Two Years Ago…

Cereza was called upon by Spectro, told to make her way to the underground prison that lay beneath the Moon Guild. She brought her most loyal teammate, Heath, with her. Traversing down the dark passages of this labyrinthine prison wasn't exactly what Cereza would've hoped for, but the fact that she did so was not because she wanted to, but because it was through the sheer respect on display with Spectro. It was enough to persuade her to take on any task that lay before her.

As she navigated down the passages with Heath, the Golisopod was the first to bring up "What do you suppose Spectro wants us for?"

"Whatever it is, it'd better be good," Cereza answered bluntly. "It's not like him to bring us down here like this."

Heath shuddered a little, feeling a chill down his spine as he looked around the dark corridors. "This place gives me the creeps…"

"Well tough it out. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can leave."

They followed Spectro's instructions carefully, and to the letter. He proposed to meet up at Block B, Cell Number 4. Cereza navigated this passage a couple of times in the past, but she preferred to stay out of it as much as possible. This was a place where criminals and hackers were apprehended, awaiting their sentence, before being banned completely from their accounts. It was something that she hoped she didn't have to be sentenced to herself if she could help it.

Soon enough, though, the pair reached their destination, as Spectro the Dusknoir was waiting for them. As they stood by the cell door, Spectro was quick to greet them, before checking if Cereza recalled the request. "Cereza. You remember why I summoned you?"

She nodded. "You said that you had a problem prisoner that needed special treatment. But forgive me for asking, sir. Why is this prisoner so special? Can't you just ban his account and send him off?"

"That's the thing," Spectro said with dismay. "I can't."

This perplexed Cereza and Heath. They hadn't heard of this before, but they kept quiet as they listened fervently at what Spectro had to say. "As it turns out, even though we succeeded in apprehending this criminal, we discovered something rather peculiar." Spectro pulled up a clipboard, before reading off the list of crimes this criminal committed. "Griefing during missions. Blatant harassment towards other players. Impersonating of an authority figure. Theft. And multiple accounts of falsifying goods before running off with the earnings."

Cereza found that particularly interesting. "And you're telling me that you can't ban him after all of that?"

"I'm afraid it's more complicated than you might think." He lowered his clipboard, before staring Cereza and Heath in the eye. "You're familiar with Team Inferno, correct? The incident they were a part of?"

"We've heard Infernick's report, yes," Cereza assured. "What of it?"

"Well, I think we found ourselves another player just like them," Spectro said with a smile.

Before long, he opened the door, allowing Cereza and Heath to enter. As the light of the passages peeked into the cell, that was where Cereza and Hatori caught sight of the criminal in question. He was a Greninja, his hands cuffed and chained to the wall, sitting patiently as he stared over at the door. However, upon looking at Cereza for the first time, he immediately perked up, turning his attention to her in a heartbeat.

"He goes by the username Ryutori," Spectro said. "He's Japanese, though he's quite fluent in English. We just so happened to have found him in an attempt to escape pursuit from the guild for attempted robbery. He had a partner, but we were able to ban him without issue. When asked how he ended up trapped here, he kept silent. He seems rather tight-lipped on the details."

As the Greninja looked over at Cereza with intrigue, Cereza could only sneer at the sight of him. She chose to look away from him as she faced Spectro again. "And the reason you brought us down here was to tell us we've caught a trapped player who doesn't play by the rules because…?"

Spectro sighed, looking over at Hatori briefly. "I have no idea why, but Hatori here seems to be rather intent on making up for past misdeeds. Says that his brother was the one pulling the strings and calling shots. Though, whether or not that's really true is still up in the air."

Cereza took a small glance at Hatori, who just sat there quietly like a good boy. Unable to comprehend him and his sense of logic, Cereza asked "Why do you want to reform so suddenly?"

The Greninja couldn't help but smile, crossing his legs as he gave Cereza his answer. "Well, let's just say that performing heists and shady underground actions is less fun when your body is no longer invincible."

"You mean when you can no longer make a new avatar body to get away with your crimes," she retorts.

"Right. That makes a lot more sense." He fidgeted in his seat as Cereza gave her response. "Although, now that I'm stuck here, I'm afraid there's not much else for me to do, other than die alone. Rotting away in this jail cell for all eternity." With a smirk, and a knowing glance towards Cereza, he added "Of course, if you can find it in your heart to hear me out, I'll do whatever you ask."

Cereza didn't exactly trust him. Why would she? Everything about this Greninja felt like a major red flag. He could be plotting something in secret for all she knew. Maybe it was a plot to secure a hostage. Maybe he was lying about wanting to be friendly. Maybe he intended on stealing away all of the intel of the guild and their secrets so he could sell them on the black market. Either way, he was a suspicious individual, and she refused to associate with him in the slightest.

"Which is why I'm assigning you to keep close tabs on him, Cereza," Spectro said unexpectedly.

"HUH!?"

"Let's face it here and now," Spectro continued. "You're the only Grass-type I've got. Not to mention that you're quick on your feet. You have the reflexes to match his. You are able to restrain him in case he tries to flee…"

"Whoa whoa whoa! Slow down!" Cereza was in complete disbelief. "What do you mean I have to keep close tabs on him? Isn't he technically your responsibility?"

"Yes, but given his skills, he's a rather slippery individual," Spectro answered. "Which is why I want you to keep him with you for the time being."

"But sir! I…!"

"And to make sure he isn't sneaking off every night, you are to keep him close to you at all times," Spectro continued. "He will not act without your say so. He will not speak unless you give him permission. He will not even eat or sleep until you have a reason for him to do so."

Cereza was horrified by the implications. And worse yet, as Spectro listed off reasons why Cereza was this perfect candidate to keep him in line, Hatori simply just gave a knowing smile her direction as if silently telling her that he was ready to listen to her every step of the way. This has got to be a nightmare… A bad dream that simply can't be real… What did I do to even deserve this?

Cereza reached her dorm room in the guild, sulking as her new tagalong followed closely behind her with his hands behind his head and not a care in the world. Her room was decorated with flowers, a green rug which resembled a patch of grass in the center, and a map of the world pinned up on the wall next to her bed. On the wall on the opposite side of her room were a few wanted posters of various outlaws that she kept with her to remind herself of the criminals she detested. She was a good bounty hunter. A rather effective one at that. There wasn't a single criminal or misbehaving player that could escape her clutches.

And yet, here she was. Stuck with having to look after a criminal against her will. It was literally the worst luck she could get!

Hatori let out a whistle as he admired the room. "Wow. You have quite the impressive place here."

Even just hearing him speak was starting to grind at her nerves. She gritted her teeth in frustration. Why did I have to get this raw end of the deal? Who did I piss off? I swear, I'm a good girl! I could never do anything to betray the guild!

Hatori soon retracted his tongue, showing his real face for the first time to Cereza. Smiling, he asked "So… Cereza, was it? Where do you want me to sleep?"

She yowled out in frustration, using Slash as she scratched at Hatori's mouth in anger. It was a rather deep cut, having successfully managed to scratch at his lower jaw, effectively causing it to bleed. He yelped in pain, covering his mouth with his hand, as he then inspected his injury, noticing the blood that was dripping. He was looking away from Cereza as he inspected his injury, but he wasn't angry like she expected. Rather, he seemed…to relent. Covering his mouth with his hand, he then turned to Cereza with a calm expression.

"You listen here, toad," Cereza stated intensely. "From this point forward, you will do exactly as I tell you. This means you will not ask any unnecessary questions. You will not act without my say so. You will not go anywhere without my supervision. And you will not question my authority on this matter. I'm in charge here, so whatever I say goes. Capiche?"

Hatori nodded in understanding, not saying a word.

"Just remember, the only reason you're not dead right now is because I'm ordered not to kill you," she continued. "You are stuck in this world, which means you bleed. And in my book, bleeding means that you can kill something if you find their weak spot." She then went over to her desk, pulling out a rag that she would normally use to wipe dirt off of her hands when tending to flowers, but is now using it to wipe the blood from her claws.

As she did, Hatori looked over at the posters curiously. "I guess that explains the wanted posters. This must mean you're dedicated to your job here, right?"

Cereza huffed, giving a glare at Hatori for that line of questioning. "I'm considered the best in my field when it comes to dealing with criminals. Roughly 15% of all the outlaw missions this game offers are handled diligently by Team Sakura. My team."

"Sakura…" Hatori could only stifle a laugh amidst the stinging pain on his chin. "Were you the one who came up with the name, perchance?"

Cereza tossed the rag over to Hatori, which he caught, shutting him up. As he placed the rag over his injury, Cereza answered his question. "No, I was not. The name was Jeanne's idea."

This caught Hatori's attention. "I'm sorry, who?"

Cereza groaned, turning her anger over to Hatori as she walked over to him, glaring daggers at him. As they stood close to each other, Cereza tried to emphasize her authority over him once more. "Alright, spill it! What is your goal? You got chained up because you were committing terrible deeds in the game! And yet, you want nothing more than to be nice to me? I'll have you know, whatever you think you're up to, I refuse to yield to your advances. What are you in for? What do you want? What do you hope to gain from choosing to side with the guild, even though you're a potential liability?"

Hatori just looked at her in silence, staring blankly into her eyes. It was awkward for a bit, as they just stood there within the room, unable to say a single word for too long. Hatori didn't know what to say. He was at a loss for words.

Well…mostly.

Raising a finger, he asked "May I please get this cut looked after?"

Cereza's eye twitched in annoyance, but knowing that she could be in trouble if the cut wasn't healed, she let out a sigh. Turning away from him, she told him "Say that I clawed you in the face, and I will kill you."

Hatori couldn't help but smile. "Whatever happened to little miss perfect record?"

Cereza crossed her arms, looking away from Hatori with her back facing him. "You'll be sleeping in the medical wing for the night. Don't try to lick at the wound. I don't want you to get it infected."

Hatori gave a bow, a smile on his face. "As you wish, Sakura-chan."

As Hatori turned to leave the room and get his injury treated, Cereza turned towards Hatori out of irritation, yelling out "What did you just call me?!"

Playfully, Hatori explained his reasoning. "Cereza is Spanish for Cherry. In Japan, we call them Sakura." As he gave a smile to Cereza, he said "In a way, your team name is befitting such a fascinating lady like yourself."

Is he…hitting on me?! Not wanting to take the compliment, she scowled and turned away from him.

Hatori left the room immediately afterwards, closing the door behind him. Cereza crossed her arms, frustrated at the new task she was given. The fact that she was to babysit a criminal like him was something she wasn't expecting. But at the end of the day, what was she to do? She couldn't exactly kick him out of town.

"Hmph! I'll show him," she muttered to herself. "One way or another, I'm going to find out what his ulterior motive actually is." Looking up at the map on the wall, she looked over at the spot where Esther was located, and gave a cocky and confident remark to herself. "I'll make sure that Hatori knows his place. He won't even know what hit him."

Months passed. And even as Hatori got to meet with the rest of Team Sakura, everyone ended up giving mixed reactions to him at first. Cereza's most trusted allies, Heath and Jeanne, were just as cautious as she was around him. Others like Enzo, Luka, even newer recruits like Wesley, Trini and Viola, they all looked at him in a more positive light.

In many respects, it was possible to see why they thought that way. Hatori was genuinely wanting to make up for his misdeeds of his past. He was at rock bottom, but slowly built his way up, making a more positive reputation around Esther as a result. Many didn't even know of his criminal origins. But even then, his weird eccentricities were a little off-putting. Like he was trying way too hard to pass off as likable, that it borderline comes off as annoying.

Hatori took on several missions with Team Sakura over the course of those months. In every one, Cereza never let Hatori out of her sight. And even though she suspected he would run off or perhaps turn coat when confronting criminals, he proved far more diligent than ever. His devotion to trying to rectify his past errors was enough to win over Heath and Jeanne eventually. However, it was clearly something that Cereza was still puzzled by.

Often, he would go into danger at a moment's notice. He was aware of traps. He was ready to take out any powerful opponent that required team efforts to accomplish. And then there was the constant means of being so self-sacrificial when things grew dire, and it forced Cereza to rethink her approach with him entirely.

Almost as if recognizing this, Spectro had appointed a tutor to teach her Grass Pledge, and Hatori to be taught Water Pledge. It was likely a trust exercise, and Spectro was very strict in telling the two of them to never forget those moves, saying it was a symbolic gesture of the pair showing their trust and cooperation with each other.

But you couldn't have asked for a more opposing pair of egos. Hatori was the more aloof, laid back, and goofy type. Cereza was the more assertive, aggressive, and moody type. Hatori lived in the here and now. Cereza was more occupied with the future. Hatori was the flirtatious romantic. Cereza was the high-strung overachiever.

And yet, despite it all, they were both recognized as the top elites of the Moon Guild together. And over time, despite her insistence that she refused to show her true emotions to him, she did feel slightly jealous of the positive vibes he gave off. In a sense, they were the perfect partners. The reformed criminal turned enforcer, and the elite bounty hunter. Something about it felt so strange and poetic. Cereza didn't want to believe it was a real story she could be a part of. And yet, here she was. Riding the high life. Sharing the spotlight alongside her most unexpected partner.

And then, after spending over a year as a team, shortly after Viola joined the team, everyone celebrated the arrival of their new teammate. However, as Cereza looked into the distance, she saw Hatori walking off somewhere, and decided to follow.

It was late at night. Hatori had walked over to the waterfall at the east side of town. He seemed lost in thought. In his hand was something, as he clutched it close to his chest. He stared up at the moon. He was already accustomed to the time zones of the United States, fighting alongside Cereza through thick and thin. But sure enough, it wouldn't be long before he would make a decision that he assumed would be of great importance to him.

Cereza walked up to him, asking "What's on your mind?"

Hatori sighed, turning to face Cereza head on. He looked completely unsure of himself. Cereza was a little worried, but remained stoic so that he wouldn't be worried about her. And then, he showed what he had in his hand to her. A newly minted team badge. But…it was not the same rank as the rest of Team Sakura, which stood tall as an Ace Rank team.

It was a Rookie Rank badge.

"I had a chat with Rohan," Hatori said, referring to Spectro. "I made a request to start a new team under my guidance the moment everyone recognized the good in me."

"Wh-what?" Cereza was stunned. "Hatori. What are you…?"

All that the Greninja could do was smile. "I thought that to double our bounty hunter escapades, we both take separate shifts. Of course, it would mean we get to spend less time together. But I promise you, I'm planning on assembling the best team possible to take on those night missions."

Cereza was at a loss for words. For the longest time since she first met him, she was wanting to keep him out of her life. But now, here she was, unable to comprehend the idea of being separated from him. She trembled, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes started stinging. "You idiot…"

"Nani?"

Cereza started venting out her frustration at this news. "You stupid idiot!" she yelled. "You didn't think about telling me first about this decision?! Do you really think I was going to be alright with this?"

Hatori gave a serious look towards her. "This was the reason I chose to tell you after I made the decision with Spectro. You always seem to sound like you have something to complain about."

"Yeah! That's because you are an incredibly dubious person!" Cereza argued. "I don't know what's going through that thick skull of yours, but I swear, it's almost as if you have some sort of ulterior motive going on!" She then gasped, coming to a realization. "Was THIS what you were planning all along? To start up a team of criminals?"

At that, Hatori felt offended. "Hey, I've been on the straight and narrow for a year now! Cut me some slack already, Sakura-chan!"

Cereza was frustrated with him. He was so odd. So mysterious. He rarely, if ever, said what was on his mind. What was it that he was hiding from her? She just HAD to know!

Hatori put the badge away, and started to speak his reason for this. "Listen, I won't break the promise I made to you, alright? I swore that I would do whatever you asked, as long as it was within good reason." He then took her hand in his, giving his best effort to sound kind and honest. "And I believe that this is a good enough reason, Cereza."

She didn't know what to say to that, and simply averted her gaze out of spite. "You really are an idiot…" She shoved her hand away from Hatori, feeling a stinging sense of betrayal of his trust to her. It all just didn't seem real.

"Cereza…" Hatori looked awfully worried about her, and wanted what was best for her. He tried to reach out to her again, but the moment he did, she started wo walk off.

With her back facing Hatori, she uttered out "Fine. If Spectro has your trust, then we're through. We are just too different to work together, anyways."

She stormed off in a huff, running back to town with her heart broken in two.

She returned to base not too long after, slamming the door behind her, before falling face first into bed. She gripped the pillow, placing it over her face, and let out a muffled scream of frustration. At Hatori. At herself. At life in general.

She turned over and looked up at the ceiling, tears coming down her face. She hated herself for falling for this ruffian of a man. This Greninja had just committed the most heinous crime in her books.

He stole her heart, only to shatter it with this dumb move.

The moonlight shined into her room, highlighting the green décor, giving it a distinct hue. The gentle breeze of the outside was comforting to her fur, but it also carried with it the scent of rushing water. It reminded her of Hatori.

Just then, a shadow was seen within the moonlit room. And without even thinking, Cereza conjured up a flower bomb, ready to chuck it at the intruder that was by her window. But as she was just about to throw the bomb, she saw the person that was there, who was waving his hands and begging "Chotto matte! It's me!"

Cereza knew. She just didn't care. Glaring intensely at Hatori as he entered through the window, she slowly put the bomb away. She then averted her gaze, and bitterly said "You are so lucky that you bleed, otherwise this would've killed you."

Hatori nervously laughed at the idea of Cereza chucking a bomb at her, but simply tried to explain himself. "Sakura-chan. Please. Just hear me out."

She didn't want to listen to what he had to say. However, she knew that he likely wouldn't leave unless he said what was on his mind. With a huff, she said "You have two minutes. Make them count."

Hatori nodded, and decided to pull up the chair that was near her desk. Sitting down, he went to explain himself. "I know what I did was out of nowhere, Cereza. And I'm sorry. I figured you would be upset if you found out, which is why I chose to keep it secret until the right moment."

Cereza thought that his choice of "right moment" wasn't really worth it. In her mind, it was as if he just sprung up a bombshell unexpectedly that would forever change the way they view each other. Like being rejected and breaking up with a first love.

"Look, you were going to find out eventually," Hatori continued. "But I promise you, I had the best of intentions at heart. I would never do anything to ruin what we've accomplished on purpose. This past year was truly something special. And because of you, I got to live a more fulfilling life than I ever did with my brother. I just wanted to say…thank you."

Cereza looked at Hatori briefly, noticing his sincerity, and his genuine attempt to try and make amends. She got rather pouty, and stated "You're just going to go skirt chasing and forget about me…"

"Cereza, you know I would never…" He tried to say he would never betray her trust, but not even he could say those words out loud. Catching himself, he anxiously looked away, rubbing at his cheek before sheepishly saying "Alright, you got me there."

Cereza soon stood up from her bed, facing Hatori as she stood tall in defiance to him. Crossing her arms, she said "I'll have you know that for the longest time, I noticed that you were a rather flirtatious figure. Often playing the role of womanizer behind my back. And you still want to be with me?"

"Of course I do," he said. "Honest, I do. It's just that…you're right. We're both different."

Cereza sighed, averting her gaze, looking a little sad that this was how it was going to be for them from that point forward. Forever entwined, but never able to connect. It was frustrating for her. She softly spoke. "It's because we're practically night and day. Two opposites who are two sides of the same coin."

Hatori stood up, and replied with "Not exactly." He then gently caressed her cheek, turning her attention to him, and said "We just started off on different paths. But over time, we began to see things together. Don't think of this as Romeo and Juliet, Cereza. Think of it more like…The Little Mermaid."

Cereza laughed at that comment. "You know the mermaid died in the end, right?"

Hatori smiled, and muttered out "Not the Disney version."

Cereza smiled, finding his attempts at charm rather endearing. "You know, mermaids come from the sea. From water. Isn't that ironic?"

Hatori chuckled, before saying "I guess so. But you know, I want you to know that I have something to give you. Just so show how much you mean to me."

This was a surprise. She had never been given something from Hatori before. She blushed profusely, closing her eyes, expecting him to perhaps kiss her or something. Wasn't that how romance stories go?

Instead, he ended up placing something in her hand. She opened her eyes, and in her hand, she saw what appeared to be an earring. One that had a tiny blue gem attached to it. She was confused, but Hatori was quick to explain himself. "It's a Terra Crystal. I requested one from Spectro some time ago. I refused to explain why." He blushed, before admitting "Not one of my brighter moments, admittedly."

Cereza was amazed that he was willing to offer this to her. It was a sign of how much he trusted her. She clenched it tightly, holding it close to her chest, before she then looked him dead in the eyes. She leaned close, and Hatori surprisingly looked rather nervous. But with a devilish grin, she simply whispered to him "Your two minutes are up." She then glared at him, before commanding "Now get out of my room."

Hatori knew that any more time wasted there could result in Cereza getting angry again, so he simply backed off, and gave a bow to her. "As you wish, milady." Without further delay, he made his way towards the window, ready to leap out. But as he exited, he gave a smile to Cereza, before quietly leaving.

Cereza didn't know what to make of Hatori sometimes. But here, she knew that he clearly still cared about her. She just refused to admit it. She was determined to have him finally confess what was truly on his mind first. To expose him for who he was.

And yet, as she looked at the earring, she had another thought enter her mind. She put it on, seeing the moonlight sparkle on the gem, before she started blushing. In her heart, she knew that she had done something truly despicable, and she felt frustrated with herself, if not perhaps annoyed at this feeling that's been clawing away at her for so long.

Tears started to come down her face, and she realized what it was that she's done. She's committed an act that no bounty hunter of her status would even dare go through with. Hatori had stolen her heart. And she has fallen in love with an idiotic delinquent.

A match made in Hell.

Chapter 60: Fleur de Mort

Seeing Hatori as a bloody heap on the ground came as a complete shock to Cereza. But the fact that he only acted to protect someone so selflessly was something that she knew was a habit of his when they used to work together long ago. At first, she assumed it was because he was trying desperately to come off as good, even when she thought he was a criminal. But over time, she realized that he was genuinely trying to protect others, no matter who they were. He was a fool, but he was a fool with good morals.

Norman was about to ready his next shot, intent on taking out Adam once more. With a booming voice, he said "This time, I won't miss."

But the sight of seeing Hatori on the ground caused something to snap within Cereza, as she turned her attention to the Gigantamaxed Inteleon with pure rage. She clenched her fists, before saying "You are the lowest scum of the earth that I have ever seen. And you call yourself a hero?"

I was a little nervous as I looked at her, seeing her prepare her rage-filled assault. But as I looked on, she stepped forward, before she returned a gaze to me. "Watch closely, BlossumBelle! If you want to be a hero, you must defend the weak and powerless. A hero would never act on selfish reason and attack a downed opponent." She then gave a devilish grin towards Norman, before loudly declaring "Those that do deserve the Flower of Death!"

Without hesitation, Cereza dashed forward. She headed towards the wall, dashing up it, before she then made a large leap into the air. Norman took notice of her attack, and turned his attention to her, before taking aim. He conjured up a massive whirlwind as he took aim at Cereza, intending to take her out quickly. Cereza didn't have much time to react, however, so she readied her Petal Blizzard attack.

Norman's Max Airstream attack ended up firing directly at Cereza, of which she was only able to block off using a powered-up Petal Blizzard. If she wasn't terrastalized, this probably wouldn't have been enough to block the attack. But the attacks ended up canceling out, as Cereza soon broke through, allowing her to ready her next attack. With a glare, she raised her arm up, before finally conjuring a series of flower bombs.

As the flower bombs soon fell down from above Norman, the Inteleon could only make a quick reflex as he took aim above him. He fired another Max Airstream at the flower bombs, causing them all to scatter from the wind. They spread all over the place before exploding in the air like a bunch of fireworks. Cereza anticipated this, and had kept a flower bomb in secret, magically conjuring on up in her hand before chucking it towards the Inteleon. Norman looked over at Cereza's direction, too late to do anything to counter the bomb, as it exploded in his face. The remainder of the flower bombs that were scattered blew up as well, as Cereza landed on the ground, witnessing Norman's Gigantamax form revert as he fell from the sky, having suffered intense damage.

Cereza smirked as she relished in her victory. And yet, there I was, amazed at the display that I bore witness to. It was the most incredible sight, as the various bombs that Cereza fired off exploded all around. Even Nolan, who stayed by my side, was amazed at it all. We were practically at a loss for words.

Cereza took the time to gaze back at us, standing proud as she gave off the impression of a badass. But her expression read like she was deeply saddened. For me. For Hatori. For Adam. It was a lot to take in. She lowered her gaze, and said "I'm sorry… For everything."

Was she apologizing to us, or…was she simply upset at herself? She looks troubled. Did she regret what led to this moment?

Cereza took a deep breath, and gazed at Adam and Hatori on the ground. "Hatori was right," she said.

"Huh?" Hatori was right about something? This caught my attention.

Cereza saw Hatori's bloody body on the floor, and she confessed. "As much as I wanted to prove him wrong, this Greninja really did want to help you guys. All I really did was stand in the way. For years, I've built up this idea that perhaps Hatori had some ulterior motive, given his criminal origins. But I made a lapse in judgment, realizing that he's actually a good person. He was just given a bad deal. And I…"

I saw Cereza start to get frustrated at herself, as tears started to pour down her face. This wicked witch I thought that she was started showing a more vulnerable side to her. Her voice caught in her throat, as she tried desperately to hold back her tears.

I recognized that feeling. I've been there in the past. I wanted so desperately to protect Josh and Adam after everything they've done for me. Like her, I thought about my own desire to become stronger. To be the one who could keep Josh and Adam out of harm's way. I wanted to prove that in the tournament with Team Delta. And even as I still lost, I still gave hope for the future.

I smiled, and I told her "You did good, Cereza."

She gasped as she turned her attention to me, noticing that I was smiling. "Wh-what? But I… I couldn't…"

"You wanted to protect Josh and Adam, but more importantly, you wished to save your friend. I get it." I stood up on my feet, looking over to her. "You may not be the best at everything. But that doesn't mean you're a failure. You just made a mistake, that's all. It happens." I gave her a sympathetic look, feeling sorry for the burden she's placed on herself. "But Hatori still believed in you. You are a strong fighter. And he recognized it. But it's not because you're the strongest. It's because of your values. Your raison d'être. Your reason to keep fighting."

"My…reason to keep fighting?" she questioned. "What are you…?"

"She's referring to your partnership with Hatori, Fraulein," Nolan injerjected. "Why else did he hold on to that Water Pledge attack? It was no mere coincidence. He still trusts you. And he will not change that. Which is why he preferred you to recognize that he can handle things on his own at points. When he jumped in to protect Adam, his true values shined through, did they not?"

Cereza looked over at Hatori as Nolan pointed that out. She realized deep in her heart that we were making a strong point to her. She smiled, on the brink of tears, as she said "Yeah. Maybe you're right."

It was a nice moment we had together. And for the first time, I no longer viewed Cereza as this vicious fighter. And on top of that, I recognized that Hatori is more than a sleazy schemer. They were opposites, but they complimented each other brilliantly. Like the sun and moon, they shined in different ways. It was enough to be pleased with.

Then, out of nowhere, off of the corner of her eye, Cereza gasped as she turned towards the smoke from the battlefield. She had no time to react, as a series of sharp icicles emerged before managing to impale her body. The glistening of her Terra Crystal faded, before ultimately shattering, as her body soon lost its luster. And soon enough, Cereza fell backwards as shock hit her face.

And it was there that something unexpected happened. Hatori rushed forward, despite his arm being broken, as he was able to catch Cereza before she hit the ground. The icicles on her body disintegrated when she made contact with Hatori, as she stared up at the Greninja, who returned her gaze with a smile. Cereza was not sure what to make of this, having sustained critical damage from the Icicle Spear attack that came out of nowhere. As a matter of fact, neither Nolan or I had no idea what to make of Hatori's fast recovery. Perhaps he was merely pretending to have collapsed? But regardless, he was there by Cereza's side.

Cereza was barely hanging on due to her strong feelings for him, and muttered out of shock. "Hatori…?"

Hatori smiled, before he then softly spoke to her with a haiku. "Passing through the night/ I await love's lost refrain/ Sakura blossoms."

Cereza was touched by that poem, and gave a smile to Hatori. Softly, she whispered "Hatori… I…" The next thing she said was barely audible, being a message only Hatori could hear.

Hatori was surprised by Cereza's message, giving a faint chuckle as he gladly accepted the it. "You idiot…" he said with a crack in his voice, his eyes stinging as he was holding back tears.

It was there that another Snipe Shot was fired, but before Hatori could get killed, Nolan intervened quickly and used his shield to block the water bullet. This snapped Hatori and Cereza back to reality as they realized that the battle isn't even close to being over. The smoke cleared, and there, standing menacingly, was Norman, pointing a finger gun towards our direction. He was clearly stubborn, refusing to yield, as he gave a cold glare towards the pair of fighters.

"You guys think you're so clever," Norman uttered coldly. "You make me sick. I was going to commend you for your strength, Cerefleur, but to think that you gave in to your vulnerable side. Though I will say, you gave an honest attempt to take me down. But no more."

Almost instantly, Norman started to move rather quickly. He charged towards Nolan, though his quick movements were far too fast for the Aeigislash to keep up with, feinting left and right to throw him off guard. Norman tried to brace for impact, but soon enough, made a guess and used King's Shield, hoping that he could weaken Norman's Acrobatics attack. He faced to the right, anticipating Norman's blow.

But Norman moved to the left at the last second, before he fired a Dark Pulse attack at his back, knocking Nolan forward. Nolan tried to fight back, yelling out "Arschloch!" He went into attack mode, ready to counter with Sacred Sword, only for Norman to weave to the side. Nolan gasped, as the Inteleon soon pointed his finger gun at Nolan's face.

Norman uttered out "You are still too weak." BANG! And with that, the Snipe Shot pierced through Nolan's face, as the Aegislash soon disintegrated into pixels. A message that read "Zweister has fainted" appeared, and it took us all by surprise.

"So fast…" Hatori said with concern. "How are you…?"

"Don't you know anything?" Norman said with a glare. "Max Airstream gives a speed boost upon use." He then pointed his finger gun towards Adam, causing us all to gasp.

"Stop!" Cereza yelled out, still feeling weak from the ambush that Norman subjected her to. "Killing Adam won't accomplish anything! Even if he dies, it still won't bring back your brother!"

Norman knew this, but he still readied his attack regardless. "I don't care. Their failure will not go without consequence."

However, before he could fire his shot, that was when a Venoshock attack struck him unexpectedly. He was knocked back, but landed on his feet as he turned to face his attacker. Gritting his teeth, he pointed his finger gun, yelling out "You will not interfere with me, you–!" However, as he pointed the finger gun, he realized that he still had one opponent to get through. The last line of defense. Someone he clearly did not want to go against.

He had to face me.

I stood my ground, giving a glare to Norman, my hands covering themselves with the poisonous liquid I previously shot at him. I stared him down, yelling out "That's enough, Norman!"

Norman lowered his finger gun, staring at me with a hint of disdain, but mostly hiding away his true feelings. He tried once more to reason with me. "Rose! Don't interfere with me. It's because of their failure that Gabe died."

I trembled at the mention of the name. "Gabe… Yes. He died. But if Team Inferno are to be condemned to death as punishment–" Through clenched teeth, clearly frustrated at Norman's logic, but with a resolve to protect Adam, I yelled out "–THEN YOU HAVE TO KILL ME AS WELL!"

Norman gasped as he soon saw me giving a death glare his direction. I was angry. I was so pissed off at him. His stubborn attitude only made me furious. And to see him now, to see him realize I was no longer afraid of his threats, he tried again with pleading for me to change my mind. "Rose. Listen to reason. You know you cannot win."

"I don't care," I stated. "You betrayed my trust. You spat in the face of my offer for peace. You are blinded by your ambition to be the best. And for what? Fame? Recognition? What does it matter, anyways, if you turn away those you deemed your friends?"

Norman could tell that I was not going to take "no" for an answer. I chose to challenge him to this duel. One way or another, he was forced into this position. With a look of disdain, he sighed, and said "Then I guess I have no choice. I will make you see. I will show you how foolish you really are for siding with these failures!"

He rushed forward, about to use Acrobatics once again. Anticipating this, I created a counter with Petal Blizzard, managing to shield myself with a flurry of flower petals. Norman soon realized that taking the frontal assault approach wasn't going to work, so he changed plans on a dime. He stopped in his tracks, before he started circling around me, all while I stood there with a tornado of flower petals surrounding me. He fired off a series of Icicle Spears, and I quickly leapt into the air, before firing Toxic at him.

Norman was too fast, as he managed to evade the Toxic attack with ease, before he then leapt up into the air, about to smack me with his tail. I braced for impact, as he managed to smack me aside. I flew towards the ground, but quickly got back up on my feet as I started rushing towards him. He anticipated me to charge forward, and started firing a Snipe Shot my direction. I ended up blocking the attack with Venoshock, creating a mini explosion, as I leapt into the air, firing off a Petal Blizzard again.

Norman was quick to fire a Dark Pulse, managing to break through the attack, before he soon used Acrobatics again. He feinted left and right to try and throw off my aim, wishing for me to miss my aim. However, with quick thinking, I soon spun in the air as I surrounded myself in the Petal Blizzard attack, enveloping my entire body in the tornado of flower petals.

What does she think she can accomplish? Norman thought. I've seen her battle. She can't do anything on her own. She has no way to counter me and my attacks. After all, Team Inferno is holding her back! As if to prove his point, he soon fired off a series of Icicle Spears at the petal shield, breaking it apart. However, what he thought was a direct hit at his target was quickly revealed to have been a diversion, taking his attention away. The moment the tornado of petals vanished, I was gone from his line of sight.

What?! Where did she go?! He frantically started searching, but soon noticed the ground start to glow, as a gentle breeze started to blow behind him. He was in midair, unable to change his direction, and was falling right into my hands. He turned his gaze behind him, and there I was, standing there, arm outstretched, my body glowing a bright green as I activated the Grassium-Z crystal on my scarf.

Norman gritted his teeth, adjusting himself in midair as he turned to aim at me. I can't lose! Not now! Damn you! But as he readied his aim, he took a look at my face, and all at once, fear struck him. His body petrified. He saw that I was not going to hold back, and that I was angry. I stared back at him with tears in my eyes, rage having consumed me, as I activated my trump card.

What am I doing? Just shoot her! Stop her attack before it hits you! She's with Team Inferno now! Just take her down! But as he looked on at me, seeing me upset with him, he hesitated. He found a new fear: my anger towards anyone who wishes to kill my friends. He tensed up, realizing he's been outplayed, and lowered his gun, as he closed his eyes. At the very least, if there was anyone who could ever defeat me, it's you…Rose. I could never truly beat you. Forgive me.

As he accepted his defeat, the grass beneath him began to bloom flowers all over, as a massive white rose blossomed where he was landing, before it readied a powerful energy blast. As I wept, I muttered out "Les Fleurs du Mort."

The large white flower that Norman fell into blossomed, before the energy of the attack exploded around him. The massive explosion shook the earth, with Hatori shielding Cereza from the blast. All the while, I stood there, staring at the attack as I lowered my arm. It was tragic, really. I didn't want to go through with this. I wanted to give him a chance, at least. But he threw it all away. He said that Josh and Adam wasted their chance? Well, Norman wasted his for redemption. He crossed a line.

He broke my heart.

The explosion settled, as the flower petals were scattered in the wind. The few remaining flowers that were there held it out. I just stared off into the battlefield. Pensive. Angry. Saddened. The very act I committed against Norman was enough of a sign to show he no longer had my trust. As much as it pained me, I did what I thought was right.

Hatori and Cereza looked on at me, surprised to see me the way that I was. I didn't blame them. After all, this was a new experience for me, fighting against a friend. The betrayal of his words and actions did not go unpunished. I wanted to give him a chance. I honestly did. But it was clear to all of us that there was no way he was willing to see reason.

Hatori stifled a laugh, before muttering "Every rose has her thorns. A shame that the Inteleon didn't see that until now."

"The Inteleon?" Cereza was curious on what Hatori was talking about.

"Drive it one thing, but if it's of ill intent, it's only going to take away what makes you a good person," Hatori explained to her. "I learned that the hard way. When my brother went off the deep end, and I ended up stuck here." He gave her a glance, telling her "But my brother did so with every intent to save me. He did the wrong things, but he said it was for the right reason. Spending all of that time with you made me realize that you can never achieve satisfaction if the methods of doing so only lead to pain and destruction." He then looked on at where Norman landed, smoke encasing the area. "But in truth, I don't blame him. He lost someone near and dear to him. He wished to avenge his death by becoming strong. And that vengeance only consumed him. A tragic tale. One that will only end with heartache."

But as the smoke cleared, we all saw that Norman was still standing, panting out of exhaustion as he looked on at us. Hatori and Cereza looked surprised, but I was only angry. I only saw red.

Just the sight of Norman disgusted me. He tried to speak, holding up a hand, and begging "Rose…"

Out of anger, I fired a Venoshock at him, knocking him back. He was too weak to keep fighting. He staggered up to his feet, and yet, there I was, blinded by rage and resentment, delivering just punishment towards him with Petal Blizzard, forcing him back towards the cliff base. He slammed against the wall, before collapsing to the floor.

I slowly walked towards him, all the while Cereza and Hatori looked worried. Hatori tried calling to me. "Rose-chan! That's enough! It's over!"

"It's only over when I see him beg for his life," I said coldly, readying another Venoshock. "He hurt Josh and Adam. I will not let him do so again!"

Norman realized that he had just unleashed a savage nature within me. I held the Venoshock attack in preparation, waiting for him to recognize that he cannot win. I wanted him to beg for mercy.

No! He's beyond mercy at this point. He shouldn't even be in the game anymore! My reasoning was waning, and all I could do was be consumed by this anger and rage building up in me. I was crying. I was devastated. I wanted Norman to pay for what he's done.

Norman saw my anger towards him, his eyes wide with horror as he tried backing away, only to see that there was a wall there. I had cornered him. He had nowhere to run. Is she really going to kill me? he thought to himself. Panic started to set in, as he realized that I was already going to destroy him. Rose… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to make you this upset!

What am I thinking? His mind started to race, as a flurry of thoughts were flashing into his mind as he saw that I was going to kill him. I need to get out of here; Forgive me; Don't kill me; Have mercy! He realized that he was panicking. Fear settling in as he knew that this was it. His voice whimpered as he looked on at me, realizing that he was staring death in the face.

"I can never forgive you," I said in a cold, threatening voice. "You will know the pain that I felt as you feel my finishing blow! The pain of knowing that you can do NOTHING to fight back!"

I fired the attack. Hatori and Cereza screamed at me to stop, but they were all white noise as my mind was solely focused on Norman. Norman gasped in fear as he saw the Venoshock attack being fired off. This was it, I was going to end this. He was going to know the wrath of a woman scorned. The pain and fear of the consequences of his actions.

And then, a Lucario leapt in the way of the attack, arms outstretched, as he took the attack head on and shielded Norman.

Everyone stopped what they were doing, including me. The sudden surprise was enough to knock me back to my senses. I knew of only one Lucario, and upon realizing I had launched a Venoshock attack at him made me gasp out of fear. However, much to my relief, the attack did nothing to him. He knew that. He looked over at me, a serious expression on his face, as he told me "That's enough, Rose. I won't let you end him."

I was in shock, staring at Josh as he lowered his arms. He looked over at Adam, who was still collapsed on the ground behind me, unconscious. He clenched his fists, but maintained his composure. A sad look was on his face, mixed with the anger that he was clearly restraining. He didn't want to resolve this with violence. He then turned to gaze at Norman, showing how serious he was to him.

Norman realized he was in Josh's presence. But instead of feeling relieved that he jumped in to spare him, Norman lowered his head, as he once more bubbled into anger. "You…! You turned Rose against me! You took EVERYTHING from me!" Norman was so furious, he raised his finger gun at Josh, taking aim.

But it was there that Chris emerged suddenly, having caught up to Josh with Agility. He placed his blade arm near Norman's throat, causing the Inteleon to hesitate. Chris gave a cold glare to him, warning "Take one shot, and I'll cut your head off."

Norman realized how serious Chris was with this threat. He was clearly humiliated. To be viewed as weak didn't bode well with him. However, even he knew what a threat was, and how serious Chris was willing to go through with it. He slumped his head, crying, and lowered his arm.

Cross arrived shortly afterward, rushing over to Adam's side. He went to go and check his pulse, leaning his head on Adam's chest. He heard the steady beating of Adam's heart, and sighed with relief. He sat up and looked at Josh's direction. "Adam's alright!"

Upon hearing the good news, Josh sighed with relief, and he relaxed his body. He looked over at me afterward, and he could tell that I was still shaken by what happened. He walked towards me, lifting my chin up as I looked on at him. And there, I saw he was smiling, and on the verge of tears. Calmly, he said "Thank you, Rose. For saving him."

It was the sight of his face, how happy he was to know that Adam was alive, that broke me. I could no longer contain my emotions, and I began crying. I gave Josh a hug, weeping into his chest, my screams of anguish ringing in the air. I was scared of losing them. I felt so relieved that they were alright. My sobbing painted a picture that despite hating Norman for what he's done, I was just glad that my friends were alright.

Josh gently returned the hug back to me. He could tell I was upset, and that this was a long day. He was exhausted. And Josh ultimately tried to put up a brave face for my sake. My sobbing was enough to tell him that it was time to return back to Esther.

Cereza helped Hatori up to his feet, before turning her gaze toward Norman. Cross had revived Nolan, and soon enough, they both went to revive Cereza's fallen companions. But Cereza had her attention on Norman, clearly livid with how he threatened to destroy Josh and Adam. Loudly, she proclaimed "Snipeard, you are under arrest for the attempted murder of BlazeTiger, and the endangering of the lives of Ryutori and LucarioTrainerJ. You will thereby be–"

"Leave him," Josh ordered.

Cereza was shocked at Josh's response. But before she could question why, she saw Josh's face, seeing how sad he was. Without warning, he looked at her, showing that he didn't want to make things worse for him. "But… But J, you… You do know he almost killed your brother, right?"

Josh lowered his gaze, not wanting anyone to know his emotions. "I don't want to ban him because of his actions against us. He wanted to avenge his brother. I cannot blame him. But I can tell that he will never bother us again. Not after today."

Cereza didn't want to argue with Josh's reasoning. That much was certain. She could easily tell that Josh was just barely holding it together as it is. The idea of banning him must've been something that struck a chord with him, and he didn't want to make me depressed. I looked up at him, and I could see that he's got me on his mind as he made this choice.

Soon enough, Cereza nodded at Josh's request. Cross and Nolan used their remaining Reviver Seeds to bring back Cereza's companions, the Breloom and Lurantis. As soon as they were back up, Cereza ordered "Wesley. Trini. Help lift up BlazeTiger and bring him back to the guild. We're done here."

Wesley and Trini accepted the order without question, and rushed over to Adam's side, helping him up as they went and slung his arms over their shoulders. They went ahead to take Adam back to the guild, carrying him off to the direction of the town. Cross and Nolan turned to Chris, and saw that he was still holding Norman against the wall with a blade arm at his throat. "Chris!" Cross called out. "Let him go."

Chris didn't know if this was a good idea. After all, his friend ended up almost dying because of Norman's actions. Chris knew that Norman was not someone who was willing to listen to reason. But he looked between his allies, seeing all of their reactions, and felt pity. He sighed, and just…lowered his arm. He backed away from Norman, the Inteleon rubbing at his throat where the blade was at, breathing frantically as he broke into a cold sweat.

Chris gave a glance to Norman, before he walked off. Everyone was walking off. Adam was being carried off by Cereza's team. Hatori and Cereza walked off together. Chris reunited with Cross and Nolan and started to walk away, all giving a sad look towards me. To Josh. To Norman.

And soon enough, once I finally felt like I was calming down, Josh finished up his hug. Patting my shoulder, he said "Come on. Let's get out of here."

I sniffled, nodding with a whimper and accepted that there was nothing else to do. This was it. It was over. I looked over at Norman, my eyes awash with tears, and I could see that he was looking at me with a mixture of fear and sadness. I sulked, looking away from him, and started to walk away.

Norman began to shed tears. He felt awful. His voice caught in his throat. He wanted to call out, but no noise came out. All he could do was just stand there and bear witness to his friend, one of his greatest companions, walking away from him with disgust. He was about to start crying. Shame built up inside of him. Shame that he couldn't do anything to change my mind.

He gritted his teeth, clutched at his stomach, lurched forward as he felt this deeply-rooted pain. Pain of losing someone close to him. A pain that, I could guess, Josh and Chris had gone through. His thoughts ran through his head.

He recalled his brother, Gabe. He recalled how he, Gabe and I had been able to enjoy time together. The joy of Teams Intrepid and Radiance sharing a lovely dinner in the town of Nohr, watching the fireworks in the night sky as we sat there on the hill, overlooking the ocean views. He saw the sight of Rose and Gabe sharing a conversation together. The both of them smiling and laughing with each other.

Norman couldn't help but smile as he saw them with each other. Gabe took notice of his older brother watching him, and soon enough, he told Rose to stay put, as he soon walked over to Norman. Gabe sat down next to his brother, before he said "I saw you staring."

"Staring? What do you mean?" Norman asked with a wry smile.

"You seemed so fixated on Rose, you know. Is it because you love her?" Gabe asked with a grin.

"What?" Norman was surprised by this response. "Gabe, I hate to break it to you, but you called dibs already."

Gabe laughed at his teasing remark, before patting Norman on the back. "Relax. I was only joking."

"Sure you were." Norman chuckled a little, before staring off at the fireworks. Norman was so mesmerized by them, finding the celebration so beautiful. He took in the air, mentioning "The Winter Festival sure is beautiful, isn't it?"

Gabe nodded with a smile. "Yeah. Not bad, is it?" He looked particularly lost in thought, turning his attention over to me briefly, seeing me interacting with both Chloe and Serena. We all seemed to be enjoying the festivities, but it was here that Gabe soon decided to ask a question. "Norman? How would you feel about taking on the Trials of Arceus?"

This grabbed Norman's attention. "The Trails of Arceus? Why are you asking about that?"

Gabe shrugged a little. "Just thought it would be fun. A chance to see the rest of the world and test our strength. After all, that's what Team Intrepid is all about, right? To see the world? To test our resolve?"

Norman looked over at the Zangoose, and saw he was genuinely wanting to go on an adventure. It was something that Norman recognized as a passion in his brother's eyes. It was something that Norman actually respected greatly. Norman smiled, and said "Sure. But if it's just the two of us, it'll be rather tough, don't you think?"

"I guess," Gabe said as he looked at the fireworks again. "But…what if Rose came with us? We could actually increase our chances that way."

Norman was surprised. "You're suggesting that she leave her team?"

"Rose said that the only reason she logged into this game was because she wanted to journey with me," Gabe reasoned. "After all, you know our relation IRL."

Norman blushed a little, rubbing at his cheeks awkwardly as he looked away. "R-right… Of course I do."

Gabe smiled, returning his attention to his brother. "She really wants to show her strength. To be strong. To stand up as a team member worth respecting."

"To be strong, eh?" Norman pondered on it for a bit. He felt the offer was tempting, but didn't know how well I would last with them. But he considered bringing me onboard after a few seconds, and said "In that case, if she wants to come with, that's entirely up to her." He looked at Gabe with a smile, and said "She'll finally prove she's strong for once, but that's only if it's what she wants, Gabe."

Gabe smiled back, giving a nod to his brother at the idea. They both soon returned to looking at the fireworks, as Gabe mentioned "Just you wait, Norman. Rose is quite brave. You'll see."

Norman had no problems with my bravery. He's recognized that I was able to face some intense exchanges, acting as a mediator to resolve conflict. He never once denied that I had heart. What concerned him, however, is if I had the strength to back up that courage. He took a small glance back to me, seeing me staring at the fireworks with my team with a big smile on my face. He seemed to enjoy the fact that I was enjoying myself, even if he didn't know what I had to go through. He smiled to himself, thinking about my courage, before looking back at the fireworks.

This was the final night we all shared together as a crew. For the moment that Norman and Gabe parted ways, Gabe would've disappeared. Trapped in this world. Unable to escape. And eventually, it would cost him his very life.

He felt so much pain and disgust, he soon couldn't bear to see me walking away with Josh. In a way, I was the last person in his life that mattered. But the fact that he's broken my heart, crossed a line and shot Adam, it made me resent him. I didn't even want to look at him.

Losing eye contact with me was the final straw, and he let out a pained scream of anguish, as a swirl of water started to encase his feet. His anger was tantamount. He raised his head, glaring at Josh's back, before raising his finger gun and yelling "DAAAMN YOOOOU!"

CRASH!

It happened so suddenly, he had no time to react. Norman stood there, eyes wide in shock, his whole body shaking in fear. His breathing was rigid, as he slowly turned his gaze to the right. And he broke into a cold sweat, noticing that a glowing blue bone was chucked his direction, embedded in the wall just a centimeter from colliding with his head.

All at once, his body trembled. He saw the bone was stuck to the wall, the cliff side had visible cracks as the bone was stuck in place. This was so fast, so strong, he couldn't even compete with that raw power.

"Don't even try it," a cold voice said to him. Norman turned to where the voice came from, and there, standing before him, he saw Josh standing there, arm outstretched, his paw radiating blue flame. Josh's eyes had this terrifying look to them. It was a death glare that brought fear to whoever was unlucky to gaze upon it.

Norman tensed up, as he felt legitimate fear for the first time in his life. This wasn't just some player. This was a trained fighter. Josh would not hesitate to use his full power if it came to it. As Josh glared at Norman, a look of pure hatred and spite in his eyes, he gave out just one sentence. One that would forever haunt Norman.

"You are only lucky that my brother is alive."

Josh lowered his arm, flexing his paw as the blue flame vanished. This was the scariest that Norman and I had ever seen Josh. Norman saw Josh walking away, and instantly, his legs turned to jelly, and he fell down to the floor, feeling short of breath as he realized he just stared death in the face. His whole body was numb. Petrified in fear. His face had gone pale, realizing how close he was to experiencing Josh's wrath.

Josh was rather livid with Norman, but as I looked at him carefully, I saw that his face was filled with regret. The moment that Norman was out of sight, Josh started to cry, like he hated that he showed that side of himself in the first place. And thinking about it now, it only made me scared at the implications of what happened three years ago. Josh cares for Adam a lot, that much was true. But if Josh had survived the attack at his school, I soon realized then and there that maybe Josh isn't entirely innocent either.

There was another side of Josh. A more primal, animalistic side.

And it scared me.