Chapter 6: The Way Home

Downtown Luna City, 5:31:03 PM

"So let me make sure I got this right…" Celena and Lephantis were currently strolling through the subway station. Celena raised her pointer finger. "Due to your fight with Oskar getting publicized, the students that were at the bottom of the hierarchy began to revolt against those above them?" Lephantis nodded, and then Celena raised her middle finger in addition. "The principal caught wind of what happened and unfairly punished you for destroying Oskar's reputation." He hums in agreement and gestures for her to continue as she raises her ring finger. "When both principals were sent away on leave, the school grounds slowly turned into a warzone, and you assisted the teachers where you could to keep the fighting to a minimum, correct?" Lephantis grinned, then raised his pointer finger. "I was also under a secret identity during that time. Can't forget about that!" Celena playfully shoves him and rolls her eyes. "Right, how could I forget about that? You were a masked hero even though the teachers could probably point you out, by name, in a crowd."

Lephantis only laughed as he came back into the frame, but he nodded for her to continue. "Let's see what else... Oh! The school got shut down, then there was the announcement, and the principal still encourages the use of the tier system. Does that cover everything?" Lephantis smiled and gave her a round of applause. "That's every major detail! You have a very good memory, Celena, bravo!" She tilts her head up, grinning with her hands on her hips in jubilation. "I'm a good listener after all! Not a single detail can get past me!" Lephantis only chuckled as he touched his train pass at the checkpoint and walked through. Celena Did the same, and then both of them looked at the schedule above. "Hey Celena, which one is your stop? I'll walk you home." He looked over at Celena, and she only held the same grin from earlier, which made him tilt his head. "What?" She only chuckled and grabbed his hand, leading him to the proper platform. "Come on! We don't want to miss our train!" Getting dragged along, Lephantis caught on to what she said. "Our?"

10 minutes later, The Valiant

"Oh! So you also live in Ishimori?" The two of them were sitting by the exit doors, towards the middle of their coach. There were quite a few others inside as well, but there was enough space for them to get their own seats. Outside, the sun was lowering on the horizon, and patches of trees as well as open land sped by as they traveled. "Yup! When me and my mom first got here, we were surprised at how quiet it was compared to Urigawa." Celena leaned back in her seat, looking out to the rural pastures. "Yeah, Ishimori is a small town that's about 20 or so minutes away from Luna City. So the hustle and bustle that goes on there doesn't reach all the way out here." Lephantis folded one of his legs under himself as he also viewed the passing scenery. "The people are quite friendly, and crime might as well be nonexistent. It's the perfect place to enjoy peace and quiet." Celena nodded, then straightened back up in her seat. "You should show me around the place sometime. Since I'm new and all.~" She peeked at him with the corner of her eye, and Lephantis was pondering the suggestion with a hum. "I don't see why not? There are some places that even I haven't ventured toward yet… Sure, but would your mom be okay with you walking around with a boy?" He glanced up at her and raised a brow.

Celena could sense nervousness emanating from his question, and then a trouble-making grin appeared on her face as she invaded his personal space. "What? Got something naughty planned for me that you don't want my folks knowing about?" Nearly hurling himself to the floor, Lephantis sputtered, a blush spreading across his face. "WHA-!? I'd Neve-" Slamming a hand on his mouth, the occupants of the coach all point their gazes at him, and he hastily apologizes for his outburst. Celena was clutching her stomach and laughing into her hand, but that did little to stifle the volume. Feeling indignant about the tease, Lephantis grabbed her left arm and started to squeeze where he knew the largest cut resided. "Bahaha-ow! Ow. OW! Okay, I'm sorry. I'm sorry! Please let me go! I won't do it again!" Celena whisper-shouted as he slowly released her arm, and she massaged the pain from it. "Why are you so mean to me?" She looked up with a hurt expression, but Lephantis crossed his arms in satisfaction. "Don't give me that look you had it coming, and so now we're even." The two stared at each other for a few seconds, then both erupted into a fit of hushed laughter. The onlookers only chuckled at their antics as the two eventually calmed back down.

"Hey Leph?" Lephantis was still stifling his giggles, but he sat up and gave her his attention. "Yes Celena?" She looked pensive for a moment, remembering what had happened during the latter half of the lunch period. "What exactly is Sage to him anyway?" Lephantis waited patiently for her to say what was on her mind, but was getting a little worried with the serious look on her face. Before he could ask her what was wrong, Celena spoke. "Is Sage your ex?" Lephantis blinked at her, then a pfft escaped his lips as he hid his smile behind his fist. "H-Hey, what's funny? I-I'm just curious!" The embarrassment was plain in Celena's voice as a light flush was dusting her cheeks. "Nothing Nothing! It's just that Kioko asked me the same thing earlier today. I'm assuming you're referring to what happened earlier today during lunch?" Celena nodded quickly. "Yeah that! What was that all about?" Lephantis puts a finger to his lip as he thinks about the nemophilist.

"Well, first things first, we've never dated. Just Blehh!" He lets his tongue hang out of his mouth as he points towards his throat. Celena giggled at him as he straightened up. "Secondly, she's still holding a grudge against me for beating up Oskar two years ago." Celena tilted her head at him and raised a brow. "Huh? Wouldn't she have been a first year too? Did they know each other before Iguru?" Lephantis nodded with a hum, but his smile started to dim. "You're Correct. Sage, along with Ian, attended my primary school… and they were a part of Oskar's group." Celena's eyes widened, and he nodded again. "Ian didn't have much of a hand in my torment in comparison to Sage and Oskar. Those two were the main reasons why I chose this school in the first place because I was trying to get away from them." Negative emotions begin to swell up in his mind, but he quickly shakes them out of his head. "Back then, she was absent the first week of school because she had caught a really nasty cold. When she returned the following week, she had heard about what went on between me and Oskar and had cornered me with some of her goons for answers." Celena scowled, but Lephantis continued. "Long story short, she got really angry at me for destroying Oskar's image and sicced her boys on me. After I had managed to fend them off, I felt a flash in my peripheral vision…"

Celena's scowl morphed into a look of horror. "She didn't!" Lephantis' pause was telling. "She did, and not only that, but she took a video as well. It wasn't long before the media was thrown across the school like wildfire and the cherry on top? She started a huge rumor about me, saying I was taking advantage of the serfs and how she narrowly escaped my wrath." Celena balled a fist on the seat. "But that's clearly bullshit! You were framed!" Her anger was barely restrained, unlike her volume, and Lephantis had to apologize to the occupants again. "You're absolutely right, but you must remember that this was amidst Iguru's Havoc. Emotions were already running high on both sides around that time, and when that video started floating around, it had only added more fuel to the fire." Lephantis sighed as he looked at the floor. "I basically had to attend school using my disguise, or I would risk having a bunch of people wanting to clobber me. There wasn't really much time for me to clear my name due to the chaos, so I left it up to my classmates if they wanted to believe it or not." He drags his gaze back up to Celena, her brows lowered in contemplation and her arms crossed tight as she tapped a finger. "I guess that explains the killing intent in the classroom and when we saw you this morning."

He sadly nodded. "Yeah, my classmate's opinion of me is still a bit mixed, but it's way better now than what it was back then, especially after the school reopened. Those days were... painful to say the least." A smile manages to find its way back on his face as he puts his other foot back on the ground. "But I did have some good times during that dark period. Thanks to Leon, Jase, and CJ, they made school a whole lot more bearable to go to, and we've been practically inseparable ever since. That's a story for another time, but yeah, that's the whole gig between me and Sage." Celena's expression was unreadable, but her crossed arms had fallen back to their respective sides. "Hey Leph?" He hummed for her to continue as he looked back out at the passing scenery. "Can I punch her lights out tomorrow?" She turned to him with an innocent smile, and he felt a laugh bubbling up. "As much as I would love to see that, I'll have to say no. I do appreciate the thought though." She waved a hand up into view. "C'mon, just one slap. I swear it'll be quick, and she won't even feel it!" Lephantis started to crack up as Celena did a swift slap and backhand on her free hand. "Impressive, but I counted two slaps, not one." She shrugged as she crossed her right leg over her left and rested an arm along the top of the cushion. "Eh, semantics, but I didn't hear you say no." She sing-songed and smirked at him, and then they both chuckled.

"Hey Celena, since we're on the subject... Mind if I ask you something?" Lephantis clasped his hands together in his lap while Celena perked up. "Oh? You want in on it too? I knew you'd come around!" Lephantis vehemently shook his head, surprise coloring his features. "W-Wha? No, I'm not talking about that!" She clicked her tongue. "Boo, you're no fun! Alright, what is it?" Lephantis took a couple of calming breaths and did a quick once over in the coach before he regarded Celena again. "I know this is going to be very hard to ask of you since you're aware of my situation with her, but..." Celena put up her right hand, pausing him mid-sentence. "If you know it's going to be hard, then why ask me at all?" Celena had a feeling where this conversation was going, especially considering his selfless nature. After their initial encounter when they were children, Lephantis always made sure that she was okay before even thinking of himself. Whether they had a run-in with her schoolmates or were horseplaying by the river, he always made sure first and foremost that she was fine. She always appreciated him for being there for her, and she'd be damned if he tries to give her an easy way out.

"Because… I remembered what you said about your previous school. About how you and Kioko had to fight basically every day just to get by." He wrung his hands as he peeked up at her, then looked back to the ground. "I don't want to be the cause of that happening again, or worse, just because you two are hanging out with me…" He glanced over at her but refused to meet her gaze. "I can tell that Sage has an interest in you two, which by all accounts is extremely rare, and she doesn't go out of her way to talk to just anyone." He wrung his hands again, his anxiousness was starting to rise. "She has an incredibly strong Forte but not only that, she also has the favor of most students in the school and some teachers as well. Along with Ian and Oskar's influence, they can basically get away with anything on the school grounds or have someone expelled just like that!" He snapped his fingers. "Look, what I'm trying to say is… that when she offers her friendship to you and Kioko… could yall please not spurn it? I'm not saying you have to like her or her friends, but more so to remove yourselves from her crosshairs. Please?" He chanced a glance up at Celena, and she looked to be in thought as she stared into space. After a moment, she made eye contact with him and smiled. "Nope!" Lephantis was taken aback by the playfulness in her tone. "N-Nope?!" Celena nodded as she slid her arm off of the cushion behind him and let it rest on the back of his neck. "N-o-p-e. Nope!" She did a little flourish with her free arm when she spelled it out to him.

Lephantis shook off the initial surprise. "B-But why?! Didn't you hear what I just told you? She is basically the queen of the school; you know, she has the majority of the student body under her thumb and has sway with most of the teachers?" He pleaded for her to understand, and Celena only nodded. "Oh, I heard you, but I told you no. It pains me so, but I have to do it." She leans back while she dramatically places the back of her hand against her forehead while she snickers. Lephantis stared dumbfoundedly at her, trying to quantify her stubbornness. Celena peaked an eye at him and tugged him against herself. "Let me ask you a question instead, Leph." After he scooted the rest of his body under himself, he cast an inquisitive look up at Celena. She stared down at him, her eyes devoid of the playfulness from earlier. "Have you told Leon and the gang what you told me?" He opened his mouth but immediately closed it to a thin line, then shook his head slowly. "Okay, next question." She raises her free hand and raises two fingers. "Do you think any one of them would accept your request if they knew what you told me?" He looked away from her but shook his head. "No…"

Celena leaned forward to get into his line of sight. "So with those two questions answered, what made you think me or Kioko would accept such a request?" Lephantis stared back at her in contemplation, then blinked as his motivation leaked from his mind. "Because I wanted to protect you two and ensure that your new beginning here wasn't messed up like mine…" Celena smiled at that, her gaze filling with adoration. "As caring as always~." She sat up straight, releasing him, and fished her phone out of her pocket. "I got something to show ya." Lephantis could hear her tapping away at her phone as he sat back up. She leaned into him while holding her phone up for him to see the screen. Celena giggled at his reaction when she heard him gasp and glance at her. What was on the screen was her and Kioko standing triumphantly in what looked to be the gym of their previous school. The court and goals were utterly obliterated, and there was a massive hole in the ceiling. Amidst the destruction was the carnage of various students, of shapes and sizes one couldn't even believe attended middle school, who were littered about the floor, stands, and even the walls. Celena had zoomed in on the focal point of the shot. "This was taken near the end of our second year. Right here is me and Kioko taking out the gang leader who had control of the gym."

As she pointed out, both she and Kioko can be seen uppercutting said leader toward the hole in the ceiling. Kioko held up a fist made of her hair while Celena had one of her legs up alongside her. "He was a nasty guy who played dirty to get what he wanted. Hostages, blackmail, sabotage—you name it, and he's probably done it a million times. Anyway, he wouldn't let any of the students use the gym after or during school and would beat anybody past submission if they thought otherwise." His eyebrows raised, and she nodded. "Me and Kioko had challenged him to a game of basketball, 2 on 2. He tried his hardest to cheat and bend the rules, but ultimately we had beaten him at his own game and humiliated him in front of his gang." Celena chuckled, remembering his outraged face when he lost. "It was hilarious, but he didn't find it too funny, so like the sore loser he was, he called out to his gang and jumped us. It was a hundred of them vs the two of us, and boy, it was a bloodbath." Lephantis' face contorted into worry when he saw the feral grin spreading across her face. "Me and Kioko took out fifty each, and when the leader was left alone and pleading to work under us, we promptly removed him from his position." The screen went black as she locked her phone and returned it to her pocket.

Lephantis was astonished by her story. He knew that she was strong from watching her fight with Harumi, but this was another level. He was left speechless by the revelation, and Celena reveled internally from his admirable stare. "Me and Kioko had been through a lot together during our stay at Kanisu. Most times we had to fight our way out of things, and ever so rarely could we come to an understanding with our peers. You could say that Iguru's Havoc was our everyday norm, hierarchy and all. So believe me when I tell you that even if Sage were to bare her fangs at us." She looked directly at him as she leaned away. "We can handle whatever she throws our way." She flashed her signature grin and winked at him. Lephantis can feel his face heat up at her declaration and averts his gaze from hers as he toys with the lace braid. "I-I see. I-I'm sorry, I had no idea you guys had gone through so much over there..." Celena was delighted by the effect she was having on him and decided to enact her desire to encircle him with her arms. "Don't be, it's very sweet! And I'm sure Kioko would appreciate it too when I tell her later." Lephantis raised a hand to the arm crossing his chest, a smile gracing his lips. "Can you please not? It's very embarrassing, and she would meddle me to no end after I laughed at her today." He felt her hum on his shoulder. "No can do but tell you what, just give me the word, and I'll smack her good if she goes too far. Deal?" Celena felt him rumble as he stifled a laugh. "Deal!"

Ishimori 6:10:25

The sky had shifted from orange to pink as the sun was starting to disappear behind the horizon and the moon was slowly rising to prominence. Street lights flickered to life as the silence was filled with the chirping of crickets. Currently, our duo is strolling by an empty playground on the east side of Ishimori. "I forgot to mention this back in the nurse's office, but I really like the braid you did. What's it called?" Lephantis lifted his ponytail into view, inspecting the craft. Celena grinned as she put both of her hands behind her head. "I'm pleased to hear that you love my work! Also, that's called a lace braid. It's very similar to a Dutch and French braid, but it only stays on one side. I only know this because Kioko used me as a training doll back in Year 1 of middle school… Do you know how hard it is to get those knots out?" She grimaced, and Lephantis chuckled. "Ehh kinda? I know when it happens, you have to moisturize it and swipe at it with a comb or something like that?" He pinches some stray hairs and mimics the motion of combing upwards. Celena squinted at him and pouted. "I wish she knew that back then, but noo~." She mimics Kioko's accent and pitch. "It's not as bad as it looks, Celena! I got something that'll do just the trick!" She reverts her voice back to normal. " Then she whipped out a pair of "scissors'' that were obviously SHEARS and tried to cut my hair with them." Lephantis giggled, giving her a sympathetic look, and patted her back. "Oof, that sounds horrible and a little scary... but why shears?"

Celena sighed, still in disbelief about the whole ordeal. "Apparently, her forte makes her hair "stronger" than normal. The shears I mentioned earlier? They're made out of a special type of metal that's capable of cutting her hair." Lephantis looked up to her in amazement, his eyes widening in wonder. "Whaaaat?! I have so many questions now!" Celena chuckled at his reaction while she dropped an arm on the back of his neck. "You'll have to save those for her tomorrow, cuz I don't know all the specifics, but her hair really is something." Lephantis still had astonishment written across his face. "Okay, okay, then just answer me this one question. Can it stretch farther than 70 feet?" Celena smirked at him, already piecing together who exactly he was referring to. "Maybe on a good day, but who knows?" She shrugged with her free arm, and Lephantis could feel his excitement rise. "Oh yeah, I'm definitely going to bug her about that later! Speaking of which..." Celena tilted her head at him while his countenance went pensive for a moment.

"Do you mind if we stop by the athletic center for a little while before we go to the arena?" Celena smiled and nodded. "Sure! I'm not in any hurry to get there, and I'd like to get a look inside since we didn't get the chance today." Lephantis beamed at her, thankful for her accommodations. "Oh, that also reminds me! Tomorrow is Tuesday, isn't it? P.E. is going to be hell." Celena raised a brow at him, gesturing for him to continue. "Tuesdays and Thursdays are our competitive days, and depending on the activity, you would be allowed to use your forte." Celena chuckled darkly, a scheming smile splitting her face. "Iszatso?" He nodded but gave her a reproachful stare. "But that does not mean you get to do whatever you please." She clicked her tongue as she looked away in displeasure, and Lephantis giggled. "However…" He let it hang in the air, which drew Celena's attention back to him. "Even with that said, if the coach doesn't see what happens, then no harm or foul." He playfully shrugged as Celena looked at him with hope in her eyes. "I knew you had some bad in ya! C'mere you!" She pulled him into a headlock hug, and Lephantis, while laughing, was trying to push her off of him and tapping her arms for air. "Okay Okay! That's enough; I can't breathe!" She let him go but looped her arm around his and clung to him. He massaged his neck with his free hand, and Celena only cheesed at him. "You are way stronger than you look, I think I'm starting to understand what Kioko meant by not getting hit by you." He chuckled, and she raised a hand up. "Want a sample?" Lephantis face paled, and he looked away from her. "No thanks! I'll stick to the death hugs, I like those more." Celena hummed in approval as she lowered the extremity. "Good answer~. I've been told that my slaps leave a permanent mark on the ego!" Lephantis silently swallowed as they took a turn on Hashimiya Street.

Today was like a dream come true for Celena. Never had she thought that in a million years she'd be walking with the object of her admiration and affection. She silently thanked Kami-sama for orchestrating their encounter and giving her the opportunity to spend the day with him. She had longed for their paths to cross ever since she got into her 2nd year of primary school, and it was very well worth the wait. "Just you wait Leph! I'm going to show you just how much I've changed ever since we last met!" She grinned but heard a chortle from below her and felt a nudge on her side. She glanced down at the chuckling Lephantis. "That's quite some fire in your eyes, Celena. Are you that fired up about PE tomorrow, or are you plotting someone's downfall?" The way his eyes reflected some of the pinkish hues of the sky nearly made her spill what she was thinking. "Wouldn't you like to know~." She put her hands behind her back as she tilted her nose up to the sky. Lephantis shook his head in amusement, then caught sight of their destination nearing. He pointed toward the home. "Oh, is this it right here?" Celena peeked an eye at where he was pointing, then nodded. "Yup, that's it! C'mon!" She took off ahead and gestured for him to follow.

"Here we are! My humble abode." After Lephantis caught up, Celena introduced her house to him with wide arms. The home itself was two stories and made out of a mixture of white wood and red brick. The grass was freshly cut, and the lights were still out, though barking could be heard from the inside. Lephantis looked at her with concern as she pulled out her keys to open the gate. "Oh, don't worry, that's just Stella, she's just excited that I'm back home." The gate unlocks with a creak, swinging open with a high-pitched whine. "Hey Leph, do you live far from here? I feel a little bad if you have to walk way outcha way." She stepped through the threshold, and Lephantis followed her in. "Nah, funnily enough, we passed my home on the way here." He points back to the way they came. "I'm about two blocks thataway. It's the one with the purple SUV in the driveway and a flower bed in front of the porch." Celena immediately spun on her heels and gave him a scolding stare. "And you didn't mention this to me when we passed it?" Lephantis nodded as he offered a sheepish smile. "I was very engrossed in our conversation, so I didn't realize we even passed it up. Sorry bout that." He chuckled nervously, and Celena only shook her head and smiled at him. "No harm done, but I hope you know that I'm going to bug you just about every day, right?" Lephantis had a thoughtful look for a moment, but then he shrugged at her. "I can live with that." They both chuckled as they reached the front door, then faced each other.

"Thanks for walkin me back! I had a ton of fun today with your tour." Lephantis smiled bashfully. "You're welcome, and I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. Though I hope tomorrow will treat us a little better, I could use a break from the drama and the occasional flying fist." He crossed his arms as he looked out to the street, and Celena only giggled. "I'm sure it'll go swimmingly if your reputation is anything to go by... See you tomorrow?" He sighed, then looked back at her and nodded. "See you tomorrow. Have a good rest of your evening." He stepped off the porch, and she waved at him. "You too, and be careful on your way home!" Lephantis waved back at her, then she pulled out her keys, unlocking the door. Though before she opened it, she cast a glance back to the street, watching her friend close the gate. "Hey Leph!" He lifted his head up. "Want to walk to the station together!?" His eyes widened slightly at the request, but he smiled at her and raised a thumbs up. "Sure! I'll be waiting in front of my house around 6:45! Is that enough time?" She nodded. "Plenty! See ya soon!" She opened the door, and with one final wave, she went inside. After the door closed, Lephantis began his short journey back home. He took out his phone and went to the contact lists, then tapped on the green button next to Leon's icon. He put the device up to his ear, and after a couple of rings, a click was heard. "Hey Raika! What's up?" Lephantis checked around himself to make sure there weren't any prying ears. "Hey Leon! And I'm doing well, but I do have a question. Do you have some time right now?"

The Brighton Household 6:15:48 PM

Celena had her back against the door with her hands over her heart, trying to calm the rapid thumping. Even though she had expected him to accept her request, the uncertainty present within her mind made her heart clench at the thought of him rejecting it. She slid down from standing to sitting and let out a breath she'd been holding from outside. "I can run into the claws of a tiger, but asking him to walk me to school is the thing that scares me more? Kioko was right, love is very confusing… Speaking of which, I need to call her, I bet she's dying to know how it went." The sound of clawed footsteps reached her ears as the feeling of something wet nudged her cheek. Jarred out of her thoughts, the very cute face of a golden retriever was panting next to her. She smiled. "Hi Stella! Who's a good girl?" She cradled the face of the large dog and started to rub along her neck and back. "Ya hungry?" Stella licked her cheek, then gave a hearty ruff! then turned around to go into the den. Celena removed her shoes and placed them off towards the right, noting that her mother's was still missing.

Taking a couple of steps into the hallway, then turning right, Celena flicks on the light for the living space. There was a sectional couch accompanied by a coffee table in the middle of the space. Against the wall directly ahead of the furniture was a flat-screen TV, the remote held in its clasp directly off to the TV's left. She turned her head to the left and walked over to the kitchen, spinning one of the stools at the bar as she passed through. Their kitchen was of appropriate size, nothing too extravagant, it had a 3-light pendant on the ceiling above the island, the floor, which is now white tile from the chestnut vinyl wood, was spotless except for the occasional paw print near the food and water bowls, and the sinks were clean with no dishes in sight. Picking up the food bowl, she sauntered to the pantry and opened it. Cereals and other sweet treats lined the top two shelves, while the rest were taken up by spices, bread, and other things used for actual cooking. Crouching down and grabbing the dog food from under the last shelf, she grabs the giant, curved plastic spatula from inside and begins shoveling food into the bowl. Celena felt a nudge on her back, which was accompanied by a low whine. "I hear ya I hear ya~... There, all filled up!" She stood up with the full bowl in hand and out of reach of Stella, who was trying to reach and jump for it. "Hey! Down, Dowwwnnnn. It'll be all yours once I get your water. Now go sit." She pointed towards the water bowl, and Stella immediately went over and sat down, her tail wagging excitedly. Celena shook her head in mirth while she reached into the fridge to grab a filtered pitcher filled with water.

Setting the food bowl down and quickly getting her hand out of the way, Stella dug in as soon as the metal object hit the floor. She poured water into the other basin until it filled to the top, then returned to the fridge. "Okay, Stella has been taken care of! Only thing left is to heat up the leftovers for Ma and me, then I'll give Kio a call." Returning to the pitcher in its place and grabbing what she had made for her bento this morning. Celena grabbed two plates from the cabinet above. "Good thing I made a lot this morning. I wonder what I should make for tomorrow…" She absentmindedly slapped on the beef and rice on both plates and divided equally what remained of the eggs, then heated both plates up. Grabbing her portion, she goes back into the den and grabs the remote from its holder. She sits down and turns on the TV, which was last left on the six o'clock news. "And now for today's criminal report!" The newscaster chirped in excitement. Celena was about to change the channel, but Lephantis words rang out in her head. "It is Dreamy Town, so crime is bound to happen on a day-to-day basis." Usually she wouldn't watch the news since, back at home, there wasn't anything different from the norm at the school or city.

However, given the number of times Lephantis had brought up the crime rate in both places, she was lowkey curious about what exactly goes on here. "Dreamy Town is several times larger than Urigawa... It would do me some good to know what I'm getting into living here." She turns up the volume and sets the remote down, then digs into her food. "It would seem like our usual offenders have caught the case of the Mondays with happenings being down by 50% today." She raised her left hand, and a graph appeared in her palm, which was enlarged to properly display the numbers from over the weekend. "Perhaps this has something to do with Dreamy Town's newest unsanctioned hero, Game Freak! They've been at large for quite some time and have managed to evade the police's grasp time and time again. One could infer they mean well with their interventions, but the police have otherwise to say." With a snap of her fingers, the graph disappears, and then the overlay seems to swap to a video already playing with the sound fading in. The setting was a press conference at the police station, with the chief in uniform standing behind a podium. "Although they had managed to help us bust a wanted criminal, vigilantism is still illegal within the city limits and is punishable by law. If you see an offense or the vigilante in question, please call local law enforcement!"

The interviewers began to clamor for the next question, but then the video playback shifted to a different scene. The setting this time is in the alley where Milt was getting escorted into the back of an ambulance on a stretcher. "For those who missed it, last Saturday, up-and-coming criminal Bullseye Milt was found unconscious by police around 10:30 p.m. Local eyewitness reports suggest that it was a mugging gone terribly wrong. He sustained minimal injuries along with a very nasty concussion, and according to the DTPD, he was responsible for the increase of armed organized crime as well as bringing illegal firearms into our city. His sentence is still pending." The overlay returns back to the anchor while the video is minimized in the top right corner. "As for Game Freak, at this time we have no information about their whereabouts or motives. However, public opinion of them seems to be in favor of their efforts." The video in the top right got dismissed, then the anchor turned over a page. "In other news, there was an attempted robbery at the Luna bank at around 3:30 p.m. today. Police suspect it was a group of four, and depictions of the criminals should be out sometime this week after a review of CCTV. Law enforcement has the bank temporarily closed down for investigation and ask that citizens avoid any foot traffic within the crime scene." She places the paper back on the desk and folds her hands over each other. "That's all I have for you in our criminal report. Back to you, Jeremy, with the weather forecast."

Celena had put down her now-empty plate on the coffee table as she grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. "Wow, he wasn't kidding. This city is way more active than Urigawa! The worst over there was like porch pirates or the occasional purse snatcher…" She picked up her plate and went to the kitchen to clean it. "But to think we have bank robberies and organized crime as the norm here is still pretty crazy... I should probably ask Leph about what else goes on in the city." Celena set the plate in the dishwasher and then walked over to pet Stella, who was lounging on the kitchen floor. "I wonder if the police and their "heros" are just as "by the books" as they were in Urigawa…" Celena could feel a frown forming on her face as she stood up and walked back into the hallway. "Stupid heros…" She shook her head as she cut off the lights in the den and ran up the stairs to her room. Swinging the door open, Celena flicks the light on and steps inside to sit on the rolling chair idly spinning in the center of her room. Her bed was lined up against the farthest wall under a curtained window across from the doorway. To her left was a very wide closet with peach-colored doors haphazardly closed on one side and the other left half open. To her right was a desk with a tiny buffet lamp with a pink shade, and to the right of the desk was her dresser vanity with a bunch of clothes and various accessories strewn across its top.

Standing up quickly and flinging a hand up, she grabs the light switch chain of her ceiling fan and clicks it off, then sits back down and pushes off the floor with her feet while swinging her knees to the left. She immediately spun 180 degrees as she slotted herself perfectly into her desk and turned on the lamp. Celena reaches down to one of the desk drawers and brings out a phone stand, an unintelligible picture frame, a hair brush, and a comb. She arranges these objects as one would arrange silverware at a dinner party, with the brush on the left, the phone, equipped with a stand, in the middle, the comb on the right, and towards the edge of the desk stood the picture frame. "Okay, everything is together and ready to go…" She glanced over at the picture frame and smiled at it, then reached over and unlocked her phone. "Okay, let's see... Op!" As soon as she was about to click Kioko's name in the contact list, the device began to vibrate as a video feed of Kioko on the other side could be previewed. Chuckling at the coincidence, Celena slides up on the green icon. "There you are! You sure took your time, huh?" The smug grin of her best friend could be seen from behind her ambassador pose. "So how was it?" Kioko was wearing a black T-shirt with the sleeves ripped off, white shorts that stopped at the upper thigh, and her hair done up in a giant bow with drills in the front. In the background of Kioko's room, there were pink stripes angled across the walls and a very fancy dresser with various mannequin heads wearing whigs dotting the surface. The ribbon portion of Kioko's hair could be seen reaching off screen and returning to drop off nail polish, combs, and brushes.

Celena took a breath, then exhaled in satisfaction as a love-truck smile materialized on her face. "It was everything I hoped for, Kio. Where do I even begin?" She looked down in thought, but Kioko cleared her throat with an ackhem! Celena looked back up to her friend's cheeky smile. "How about when you left the classroom? I caught a glimpse of you manhandling him on your way out. Did something happen?" Celena felt her face heat up as her eyes widened at the suggestion, suddenly remembering why she did that. Kioko chuckled at her expression but awaited her explanation. "Well, that's... um... you see..." She sighed. "Sage got a hold of him before I could. She was talking to him about something, but I couldn't hear exactly what because Ian was talking to me." A gasp could be heard from her phone as Kioko's hair hand placed itself on her chest to emphasize her surprised visage. "No way! I never would've thought!" Celena raised a brow at her. "What?" Kioko removed the hand from her chest and grinned at the screen. "I had the feeling that you'd be the jealous type." Celena sputtered. "I wasn't jealous! He was uncomfortable around her, so I just took him out, that's all!" Laughter could be heard from the device as Celena turned away in a huff. "Sure, sure, keep telling yourself that." Kioko brought up a hand from her right as she waved it nonchalantly while a beam graced her features. Celena faced the phone on her desk, trying to play it off. "A-Anyway after that, we went to the gym first. The court is way larger than the one back at Kanisu, and they even let people play whatever they want after school. Dodgeball, pick-up, pretty much anything! Also, I think Leph may be a little bad at sports, but he picks up on stuff pretty fast!"

Kioko could see the smile return to her face as she reminisced. "After that, we went to what he called "The Backyard." I'm sure you have already seen it, but there's like two humongous trees sitting back there with their roots basically formed as seats at the bottom. It's a spectacular view, especially with the field of flowers surrounding it. According to Leph, that "backyard" was created by none other than Sage." Celena's expression soured for a split second, but reverted back to carefree. "Next up, we moseyed over to the athletics center and met up with three of his closest friends, Leon, CJ, and Jase. They're really cool guys, and they're part of the sports program and If I recall correctly, Leon was his elder brother. I think I managed to gain some approval from him too." Kioko "Ooo" at that. "Already setting the groundwork, are you? Scoring some brownie points with his bro will definitely give you an edge in capturing your beau. What did you do to get his approval?" Celena grinned. "He wanted me to watch over him and also told me about how shy he is, especially in front of large groups. It was adorable how he reacted, his face was priceless! Oh, did I also mention that they all call him "Raika" too? Kioko raised an eyebrow at her in contemplation. "Thunder Flower? That's a cute nickname, or is that his middle name?" Celena shrugged. "Right? Though I'm not sure, I didn't really get the chance to ask since we were all having different convos going on."

Kioko perked up, forming two hands out of her hair to pick up the comb and brush, then began to brush both sides of the bow. "Speaking of which, were you able to grab his Ryne?" Celena was about to answer in confirmation but immediately sucked in a breath as her face paled. "I didn't! Oh, how could I forget about that? I was just so content with spending the day with him that I didn't even bother asking for his number or Ryne." She facepalmed and shook her head in her hand. Kioko shook her head and giggled. "It's no biggie~ You could always ask tomorrow. Just don't chicken out, and you'll be fine." She stuck her tongue out at her, and Celena flipped her off, eliciting another giggle from her. "So then what happened?" Celena put down the offending hand and thought for a moment. "I believe his friends had to go, something about missing a bus? After they left, we moved on to the track and football field. It was very well kept, and even the stands were spotless!" She leaned back in her chair to undo the binding in her hair. "The students there were all practicing their events, but one thing I noticed in comparison to this morning was that the people out there are real big fans of Leph." She sets the overused scrunchie somewhere out of view, and her hair seems to poof up from the release of tension. "The major thing that happened here was..." A wild grin graces Celena's features. "I got into a fight!"

Kioko's hair paused in her brushing as she got closer to the phone. "Really?! With who?! And also, I thought we were trying to keep a low profile?" She squinted at her, but Celena raised her hands in a placating manner. "We were we were but the problem was how it started. Leph was telling me a story about why the field is the way it is, but after a while, I started to feel someone's gaze lingering on us, but I couldn't tell from where. Then, when I looked down, there was this girl with tiger-like features who tried to punch Leph's lights out. My body just moved on its own, and before I knew it, we were scrapping in the field. Also, her name is Harumi Obi, and she is quite strong, or at least stronger than the average Joe back at Kanisu." Kioko nodded along with the details, but she kept her eyes narrowed. "What did she want with him?" Celena looked pensive for a second, but the displeasure was starting to spread across her face. "She claims that she wanted to ask him to spar with her... but I get the feeling that there's more to it than that... For instance, when he accepted her request, she immediately started sniffing him real closely." Kioko's mouth hung open before she straightened back up. "Wow! Not even a day has passed, and you already have a rival!? Does Leph know? Also, Didja win?" Celena bit her bottom lip as she looked away. "To answer your first question, I don't think he does. He seemed oblivious to how she was acting with him compared to anyone else. As for your second question…"

Kioko leaned even closer, spotting the embarrassment on Celena's face as she raised a hand to cradle her cheek. "Lephantis intervened and knocked us both out… cold." Clink! Clack! Tink! Sounded over the phone as the comb and brush fell on the desk, knocking the nail polish on its side. "WHAAAT?! He did?! Oh SHI-!" Kioko stood up a little too fast and almost stumbled over herself along with her chair getting flung across the room. Celena raised her other hand to cradle the remaining cheek, trying to hide the blush but nodded. "I'm not exactly sure how his Forte works, but he told me that it's related to the games he's played." Lowering her hands, Celena picks up the hairbrush on her desk and begins to brush her wild mane. "Anyway, me and Obi were about to go all out with our final attacks, but Leph got in between us and summoned this huge shield around himself. We tried to maneuver away from him but ended up striking the barrier. After that, all I remember was being sent to the ground hard." She makes an explosive sound with her mouth, signifying her hard fall. Kioko managed to capture her wits and sent one of her hands to retrieve the chair. "How long were you two out for?" The chair found its way back behind Kioko, and she sat down.

Celena swapped the brush into her other hand as she whipped her mane to the other side. "According to him, it was about 4-5 minutes. Not going to lie, though, my pride is a little bruised for getting taken down like that though…" Kioko raised a brow at her as her hair picked up her brush and comb to continue its previous task. "You don't seem all too upset. If that look on your face is any indication~." She used her actual hand to point at her with a knowing look, and Celena only beamed. "He gave me a lap pillow as he waited for me to wake up. It was bliss, Kio, the pain I was feeling in that moment wasn't even there! The way he combed his fingers through my hair and made sure I was okay made me feel like the only girl in his world." Kioko chuckled. "It sounds like you love getting spoiled by him." She pointed at Celena's arms. "Is he also the reason why you got those bandages?" Celena glanced down at her bandaged limbs, then back up to Kioko.

"Yup! He hurried me into the nurse's office to get me patched up. We even played doctor there! Too bad it didn't go anywhere beyond medical care though." She put her brush down and propped up her head with her left hand, exhaling softly. "But this is the part of the tour that's going to take the longest to explain." Sensing the shift in mood, Kioko's hair puts down her stylist tools and uses her actual hands to grab the nail polish. "I'm assuming this is the part where he tells you about his relationship with Sage?" Celena slowly nodded as she sat back up and started to pick at the wrappings. "That part came a little later... This would be more of an introduction to why he's treated the way he is by Sage and the majority of the student body. I'll get you up to speed; just let me gather my thoughts real quick." Kioko uncaps her polygel and places her hand on the table. "Take all the time ya need. I'm not going anywhere, and I'm extremely curious about how your little redhead managed to become public enemy number one." Finally getting the gauze loose around her wrist, Celena begins unwrapping her left arm. "Okay, it started on his first day of school…"

Sometime later…

"Woah… any normal person would've turned to delinquency after having to go through all that. Personally I draw the line at public humiliation. To suffer so much misfortune has to be a crime somewhere…" Kioko couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had to ask multiple times throughout Celena's retelling if she's talking about the same boy they had met this morning. With the circumstances revealed she didn't have much to say but had a lot to think about. "Poor guy…" She capped her polygel and tossed it onto the bed somewhere off screen. "But I can't help but give mad respect to his decisions though. Even with the entire school hating on him he still tried to do some good by them. I don't think I would've been capable of making such a choice after getting done dirty like that…" Celena nodded, her bandages were fully removed and the lacerations from earlier today had already closed and seemed to be nothing more than minor cuts now. "Me neither…" A beat of silence passed between the two of them.

"So, we beating them down tomorrow or what?" Kathunk. Celena looked over to her phone, spotting Kioko's shears on the desk. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Remember our plan?" A devious smile appeared on Kioko's Face and she nodded. "Of course I do! We goin through with it?" Celena chuckled and nodded. "We are but we still need a little bit more info. There's still a bunch of unknowns we don't know since this school has a different set of rules than our old one. Remember this morning when we came into the east side entrance of the school?" Kioko placed the shears somewhere off screen but confirmed with a thumbs up. "Yeah there was a group of guys ganging up on one person but when we threatened a fight they ran away with their tail between their legs." Celena hummed in acknowledgement. "There must be some unspoken rule in place or something that makes them fear getting into conflict." Kioko came back on screen blowing on her nails. "Perhaps Lephantis knows? If I recall correctly, he had mentioned something about a ranking system and how the principal as well as the teacher's would treat you differently based on that… Oh! Sage did say that when trouble happens she or "someone" around her caliber would solve the issue."

Both of them pointed at each other through their screens then Celena spoke up. "You might be onto something Kio Looks like that smack I gave you earlier raised your IQ." A high pitched "Hey!" squealed over the phone but Celena assured she was joking… probably. "But you're definitely right though. It would be bad if we enacted our plan and had dozens of them ambush us." Celena brought a hand up to her chin in thought then she snapped her fingers. "How about this? You come with me and Leph to the arena after school tomorrow and we can ask him a bunch of questions about how the system works here and maybe gain some insight on Sage and Oskar's group?" Kioko snap-pointed at her. "Sounds good to me! I'm more curious about Oskar than I am about Sage anyway. His forte sounds really strong and I wonder how that will hold up against mine?" Two hands form from the ribbon tails of Kioko's hair and swing around to the front to pound each other. "I hope Sage and the rumors were right about him being the strongest." Celena grinned at Kioko's thirst for action. "We'll find out soon enough but for now let's just keep it on the down low." They nod to each other, their objective set.

"Yo Celena, got a question for ya." Celena perked up as she reached for the picture frame off screen. "What's up?" Kioko propped her head up with both her hands. "Ignoring all the stuff we talked about earlier… When do you think you're going to reveal yourself to him?" Celena nearly dropped the frame in her hands as she stumbled to catch it from a short descent to the floor. After setting the object far away from the edge, Celena started to fidget with her fingers. "I-I'm not sure…? It's just…" She sighed and Her friend raised an inquisitive brow. "You don't think you're ready yet?" Celena looked at the picture off screen then back to her and nodded. "I wanted to do something special for him before I told him who I was…" Kioko Leaned on her right hand as her left fell limply on the desk. "Does he recognize you?" Celena brows lowered as she combed through her memories. Whenever they've interacted throughout the day Celena would catch him occasionally staring at her whenever their conversations slipped into silence or reading together during class. "I don't think he does… Though this morning when I helped him up he was staring at me quite intensely like he did know me…" Kioko hummed, her eyes flicking to the side. "I think it might be safe to say that he doesn't know who you are. He might have some sneaking suspicions in his head but I don't think he'll act on them just yet."

Kioko picks her phone up with her left hand, bringing it a little closer to her face. "But I wouldn't loaf if I were you. If your assumption about Obi is correct then you need to act soon before you miss your chance of surprising him or having him stolen from you." Celena's eyes widened then narrowed in resolution as she nodded. "I'll figure out something soon… maybe i could ask him out this weekend?" Kioko closed her eyes in thought, appraising the situation. "Mmm That's a massive step and you two just met back up today… Do you think he'll say yes if you ask him?" A beat passed as Celena pondered the chances. "That… I can't be sure of. He's a really nice guy but he also has an extraordinary sense of duty… I'll just have to find out tomorrow or the day after." Celena scooted away from the desk with phone in hand then jumped out of the chair to flop onto the bed. "If he says no… It'll hurt but I'll persevere. I won't give up no matter how awkward it is!" Kioko opened her eyes and smiled at Celena. "Seems like your resolve is steeled! I wish you luck and I hope the wind blows in your favor!" Muffled through the door a feminine voice can be heard calling Kioko's name. "Coming! That's my mom so I have to go. I'll pray for you tonight! See ya sis and Good Night!" Celena smiled back at her. "See ya sis and Good night.~"

With the screen turning black, Celena rolls over onto her back. "Okay… just imagine you're facing down an army of thugs and you need to beat the boss, who awaits at the top of the school…" Her phone slipped out of her hand as she covered her eyes with her arm. "Except said boss is an adorable redhead with a cute smile." She sucked in a long breath then blew it out with a groan. "I need a shower…" Sitting up, Celena throws herself out of bed and walks to her dresser. She had her hand on one of the drawers but realized that she left her prized possession out in the open. Releasing the handle she hops to her desk and swipes the frame into her hands. Taking one last look at the picture held inside, she smiles. What was held inside the frame was a picture taken of the two of them just before the two went their separate ways. To the right of a young Celena was Lephantis smiling brightly as he brought her close to himself. And to his left Celena could be seen smiling as well albeit very shyly to where it was almost invisible but the light held in her eyes seemed dim yet renewed. Celena hugged the frame to her heart then returned the frame back into the desk drawer where she left it. She grabbed some loose clothes from the top of her dresser and rushed out of her room.

Author's Note:

I should really make an over-arching outline for this story XD. I have so many Ideas and routes I want to take to the point where it actually hinders my writing process! Hopefully with this I can probably say that the "Prolouge" should be with the next chapter or two But we'll have to see. I like world building and trying to flesh out characters, it's alot to do but I need to find the perfect balance between just enough and too much info~. Till Next time!