(October 3rd, 2030)

(POV: Third)

Liam finally amassed the courage to face his old friend. As he walked to Chase's apartment, he couldn't help but feel how heavy his heart was. He struggled to drag himself across each sidewalk and road, almost like his heart was a heavy tire for him to pull with a weak, rusted chain. Demios was there for him, residing in his SD form to reduce the amount of attention given to the two of them. Even though they were lucky that Tasuku didn't go public with Liam's involvement in the event a few days prior, both Liam and Demios were reluctant to be noticed by a certain someone's set of eyes. It had been several days since they last contacted Ms. Fridrik, and the last thing they wanted to worry about was the possibility of her snitching.

It was battle up the staircase. Liam could feel Chase's door from around the corner. The very presence of it was tangible, somehow so despite the large distance between them. He would pause after a few steps, looking to his buddy for emotional support. He would take in another breath, be fueling his resolve, and start again. After what felt like an eternity, Liam and Demios were finally at the foot of Chase's door.

Demios turned to Liam, mentioning the friend's true name. "I'm certain that Christian will appreciate your coming."

"I… don't think that's fair," Liam muttered back. "Calling him Christian, like."

"Completely understandable," Demios returned. "However, it isn't right of him to do what you did; hiding from the world only shows the power one's weakness holds over you. If Christian hopes to grow as a person, he should fight his fears head-on, like you are now."

Liam understood. He nodded to Demios. It wasn't long before the two of them exchanged comforting smiles. At first, he thought it to be particularly strange; Demios, the leader of the Purgatory Knights, was in the position CJ once was many years ago. It was like a piece of his friend had, somehow, traveled from Liam's soul over to Demios. Because of his buddy, Liam was able to listen in on what he needed to hear; he managed to gain the strength to speak. He approached CJ's door with passionate strides until he was at the very front of it. His knocks were weakened, showing an immediate decrease in confidence. "CJ? You there? It's me… I need to talk to you."

There was no answer. Liam shook his head, displaying an air of defeat. He turned to Demios, expecting to hear some more words of reassurance. However, as soon as Liam's eyes caught sight of Demios's being, he realized that the dragon's eyes were widened with shock. Before Liam could even say anything, Demios spoke out as if he read Liam's mind, knowing what his buddy would've asked. "I don't sense anything!" Demios rammed his body into the door, startling Liam from the sudden show of aggressive violence.

Liam rushed into the room and stared at Demios's small form. "What the fuck?! You can't just knock his door down, like. You losing it?!"

"I couldn't sense anything. That could've meant two things," Demios began. "One, he's not in the room, but no one has seen him leave. Option two was that his life force was diminished. I couldn't sense the Fifth Omni Lord's energy; I thought he …." Liam found himself frozen. It didn't take him long to understand where Demios's mind was. However, as Liam and Demios began to look around, they noticed that the room was left in a rather peculiar state. "However, from the looks of things… your friend certainly looked determined."

Liam and Demios were befuddled at the sight before them. All chairs and tables were pushed away, clinging towards the walls and bookshelves. This left the main middle area of the apartment completely open, leaving an individual with plenty of room for extraneous activity. Demios gazed at some of the black and brown marks on the array of towels sprawled out across the floor. These were scorch marks, blackened by intense heat. From the way the towels were left, something shot out from the middle, and it was performed several times. Upon further investigation, there were other signs of elemental oddities; on the corner of the room, there was a dent in the wall, dampened to an extent. Demios observed this mark closely while Liam's eyes took notice of something on one of the desks. It was a note. Liam rushed for it, ignoring the marks Demios observed. It wasn't long before Liam managed to read the letter, soon discovering that CJ was no longer of this world. Instead, he was of another, and he trained hard to do so.

(Unmarked Plain)

Two miles out from a lonesome village stood a set of plains stretching out for as far as the eye could see. Such scenery was expected for Dragon World, especially for this sort of area. These plains were unmarked to most maps, for the village at the edge of it is rarely known to some. For many of the humanoid dragons and normal dragons alike, the village was an escape from the rest of the crowded lifestyle of the North. The south was much more open, almost serene. Many individuals appreciated the quiet. To them, it was like an escape.

How odd is it for one to go back to their old home to escape their past? For Arkaid, such a case was definitely so. However, she was far from her village, keeping her distance. Before reaching this destination, she remembered her youth. She recalled the days where she avoided the other humanoid dragons, or kobolds so to speak. To us, Arkaid would be considered a kobold; a humanoid, reptilian creature with features of a dragon, yet lack traits such as wings or the ability to breath fire. However, the unification of the races, as well as the politics of this world, affected their naming. They were all considered dragons, one in the same. It was this detail that Arkaid pondered to herself as she nestled under a solitary tree. Thinking about such thoughts reminded her of how different she still truly felt. She couldn't help but wonder of the importance of unifying everyone under one name when, in reality, she couldn't help but feel so different. Even for a 'kobold,' she was much more svelte and thin, unlike other dragons of her species. Like Merak, it was expected of her kind to be physically-strong, knightly figures to inspire their brethren. After looking back, recognizing that over 400 years were spent working against such an image, she couldn't help but feel that any form of unification would not work. No matter what happens, she would still feel alone, isolated, and torn.

She remained in a meditative state, pondering these thoughts in her head. The leaves sheltered her from the scorching sun; maybe the tree felt her feelings. Arkaid was on her knees, sitting up comfortable as she felt the shade cool her being. She opened one of her eyes, noticing that the tree was the only one she could see around her. Against her intelligent nature, she wished she could find the will to speak to the tree. However, she couldn't even manage to do that. She found herself wilting in defeat before letting her eyelids conceal her sight.

Light gusts of winds appeared to accelerate time itself. She felt the temperature cool as the sun began to leave its place in the center of the sky. Without even looking, Arkaid could feel the tree's shade leaving her. The sudden discomfort of the heat made her open her eyes, observing the sun as it slowly lowered. Her eyes squinted, shielding Arkaid's vision. It wasn't because of the sun; just to the left of the source of light, several comrades began to walk towards her. A somber sigh left Arkaid's very soul as she noticed Alliot approaching her, leading several other members of her Cavalry towards her. Merak, Mizaru, and Melanie stuck behind Alliot. Arkaid couldn't look to them; she turned away, staring at the grass beneath her.

Alliot stopped walking. He was only a dozen yards away from the cavalry's magician. Melanie looked frightened as she noticed Alliot's demeanor. She hid behind Mizaru and Merak while Alliot tightened his grip on his drill-spear. His muscles were tensed, sweat poured from his scales, and his eyes looked weary from the long journey he and the group must have performed. "Finally," Alliot sighed. "I didn't think we would find ya here. Next chance I get, I gotta tell the others." Arkaid didn't speak. She continued to look away while Alliot essentially stood alone with his comrades standing behind him. He wanted to confront her alone. "Don't do that, Arkaid. You're stronger than that. It's for that reason that I'm so angry at what you did." Arkaid continued to remain speechless. Her eyes weakened as she blinked rapidly. Her emotions began to build up from within. "For 400 years, you've stood your ground. Your past meant nothing. Yet, when our buddy needed us the most, you left."

Arkaid forced herself to clear her throat. She looked over to her comrades, looking to Alliot square in the eyes. "How did you find me? I doubt you scoured the entirety of Dragon World."

Alliot shrugged, but it expressed his exhaustion. His shrug was tiring just to look at, for the action was slow and sagged with his purple hair. "Merak had a hunch, apparently," he began. "Both of you were from that village a few miles out. He figured you'd be here. It had been ages since he was there, so he couldn't just warp us over."

"I apologize for making you walk here for nothing," Arkaid somberly replied.

"Don't give me that crap," Alliot demanded. Arkaid quickly brought herself to her feet with her staff in hand. She readied herself as the blue gem at the tip of her staff began to glow. Alliot frowned, soon replying with a slow nod. He looked to his friends behind him. "Don't interfere." The others tried to protest, but Alliot ignored their pleas. Alliot gritted his teeth as the drills on his spears spun recklessly. The spark noise of the drills ruined the silence of the plains, alerting all nearby wildlife to leave the scene immediately. Arkaid's eyes went cross as she emphasized the positioning of her staff. Alliot could only shake his head before preparing his weapon. "I promised our buddy that I'd bring you back. Stop being so stubborn. This isn't like you at all!"

"I wished to be alone for a time," Arkaid sternly retorted. The staff's gem continued to glow even brighter. "You brought this upon yourself by coming here."

"You actually want to fight me, your comrade?!" Alliot exclaimed. "How could you have let yourself go so mad?!" Arkaid didn't answer with words. She stuck out her staff and unleashed an onslaught of magical arrows. Without thinking, Alliot leaped to the side while the others behind him kept their distance. There was no stopping this now; Arkaid's sand alchemy, especially in her state of mind, was too unstable to be contained. Alliot, as he charged at his comrade, saw it in her eyes; Arkaid was distraught, afraid, and no longer in control. Something about what happened snapped, and it just didn't make any sense to Alliot. He swung his spear towards Arkaid, yet she retorted with a quick weave to her left. As soon as she noticed that Alliot was at the end of his swing, Arkaid struck the tip of her staff against Alliot's right hand. It was so fast and unforeseeable that Alliot nearly dropped his spear from the shock alone. However, the sharp pain running up his right hand caused him to release his weapon. Alliot looked to the disarmed weapon, and then back to Arkaid. He just barely saw Arkaid swinging her staff again at him. He ducked, grabbing his spear in the process. Not wanting to hurt her fatally, he kicked at her legs. Arkaid lost her footing, causing her to tumble several yards away from the blow. Alliot rushed after her for a follow-up attack, but Arkaid managed to force herself back to her feet. She stuck out her staff once again, unleashing a stream of fire towards her foe. Alliot let out an intense roar before leaping ten feet into the air. His speed allowed him to leap off just before the stream of fire would've made contact. Arkaid looked to him and readied her staff. Just as Alliot landed in front of the magician, the two of them clashed with their two weapons. Alliot was putting more pressure against Arkaid, shoving her back with his strength. Even so, Arkaid put her entire being into pressing Alliot back. The spear-wielding dragon clearly had more strength to spare, but that didn't stop Arkaid from pressing back. Alliot, overwhelmed from the adrenaline that comes with combat, smirked. "Close-quarters combat? That's not your thing now, right?"

Alliot pressed against Arkaid's staff even harder, shoving her back. Arkaid gasped from Alliot's superior might, grunting with intensity as she struggled to press against him. "I… must…."

Alliot shook his head. "This isn't you, Arkaid. Don't be an idiot!" Alliot thrashed his spear through Arkaid's defenses, sending her flying backwards. She tumbled, flipping over backwards once before she managed to land on her feet. Her tail sagged weakly behind as she readied herself once again. Her staff began to charge with another magical attack as Alliot huffed confidently. "You don't see me trying to use magic right now, do ya?" Arkaid didn't want any of it. She released another one of her Sand Alchemy attacks; Arrow. The light-blue bolts of energy shot outwards. Effortlessly, Alliot evaded the attack, leaping away to the side. The bolts shot passed him, soon vanishing before they could travel too far off. "You can't beat me like that."

The mage gritted her teeth. To an extent, she knew where Alliot was going with his words. When training CJ, she would emphasize the need of focus when it came to obtaining magic. In addition to that, a great amount of focus is required for mastering magic as well. With Arkaid's current state, she was not going to hold up too well against the obsessed Alliot. She could see it in Alliot's eyes; the dragon was weary, yet his demeanor expressed that of a strong will to accomplish something rivaling a grand quest. "Why… why are you still here?"

"Not only are you our comrade, but I made a promise to CJ." Alliot's last words shook Arkaid out of her unfocused stupor. Her eyes glared back at the determined, orange dragon before her. Alliot felt like he was getting somewhere, and that thought allowed him to keep pressing on. "You should've seen him after you left. No… you definitely saw enough. You saw how destroyed he was. How ruined he was just from having the symbol of our unified will crushed just after his defeat!" Alliot held up his left hand, crushing the air under the unyielding pressure of his fist. "He needed us to be there for him… more than ever, and you ran. Why? I just want to know why!"

Arkaid's eyes lowered for a moment. Her thoughts rushed back through her mind. The countless ideas and thoughts that she perused through her mind for the previous few days were discarded, leaving her to recall that last buddyfight. She remembered Liam's words and how they struck her hard. How could she forget such words? No matter how hard she tried to cloud the event, she couldn't forget just how true Arkaid felt Liam's words were. She failed CJ. She failed to save Liam. Worst of all was that it was because she revealed to Liam her weakness; her past. She heard her past through Liam's tongue, ceasing any sense of logical thought. It was then that she remembered the anger, the hatred, the very furious part of her that she showed to everyone that day. As her eyes looked up to Alliot, those same eyes returned to her. Alliot felt the tension pick up around him, causing him to wince backwards. Seemingly out of nowhere, Arkaid became merciless. Her screams ran through the plains as she unleashed spell after spell, with Alliot just barely able to evade some of them. "Like you would know. You were never there!" Arkaid directed a lightning attack right at Alliot. He managed to motion himself out of the way, but some of the sparks ran up his tail, shocking him from behind. His body jolted as he leaped into another stream of fire. His eyes stared directly at it. It was like his eyes decided to take immediate control of him as he threw his body back. His snout skimmed the fire. He could feel the intense heat racing in front of him. "I told Liam everything! I didn't just tell him my past, I opened my heart to him; I showed him my weakness, and I failed CJ because of it!"

"That doesn't give ya the reason to leave CJ!" Alliot roared back. "You saw what Liam's words did to him. And instead of worrying about him, you cared more about yourself!"

"How dare you!" Arkaid's voice snapped back with another twirl of her staff. The gem's tip began to be caressed by a storm of flames. Upon releasing the great and tremendous flames, Alliot was left to brace himself. Arkaid put much more of her mana into this attack; the flames engulfed the area between the two of them albeit momentarily. Alliot held his two arms forward, shielding him from the heat. He could feel the flames crashing into the scales of his arms. Fortunately, for dragons like him, he resisted the heat; it was still painful for him to deal with, though his body didn't burn. Why would Arkaid even bother to put everything into that specific attack? It was then that Alliot realized the truth; she didn't truly want to hurt him either. Arkaid only wished to be alone, away from everyone. Alliot could hear Arkaid's voice as he shielded himself from the flames. "How can I see myself fit to say anything to him?" The flames began to dissipate, leaving the two dragons standing firmly in front of each other. Arkaid's intense eyes appeared to be much weaker. "I care about him more than myself. I am a shield; it was the same with Tenbu. A shield is supposed to protect. How can a shield protect anyone when it has too many cracks?"

"So that's it," Alliot muttered back. The grip on his spear lightened as he placed it to his side. The two of them looked to each other with hopes of conversation, not fighting. Arkaid's resolve to fight back weakened, yet she still tightened her grip on her staff. Even though she held it to her side with only her right hand, something within her angered her greatly. "Arkaid, whatever is on your mind, you can tell CJ. I'm sure he has things to tell us as well."

"I could never do that to him," Arkaid morosely muttered. She looked away, embarrassed at how she held herself. She hated herself for her apparent weakness; the obsession to be of use to someone, anyone. Looking back on it, what allowed her to get to where she stood now came from that very obsession; it made her question whether or not she agreed to serve Tenbu due to how important the position was or due to how she wanted to prove herself useful to others. She recalled a specific word CJ called her just before she left; she remembered him calling her 'perfect.' The word stung her heart. She could not see herself as anywhere close to perfect: she was a weakling to her kind, fought battles she had no chance of winning while young, and took to knowledge-gathering and magic when it was incredibly taboo. A dragon using magic? She even began to question whether she took to seeking knowledge as an escape from what she was unable to do. Such thoughts destroyed her as she wearily gazed at the ground. "What gives me any right to say anything to him?"

"You're his buddy," Alliot returned, now more determined than ever to break through the shell Arkaid has so stubbornly put up. "And ya know damned well that he isn't perfect either, yet we both want to stand by his side for the rest of eternity."

"I… don't think I can do that."

"Arkaid, you can't be serious about this," Alliot mumbled. He had been holding certain words from Arkaid this entire meeting. He didn't want to bring it up, for he was certain that this would be enough to break through to her. "You'd be breaking your promise to Axia."

Arkaid's eyes widened. She felt her mind reel back to when she was in search of an eternal partner of her own. The current world around her dissipated, bringing her back to only a few months prior to all of this. She felt everything leave her for a moment before she was brought back into being, acting in the body of someone else; she was herself, but she felt her regal and calm demeanor return to her. As the setting formed around her, she found herself at Alliot's side, staring at one of the biggest magic universities in the esteemed Magic World.

Magic dominated this very world, making Arkaid drawn to it more than even her own home. With every visit she appreciated the rather medieval architecture. Such an old style was combined with the intellect of Magic World's power, with magic dominating the world as opposed to science. Then again, in the eyes of Arkaid, magic was a form of science; there was a logic to it if one was willing to open their suspension of disbelief. She looked from afar, watching scholars of all walks of sentient life entering and leaving the main building in a hurry. Arkaid was here for official business, though it also concerned Alliot as well. The two of them were in search of an eternal partner of their own, and it was Arkaid that recommended coming here. She trusted the minds of Magic World, as well as a certain few of Dragon World, so she started to experiment with a form of filtering. There were many students at this academy that once had buddies of their own, yet left due to their own choice. Arkaid also came into contact with such individuals back in Dragon World, but she valued the opinions of the like-minded individuals here. Alliot felt like he was dragged along by the horns, forced to deal with a "smarty-pants" or dozen. Arkaid didn't listen to the complaints; she wished to know the types of people to avoid when deciding on her buddy. An easy option for her was to pick someone who was exactly like her, but she didn't wish for that; there were obvious traits that she lacked that she hoped to find in the partnership between her and her human buddy.

Classes were still in session, so Arkaid and Alliot had to wait a longer period of time than initially thought; Arkaid didn't want to interrupt any classes, yet Alliot was impatient and was willing to disrupt a class or two to ask some questions. There were many cases where Arkaid had to apologize for her comrade's lack of tact, for the dragon was of Dragon World. The scholars agreed to the dismay of Alliot. He wasn't too upset though; no one had called him short or small yet, so he was at least happy that he was being judged off relevant traits.

Even though the process was slow, Arkaid was able to get a great amount of information. After asking many ex-buddy monsters, she was able to collect a number of reasons as to why certain monsters left their human partners. One common was due to mistreatment; many humans simply wanted a Magic World monster in hopes of them sharing their magical talents. Arkaid understood this position; having a monster be forced to educate a human about their mystical ways is illegal, for it goes against that monster's basic rights. Alliot agreed to it on a moral level, though didn't deny that sharing strength would've been interesting. A second common reason was due to political differences. As expected for the intelligent minds in Magic World, such minds wished to dabble in the political matters of Earth. This was especially relevant to them due to how they were now citizens of this world due to their human partners; they wished to at least play a part in bettering the world. However, politics is a very divisive matter to discuss, and Arkaid can understand partnerships being crippled or even completely ruined due to the inability to find some common ground between two political shifts. Of course, there are also some political opinions that are downright horrid. Arkaid wasn't concerned by this too much, for she often discussed political matters hypothetically. She enjoyed discussion, including politics, and she didn't hold contempt towards anyone who simply thought differently than her; as long as there was a cohesive and understandable argument as to why one believed a certain way, then she found no reason to ram her ideologies into the other. Sometimes, specific people go through life experiences that Arkaid may never truly experience, making her unable to understand where they came from. The information given to her made her realize that a buddy of her choosing must be someone with an open mind. The final common thing to keep in mind wasn't broken down to a common theme; personal matters just made the two buddies incompatible. One pair just didn't understand each other, while another would have one person be too passive while another was too aggressive. Lifestyle differences also played a factor; it's different for a human that is awake during the day to interact with a monster who wishes to remain nocturnal, for example. This common issue was one that Arkaid wished was not present; there was no single trait to pinpoint down that could resolve such a varied issue. She would need to find someone who was alright with her lifestyle, but … she is a member of the Fifth Omni Cavalry, serving under Lord Tenbu. Being her partner would mean that everyone else around the two of them would grow old like any average living being and die. Whoever lived alongside Arkaid and Alliot must be able to accept that the Fifth Omni Cavalry will be their only eternal comrades, and must accept that their old life will never come back once everyone they once knew and loved died.

An anthropomorphic, aquatic creature was the last monster to address her reasons for leaving her buddy. Upon returning to class, she left Arkaid and Alliot alone in the hallway. Despite Arkaid's regal demeanor, her eyes expressed defeat. She sighed, feeling that the main concerns of hers became even more prevalent than before. Alliot took notice of this right away, turning to her to ask what was on her mind. Arkaid answered, but it was with a calm voice, contradicting the feelings spiraling in her head. "I simply didn't expect the issues to be so varied; there were two common issues, but the others were just so varied."

"Not much a problem if ya ask me," Alliot returned with a confident smirk. "You said you wanted someone flexible with an open mind, right? Just aim for that."

"But that may not be enough anymore," Arkaid returned. "At least, it is not the case for us. Becoming members of the Fifth Omni Cavalry makes our human partners sacrifice their old lives. They are forced to abandon everything they once held dear to them."

"Yeah, that's a thing," Alliot mumbled back. "Still, it's not a bad idea to test out some partnerships. If one doesn't work out, hop onto the next one. Simple as that."

"I wish you would have a mind such as myself," Arkaid returned with slight disdain. Alliot huffed back at her, annoyed by her next words. "Unlike me, you have the mindset of the common dragon."

"Common, huh?" Alliot voiced back. He snickered for a moment, smirking back at her with his arms held back behind his head. "I don't know about you, but I'm not some whelp who plays the warrior, or is a daddy's boy."

"You still hold that grudge with Drum?"

"I'll admit, he's good, but the kid better prove himself; I didn't join the Fifth Omni Cavalry to let some kid think he'll surpass his father so easily." The subject of conversation was none other than Gao Mikado's first buddy. While he is affectionately referred to as 'Drum' around his comrades and friends, the monster's official title is Son of Drum Bunker Dragon, Fang Slade Terrestrial XIII. Alliot snickered, finding it funny that he once served under the young dragon man when he was a temporary successor to Lord Tenbu. The Yamigedo incident was surely a rough one, yet Alliot was not quick to trust the new successor. It took time, but Alliot grew to accept Drum as a leader. Despite this, Alliot still believes that Drum is a daddy's boy, but it is said in a manner comparable to how most friends say Alliot is short. Just thinking back to Drum made Alliot excited to level himself above him. "He better prove himself, otherwise he'd be like the common dragons you despise so much. Besides, if I was so common, I wouldn't have seen the strength you possess."

"Do I sense flattery?"

"You're not my type," Alliot returned with a confident snicker. "But I can still admit the truth."

A quiet, feminine voice attempted to get noticed, yet the tone made the speaker appear rather apprehensive about disturbing the conversation. "E-Excuse me," the voice spoke. Arkaid and Alliot ended their conversation, turning their attention to a dragon humanoid. Arkaid's eyes lit up, recognizing some of the scholarly armor worn by the student. The scholar had light-blue scales and her blonde, orange-tinted hair was tied at the back, with the ponytail hidden in the hat on her head. A small monocle covered her left eye. Based on her attire, which was vastly different from the rest of the students, Arkaid was able to deduce the individual's identity. "A Qinus?" Arkaid discovered. Her voice peaked with sudden interest, for such individuals with a ranking in the university were ones with vast knowledge. Even though the dragon standing just a tad short of Arkaid's height appeared to be a bit timid, the rank alone was enough for the Cavalry members to acknowledge her intellect. "And your scales… and your large, white horn. Would you happen to be an Axia?"

The monster nodded back. Any signs of nervousness from before quickly faded away; the Axia felt much safer talking to the two cavalry dragons. "Yes. My official card title is Dragowizard, Qinus Axia, though my name is Marissa Essex."

Arkaid took control of the conversation from here. Alliot was never good at speaking in the same dialect as Arkaid, so he stepped back to allow the two women to speak. "It's a pleasure to meet someone such as yourself. As I recall, the Axia race was originally from Dragon World! I believe that your species migrated from Dragon World only a few dozen years ago. It is simply fantastical that you are all enchanted by magic, similarly to me!"

Marissa's eyes lit up. "You too are originally from Dragon World? I recognized you from all the way down the hall; Arkaid, the woman who became the foundation of dragowizards! You may not use our title, but it was you and your actions that inspired our kind! Thank you so much!"

The tip of the cavalry dragon's tail began to thump against the ground. Alliot noticed this almost immediately, so he checked to see if Arkaid was still holding up. Although she spoke with strong motivation and zeal, her composure remained regal and calm. "I couldn't see myself as the only one; my master Benetnasche was the true leader of this magical revolution. I still greatly appreciate the kind words; you have no idea how much I value them."

"Thank you kindly, though I need to talk to you about something." It was then that Arkaid and Alliot saw the Axia's tone change completely. She turned completely somber, dethatching herself from her once-energized demeanor. "I heard from some of my colleagues that you have been looking for a buddy. Is this true?"

"Word certainly travels fast," Arkaid replied. "Yes; after the Yamigedo incident, we've been inspired by the partnership between Gao Mikado and Drum Bunker Dragon; they were able to accomplish so much for us, so it would mean a great deal for Alliot and me to find buddies of our own."

"If that's the case, I'd like to give you a name; his name is Chase Hallows."

"Chase Hallows?" Arkaid pondered. "I feel like I've heard of that name before."

"He works with the District of Monster Relations/Welfare, so it is possible that you may have seen him mentioned on a form or something," Marissa continued. Her voice grew even quieter. The Axia's eyes became unfocused as she appeared to look passed Arkaid and Alliot. Her blue hands rattled nervously as she struggled to speak her mind.

Arkaid didn't like this sudden shift. She quickly came to the dragon's side and embraced her, calming the dragon down. "There's no cause for alarm, Marissa; if this person did anything bad to you-"

"Whoa, no-no-no!" Marissa protested. She snapped back to a more alert self, protesting the claim. "He hasn't done anything wrong!"

"My sincerest apologies," Arkaid returned with a bow. Marissa felt embarrassed; a Fifth Omni Cavalry Dragon had bowed to her like she was above Arkaid. Marissa hastily shook her hands to her, ceasing Arkaid's sign of forgiveness. "My visit here was to gather information on the traits of buddies that I wish to not associate with. I figured you knew that ahead of time; I thought that you were warning me of this human in particular."

"I'm sorry for being so vague, it's just…." Axia looked away once again. "I… I left him; Chase, I mean. The way I did so was awful, too…."

"Are you willing to explain?"

"That I cannot do," Axia mumbled back. "If I did, I can't help but think you would blame me, or even hate me. I ended the buddy contract, but I cared so much for him…" The dragon's voice started trailing off. It got to the point that her words were completely inaudible.

"Pardon?" Arkaid asked, hoping to get some clarification.

"Forget I said that, please," Axia somberly returned. "Arkaid, all I ask is that you consider him as a potential buddy. He and I got along very well, and it tore me apart to have to leave him. I just… couldn't do it, and I beg of you to not press me for further answers."

Understanding the situation, Arkaid knew not to ask her any more personal questions. Even so, she wished to know more, yet she didn't want to ask about anything else. She then figured that it was alright to test Alliot's means of locating potential buddies; trial and error. Arkaid approached Axia and smiled, nodding to the kind scholar. "I'll be sure to keep his name in mind."

Axia's eyes lit up, suddenly becoming much more energetic and happy. She quickly embraced the Cavalry Dragon, nearly causing Arkaid to lose her balance. "Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me; I don't want to leave him buddyless, not after…erm." She stopped herself, soon realizing that she was being a bit too huggy towards the cavalry dragon. She pulled herself back, feeling embarrassed by her sudden display. She cleared her throat, readying herself to speak. However, her voice was much more serious in tone. "If you do become buddies with him, please promise that you'll stick with him. I know I'm not in the position to be making such demands, but this is important to me; I don't want to leave him alone, and I don't think it would be good to tell him about me."

As Arkaid's mind returned to the present, she was able to understand why Marissa wished to stay anonymous. Arkaid understood why Axia felt like she would be seen in a horrible light if the truth was shown. After Liam's onslaught of the past, Arkaid was able to understand the relationship between CJ and the rest of his buddies, including Marissa. When CJ told Arkaid, back when the two of them met on their first Friday night together, that his old buddies said they had official business in their respective worlds, Arkaid couldn't help but wonder if something was off. Now, after Liam revealed that the buddies took off without saying a word, and after remembering how much Marissa wished to keep CJ from being buddyless, it all made sense to the cavalry dragon. Whatever drove those buddies away, Marissa still believed that it would be enough just for Arkaid to be with him. Arkaid remembered the sincerity in Marissa's eyes; she didn't want to stay away, yet she wanted her old buddy to be happy. For Arkaid to be with CJ… that would've been enough.

That promise was broken. Arkaid almost revealed the truth back when CJ pondered about the validity of their partnership. She remembered CJ questioning what would've happened if the Fifth Omni Cavalry Dragons didn't lose their reputation. Arkaid, due to her intoxication, had lowered her guard at that moment. She was confused by CJ's incessant questions, for she thought with the mindset that Axia told her. However, as CJ later commented, Arkaid had a mental slip due to her consumption of the Alcohol. She had almost revealed something she promised to keep a secret. Even though she was able to keep that part of the promise, she broke the other; she left CJ, abandoning him when she needed him the most. Alliot held that fact in front of Arkaid's face, taunting her for her additional failure. "Alliot, since you hold that promise so highly, then it should further reveal to you how unqualified I am to be CJ's buddy."

"Arkaid…."

"Forget that promise; I even broke the one I made to him," Arkaid's voice cracked as she struggled to speak. "I promised him I'd always be there for him, yet I took off. This is why I need to be left alone; I don't deserve to be in his presence. That's why, if you continue your futile attempts to bring me back, I'll match you equally with force."

The other cavalry dragons watched as Arkaid reaffirmed her composure. With her staff at the ready, an illuminating glow nearly blinded the bystanders. Her signature spell—Sand Alchemy: Arrow—was being given more mana than commonly preferred. She slowly chanted the words of her spell as the glow continued to grow even brighter. Alliot could feel Arkaid's mana drain from her in large quantities; she was ready to unleash her signature attack with full force. Alliot gritted his teeth before preparing his weapon. He stared toward his companion with a mighty rage, infuriated by her stubbornness. However, could he bring himself to attack her in such a state? Alliot began to feel his resolve weaken with each passing second. Arkaid didn't want to go back; she thought of herself as unworthy. Even if he did bring her back, what would that accomplish? What would stop her from repeating this all over again? However, at the last moment, he remembered why he kept his resolve in the first place. "Arkaid, I'm taking you home. With CJ. with me, with us; you were so happy. That is why I can't stop here; I know you want to go back!"

Those words struck at Arkaid's heart. She couldn't bring herself to look at Alliot's face anymore. She turned away, yet her staff maintained it's positioning. She was just about to unleash her strongest attack. Suddenly, another light source came across the corner of her eye, same for Alliot's. They both turned to each other to notice a pathetic, weak fireball shooting right between them. It was slow, apprentice-level magic. Whoever made this spell must have been completely exhausted, or completely inept. Alliot, Arkaid, and the other cavalry dragons turned to the direction of where the fireball was fired, noticing a man heaving heavily while crunched over. He had his right arm stretched out, but it was weak; it was covered in bandages. Upon recognizing the man, Arkaid felt her heart stop; why was CJ here?

(POV: First)

My body screamed for me to rest, yet I couldn't bother listening to its pleas. From the distance, I had seen Alliot and Arkaid fighting amongst each other; I couldn't just stand by and let it continue. My heart was racing, and I could feel my throat dry up from thirst and extreme fatigue. My arm remained outstretched until I found myself nearly collapsing to the ground. I saw Arkaid instinctively reach out to me, but she retracted herself once she noticed I regained my footing. I was so fucking tired that I couldn't care about being formal at the moment. With the little amount of oxygen remaining in my system, with my mind fuming with nervousness and anger, my eyes examined the two comrades fighting and the ones sitting back, just watching it happen. "What the FUCK are you guys doing?!" My question appeared to leave everyone speechless. Most of the cavalry dragons looked away from me with guilty faces. Alliot and Arkaid, on the other hand, just looked at me with blank faces. This was the first time the two of them saw me in such a state, so I expected as much. "Arkaid, Alliot, are you out of your goddamn minds?! Why are you fighting each other?!"

Alliot paused for a moment before looking over to Arkaid. He appeared to wait for her to say her perspective on the matter. However, once he noticed she didn't wish to say anything, he took initiative. "Um… I was trying to bring her back, but she fought me." His tone was definitely showing a great amount of reluctance. He didn't wish to converse with me while my head was spinning. Even so, he continued going once her realized I wasn't saying anything yet. "Look, CJ, I-"

I believed I heard enough. I turned over to Melanie and her buddies watching from afar. It was baffling to me why none of them even bothered to intervene once the battling started. I just couldn't understand. My anger subsided for a moment once I saw Melanie hastily moving behind Mizaru, shielding herself from me. I let off an angry sigh before eyeing both Mizaru and Merak. "You two; why didn't you stop this?! They're like family to you, right?!" I kept yelling. It was getting harder for me to do, for I was still recovering from my sprint over here. I could feel my voice cracking from exhaustion as I kept going. "Shouldn't watching your family fight be the absolute worst thing imaginable?!"

Mizaru turned away, focusing his attention on his precious partner. Merak, on the other hand, returned to his much more calm and formal state. He responded in kind. "We did not feel it necessary for a time. Up until Arkaid was using her last spell, we figured that it was necessary to let the event play out."

"And you just watched?!"

"CJ, as you saw just now, two dragons were fighting each other in a rather mutual duel. Neither side wished to mortally harm the other, so such a fight was not one we should've intervened, especially since both sides fought for your sake, in a way."

My lungs let out a final roar. "You guys are fucking idiots, you know that?!" None of the dragons answered me. Fortunately, I was slowly beginning to recover from my exhaustion. My mind was becoming much more organized and clear. Now standing upright, I approached my two eternal partners, watching as they continued to look at the ground. Without saying, some form of guilt must have been eating at them. Maybe my words got to them; for family to be fighting like that; I didn't want to witness such a thing again. Watching my blood family do that was more than enough; I didn't want to see Alliot and Arkaid doing it too. I felt my rage leave me; I couldn't help but keep thinking about the matter at hand. Arkaid and Alliot were fighting each other. I didn't care that, according to Merak, they didn't intend to mortally hurt each other to a point; they could've really hurt each other, especially if something had gone horribly wrong. Just thinking about that made my heart sink. I believe the bystanders noticed the anger within me leaving, for the three of them began to approach me. Arkaid and Alliot were curious at what was going on. When the two of them finally put their eyes on me, they saw a weakened man weeping before them. I felt like now was a good time to tell them. "I … I don't want another family to break themselves apart."

The next thing I felt was Arkaid grasping my bandaged right hand. The sudden touch left me stunned until I looked up at her, gazing into her guilty eyes. It was difficult for her to look at me, though the sight of my injuries caused her to disregard whatever debacle Alliot and her previously were in. Alliot started walking over uneasily as he nervously watched Arkaid lift up my hand. I winced; I could feel the needle-like, sharp pains in my arm. Arkaid stopped herself immediately; she didn't want to cause me any more harm. "What did you do to yourself?"

I struggled to speak, but I somehow managed to force a smile. The pain was too much for me, but I didn't want to worry Alliot and Arkaid anymore. From the little bit of information that I was given, Arkaid left because she felt like she didn't deserve to be with me, and Alliot didn't decide to go after her until he saw how mentally wounded I was due to her departure. The way I saw it, my two eternal partners were fighting each other because of my own weakness. I didn't want a repeat of last time; I wanted things to be different. That's why I was able to smile; I was able to come here, stand on my own two feet, and see my partners again. "I continued our training, Arkaid. Ice magic was a bust, so I tried using fire. It took some time, but I managed to get it to work, hehe…." It was a weak laugh; I struggled to move my arm without wincing from the pains. Arkaid and Alliot didn't even need to ask; they knew I burned myself. Without responding, Arkaid's hands began to let off a soft, green glow. I could feel the pains in my arm recede as she caressed it, slowly restoring my arm and hand back to a much better condition. I couldn't take my eyes off her, for she was intensely focused on the task at hand. She looked incredibly stern as she performed the task as well; I couldn't help but feel a little guilty. "I just… wanted to do things different. I'm sorry…."

Alliot took initiative with his answer. He smacked my back with his right hand, making my body tense up from the sharp pain. "Ya bastard! I leave, hoping to bring her back, and have everything go back to how it was, and you go off hurting yourself!" Weakly, I looked away. Alliot let out an aggravated sigh before placing his hand on my shoulder. "Still, it means a lot that ya came here. If ya didn't reveal yourself, I'm sure I would've been impaled by Arkaid's plentiful arrows."

Arkaid, with her eyes still focused on the task at hand, started a reply. "I'm not that unstable; I'm offended that you believe I would have done such an act." Even though the pains were leaving my arm, I still felt the soothing auras from Arkaid's magic. She had done enough; she healed me more than what I necessarily needed at the time. However, she continued to heal my arm, despite the fact that it drained much of her mana and stamina. After that intense battle, the last thing I expected her to do was heal my wounds so thoroughly. "These burns are deep, CJ. What in the world were you thinking?!" Arkaid's eyes glared into mine. "I could feel them; the heat coming off of them shows a complete lack of thought; baseless trial and error."

I nodded back to them. "I'm sorry for worrying you."

"Don't apologize; I've worried you much more." I felt Arkaid's healing process finalize as she removed her hands from my arm. I gave my arm a quick shake, causing instant pleasure; it was the first time in several days that I painlessly could move my arm. I let out a content sigh before turning my attention back to my partners. Arkaid looked sincere as she lowered her head slightly. "I… I'm sorry for leaving you; you needed me then, and I betrayed our promise."

"Actually… that's what I wanted to talk to you about." My response left Arkaid completely confused. She raised her head with dumbfounded eyes. Alliot turned to me, intrigued by what I had to say. It took a look of thought but, after having so much time to meditate and think, I realized a core dynamic of our relationship that made Arkaid different than the others. There was a key difference and, even now, I felt like Arkaid wasn't realizing it. In reality, at least in my eyes, what Arkaid believes she be in the reverse. "I should've been there for you."

"W-what?" Arkaid gasped back to me. "But I couldn't help you; I failed you. I am the reason why we lost, and I left when you were hurt so much." Arkaid held a fist to her chest. Her words were definitely sincere; she truly felt like she was the only one in the wrong. However, I needed for her to know that this was not true; I am not as guiltless as she believes. "How can you even say I still deserve to be your buddy?"

Without a doubt in my mind, Arkaid needed to remember what she did on that day. "You're forgetting something important," I began to say. Arkaid and Alliot looked to me, astounded by the determination and strength in my words. Alliot could feel my resolve bursting forward, fighting the doubts within Arkaid's mind. "I was hurt by what Liam did, there's no doubt of that. But, from what I remember, you two stuck with me, even when hearing the worst."

"But, CJ-"

"But nothing!" I snapped back. That shout opened Arkaid's ears. "I changed my name to keep my distance. My family members hated each other. Despite the fact that they cared about me, I ran away because they all hated each other; it was like watching a school of piranhas feasting on each other; it was too much. I left the only family I had." My comrades remained quiet; such silence urged me to continue speaking. I felt vulnerable; I was revealing the truth behind what Liam's words foretold. "I was a loner. It didn't help that my reputation with my college friends was ruined; despite the lack of evidence, I was labeled a creep to many, even though I did nothing; people judged me from an act I didn't even commit. And then that final truth… it just added everything up. To me, I saw the truth as a potential lie; people could spin it to ruin me. Can't you just picture it? A lonely, creepy individual just so happened to have three female buddy monsters leave him without any reason why? Can't you just imagine how that situation can be seen?!" Before I knew it, salty droplets poured from my eyes. My throat began to tense up from just how vulnerable I was making myself. However, a certain truth kept me going. As I looked into Arkaid and Alliot's eyes, I knew that I had to tell them this. "Yet, despite it all, you two fought for me, passionately. You both tried your hardest to bring me to my senses, yet my weakness made you believe you failed. You did everything you could, the both of you."

Arkaid couldn't accept that. She shook her head stubbornly. "Alliot may have done his part, but I certainly failed you."

"No, you didn't!" I exclaimed. "You and I both are at fault for not questioning Liam's secret weapon. Me, in my weakened state, didn't even debate with you. Unlike me, you had a plan; you had a proper process of thought and a reasoning as to how we could've won. With what you had, you did everything right. And, despite everything that you two did, what did I do in return?" I looked away, completely ashamed. "I cried. I wept as I watched my shield fall apart. I kept thinking that I lost, but I didn't at that point; I only truly lost when you thought you failed me; when I made you leave."

"You didn't do anything!" Arkaid protested

"Exactly," I argued back. "What did I do besides cry and weep? After you left, I only did that some more, but that was pointless of me!" I my hands curled into fists. Passion for my standpoint made me hunch my body. The importance of my mindset weighed me down, but I was willing to keep standing. "When the last buddy of mine left me, I got so drunk that I was barely intelligible. I was face down, on the floor, in a puddle of vodka and tears. But I didn't want that to happen again. That's why I came here, and that's why I had to use the Disaster Force to get here!" I showed her the Dark Core Deck Case. I hated doing so; I knew how much she despised the device. She had even more reason to hate it after what happened to me. I remembered what I did... I could've killed Liam... I had to find a new Dark Core Deck Case; I needed to ensure I had a way here. "Arkaid, you're important to me, and I didn't want to lose you. It was like I said back then; you're perfect!"

Anger swelled on Arkaid's face. "You judge me so frivolously; it infuriates me." She crossed her arms, turning her back to me. Alliot and I couldn't bring ourselves to speak; Arkaid spoke coldly, self-deprecating herself as she spoke. "Me? Perfect? You're out of your mind. I'm the equivalent of the runt of the litter; I'm scrawnier than the average non-combatant. You don't know many female dragons if you believe that I'm 'perfect.' My thirst for knowledge and magic stemmed from my weakness; compared to every other dragon, I was a runt, a whelp! I was deficient in strength and muscle mass from birth onwards. How could you even fathom how much that has played into my life? I wanted to protect and serve, yet I was the weakest. I failed to protect others as a child due to my lack of strength, and I had to grow up knowing that I couldn't truly get stronger even if I tried. If magic never reached my world, if Benetnasche never contacted me, then I would've never obtained my magic; I would've grown old, aged like an average dragon, without anyone else wishing to be with me due to how little I had to offer. I can't help but think about how little I would've accomplished in my shorter, pointless life. Imperfect wouldn't even be close enough to describe me; if kobolds and dragons didn't unify under the same name, there's no doubt in my mind that some dragon could've taken my life and nobody would've cared."

"Don't talk like that!" I yelled back to her.

"Why shouldn't I?" Arkaid was on the verge of tears. "Why-why do you think I obsessed over being of use? Why else am I so adamant about making sure that my life, my pursuit of knowledge and wisdom wasn't pointless? It's because the horrid thoughts that you tell me not to discuss haunt me, CJ. You appreciate how calm I can be, but I can't even believe that such a part of me is real!" She gripped her arms, looking away from Alliot and me. She couldn't get herself to look towards us. I hated myself, for I couldn't think of anything else to say. "… That's why Liam's words hurt; I told him this, I told him my truth. That's why, even if we go back together, I can't forgive him; what he said just felt so true…."

I needed to say something to her. Why couldn't I think of anything to say? My mind was racing for something, anything, for me to state to her. I couldn't accept whatever thing my brain could bring up; every outcome for each hypothetical statement had the chance of ending horribly. What if I hurt her feelings more? What if I sounded like I didn't get anything? I understood her; I understood what she was feeling. Even though I felt like my experience was only a fraction of what she went through, I can at least say that I could fathom the pain. Because I experienced so little in comparison, at least in my eyes, that definitely meant that her feelings were much more compounded. That is why I needed to say something to her, anything good, but nothing was good enough to me. Should I say I understand? What if she says I don't? Should I say that we should fight this negativity head on? What if she sees that as me undermining her? God damn it all! I just wanted to help her! Words!

Alliot stepped him. His voice snapped our minds back into focus as he adamantly stepped between us. Both Arkaid and I turned to him with confused looks, watching as he huffed steam. "You two are both idiots."

Arkaid and I stammered back to him in unison. "Excuse me?!"

"You two heard me; you're both dumb." He turned to me first, expressing a stern look with his smoldering eyes. "CJ, you believe that you were truly the one that failed; you think that she took your weakness as a sign that she couldn't accomplish her task. Not only that, but you believe your background makes you undesirable; you thought such situations would make us leave ya? Is any of this registering to you at all?"

"Um… yes, actually."

Alliot glared over at Arkaid. The blue dragon winced nervously in a confused fashion, for she too had no idea where Alliot was going. "And you, Arkaid; you believe that you failed because ya, honest to the Lord, believe you didn't try your hardest. Not only that, but you too believe that you are undesirable; you thought that your past makes you undeserving as a buddy, right?"

"… That sounds like the case," Arkaid meekly replied. "But what's the point of such analysis?"

"Honest to Lord Tenbu, you two are bigger idiots than me if you can't put it together; if what you two are saying is true, then you two are both failures."

I tilted my head. "Both?"

"And being undesirable? Who the fuck cares?" Alliot glanced to me once again. "CJ, people think you're some lonesome creep because of actions you couldn't control." He glanced over at Arkaid. "And Arkaid, you think you're some weakling because you lack the physical, raw power of an average dragon. And now, look at me!" Alliot roared to himself. He passionately raised his fists into the air, yelling to the skies. "I'm short as hell! I'm about five feet tall on a good day! You think any woman wants to be with me? Have our kids? Hell no; they want big husbands to make big offspring, and I have to live with that. Why should I care though? That trash isn't important to me, because such asshats aren't my friends like you two." Without warning, Alliot grasped Arkaid and I by our hands. He yanked us close, making the three of us form a small circle. "We're a group of undesirables; a trio of weirdoes! Why separate? We're a team! If we fail, we fail as a team! If you two think of yourselves as the ones at fault, just say you both screwed up! It's that simple, ya bastards!" Arkaid and I could only look at each other. I was left completely speechless, and I was certain that Arkaid felt the same. Somehow, in some way, Alliot managed to say everything that needed to say. Before either Arkaid and I could say anything else, Alliot shoved the two of us together, snickering as he watched Arkaid and I fumble with our words. "Now hug and make up!"

I looked back to him, watching as the short dragon cackled to himself. Was this his plan? I looked forward, watching as Arkaid held her hands behind her. She looked just about as nervous as I was. However, she took in a strong breath of air. After exhaling, she managed to look to me with a stronger resolve. "… CJ…, I'm sorry for my horrible display."

Somehow, a chuckle came through me. "Hehe, that goes double for me, no questions asked." Arkaid got a chuckle out of that; she truly was just as nervous as I was. The smile forming on her face managed to lift my spirits, encouraging me to do the same. I didn't speak until she stopped chuckling, but the two of us soon couldn't stop looking at each other. "I'm… I'm happy to help you in any way I can; if you want to talk about what happened to you, I'm more than willing to listen."

"I too would be more than comfortable to listen to you," Arkaid replied with a soft smile. "It's odd… but I feel a bit better knowing the truth."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want this to come across as horrid, but I feel like knowing more about you… eased any doubts about you, albeit small, from my mind."

"That's fair; to be honest, hearing what happened to you made me respect you even more."

"You're too kind."

"I'm just being honest," I returned with a shrug. "I only lived a fraction of a normal human life; you pushed yourself towards 400 years with your past weighing you down. I just hope that Alliot and I will be able to take relieve that weight, even if it's just a little."

"Being here was more than enough," Arkaid returned with a kind smile. Her eyes were restored, but they weren't calm or regal in appearance. Instead, a raw sense of happiness beamed from them. She appeared to be truly content. It was then that she held her hands behind her back. The tip of her tail thumped the soil beneath it as her eyes trailed off. "If you can trust me once again, would it be too much to ask if we could … reform our buddy contract?"

No questions asked I reached my right hand outward. She was shocked to see me respond so quickly. However, as she looked up at me, she knew that my decision was honest and true. With both her hands, she grasped onto my right hand, holding it close. "I'd like that more than anything."