage, you raise your arm up towards it with the hopes of persuading the owl to climb onto your sleeve-covered arm. And perhaps, your time with Mori might have gotten to your head, boosting the confidence you have in your bird-handling abilities. Surely you can handle another owl, even if it's several times larger than Mori or any other owls you have ever seen before.

You...annoying little mouse! Are you daft?!

Bokuto straightens and reels away from your arm, plumicorns straightening alongside him. He raises a claw to swat your intruding hand away though took care to not actually hurt you. He'll hear no end of it from Akaashi if he bodily harmed you. Playing mind games and chasing you through the forests when you first arrived and pecking your fingers off now at this stage of your acquaintance with them are two entirely different circumstances.

By nature or function, you have an inexplicable knack for grating his nerves and Bokuto should have expected something as unfortunate as his claw getting caught in the sleeve of your borrowed Aoban clothes.

Cursed leaf people and their flowy clothes!

Left with no other choice, he lightly hops onto your arm as he continues trying to shake his talon free, but that is proving difficult with his lack of grip. This would be no issue if he could just latch onto you properly but doing so will surely puncture your skin.

Bokuto curses you in his head as he resorts to using his beak to pull at your sleeve, even pettily pecking at your hand out of spite.

"Hey- ow, ow, ow!"

Serves you right!

"Hoot!"

"Here, let me-" you say as you raise your other hand to help the owl. But that only causes it to spread its wings in retaliation, one wing slapping the side of your head. Shaking off the unexpected slap, you try reaching for its crown instead. Mori likes it – no, loves it – when you do this so maybe…

As best as you can whilst evading consecutive wing attacks, you tentatively touch the owl's head.

Bokuto is livid.

The moment he felt your fingertips on his head, all thoughts of avoiding harming you evaporated. He will peck your damn hands off!

How dare you lay your fingers on him! How dare you even think that–

You begin stroking the spot right between his plumicorns.

…

…

…

Oh.

….fine. Fine.

Just for a little bit. This is nothing to him.

Akaashi and Kuroo are always on his back about being more tolerant of others around him. He can tolerate this. Just for a little bit.

One stroke. Two strokes.

At the third stroke, he will snap your fingers if you don't stop–

Fourth stroke.

"You like this, don't you?"

You giggle as the owl's erratic movements slow to a complete halt. It sits heavily on your arm where an evident ache is beginning to creep up your elbow.

It hoots indignantly at you, sharp golden eyes narrowing into slits.

"This silver...you really do remind me of Bokuto though," you say, running two fingers along the length of one plumicorn.

A thought occurs to you. If Mori belongs to Akaashi then maybe this owl belongs to Bokuto?

"Are you his owl by any chance?" you ask the owl absentmindedly, not expecting a response of any sort.

A wing slaps you.

"Ow! What was that for?!" Grumbling, you rub a notch harder down on its crown with your knuckles, eliciting another angry bird cry.

Resuming your gentler ministrations, you take your time examining the owl, noting how its feathers have a rough edge to them, yet aren't abrasive to the touch. A tell of its robust health built through surviving in the wilds.

The owl has calmed down significantly though now refuses to meet your gaze. With its talon finally free, it has taken to turning itself away on your arm, showing you nothing but its back.

Ignoring you, really.

Yep, this owl must belong to Bokuto or Akaashi. Or at least someone.

It's too trained, too intelligent to be a wild animal.

"You're not too bad once you shake off that attitude. Very handsome," you praise, chuckling when the feathers on its back puff again.

Flapping and the sound of something landing behind you makes you look over your shoulders to see Akaashi, dropping onto his feet with a short stumble. He looks tired, if not for the urgency in his movements. He calls your name, pacing towards you in hurried steps.

"I can't find him. I've looked everywhere. Did you spot him by any chance–"

You turn around to fully face the tired owl-folk.

Akaashi stills. His eyes bulge in horror.

"No, I didn't see him but I found this one instead!" you grin, happily gesturing at the large owl sitting on your arm. It's definitely going to be sore tomorrow. "Is it – I have no idea if it is a he or her – one of yours?"

You continue rubbing the owl's head, missing the way Akaashi's eyes flutter, looking like he's about to faint.

"No, that's–" he coughs in his shock, "It's a he but–" His disbelieving eyes dart from you to the owl that has now locked onto him with unblinking golden eyes. "I mean, it's one of ours but that's–"

Great silver wings spread wide and you yelp in surprise when the owl cries loudly before taking off at an unbelievable speed.

"Aww, it's gone..."

Only now do you register the sharp pain on your arm and you look to find that your sleeve has been torn. In their place are two stinging crimson lines.

"Shit, it must have scratched me when it flew off…"

Akaashi stares at you, at your arm, then up at the shadow of the owl in the distance.

He recalls the cry of the owl moments before it flew away and purses his lips.

'Say nothing.'

Walking to you, he gently takes your hand and inspects the scratches. "Let's get you to the infirmary. The healers will have this healed in no time." He smiles at you.

"Won't even leave a scar."

Later, somewhere in Seijoh...

"You will speak of this to no one."

"...Yes m'lord."

…

…

...

"But did you like being petted–"

"How would you like to die?"

Midea River: A transboundary river that stretches across the Empire. It is the longest known river in Empire territory and possibly on the continent. Legends say that the river was created by a spirit who was separated from his lover. In his desperation to see her again, he dug through mountains and earth to see her again, and thus the Midea River was created.

It is also known as the River of Commitment in some communities where lovestruck youths would attempt to swim the length of it to prove their love. It is one of the top ten leading causes of death in the Empire each year.

Kakugawa River Tribes: The River Tribes of Kakugawa are a community of river-faring nomads who drift along the Midea River according to season, going where the catch is best. They supply the Empire with fish and other natural harvests they find in the river. Though they are largely nomadic, they have made Kakugawa their homebase.

A local song often sung by those who do not partake in the nomadic-lifestyle of their people goes as such:

'Far they may drift with the currents and the fish, touching even the open coast, but their hearts will always be home'

If one is looking for someone from the River Tribes, their best bet is always to wait for their return at Kakugawa instead of searching from one end of the Midea River to another.

Kakugawa: A section of the Midea River where the River Tribes have made their permanent home despite their ever-nomadic lifestyle. When they are not out catching fish in some distant river, lake, or basin, they are here, basking in the satisfaction of a good season's catch, and the company of their more stationary friends and family.

Notes:

Yeaaah I super fast-forwarded things by 4xx.
My original plan was for them to stay in Kakugawa at least a day for additional worldbuilding and fluff/date moments (a full edition of visiting the Trail of Stumps with Kawanishi, more Ushi time and seafood with Kuroo) but only Osamu made the cut now and even then it was not what I originally intended ._.
Maybe in future ficlets if I remember fhbdfh
I was starting to feel that the story is moving too slow and people are starting to get bored orz

Chapter 36: Tempests On The Horizon

Summary:

The Uninviting Hinterlands Arc

Notes:

Hi everyone! It has been a LONG time since my last update. There were things I had to take care of first. Many things have happened for me the past several months, and it has been especially hard at intervals of it but I finally have the time and mental capacity to write this chapter!
I haven't been able to respond to most of the comments I have received since the last chapter, but I want everyone to know that I read through every single comment and really appreciate it! They kept me going even during my absence, fueling me to keep pushing until I can finally come back to write GWS again.
I hope you will enjoy this chapter!

(Do people still read this though...?)

And a BIG thank you to Sarah for helping me beta read this chapter on short notice and for listening to my screams on VC as I write it! This chapter would honestly have taken longer and been worse off without her help!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

life follows a storm

opportunity precedes it.

The moment they arrive Shoyo whirls around to Kageyama, shoving him out of the fading light and into the shadows. Anger vibrates in his words, quiet but seething.

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what?"

He resists the urge to lash out at the unconcerned Kageyama, who inspects his fingernails absent-mindedly.

"We didn't have to kill them!"

"We didn't have to. We can." Yawn.

Teeth gnash on teeth and Shoyo's hand shoots out before he thinks about it, seizing Kageyama's collar.

Kageyama glares down at Shoyo and his stupidly bright orange hair.

"It's just a bunch of humans. Empire humans."

He grips the hand on his collar, squeezing till crescents mar skin and leather. Kageyama's midnight eyes pierce Shoyo's brown ones. "Why do you care so much."

It wasn't worded as a question.

"I don't."

"Then what is this."

"This," Shoyo drags Kageyama closer, "is me telling you that you are attracting unnecessary attention to us. Blowing up an entire outpost?!"

A sharp laugh rips from Kageyama. "Says the one who allows his curiosities to get the better of him! Your little jaunts and those silly interactions with that girl are going to cost us."

"It won't."

One fine brow quirks in doubt. "Oh? So when push comes to shove, and it certainly will, you won't hesitate to do what you have to?"

"Like I said, none of my actions will compromise us and I certainly won't. The same can't be said for you–"

Kageyama shoves Shoyo off him. "The humans won't find anything that will trace back to us. Nothing that isn't ash and dust."

He fixes his collar but never breaks eye contact with Shoyo. Regular folks would have bent under Kageyama's intense pressure, if not his violent outbreaks, but Shoyo is used to it. Desensitized, almost.

"I know clearly where my loyalty lies. You on the other hand…" Kageyama scoffs, shaking out the wrinkles in his sleeves as if he could rid himself of his disgust. "I know all about your excursions out of Nest over the years. You're not as sneaky as you think you are."

With a disapproving click of his tongue, Kageyama nods his head at the human town before them, shifting Shoyo's attention from him to the sleeping community.

"They're never going to accept you, half-breed."

A tremble slithers down his arms and Shoyo clenches his fists, killing the shivers before Kageyama notices. He doesn't want to give him the satisfaction. Having grown up together for most of their lives, as much as Shoyo disagrees with Kageyama on a lot of things, a part of him also knows that the other is right.

Yet, he can't help it; wanting for something that he knows will never happen.

He tries to stamp down that feeling blossoming in his chest, the squeezing longing of his traitorous heart. He snuffs it out when it arises but on some nights, he gives in and indulges, finds himself slipping out of Nest. He knows he shouldn't but he can't help it. It's a weed that keeps growing and growing and he keeps trying to kill it for good, to no avail.

"Let it go before you get yourself killed."

Kageyama is right. They are not his people.

He just… can't help it. How can he? Especially not when–

"Now let's go before the guards return, lucky bastards. Or I'll kill them too."

Shoyo hates it when Kageyama's right.

"Hey, are ya' listenin'?!"

"Huh?"

"I can't believe this'!" 'Tsumu snaps his fingers indignantly at you from across the table.

"Oh, sorry. What did you say?"

"I said-"

"It's too early for this shit," 'Samu mutters sleepily in the seat next to his brother.

Three cups of steaming coffee paint the air with their homely aroma, mixing with that of fresh bread and bagels from the cafe.

You yawn into your palms. "Tell me again why we're here so early…"

"To see 'Tsumu to his damn early mornin' practice. Says he can't wake without us."

Judging by the sky outside and the lack of people on the usually crowded Tokyo streets, this isn't 'early morning.' This is ungodly.

You roll your eyes, chucking a sugar cube into 'Tsumu's cup without his permission. "The things we do for you 'Tsumu."

"Aww c'mon! It's not fair that ya' guys get to sleep in while I have to take the first train out."

You and 'Samu look at each other, deadpanning in unison, "We're not the ones in volleyball."

Finishing the rest of your drink quickly, you stand with a stretch. "I'm going to head back now and go back to sleep."

'Samu looks at his watch. "It's still early but if ya' go back to sleep now, ya'll only be more tired later. Might as well stay up. We can study together?" he asks, looking at you over the rim of his cup.

'Tsumu turns to you expectantly too, and your stomach twists with twin eyes on you.

"...nah, I'll study on my own later." You try not to let 'Samu's disappointed look change your mind. His expression… is too much like the way Osamu looked at the lake yesterday night; a sad longing, for something or someone missed.

But you have to go. You only gave yourself a little over two hours to come see them and return to Hyquile in time for everyone else to wake.

"Besides, I'm still really sleepy thanks to this guy!" You whack 'Tsumu' and he yelps.

"Abuse I tell ya'! Abuse! "

"Whatever 'Tsumu. Ya' have no rights."

'Samu high-fives you over a grumbling 'Tsumu's head, laughter filling the otherwise quiet cafe.

Rounding the table, the twins wave goodbye but are surprised when you suddenly lean between them, pulling them in by their shoulders.

"Errr...what's up?" 'Tsumu laughs, patting your back with one hand. He shares a look with his brother, who shrugs cluelessly.

"Nothing." Your voice is muffled in their shoulders. "Just missed you guys. I know I haven't been around much."

"Yeah, well, the offer still stands to study together," 'Samu sighs, already knowing the answer.

Mumbles, further dimmed in the folds of clothes. They feel your fingers tighten around them.

"I can't."

Yeah, you can't. You've been saying that a while.

You tell them you're busy and they have no reason not to believe you. Had they been younger, they might have tried to push and find out what it is that's keeping you so busy from everyone lately. But they're no longer at the age where they did silly things like stalk Kita to discover his weakness. They're both older now, as are you.

Everyone has days where they need to detach and figure things out for themselves. And sometimes, days aren't enough.

Hell, 'Samu had his own period of ruminating when he deliberated between volleyball and cooking; he hardly talked to his brother then, and barely responded to your messages, unintentionally pulling away from everyone around him.

And 'Tsumu himself still has plenty of days where he just shuts himself in his room.

'Tsumu gives you a hard pat. His rough actions oppose the softness of his voice.

"Get yer' shit together."

"Remember, ya' can talk to us," 'Samu reminds you gently even as he peels you off and sends you on your way.

Whatever you need - an answer, a balance, a choice… whatever it is, they hope you find it.

The sun has yet to ascend the skies when you wake in Hyquile, and enter the dining hall in search of a light meal before your departure. Having squinted your way through the dark streets with the soothing sound of lapping water accompanying you, the lamps of the dining hall make your eyes water.

You're so sleepy. You should have grabbed another large coffee before you parted ways with the twins. As you rub your eyes, someone bumps into you from behind.

"Move. Throw yerself into the lake if yer're still asleep," Atsumu scoffs, pushing his way past you.

You stick your tongue out at him. Jerk. 'Tsumu is way better. Hmph!

Most of the others are already poking at their breakfast with sleep hanging over their heads, last night's dinner still churning in their stomachs. Only Osamu continues to inhale all of his food, even with one eye half-closed.

You take a seat next to Ushijima at the table, thanking the young girl who brings you an aromatic plate of grilled fish and salad. Unable to help yourself, you sneak a glance at Kuroo to find that he has already finished his plate.

Maybe Terushima is onto something when he said cat-folks love fish.

Pulling away from his quiet conversation with a troubled-looking Chief Komaki, Ushijima rubs his eyes before turning to you with a tired smile. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

You technically didn't sleep since you popped off to your world to grab coffee with the twins but he doesn't need to know that. "Yeah, I did! The sound of the lake is so relaxing, it put me to sleep right away."

"I hope you at least took a bath before that though!" Taichi laughs from two seats down. "Heard you fall into the lake again after I left!

You sniff at your sleeves. "Of course I did."

You roll your eyes at the bright-eyed Taichi but your attention is inevitably dragged back to Ushijima and Chief Komaki. Neither of them have touched their foods and Sentimental Ushijima does not possess the perfect poker-face of his Earth alternate. Worry is bleeding from all his pores.

"Is something the matter?" you ask.

A strained screeching of forks on plate rings out and Goshiki's slurping could not have had a more unfortunate timing. All eyes and ears train on Ushijima - cat, fox, owl, dog, human.

"We've received reports of an explosion last night at a supply outpost, not far from where we boarded the ship." Ushijima breathes deeply and falls back into his seat. "We do not know the cause."

"Yer lot ain't short on enemies, that's for sure," Atsumu sniffs obnoxiously.

By the spirits you want to beat him so badly this morning.

Goshiki obviously feels the same way as he begins to rise, gripping a spoon with unhidden intentions of digging it into Atsumu's piss-colored skull.

Unfortunately for the Empire, Ushijima waves down his stoic, hot-head of a guard.

"What are you going to do?" You reach a hand out to him, fingers stopping short of his wrist.

Ushijima notices, and does the rest.

His hand is warm, almost hot, when it wraps around yours and gently squeezes.

He didn't think about it at first. He merely… did not hesitate, did not feel awkward. All he saw was your hand reaching out, and his body reacted as if it's the most natural thing in the world.

(... It had been familiar, at one point in his life)

It's a far cry from the first time he saw you across the garden. It was weird, unbelievably discomforting then- to even look at you, talk to you, much less touch you. Needless to say anything of giving you riding lessons.

"Umm… Ushijima?"

He blinks from his reverie when he hears your embarrassed voice.

Everyone is looking at him and you are unable to meet his eyes. He understands why when there's fidgeting below his palm and he follows Goshiki's intense gaze to the table.

"Oh, forgive me!" He retracts his hand like you've burnt him; you might as well have because his face is flushed with the same embarrassment that fills your cheeks. He did not realise he had been…

"I-It's alright…" you cough into your liberated hand, the other nervously brushing your hair behind you.

Ushijima clears his throat and places his hands before him. After a moment's hesitation, he locks them together. Just in case.

A strangling discomfort twists in his stomach but he brushes it off. He'll think about its cause later.

"We're currently investigating the scene but this will not affect the plans of our group. We will continue on to the Iron Wall as soon as everyone is ready."

Right after breakfast (or rather, when Osamu was done chowing down) Chief Komaki guides everyone onto a small transport boat. The sleepy floating community of Kakugawa is just beginning to wake when your boat pushes off from the dock. Early risers wave and bid your group a silent goodbye from their boats and balconies. A young man and woman even rowed their boat next to yours to present Ushijima with a bouquet of flowers, the woman weeping her admiration as her crown prince accepted their gift graciously.

Unlike your arrival yesterday that was met with fanfare and celebration, today's departure is quiet.

And solemn.

It matches the atmosphere that has fallen over the group.

It hasn't left anyone's mind, not for a single moment, but now that the time approaches when you will teleport to the Iron Wall, the group's imminent arrival to both the Wall and the Uninviting Hinterlands weighs heavily at the forefront.

On one hand, the Iron Wall is the most damning symbol of segregation and oppression of the Empire over animal-folk – and in some cases, even humans – both within and without.

Pages of history writes that it was built by the people of Date to protect the Empire but read in between the lines and one can see that it is more than a shield.

It kept unwanted folks out, prevented those who wished to leave from leaving, and is a constant looming presence – dark and foreboding – that reminded all of the Empire's might. For the Wall grew and expanded with the influence of the White Eagle, ever spreading its great wings and reach.

One never knew when they would be the next city to be captured and encircled by that ominous bulwark. Human territories are one thing but non-humans that called the surrounding lands home lived everyday in the threat of its shadow that might one day devour them completely.

On the other hand…

What perils and unknowns await all of you in the Hinterlands? What role do the crow-folk play in all of this, if any? Will you discover anything about your magic, about the Rot, about her?

The puzzle behind your and her magic, the unanswered mystery of her whereabouts…

Are you truly prepared to know?

Kakugawa's teleportation circles are maintained at an inlet reachable by boat and a bridge that connects it to the floating village. Access is controlled by checkpoints, both on the bridge and in floating booths, where officers inspect documents of all wishing to use the circles. It is not unlike the guard checkpoints into each of Aquila's tier-levels.

Regardless of where they are, citizens of the Empire are constantly watched and their movements regulated.

It is easy to understand the discontent the non-humans have towards the Empire but how could the others, the humans, be content to live under this repressive regime? Still, Emperor Washijo ruled with a crushing iron fist that no doubt came down swiftly and hard onto any that even thought to try and overthrow his rule. It is likely that even if his human citizens wished for change, their pleas would go unheard.

You glance at Ushijima and his Royal Guards in their imposing black garb.

Will things change if– when Ushijima comes to power?

…in any case, it should not be your main concern, or any concern at all, if you were to be logical. There is no use for you to deny being attached to the people you have come to know here, and the places too, and you don't pretend not to be; can't, even if you tried.

Still, it is never far from your mind that this is not your world, and you will endeavor to help as much as you can with the Rot and anywhere else that may concern you.

The future of Hyquile beyond that… is out of your hands.

Officers at the checkpoint salute their prince and chief when they see your boat approach, immediately allowing your group to pass ahead. When you arrive at the circle being prepared for your use, you are surprised to see that all of your Everhorns have already been gathered.

"I totally forgot about them," Terushima comments sheepishly as he reaches for the Everhorn that has carried him and Kuroo to pet its muzzle.

"Do we need to bring them with us?" Bokuto squints at Runner, his Everhorn. Runner snorts back at his rider, nudging his nose into Bokuto's shoulder.

You could not help commenting at the sight. "I think he likes you."

"The feeling is not mutual," Bokuto replies dryly, pushing Runner's muzzle away.

"They'll be returned to Seijoh from Crow's Watch once we are done with them," Iwaizumi responds to Bokuto's question, pulling his Everhorn forward.

"Crow's Watch?" you ask.

"The town closest to the Uninviting Hinterlands. It sits at the base of the most Northwestern point of the Wall," Taichi answers you with a kind smile, handing you the reins to Sundance.

"Crow's Watch… a bit on the nose, don't you think?" Daichi comments with a knowing glance at Ushijima.

"It's the first frontier charged with keeping an eye on the Hinterlands. It makes sense for the town to be named as such!" Goshiki huffs proudly.

Daichi laughs airily. "I see."

"Have you been there before, Daichi?" you ask the cheery man, Sundance following you as you approach him.

"As a matter of fact, I have! Any traveler worth their salt knows that Crow's Watch is the best place to prepare for any venture into the Hinterlands."

"Why would anyone want to go there? Ya' lot make it sound like the worst place in Hyquile," Osamu drawls, barely suppressing a yawn. "Wouldn't even be here if Lord Kita didn't make us…"

Daichi straightens, turning towards the fox-folk. "You say that, but do we not challenge ourselves to overcome the impossible? To hone our minds and body, pushing past our limits, in arts and academics, in swordsmanship and magic? Do we not venture into unknown lands, penning discoveries into maps and books? Do we-"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Osamu grumbles. "Someone's touchy today."

Daichi hums. "I am merely contesting your logic that we should not set upon a venture merely because it is difficult."

Osamu stares blankly at Daichi. Then without saying anything, he walks away, placing himself far away from the man who watches him go, smile unmoving. You hear Osamu mutter to Atsumu, "He's annoyin'..."

Bokuto barks a sharp laugh, taking glee at Osamu's expense. He doesn't particularly like Daichi but he dislikes Osamu more.

"If you're all done bickering, the teleportation circle's ready for us," Iwaizumi calls for everyone by the circle where the casters have finished preparing for your group.

Chief Komaki sees everyone to the circle's edge. "I wish you all well on your quest. Stories of the Uninviting Hinterlands are not mere cautionary tales and rhymes to scare children."

Turning to Ushijima, Chief Komaki lightly bends his legs and brings his arms before him, one above the other. Others in the vicinity did the same, following after their chief.

"It's Kakugawa's way of paying their respects and greeting others. They are sending us off," Taichi tells you in a whisper.

Ushijima nods his appreciation. "Thank you for your hospitality, Chief Komaki."

He steps into the circle, followed immediately by Goshiki and Taichi who tugs their Everhorns along. Kuroo goes next with a small nod at Chief Komaki, followed by Bokuto, and Terushima– who somehow was tasked with handling Runner on top of his shared Everhorn with Kuroo.

One by one, everyone disappears in flashes of light, leaving you and Iwaizumi to bring up the rear. With a wave to Chief Komaki, you guide Sundance into the circle, briefly wondering if you brought the oil Iwaizumi gave you the first time you teleported as nausea hit you.

The first thing you see when you open your eyes is the Wall.

The Iron Wall of Date is as intimidating as it is impressive.

It is egregious in its height and size, hulking over the town living in its unending shadow– a perpetual dusk. From afar, it is an overgrown coil, a noose that loosened over centuries but constricts in seconds by way of fear and raw power.

Up close…

At the top of the wall, watchtowers creep along its spine, piercing the sky with its dark spires.

Crow's Watch lies pinned at the bottom, grasped by black talons that cut the town abruptly in half. There is a brief period each day when sunlight breaks through the gloom to bask the locals in its warmth. Regrettably, this sunlight only reaches those who are lucky to live far enough away from the Wall, on the other side of an intangible line that splits the town in half, marked by shadow and a simple stone next to an inn that has seen better days.

Sunside District: The luckier, more affluent side that is blessed with sunlight.

Correspondingly, the other side toils in a gloom that never passes. The Sunless District.

"Welcome to the Iron Wall of Date, Crown Prince Ushijima."

A man dressed in black military garb lined with teal steps forward, saluting in practiced motions. His boots snap together with a resounding click.

"Major Futakuchi Kenji, at your service."

Other soldiers stationed in the open field follow suit, their movements in concert, arms whipping the air and boots vibrating the earth.

Goosebumps bloom on your skin at the sight, somehow feeling inadequate in the face of such discipline.

"At ease."

Ushijima waves down Futakuchi and his men. All at once, they swing their arms down and around to link behind their backs, straight at attention.

Atsumu whistles lowly. "Like a bunch of dogs," he comments.

Goshiki bristles and Terushima lets out an offended "Hey!" but their annoyance goes ignored by the blonde.

Ushijima disregards their ruckus to address Futakuchi. "Major, where is General Moniwa? I sent notice of our arrival."

"Yes, Your Majesty! General Moniwa has yet to return from his expedition into the Hinterlands. If it pleases you, Your Royal Highness, he has asked me to tend to all your needs during his absence. As such, I have taken the liberty of attending to your requests in his place."

"How long has he been gone?"

"A little over three weeks now."

Ushijima exchanges a look with Kuroo. He has not given the entire details of why they were here in their letter to General Moniwa other than that they required supplies but it would seem that the General hasn't seen his letter either, considering the timeline of his expedition.

Chief Komaki is well-known as a reasonable man, and so is General Moniwa, whom he has met on occasion. Ushijima had hoped the General was around for some much needed guidance. He needed people he can trust, people who he knows are honor-bound rather than blindly loyal to the Emperor.

This remains a quest of secrecy, afterall. Chief Komaki knows the real reason for his visit to Kakugawa but his followers and the surrounding provinces are under the impression that it is nothing more than a stately visit; news of it will travel as such back to his grandfather, who will hopefully not suspect his heir of anything beyond his standard royal duties.

Kuroo crosses his arms. "It is your call," he flatly tells Ushijima.

Ushijima immediately understood what the Dominion leader meant. How much information he chooses to divulge to Futakuchi shall be left up to him; his people, his call. The fingers of his right-hand rub in on themselves, wondering if he can trust Futakuchi to not report anything to Emperor Washijo. If it was General Moniwa, the choice would have been easy but Ushijima does not know Futakuchi.

"As you are well aware, my companions are in need of supplies. I trust that it has been handled?"

You didn't think Futakuchi could snap his spine any straighter.

"Of course, Your Royal Highness!" A bead of sweat rolls down his brow as hesitation flickers in caramel eyes. "We have prepared what we can but…" he trails off, swallowing thickly. "W-without further information on the manner and purpose of your, ahh– expedition, we do not know if it will m-meet Your Majesty's expectations."

Futakuchi reminds Ushijima of Goshiki when he first joined the Royal Guards. The youngest Royal Guard had been a nervous mess back then too, though tried to hide it behind his innocent bravado.

It was easy for Ushijima and those like Kuroo and even Bokuto - who has enough experience with folks of various caliber reporting to them - to see that Futakuchi is quite new in his temporary position of managing all matters, and most likely, even his position as major. He is brimming in earnesty but clearly lacking experience in owning his responsibilities. Granted, Ushijima hadn't given much information on the nature of the 'expedition' nor the purpose in his letter.

There is a mocking chuckle from behind and Kuroo shoots a sharp glance back to the perpetrator, unsurprised to see it is Atsumu. The obvious animosity between animal-folk and humans aside, Kuroo does not believe in ridiculing those who try to fulfill their duties to the best of their abilities. Atsumu glares at Kuroo but stops laughing nevertheless with a rebellious huff.

"Thank you, Major. My navigator will check the supplies and let you know if they are sufficient." He raises a polite hand in Daichi's direction, who waves.

"In the meantime, my companions here will certainly appreciate a place to rest before our departure. And perhaps," Ushijima's eyes sought you out, "a small tour of Crow's Watch?"

At the behest of Ushijima, Futakuchi is to show you around Crow's Watch whilst the Empire prince reviews plans with Daichi and Kuroo. With the exception of Iwaizumi and Taichi, the others have split off to do what they wish with instructions to gather again in a few hours.

Iwaizumi is unwilling to let you out of his sight with anyone that isn't part of your Company whilst Taichi claimed he wanted a tour as well… despite whispering playfully into your ears, "Also to spend time with you~."

The sneaky tease.

Bokuto has gone up to the Wall to survey the Hinterlands from a vantage point. The Miya Twins have gone to only-spirits-know-where, much to Goshiki's worry and chagrin. Still, the young Royal Guard refuses to part from his prince's side.

As for Terushima, last you saw he was bounding after Kuroo, prattling about the benefits of his grandmother's family recipe for a survival meal and how it would be a great ration to add to the expedition's supplies.

The dog-folk is perhaps one of the rare few in the world, besides Scary Bokuto, who can elicit a sigh from the stoic Dominion leader.

Major Futakuchi is an interesting man.

In the presence of Ushijima, he is a bundle of nervous energy, eager and wanting to do his best for his superiors, constricted inside his collared-and-buttoned uniform and a hair away from breaking out.

Away from anyone outranking him though…

"WELCOME TO THE IRON WALL OF DATE!"

Futakuchi swings his arms out at the behemoth looming overhead. Bewildered passerbys stare in confusion at the yelling man, failing to recognize him as an officer in his casual garb.

In private, Futakuchi is loud, lippy, flamboyant and frankly, a bit of a clown.

Iwaizumi and Taichi wore similar looks of bafflement as they regarded the major. Like you, the whiplash at how fast his demeanor turns from nervously proper to this hits swift and hard.

After a short, forgettable tour of Sunside District, Futakuchi has quickly ushered your little tour group to Sunless District; he claims that the best parts of Crow's Watch are all here in the Wall's bosom and that you only needed to spend less than an hour touring Sunside unless one is an odious noble.

"Sunny-Side is nice and all, but it is nothing but a pretty face. Everyone knows that the real animals roam here in Sunless– where the night lasts forever!"

Sounds like if Hyquile had a party life, it would be here in Sunless.

(Which begs the question, does Hyquile have a party life?)

"Seems irresponsible. As a border town, you should be keeping watch over the Hinterlands. Not drinking your breeches off day and night."

Futakuchi throws an arm over Iwaizumi who casts him an annoyed look. "But Sir Iwaizumi, that's the beauty of it! Security is top notch because the guards never sleep and morale is at an all time high because everyone is having such a jolly good time!"

"He's got a point," you chuckle.

This time, it is Taichi that slides an arm around Iwaizumi. "Relax, Sir Iwaizumi. If there's one thing our military is proud of, it is our vigilance."

Iwaizumi frowns and shrugs off both Futakuchi and Taichi without a word.

"You mean your military," Iwaizumi hisses lowly to himself as he marches by you.

Baffled, Taichi scratches the back of his head. "Oh, I hope we haven't put him off."

"If we did, that means he needs a drink! I myself need a Watcher's Watch!"

"I haven't known you long but I can tell you wouldn't be watching anything after one!"

The two laugh between themselves even as you sigh, wanting nothing more than for everyone to get along. It's so easy to forget the complicated dynamics and strained relationships between everyone at times, especially when moments of camaraderie do manage to shine through occasionally.

Where Sunside District caters to a humble population of middle-class and visiting nobles with a fancy for 'adventure and danger,' Sunless is teeming with stationed soldiers and smiths cashing in on the need for armor, weaponry as well as metalwork for the Wall.

It is here that Futakuchi introduces you to his friend Aone, a silent man who works as a blacksmith in the Sunless district. Aone is very tall with snowy hair but his staggering height - that makes the smithy childishly tiny in comparison - is not the first thing about him that catches your eyes. Rather, it is his lack of eyebrows.

"It's stress," Futakuchi said, drawing his fingers over his brow. "All his eyebrows fell off. Then his hair turned white."

"With friends like you, I'm not surprised." Iwaizumi begins to roll his eyes but stops at the wicked grin Futakuchi flashes.

"Absolutely."

"My first guess was that you singed it!" Taichi slaps Aone on the back.

A loud bang startles Taichi and you look to see Aone placing down his hammer with a deep crease in his brow. Wordlessly, he points at the door.

"Oh come on! Leave your work and come with us!" Futakuchi cries, pulling at Aone's apron but the other man easily picks his struggling friend up by the arms and moves him to the door.

"Oof- Aone! I done bungled it up in front of His Majesty today! The Crown Prince!" Futakuchi cries again, lamenting a tad dramatically, hands stretched out for an unknown entity in the sky through the shop door. "Aone–! Hear me out! I need my friend! My friend and a drink!"

Aone sighs and looks to your group for help.

"How about later so Aone here has time to finish his work?" you suggest. "I would like to go see the markets first too, and we should have time for a drink before we have to regroup… maybe the others will even want to join!"

You avoid mentioning that Futakuchi's tour of Sunless has been as brief as Sunside, and that it largely consisted of his favorite watering holes. Suppose there might come a day where you need to know where to get a Seijoh Slingshot.

Aone barely conceals his relief when Futakuchi finally steps out of his smithy with the lot of you in tow.

This time, the major properly leads you to the market where you are finally able to peruse the colorful baubles, ornaments, and knickknacks. You remember the leaf hairpin from Oikawa, and wonder if you were to purchase a…souvenir, some universal law would be broken.

You walk ahead of the others, finding more interest in shopping than the other three though Taichi seems to be enjoying himself watching a street performer juggle fire balls whilst balancing on a floating bubble.

The market is fairly crowded with commoners and merchants, mixing with soldiers off duty looking for a midday quench. Craftsmen twist and meld precious metal into jewelry and ornaments at their stands, enticing customers to watch as their requests come to life.

You take in the sights, the smells of iron and flour, and lose yourself in the wafting gabble. It's nothing new, hardly beautiful compared to the alabaster boulevards of Seijoh, but Crow's Watch has character as a whole, despite its splitting sides.

A familiar mop of bright orange hair catches your eye and you start. Is that–

Delight tingles in your chest as you hurry your steps. To think that you would see him here of all places! He must have left Seijoh as well, perhaps around the same time as your group. A welcomed coincidence.

You weave between the bodies easily, years of navigating stupendous Tokyo crowds coming to your aid. The ironically funny parallel is not lost on you; times of when you did the same in Seijoh rises in your mind.

Reaching out an excited hand, you lightly touch his shoulder to grab his attention.

"Sho-"

He turns.

"...yo."

It's not Shoyo.

It's a girl.

She had the same burning hair and bright eyes, but their similarities end there. If you had taken the time to clearly look, you would have seen that beneath her light cloak, her stature is clearly shorter and more feminine than Shoyo. Not to mention the ponytail tucked into her collar.

"Hm? Can I help you, miss?"

You retract your hand. "Ah, my apologies. I mistook you for someone else."

She laughs, bright and cheery. Another dissimilarity from Shoyo who is abhorred to even show you a smile on the best of days.

"Really? That's super rare!" She tugs at her hair, roughly tied into a low ponytail. "Not many with this shade!"

She laughs again, and it is addictive, pulling you to join her with your own embarrassed giggles.

"Natsu!"

The one named Natsu looks around and you follow her line of sight. An older lady is calling for her from down the street, easily distinguishable with her hair of apricot and autumn. The family genes clearly ran strong.

"Coming, mother!" Natsu hollers and turns back to you with a sheepish smile. "I have to go."

"Of course! Again, I'm really sorry about that."

Natsu grins with a wave. "Would totally love to meet your friend one day! Who knows, might be a long lost relative!" she jokes.

Hah, relative. What are the chances of that?

You find your way back to Futakuchi and Taichi waiting for you next to a modest stall selling drinks. They each are holding a flagon of something bubbly, drinking blissfully under the shade of the Wall.

"Oh, you're back." Futakuchi takes a long guzzle of his drink, sighing happily. "Iwaizumi went looking for you by the way. That man needs to learn to relax."

"Isn't it early to be drinking?" you say, politely declining when Taichi offers you a sip.

Futakuchi shrugs and takes another swig, emptying his cup and slamming it back onto the stall counter. "It's five somewhere."

It's hard to describe exactly how you feel when Ushijima tells everyone that you are to depart for the Hinterlands proper in the morning.

There's a night storm brewing, and Daichi recommends to the agreement of even Bokuto that it be waited out rather than testing the group's thin luck against it.

As such, it is to be your last night in safety and civilization until Monday (on Earth's timezone).

Though if there is an opportunity for it, you might try to awaken in Tokyo over the next few days to check on your life there and to make sure your parents aren't looking for you.

Friday night has begun there– your family will be doing what they usually do on weekends and your friends are out eating, drinking, and partying right about now.

It isn't too different from what you are doing here.

Everyone is gathered at a pub of Futakuchi's recommendation where the entire place has been booked out for your group alone, with special permission given to Aone by Futakuchi because friendship and corruption goes hand in hand.

It would have been the proper thing to dine at the nobleman's estate where you've been set up for the night but Ushijima didn't see the harm of allowing everyone to go out and enjoy themselves somewhere that isn't a stuffy dining room, bless his soul, with the usual expectation that they do not reveal themselves as animal-folk and to keep out of trouble. A part of you finds it odd that Ushijima is being mysteriously generous today, more than usual, not only to you but also to the requests and demands of your group that consists of truly outrageous characters. He's always been nice and quite giving, but you also know him to be someone who adheres to rules and propriety (except smuggling a forbidden fellowship of humans and animal-folks through his grandfather's empire) when needed. The fact that he even allowed the Miya twins, needless to say Bokuto, to go about Crow's Watch on their own today is enough to pick at your suspicions.

Still, you aren't going to complain and the others certainly aren't either. No one can deny that the pub – though emptied of other customers – has raised their spirits with strong spirits of its own.

The evening started calmly enough, but it didn't take long for the drinks to show their effects, especially on certain members of the party.

"AGAIN!"

Atsumu rages, throwing down his hand of UNO cards.

Osamu pushes a full flagon of what the town locals call 'Burping Bodiless' to his brother, snickering all the while. "You lost. Drink up brother dear."

The orange drink looks and smells rancid; judging by Atsumu's face as he chugs, it doesn't taste far off either. 'Tsumu has always been a bit of a lightweight and it seems that this trait remains the same in Hyquile.

"Make sure your brother doesn't accidentally give himself away in his drunkenness," Kuroo tacitly tells Osamu, impassive gaze watching the golden-haired twin lick clean his third flagon.

"Don't put us in the same box as kitten Kenma," Osamu retorts. "We can control our changes far better than your lot."

"Let me remind you that the good Lord Kita has put you under my command for the foreseeable future. For good and bad, you and your brother are my responsibility." Molten gold meets icy gray. "Neither of you will be the one to break the agreement we have with the human prince whilst that stands."

Futakuchi plops heavily down to your left. "What's this I hear about kittens?" he slurs, eyes swimming between the two across the table.

"Nothing at all, Major," Kuroo smoothly replies and sips his drink gracefully.

"I love kittenssss!"

"I'm sure you do."

From your right, Daichi whispers his amusement into your ear. "I don't think they're talking about the same thing. The major doesn't know, does he?"

That several members at the table are non-humans? "No, he doesn't. We don't need more drama than we already do," you whisper back.

Aone picks up one of the stray cards, brows furrowed in confusion at the bright green number staring back at him.

"They say it's a new card game from Seijohhh–" Futakuchi answers his friend's silent question. "Magically– hic, progressive realm and all that–"

Aone doesn't say anything – not that anyone was expecting him to as they know by now – but it's clear to anyone with eyes, who aren't drunk, that the blacksmith doesn't buy the entire story that UNO is a new card game amongst the nobles of Seijoh, produced with only the best materials and no small amount magic to achieve that slick touch. Still, he is only a blacksmith. What does he know of what and where nobility, especially Aoban, likes to frivolously spend their efforts? As far as he's concerned, they are as bad as any other posh nobles from the Empire.

"You, mutt, another one!" Bokuto barks for Terushima from where he is throwing daggers onto a numbered target nailed onto the wall. This world's version of darts, you suppose…though it doesn't look any different from his usual training.

"Oii, that one's kinda rude isn't he?" Futakuchi pipes up, bleary eyes following Terushima as he gets a fresh pint for Bokuto. "Calling people mutt and all that– hic! "

If Bokuto heard him he made no indication, only continued to throw at the target with one hand whilst drinking with his other.

"Shouldn't you do something about that?" Taichi asks Kuroo.

Kuroo casts a glance at Terushima, who's been well bullied into Bokuto's service. One shoulder shrugs imperceptibly.

"Future Chieftain Terushima is not my charge and it will certainly be an insult to him if I did anything that implied as such."

"In other words, sod him?"

"In other words, they are both venerable leaders in their own right and capable of sorting themselves out."

"Sod him, got it."

Futakuchi is barely holding himself up at this point, face inching closer to the table with every passing second.

However, the moment the entrance opens and Ushijima strides in with Goshiki in tow, Futakuchi shoots straight up and sober as a stick.

"GOOD EVENING YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS!"

"Spirits, pipe it down! You'll wake the dead!" Iwaizumi snarls.

Ushijima winces, startled. "At ease, Major."

"SIR!"

Futakuchi stumbles out of his seat as Ushijima approaches, offering his seat next to you.

"Oh, there's no need for–"

"I w-warmed it for you, sir!"

Deciding against arguing with the man, Ushijima graciously accepts. He makes a mental note to speak with General Moniwa next he sees him, to perhaps offer further training to the major. He's earnest and surely capable on the field but there's much to be desired in decorum. He is willing however, and that will take him far.

"How is everything?" Ushijima asks you, ignoring Futakuchi and Goshiki's scramble in getting their prince a drink first.

"Good! This has been really nice. Osamu does great with what we have during camps, and I am sure the cooks at the estate are amazing at what they do as well, but it's nice to be able to eat something hearty and homemade like this," you say, glancing around the table. "Everyone is having fun, though I'm pretty sure the liquor had something to do with that."

Ushijima chuckles at the sight of the twins playing cards with Taichi and Aone, with Daichi newly joining the fray. "Undoubtedly it did."

He turns to you, quietly watching you laugh at Atsumu falsely calling Daichi out for playing a wrong card until you notice him.

Suddenly self-conscious, you brush at your hair. "W-what?"

"No, nothing…" he trails off, looking around for a moment. "Actually, I was wondering if you might want to take a walk with me?"

"With the Empire's sole heir and crown prince? I'd be hanged if I said no!" you joke. You finish your drink and slide around in your seat.

He smiles and offers you his hand, helping you to your feet. Goshiki moves to follow but Ushijima stops him. "Have dinner, Goshiki. And by the Old Spirit, have a couple of rounds. You need to loosen up."

"But Your Royal Highness–" Goshiki is cut off when Taichi hauls him down to the table.

"Stop being a stinker. Let them have their alone time," he laughs, rubbing a knuckle into Goshiki's trademark hair to the younger guard's displeasure.

Glancing to the door, Taichi watches you disappear with his crown prince and for a moment, his laughter simmers into a drawn smile. Before anyone can notice it, he washes it away, gulping down his flagon until not a single drop is left.

Amaryl's Gloom.

It's sweet, overly so; followed by a somewhat melancholic aftertaste.

Guards push open heavy metal doors, allowing you and Ushijima to enter the Wall interior itself. You didn't even know the Wall was a construction that can be entered.

Inside exists a society that functions in tandem to the many communities that line the Wall (Crow's Watch included) whilst remaining self-sufficient; with the result that all the people who utilize the Wall for their livelihoods are able to make full use of the safe passage it provides.

The Iron Wall surrounds a large swathe of Empire territory, requiring regular maintenance and vigilance. Wallsmiths – constructors with an affinity for metal, earth, or both – work at the Wall inside and out– reinforcing and mending, and most importantly, expanding the Wall outwards; slowly, gradually, furthering the reach of their masters and the Empire.

Aquila wasn't built in a day.

Then there are the soldiers that are stationed along it that need places of rest and sustenance. In addition to barracks outside the Wall, they have dormitories, built within the Wall at points where external accommodations would not be prudent.

The Wall's interior additionally serves as a trade route for merchants and artisans with the proper permits, allowing them to move all over the Empire with ease of mind that they will not be robbed by bandits, brigands, or unruly non-humans– save for the occasional rat infestation.

It's nothing short of an architectural genius that allows for impregnable defense and commerce.

You step onto an elevator inside which a panel of sigils indicating different floors are displayed. Ushijima places his hand on the top sigil and pushes a touch of his magic into it. The sigil glows yellow, and the elevator groans and moves.

After a few minutes, it stops and Ushijima opens the door that leads out onto the Wall.

The top of the Wall is quiet, save for the blowing winds and footsteps of patrols. The bustle of Crow's Watch is reduced to murmurs floating through the night. Moonlight casts a silver shawl over the Wall and earth, till everything is lustrous and fragile. On the horizon, the tail of a storm over the Hinterlands ripples already dark skies, white splintering black with every other breath.

It's stunning, dangerously so, from where you stand; you are glad that you are not out there tonight.

Cold air and petrichor penetrate your nose, imbuing peace into you with each long breath you take. It's not a sensation you first think to associate with the Hinterlands.

A feeling whips in your chest, one of safety mixed with trepidation, as you stand here thinking of what the days to come will bring.

"It's strangely beautiful, isn't it?" Ushijima breaks the silence, watching the storm. A gentle calm lays on his broad shoulders, but a storm of his own brews in his darkened expression.

You lay a worried hand on his arm. "Are you alright?"

He looks to your hand, then covers it with his own, as if he could somehow shelter you from the inevitable unknown.

He knows he can't.

He's never felt like this before, not even with her– mainly because he didn't even know back then that there was a desperate need to protect her from a threat unimagined. Even now, he does not know what it is they are facing, beyond the Rot and the real dangers that call the Hinterlands home.

"I wish I was going with you."

His fingers caress your hand in comforting strokes. The fluster and embarrassment that plagued him when he first held your hand in Kakugawa is absent. On the threshold of where you will part ways for what he hopes will only be a short time, he finds there is no room for shame.

You lay your other hand on top of his. "Taichi and the rest will be with me."

He sighs heavily. "I know but… I feel helpless that I am unable to take this journey with you. Tendou's clairvoyance about crows might prove fruitless, bare as bones as it was. Yet I cannot help but think about the contrary. Do we want to find something connected to the Rot there? What is the path to take if there is something or worse, nothing?"

Ah, overthinking. A nemesis you are familiar with.

"I know how you feel. To be honest, I wonder too. It's hard to draw any definitive conclusion from mere cawing," you say, rewinding to the time in the glade where Tendou used his clairvoyance on you. You don't like it, working with only a sound and speculation that is far-flung at best; the others don't either.

(Yet, what else do any of you have?)

That is what concerns everyone.

To be pushed to the far end of desperation and wit's in a losing race against life and time, that conjectures and a flimsy connection uncovered by a roguish Thaumamancer is enough to latch onto, in the absence of all else.

It's not that you do not trust Tendou– you heard it yourself, the undeniable call of crows. But to take that and connect it to folks that have been driven to a land they themselves did not wish to inhabit? It's rather unfair, and feeble.

"But…"

"What else do we have?"

Ushijima can only return your question, perhaps rhetorical, with a defeated chuckle.

"You're right."

It is tranquil between you two. You used to find yourself nervous in Ushiwaka's presence, though that has dimmed in recent times, in particular after your outing with him to Odaiba what feels like forever ago.

Unrivaled power resides within the two; one in the skills he brings to the court and the other…

There is uncertainty, a hesitance you have glimpsed from time to time in Prince Ushijima– on the future of his realm and people, on the harsh laws and history of his birthright. It is a fissure that has yet to reveal what it will become: will it crack and turn into magma that consumes the Empire forevermore, or will it evolve into the storm that preludes the winds of change?

Either way, you cannot deny the power Prince Ushijima already possesses, extending past his affinity for lightning. Whether he realises it or not, Crown Prince Ushijima holds the ability… no, the potential to evoke great change.

It comes not only with his position, current and future, but also because of his heart.

Sentimental.

It is this quality that will influence the future of the Empire.

Will his sentimentality be the continued torment of non-humans in the name of history and order? Or will it mature into that which distinguishes him from his predecessors?

That is a question that you can only have hopes for and nothing more, and a question left to answer another day.

Right now, the Uninviting Hinterlands stretches before you and the Rot looms.

"Promise me," Ushijima begins and you turn to find his eyes already on you. Worry dips the corners of his lips. "You will keep yourself safe, above all else. I do not say this because you are our only cure for the Rot."

His hand tightens over yours, the shift of hardened knuckles palpable beneath your palm. "When she di–'' there is a subtle swallow, "disappeared, I was…"

It did not escape your notice the way he corrected himself from a different word.

His throat lodges, and the words that did not make it past his lips bear down on his brows. "I could not bear it if anything happened to you."

Your head tilts, a part of you logically attaching the motivator of his current sentiment to the fact that you share the face of his former fiancée. But his following words scatter that thought.

"I care for you– as your own person, I want you to know, and not because of your connections to her. She was my betrothed, and I realise that makes room for many misunderstandings."

Ushijima removes your hand from his arm and holds it between his own. His gaze flickers down to your joined hands. His dwarfs yours by far, and he thinks about how your hands gave life back to Taichi, Nae, and others. "I will be the first to admit that it was hard in the beginning, being reminded of her with your every presence."

(A memory he cannot stop slips into his mind, about how he once held a different hand that bears so many similarities.)

"It was hard, and it took time, but I've grown to see you as your own person, now more than ever."

Every time you make the effort to travel to Hyquile, every word spoken and action taken by you, smart or otherwise: they are all your own.

She entrusted her Life to you.

And you took it and nurtured it; continue to do so everyday. You took it and stepped forward, however slow or hard it may have been (and will be).

Standing here on the edge of the Hinterlands, where you have chosen to come knowing full well the risks, Ushijima thinks it will be an insult to attribute any part of that to her and not to you.

"So promise me you will take care of yourself, because as important putting an end to the Rot is, you are important too."

His words tap at a door of your heart you didn't even realise was closed, slipping it open with gentle pitter-patters of a passing storm's end. Feelings you've put away in facing the urgency of the Rot and the magic bequeathed to you flow forth– that sense of disconnect between your own identity and hers, in the eyes of others and your own. It wells to your lips as a quiver, rising to rim the bottom of your eyes.

Nine figures stand on the other side of the Wall with the well wishes of all their realms.

Each step they take moves them closer to what they hope will be the answers to all their questions, and particularly yours.

Ushijima watches the Company go from the comforting shade of the Wall. Goshiki stands behind him, his brows pinching together tighter than usual.

He watches Taichi wave gaily at his prince and fellow Royal Guard with arms swinging hard and wide, until all your figures blend into one speck in the distance.

Ushijima has already bid the words to you when you were all gathered before him. But to your vanishing backs, he passes his wishes again to the winds.

"May the Old Spirit watch over you."

Wallsmiths: Constructors with an affinity for metal or earth, preferably both. They are the main engineers of the Iron Wall, tasked with its maintenance and expansion. Not once in the Empire's long history has any Wallsmith been asked to shrink the Wall. A Wallsmith is a well-paid and respectable position; any family would be proud to call one of their own a Wallsmith.

Notes:

I hope you all enjoyed this!
Do leave a comment if you enjoyed the chapter! Your comments are really important to let me (and other writers) know how I am doing and is a MAJOR fuel of my motivation to write! So please do leave feedback whenever you read a story!
A lot of my time (and i am sure other authors go through the same) was poured into crafting the story and chapter, and having that acknowledged and returned through a comment is honestly very important.

Also, some of you may already know but there is a GWS Discord server! You must be 18+ to join but we are always welcoming new members!

The url of my tumblr has also changed and it is now here. Unfortunately, my old username has been taken up by what seems to be a spam account...
I would also like to plug in A Few Small Moments With You by ThatLofiGuy! He has outdone himself once again with this beautiful series that focuses on AltMC and an OC! Please do check it out if you enjoy the world of GWS 3

Chapter 37: Side Story, Kawanishi Taichi: The Royal Guard, An Honest Man

Summary:

The Uninviting Hinterlands Arc

Notes:

Sometimes I wonder if people still read this T.T If you enjoy the story, please do leave a comment! Commenting is so very crucial to authors to let us know how we are doing with our works and they are a major motivation fuel to us, I cannot emphasize this enough...lately it feels like both AO3 and Tumblr has been more sparse with sharing their love ;-;
The skewed ratio of hits and bookmarks/subscribers to comments received is quite disheartening...
So please do comment if you enjoy this story/chapter and any other fics you read!

Thank you to Sarah/bananabossbitch on Tumblr for her help editing this!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Kawanishi Taichi has known Crown Prince Ushijima Wakatoshi ever since he was a child.

No, he didn't grow up with him or anything of the fantastical sort, unlike that Blue Knight from Seijoh.

The prince rarely made public appearances in his younger years and was often confined to the strict safety of Aquila Castle, closely watched and guarded at all times by his servants, guards, tutors… grandfather. That did not mean the masses were unaware of the existence of His Royal Highness, their future emperor. On the contrary, everyone – young and old alike – knew about him when he was born.

For it was unspoken knowledge at the time that his mother, daughter of Emperor Washijo and Princess of the Empire, had struggled to produce a heir for years. At least, one that survived.

So his birth was nothing short of a miracle that should have been met with much hurrah (like that which was given to Aoba's Prince Oikawa Tooru when he was born mere weeks earlier). But expectations and reality rarely agreed.

Crown Prince Ushijima was born on a stormy night, accompanied by the sforzando of thunder and fulgurous skies striking roiling waves with lightning whips. It was as if the elements themselves lamented his birth with bitter deluge… or welcomed it with a thunderous orchestra befitting an emperor. Whether it was a fortuitous augury or an unfavourable omen, opinions differed.

When his cries pierced the dark, empty castle corridors, it was not met with cheer nor applause. Not yet.

Afterall, they did not know what his affinity was going to be, and lightning is an absolute for any of royal blood to ascend the Eagle Throne.

He might have been a dud.

It wasn't until his 4th birthday that the people were given the opportunity to glimpse at him from afar. The main reason being weeks before his birthday, Prince Ushijima's affinity had finally shown itself and proved him as a legitimate heir to the throne. The old study where he had undergone harsh training, unspokenly cruel for a young child, to manifest his grandfather's desired magic still wears the black scars lashed onto its many surfaces. It remains unused to this day.

The older maids hate cleaning near that room. They say if they close their eyes whenever they pass by, they can still hear a child crying through the sound of crackling electricity.

His 4th birthday was an auspicious event that was celebrated, witnessed – perhaps even dreaded – through the realms, rippling the political waters of Aoba, extending all the way to the mountains of the cat-folks and even the cloudy valleys of the sky-folks. Without doubt, the warring clans and tribes of the West also were not spared news that the line of the Eagle Emperors had been secured.

Kawanishi Taichi grew up in a small village near the forests, far away from the capital of Aquila.

His family home is humble, his parents leading a simple life farming and selling their harvests at the village market. His mother often sat in her creaky chair knitting wool crafts to sell, a portrait of the Eagle Emperor Washijo hanging above her head and a golden eagle statuette perched on the shelf below. His parents are fervent loyalists to the Eagle Emperor, set in their old beliefs that humans and non-humans can never truly get along, and that laws are necessary to keep the non-humans in check.

He grew up listening to his father repetitively tell him the long history of the Empire, and how the first Eagle Emperor served and protected the humans from marauding non-humans. He grew up hearing his mother praise the line of the Eagle Throne and offering nightly prayers to that statuette, even making Kawanishi do the same. He never knew what to say, so he always followed his mother and thanked the Emperor for his protection.

Kawanishi was too young to remember it, but his parents took him to Aquila for Prince Ushijima's 4th birthday, making the voyage that many others from all corners of the Empire did to the capital for a chance to glimpse the future emperor. They barely made it inside the city, needless to say the upper tiers where Prince Ushijima is presented to the masses from the heights of the castle balcony.

Paintings are made of that scene, by street artists to renowned masters, to this day. Kawanishi has seen those paintings before, many times and each by different hands. His mother described the prince that day as domineering with his unsmiling quiet and sagacious for his age, looking down at his people cheering for him with deep, thinking eyes. They were likely not his mother's words; she barely saw the prince as a speck in the sky from her spot on the edge of the lower city.

In his later years, looking at various portrayals of that scene in brush, Kawanishi thought that Prince Ushijima looked more wretched than wise. Dismal rather than domineering.

He looked unhappy.

It made Kawanishi feel sorry for the crown prince.

When he signed up for the army, Kawanishi did not once think about becoming a Royal Guard.

He chose to become a soldier because he wanted to protect his parents, humbling thoughts of being stationed near the village his only want. The Emperor and his heir were far from his mind when he signed his name in ink on yellow paper rolled at the edges, at a wobbling table outside the local tavern of his village.

His parents, of course, thought him honourable for wanting to give his life for the Empire and Kawanishi let them believe it. It made them happy, so it did not matter to him whether they knew his motivations. They will still be sent a sum of his wages each month regardless of the reason, and should he die in service, they will be comfortable for the rest of their life.

Years of hunting to feed his family and the village during harsh winter months made Kawanishi shine during basic combat training, his skill with the bow and arrow attracting the attention of the drill sergeant. He was sent to Aquila within a handful of months to further advance his training for possibly a position as officer.

It is here that he first meets Crown Prince Ushijima in the flesh.

The prince had praised Kawanishi for his skill, in particular admiring the way Kawanishi melded his earth magic into his arrows, concentrating them so finely that it pierced armour. Kawanishi wasn't much of a farmer like his father but days helping him in the fields attuned him to the earth's breathing and crumbling of soil more than he realised. They chatted a little, the prince even laughing at a poor joke Kawanishi made.

At first, Kawanishi thought that would be the end of any and all interactions he would ever have with the prince. To be noticed by him was already a great honour, and he did not wish for more.

He never expected to be called months later to enter a selection to become one of the prince's Royal Guards.

Proving himself in various tests of mettle and wits against other selected candidates, he was officially bestowed the position of a Royal Guard, an extolled position that came with lofty responsibilities reflecting its distinction.

Kawanishi found out some time later, over hot soup and drinks by a fire with the prince one late night in the fields, that the selection was merely a show put on to satisfy his grandfather as evidence that those he picked were capable. Ushijima already knew that he would select Kawanishi to become one of his Royal Guards, joining Semi, regardless of the outcome. It just so happens that Kawanishi cleared all the tests remarkably.

When Kawanishi questioned why he wanted him of all people to become his Royal Guard, Prince Ushijima simply replied, "Skill with the bow aside, I enjoyed speaking with you. I want to be surrounded by people whom I can laugh with."

(His words brought to Kawanishi's mind paintings of a young child's 4th birthday)

By the time Kawanishi became a full-fledged Royal Guard, Prince Ushijima had already lost his betrothed to unexplained circumstances.

Kawanishi Taichi didn't know her.

Not personally.

He heard about her from those who did though, mainly Semi and Prince Ushijima himself.

He heard that she hailed from a small village in the Blue Leaf Province and liked to dance, much to the displeasure of Emperor Washijo whenever she was caught barefoot in the cold gardens of the castle. He heard that she was a commoner but was arranged to marry Prince Ushijima in a strategic move by Emperor Washijo to strengthen his waning rule over Aoba, and also to secure her strange powers to the Empire. He heard she was a bright girl that loved the simplicities of life and laughed often.

Prince Ushijima once said to him, a distant memory in the break of his voice,

"You would have liked her."

Kawanishi Taichi didn't know her but he knows you.

You wobbled into his life during his darkest moment and brought him back from end's edge. He had been floating, dreaming in darkness for a while before that– of his parents and friends back at the village, of the people he's met since joining the army and becoming a Royal Guard. The respite of his memories were the only comfort he could find chained and muzzled in that grey prison.

Your wails stirred him from a slumber too close to the cusp of eternity that day, weary questions of why a complete stranger is crying for him spooling his thoughts. He remembers reaching a finger out to comfort you despite not knowing you, a part of him tired and sad that he was roused to his bleak reality once again, that it wasn't the end of his torture. Yet, he was grateful that you tried, that you felt so deeply for failing to heal him.

He remembers thinking that you have a good heart, before dreams took him again.

It was like a fever dream when you returned the next day – still does on sleepless nights when nightmares force him to relive those wretched weeks– softly whispering to him with seedlings of new conviction that you were going to heal him.

"I'm going to heal you, okay?"

He remembers hating the hope that bloomed in his chest. He didn't want to be disappointed again.

But then a soothing caress, trailing gently beneath his skin and soul, enveloped his frail body that he believed could no longer feel anything good in the world. He doesn't know how to explain the feeling to this day but it was a loving embrace, caring and tender, flowing over the agonising black lava in his blood, akin to rain washing away fire and ash.

He remembers white light seeping under his lids, daring to coax him back to life. And when he reopened his eyes, the world was no longer a grey blur.

And the first thing he saw was you.

Kawanishi Taichi is a bit of a comedian by nature, appreciating the joy that his humour evokes. When he joked with you about giving his hand and taking your name in marriage, he thought he meant it as nothing more than that. But the undeniable flash of heat across his face when you smiled at him in the halo of the rising sun told him otherwise. In hindsight, a part of him probably meant the joke as a way of expressing his feelings for you, the line slipping out from the wells of his subconscious in the guise of humour.

For regardless of whatever Kawanishi was feeling at the time he saw you off from Aquila, how can he even think of liking – needless to say anything more than that – you, who he was informed shares the face of his prince's betrothed?

She, who undoubtedly brought laughter into Prince Ushijima's life, and now the solemn fog in his eyes when he looks upon what could have been.

You, who has brought flickers of sorrow onto the ever sentimental prince with your likeness, and comfort in his moments of distress as someone untainted by the animosity and politics raging their world.

It's silly; he's taken the part of the princess falling for her hero so common in children's stories. Silly not because of the part he fell into by twisted happenstance, but rather because he never saw it coming.

He doesn't understand why it happened. Is it because you saved him? Or would it have happened still, should he be healthy and untouched by the Rot when he first meets you?

He will never know.

It's hard.

Taichi doesn't know what the appropriate route he should take is; doesn't know what to do with the feelings growing within him with each moment spent with you.

He's honest with himself enough to understand that he likes you more and more every time you turn up in Hyquile and greet him with a sunny smile. Every night, he finds himself turning towards the empty space where you would have slept if you did not return to your world, the orange embers of a dying fire highlighting the reality that you are not there; that you are of another world.

He cannot help but wonder how his prince is truly doing, especially if Taichi himself is struggling.

Surely his position, held up on the sole pillar that he didn't know her, is easier than what Prince Ushijima is going through?

He sees the effects you have on his prince– eyes unable to help following your figure as you sought him out in inky fields to check how he is doing after the distressing encounter with the bovidae-folk, the way your head easily leaned against him in support, how the prince's shoulders fell ever lightly next to you.

And most recently, on the eve of your departure into the Hinterlands, he saw how his prince sought you out immediately at the tavern, forgoing rest and food despite a long day to lead you away in privacy. Taichi daren't think of the words exchanged far away from everyone else.

It's hard for him to.

Red earth crunches under the weight of his boots as Taichi walks next to you, smiling at the way you argue with the fox twins about yet another inconsequential topic. You flinch, bumping backward into him when Atsumu stomps and snarls at you, and Taichi's hands instinctively come up to lay against your back. Perhaps you feel his silent support in the gentle push of his hand, for you straighten and face Atsumu with renewed courage.

When he volunteered to join this ragtag Company to venture into one of the harshest environments known to Hyquile, Taichi had done so with the promise of protecting you for the sake of the realms as did the others here (the fox twins are a bit of a wildcard but Taichi is sure they will not betray the group. They are brash, yes, but he has witnessed their loyalty to their Alpha-Leader and Inarizaki House).

And when he bade Prince Ushijima and Goshiki farewell at the outer gates of the Iron Wall, Taichi personally promised his prince that he will protect you, his chest tightening at the way olive-eyes lightened in assurance and complete trust.

Now, several hours after departing Crow's Watch, Taichi makes another promise as your voice rings beside him; one to himself this time.

He doesn't know what he will do with his feelings, if anything at all; that is a concern for future Taichi. What he does know is that he has accepted that they are there. Denial will make it worse, and delusion doesn't suit him. He is as honest as they come, with others and himself.

He will carry these feelings and let them grow as nature sees fit, happy to watch for now until the Rot has been beaten and the Empire is safe.

He originally joined the army to protect his parents, after all.

So he adds your name to the list of people he wants to protect. It's a short and simple list: his parents, you, Prince Ushijima, his friends.

Come what may, Taichi promises himself that he will protect you for as long as he is able, even after you have all returned safely from the Hinterlands.

Prince Ushijima told him once before that he would have liked her…

He doesn't know about liking her but Kawanishi Taichi knows he likes you.

Royal Guard: An elite unit of guardsmen that serves the Eagle Emperor and the Crown Prince respectively. Each generation handpicks their own Royal Guards regardless of social standing, a tradition begun by the first Eagle Emperor when he announced his warrior wife as the first Royal Guard. He had proclaimed:

"In whose better hands is there, for me to put my life, my heart, entrust my Soul, than my beloved wife? The answer is none, for we live as one in heart; my bodily death, her spiritual; her earthly passing, my Life spark extinguished. To her I entrust my existence."

Notes:

Have some Alt!Kawanishi Taichi everybody. Sucks that he isn't a bachelor, doesn't it? kekw

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