*October 21st, 2030*

(POV: Third)

Alvis wished to talk to his brother once again. He felt anxious about talking to Master Eirik over the phone, so he made sure to schedule a meeting with him in person. Alvis managed to flee from sight, ensuring that he was not to be followed. He seemingly vanished into the shade of each alleyway, weaving his way around each available corner. Every so often, he would look back, checking for any stragglers. He couldn't smile though; even though he was hidden in the shadows, he continued to feel like someone had their eyes on him.

He shook himself back into reality. Alvis decided that his nerves were probably getting to him, ignoring his cautious senses. Just to be safe, however, he backed himself into the door behind him, opening it only a smidge. He rushed inside, hastily shutting the door. When he looked around his new surroundings he noticed one of the many members of The Will of Kyoya looking at him. The man appeared rather off-putting to look at, dastardly and ugly in appearance. Alvis, with an aggressive 'tch,' walked away. Most of the members of The Will were criminals, and it was due to this case that he hated working around them. However, it was for that reason that Master Eirik made sure to employ them; these people were easy to manipulate and work with.

After briskly walking up a few flights of stairs, Alvis made his way to his brother's room. Standing outside was an amused Gale Minas, observing Alvis closely as he held himself against the door. Gale had a slight hunch in his current position, though he appeared to be very relaxed and confident with himself. Alvis, annoyed by this new obstacle, spoke to Gale in a poor tone. "Move. I need to talk to my brother."

The right side of Gale's lip curled upward. "What's the password?"

The French man didn't appreciate the mocking tone. "Don't screw around with me."

"Al, you only had one job."

"Don't call me Al," Alvis scowled at him. "Only my brother and CJ may call me that."

"But CJ doesn't, right?" Alvis didn't bother answering. "Look, I want to save your brother the time of having to deal with you, alright? Like I said, you have one job, an easy one at that. All you need to do is get dinner with CJ and have his buddies come along, but focus on Arkaid and CJ; get the two of them as close as possible; make the bonds between them tight as hell; make them unable to see life without the other. People, in that state, are easy to manipulate. I'm sure Liam still feels pretty shitty about ruining his friendship with CJ."

"All because of you," Alvis returned.

"You brought him to me," Gale returned with an innocent, mocking tone. "I was only following your brother's orders, Al."

"Stop calling me that!"

"Why? Are you angry that your "boyfriend" isn't calling you that, but I am?" Gale, using the Disaster Force, materialized a weapon at his fingertips. It was the DEATH Wave Wand, Sterben; a weapon associated with the Death Ruler monsters that he uses in buddyfights. The wand was short; it was about the size of a short stick. It was primarily colored with an eerie purple, and the color melded and mixed well with the black as Gale fiddled with it in his fingers. He smirked as he noticed Alvis's demeanor shift from confidence to that of shame. Gale continued to fiddle with his small weapon as he spoke. "I guess I should say 'fantasy boyfriend.' Regardless, I know why you're here; Master Eirik told me everything. You're feeling anxious about doing your duty, and you don't want to have Arkaid and CJ get close. Do you fear something, Al?" Alvis didn't have the energy to form a counter. His fists shook angrily, but he could do nothing except stand there and take the attacks dealt to him. "Are you afraid of having the two of them get closer than you ever could?"

"I can't help but hate her," Alvis snarled back. His greeted teeth, his faltering posture, and his rattled mind was enough for his buddy monster to emerge in his SD form. The anthropomorphic panther turned to his buddy and stayed by his side for support. However, despite the signs of Sitri's affection and care, Alvis continued on. "I can't believe you're asking me to give CJ away to some fucking lizard!"

"I see," Gale returned, smirking from the amusing performance. "Though, I'm not expecting the two to do something so taboo; if they become close to a true family, then that would be enough too." Gale soon found himself smirking. His pearl-white teeth seemed to be the only shining trait about him. That smirk alone was enough to make Alvis's blood boil. "Funny how your mind immediately went to that. After everything that was done, I didn't take you for the jealous type."

"Stop it…"

"No, really, I find it humorous. CJ gives someone a bit more attention than you, and your first thought is that they're close to being couple? A monster and a human? If anything, that says more about you than it does about CJ or Arkaid."

"I told you to shut your mouth!"

"Were you always like this, Al?" Gale continued, mocking the very basis of Alvis's mind. "If I were you, I wouldn't worry about it. If you really want to, you can regulate it if something pops up." Gale raised the wand to his chin, tapping the weapon in a playful manner against it. "Hmm… I wonder what would be the boundary for you? Where would it all stop? Would you interrupt them if they do so much as look at each other? Laugh at a joke the other has made? Would you stop them from enjoying a long discussion? There's keeping things from going too far, and then there's going against your very duty."

"SHUT! YOUR! MOUTH!"

"Let me just say this; I'm pretty sure nothing is going to happen. Whatever fears are swelling around in your heard… they're insane fantasies. Besides, an eternity is a long time; I'm sure there will always be a second chance for you, at least, if you can repress that jealous mind of yours." Gale's smirk widened. The monster snickered at his comrade's face. "I'm sure you can try again. After that, you can do whatever gay shit you want."

"You son of a-!"

Sitri then reformed himself. Turning into his taller form, he grasped onto Alvis's body and hoisted him away from Gale. Alvis was about to strike Gale. His fist was inches away from the child's face. Gale didn't even flinch as he watched Sitri pull his buddy away from him. "Take this as a statement from your brother; stop second-guessing and do your job!" Alvis kept thrashing within Sitri's arms as the buddy monster continued hoisting him away. The sounds of angry gasps and thrusts alerted other members in their rooms. Members look out of their rooms, peeking around their doors to notice that one of their superiors was being brought away from his own monster.

With a gesture of his wand, the other members hastily left to their rooms. The hallway was, once again, clear of all disturbances. Gale sighed before leaning his back against the door. He looked at the small figure of a skull that stood at the end of his wand. He chuckled at it, watching as he manipulated the weapon so freely. He turned his head to the side, looking at the door behind him as if it was another person. "Was that enough for you?"

Master Eirik's voice came from the other side. He was sitting down, resting against the door. Beside him was his trusted buddy, Sinblade Dragon. The terrifying beast refused to leave his side, watching over his partner as he felt the regret overcame the leader of The Will of Kyoya. He couldn't bring himself to deny his brother's request over the phone. He knew he couldn't get himself to truly fight back against Alvis's doubts. That's why he needed Gale there; he needed someone to be blunt for him. "I think you were too rough on him…." Gale muttered weakly. "You just love getting to people, don't you?"

"Oh, please," Gale scoffed back. "Your brother needs to accept the truth; CJ doesn't want to be his boyfriend. However, that's the reason why Alvis is so easy for me to deal with; he's so simpleminded."

"Please… don't say any more…." Eirik mumbled weakly.

"All I'm saying is this; we only needed him to make Arkaid and CJ close. Doesn't matter how close; just close enough so that we can do our thing. However, he immediately went to the mindset of romance. He's so worried about something like that when he should, like a good brother, be worried about the success of your duties. In my eyes, he's being too selfish, and is ignoring you, but what would I know; I don't want any friends."

"I know that you do," Eirik returned quietly. Gale's ears perked up as a frown came across his face. "You're just too afraid to be betrayed again."

"… It's not just that," Gale murmured back. He stopped flicking his wand before sticking it into his pocket. He motioned himself away from the door, soon turning his body to face it. It was like he could see Eirik's weak, vulnerable body on the other side. He could envision the guilt forming on Eirik's face. The master of this operation was quivering, losing his morale as each day came closer to the ultimate reality. "I could try making an honest friend. It could work too. But, what if I can't protect them from the end?" Eirik refused to answer back. He knew what was coming. "You want CJ's emotions to go out of whack, all for the sake of the power that may come with it. We already know the power that comes from betraying that man. Out of everybody here, CJ scares me the most." He looks away, sighing somberly to himself. "He has to feel pain so horrible and awful in order to bring out even more power of the Disaster Force. Unfortunately, in my time of learning about the fragility of people, nothing is more painful than completely losing the one person you care the most about."

"I know…."

"When the end comes, and after he experiences that kind of pain, will he be able to forgive you, or even Alvis?"

"… Probably not."

(POV: First)

Entering Rikka's gymnasium, in the beginning, was an oddity for me. I hadn't entered the place at all considering I had another place to go. However, every since Arkaid and Alliot agreed to train me, this was the chosen destination. I was growing accustomed to seeing the red and black color schemes of the equipment, floors, and walls. After seeing the monochrome colors of most gyms, I found myself appreciating the much more positive atmosphere. However, my appreciation dwindled once I realized that Doble was going to be here as well. Rikka's gym wasn't necessarily her gym, but she was a valued employee and always volunteered to close the place after normal hours. She was able to allow Melanie and I restricted access to the gym outside of normal hours, which was supposed to be convenient since people crowd this place in incredible numbers.

I couldn't find this convenient to me; working at these abstract hours meant that I had to either be trained early in the morning or the nighttime past 9 pm. There was a schedule to be kept, which was fortunate, which allowed Arkaid to work on my magical abilities at home while I would worry about physique at the gym. I would work with more of the Fifth Omni Cavalry members besides just Alliot; sometimes I worked with Merak to work on my speed while Mizaru instructed me on precise swordplay.

All of this came with the requirement that we pay after everything we may break while also agreeing to clean up when the day was done. Rikka and Melanie hated that, but I didn't necessarily mind cleaning; I did most of the chores when I lived at home so I was used to it.

Today wasn't like the others, for Arkaid wanted to carry topics from our lesson into the gym hours. She didn't feel like I was grasping the idea of healing properly, so she wished to spend more time on the spell. We were secluded and off to ourselves in the corner of the room, sitting across from each other with our legs crossed. I mirrored her arms and hands, placing them in front of me in a relaxed yet formal position. At this moment in time, I was a student, hoping to learn from a master.

I was able to listen to Arkaid clearly despite the other members being rambunctious in the background. They were quite far away so it was not a large issue. However, the noise was still bothersome to some extent since Arkaid doesn't normally raise her voice to be extra loud; her regality and formal way of speaking entails a much quieter tone. Despite these issues, I tried to make sure I understood everything. "From what occurred before, the issue today comes from the experimentation more than the mere understanding of the concept."

"I understand what you're saying; I just can't actually do it."

"That may not be the only case, CJ," Arkaid continued. "Magic involves envisioning what you hope to do with your magical abilities and then acting on it. The fact that you find this lesson a bit difficult may imply that your magical abilities are weak or you do not understand the act of Mana Transfer."

According to what she told me, all beings have mana to some extent. However, magicians are able to tap into that mana and use it to cast spells. It is because of the essence of it all that I see mana more as 'aura' if anything, for all beings have aura. I assumed that she separated the two just to simplify it for me, for mana is a concept that I've grown used to ever since I started playing video games. Simplifying such ideas into things that I can easily understand can accelerate the thinking process, for I am able to understand the very basis of her lessons through my line of thinking. The topic of Mana Transfer, for example, stems from healing. Whenever one wishes to use magic to heal another individual's wounds, a mana transfer, on some level, takes place; the magician is using their mana to heal an ally. However, in order to do this, the mana must be used on said individual, implying that it has to travel to another person. When it comes to healing oneself, such a practice isn't recommended, even though I can already do it; healing takes up a lot of mana, so doing so without a way to regulate mana consumption, or doing it without a lot of mana, puts the user at the risk of exhaustion. For a magician to heal themselves during a fight would be suicide; the user would be healing yet also exhausting themselves, still leaving them in a position where they could get hurt. It is because of this that Arkaid has instructed me not to heal myself during these lessons, even though I had already performed it a week ago.

She continued speaking her mind about this issue, soon nudging over to me. Before I acknowledged this, she grasped onto my arm with her delicate hand. Her red fingernails almost seemed to caress my tanned skin. "Please, observe." Her hand began to envelop in a soft, blue hue. I began to feel myself become energized. My legs fidgeted and shook from the excess energy, leaving me left to find any sort of outlet for this overflowing feeling of energy. However, with each moment I felt energized, I noticed Arkaid becoming quieter. When I turned to her, she wasn't exhausted, but she definitely felt some loss of energy. She adjusted her position and sat herself down right next to me. "If you would like another recommendation, I suggest using an image to ease this process."

"How do you mean?"

"Try imagining a stream of water," Arkaid softly began. "Think of your mana like the calm, soothing river flowing into my very being. Maybe think of yourself as a lake upstream, feeding me, a lake below, through a slow, thin canal."

"Is that what you thought of just now?"

"On some scale, yes," Arkaid smirked. I couldn't help but feel like she implied something else, but I couldn't exactly imagine anything else. Her smirk was what I was worried about, especially since I was expecting her to take this situation more seriously. I could be overanalyzing; she probably just thought of something silly that made her giggle a bit. "Whenever you're ready, CJ."

She extended her arm to me, allowing me to hold it. Gently, I held her rather thin right arm. I took in a deep breath, settling the anxiety forming in my body. Slowly but surely, I felt my magic forming at my fingertips. My tan hand began to envelop with the same blue mana. It was strange seeing it in such a raw and unfiltered form. I looked up at her, hoping that she would give me a sign of approval or something. When I noticed the concerned eyes I knew that she wasn't receiving anything. To be honest, I should have been able to realize it myself; I didn't feel tired at all. I sighed, finding this setback to be troublesome for my growth. "Is there anything else we can do?"

"I have another idea," Arkaid replied calmly. I felt her pulling her right arm slightly, signaling me to release her from my soft grip. After doing so, I noticed her free hand approaching mine. I felt her right hand grasp onto mine. The touch of her hand felt cool, yet I didn't want to let go. Something wanted me to hold her hand far past this. She moved it across my hand. I could feel the soft touch of her beautiful light-blue scales. "Try thinking of our hands like gates; we cast spells through our hands or staffs. This is because the mana travels from our arms to our hands, then up the staff. Interestingly enough, most magicians use staffs to help increase the regulation of their mana."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, which is why you normally see me with one. However, I am able to cast spells with just my hands rather easily, but they are not nearly as powerful when compared to that of the staff." She observed my hand closely. The way she held her hand in mine was rather peculiar; her fingers remained right above my own. It wasn't anything like a handshake or anything; it was like our fingers rested against each other. She was observing our hands though, more so than the mana she should have been looking at. I could tell because her eyes were more focused toward my fingertips; where my fingers touched the base of hers.

As the mana continued to envelop my hand I noticed something odd within in. My heart started picking up. I could feel my muscles tense up from the sudden loss of energy. The sudden sensation made me wince, closing my eyes. But then, just when I thought my vision was gone, I saw everything Arkaid had to offer. I had entered some sort of odd plane, observing the twisting and curving streams of blue energy. These paths kept swirling around me, growing ever so stronger with each rotation. I felt myself drowning in this expansive and overwhelming amount of mana. It was Arkaid's. Compared to me, I was but a drop of water in the ocean. I could feel myself drowning under the intense power she flaunted to me, but she didn't have to do anything; just by attempting to give her my mana, I felt the kind of power she held. That was more than enough of a sign to me; she outclasses me, not just in spellcasting, but in the sheer amount of mana she possessed. I could only imagine the amount of discipline and inner strength necessary to develop that much mana within oneself.

Forcefully, I brought myself out of the abnormal trance. When I looked over to Arkaid I noticed that she was much more alert. This change worked, though this meant that I was being drained. I quickly canceled the spell, yet I soon fell victim to the effects of it. I didn't have my mana yet, nor did I know how to regulate it properly without exhausting myself. It was no surprise that I found myself tumbling sideways, laying on the ground.

Arkaid quickly knelt to my side as I drearily looked back at her with a slight smirk. Tired, exhausted, and weary, I still felt accomplished enough at the fact that I completed this task. I couldn't help but chuckle at my condition, and soon Arkaid was giggling behind her right hand. "Now you understand?" She continued giggling. It took some time for her to speak formally once again. "Normally, this isn't recommended for obvious reasons; not only do we need to heal allies, but we also need to be able to fuel more battle-capable allies in the midst of battle. I doubt it would be, time-wise, effective to always have to hold hands." Suddenly, her smile faded. Her head twitched before suddenly looking towards the side. When my eyes followed hers, I noticed, only for a moment, a smaller human being hide away from sight. Arkaid must have just sensed her presence. "Melanie? Is everything alright?"

Reluctantly, the little girl stepped into plain view. She was still wearing a large robe, which didn't really fit the gym setting. It's not like she did too much physical training, but it was generally expected for us to get somewhat fit. The dark-purple attire melded with her dark, long hair. She looked nervously to the side, almost like she was embarrassed to be seen. "I…. um… I'm sorry."

"You did nothing wrong, dear," Arkaid returned to her. She slowly approached Melanie with a gentle walk. By the time I managed to bring myself back to my feet she was at the young girl's side. "Did you happen to come by because you wished for me to train you?" The way Arkaid spoke was much more motherly. She was serene, speaking like a person who truly understood the mind of a child. Melanie was 16, the youngest of the human members of this cavalry. From the little that I knew, I only knew that her parents fought over her, draining her mind. Over time, she was left like this; incredibly secluded and introverted.

Melanie quickly shook her head side to side, moving her entire body slightly while doing so. It was rather child-like in my eyes. Arkaid didn't accept Melanie's answer, soon turning to me with a concerned look. Without the need for a question, I walked out of the room, leaving the two of them behind.

I was still exhausted from the faulty mana transfer that I decided to take a short break. As I entered the main area of the gym I saw Doble and Rikka duking it out in the boxing ring. At least, that's what I first thought; Doble was holding a type of boxing mitt in each hand. He held his hands in front of him as Rikka landed a blow into each mitt. Her hands were covered by the small boxing gloves. With each jab and thrust, she was able to impress Doble as shown by the confident smirk on his face. Meglax and Alliot were watching her; Meglax must have been observing his friend while Alliot, taking his personal rivalry with Doble to heart, was probably attempting to discover a weakness in Rikka's fighting style so he could teach me how to prepare against her. He looked sinister as he observed the girl attempting to pummel the muscular, blonde dragon.

On the sidelines were both Mizaru and Merak. They appeared to be keeping to themselves. When approaching the two of them, I was silently hoping to myself that I wasn't annoying them by postponing our training sessions. Mizaru was the first to turn to me, smiling when he saw me. "Good on you." Merak was prompting to turn from hearing that. Casually, I sat down next to him. "Melly was hoping to get some help from Arkaid today. You must've done well to end the session."

"To be honest, I only got a grasp on it," I returned with a sigh. "It's not the best, but it's a start."

Merak continued to look at me closely. He wasn't the type to talk too much, so I couldn't get a good read on him. The two times we have a somewhat lengthy conversation was when he doubted my skills and when he was confused at why I interrupted a fight between Alliot and Arkaid. Other than that, I was given the usual fare of him instructing me on how to fight. It was because of this that Mizaru was the one to reply next. "It's good to carry that attitude. Mental strength is necessary to move forward."

I found the comment a bit awkward in how it was worded. "Pardon?"

"Forgive me; watching you come back here like that reminded me of Melly," Mizaru smiled softly before closing his eyes. Merak turned his eyes to him, observing how the black dragon calmed himself with a fond memory. "She wasn't quick to give up on herself. Whenever I was around her, I saw someone willing to pursue a change, a good change. Teach her right and she'll find the motivation to keep going."

"Is that why you chose her?" I asked. Mizaru's eyes opened instantly. He turned to me, confused at what I meant. "I'm sorry about that," I began, feeling like I interrupted his reminiscing. "It's just that, when Arkaid chose me, it was due to our like-mindedness and how she and I just got along very well. I assumed that something clicked between you and Melanie too."

"Not in that way," Mizaru returned. He took in a deep breath before letting out a long, depressing sigh. My nerves began to shake me; I hoped that I didn't offend him or bring up something he wished to forget. He turned to me, noticing my nervousness. "Don't worry yourself about it. Actually, from what I recall, your lesson was about mana transfer; I'm sure you must be at least a bit tired."

"A little, yeah."

"Then I believe that now would be a good time for you to know about her," Mizaru crossed his legs, getting into a calming position. I was getting worried, for I could already tell that this memory was something that he had a hard time dealing with. His body tensed up, his nostrils quivered fearfully with each breath and exhale, and his tail curled around his body, embracing his being. "Please, do not say a word throughout this recollection. I already struggle with this memory enough….

It was almost a year ago, just before the incident involving Kyoya Gaen. Even though the Fifth Omni Lord, Tenbu believed that Gao Mikado, his comrades, as well as the Bal dragon, would have the situation under control, my defensive nature left me skeptical. On my spare time, I would go down to Earth and observe the happenings of Japan, looking after Gao and his friends to some extent. Nowadays, Gao is without a buddy, and I have heard from Arkaid how he has somewhat devolved since the separation. Despite this, I would like to say that Gao was, at one point, a very eccentric and willful child; he was a hero. Even as the Fifth Omni Cavalry Dragons, as well as the Omni Lords, lost their once large and precious reputation, I still believed that Gao was a hero.

I did not care about the eyes of the public. However, seeing their disdainful eyes was what made me leave the more populated areas of the city. I could not stand seeing so many individuals make blankets statements about my comrades and I. Unknown to you, CJ, and unknown to Rikka and Melanie, I am the oldest of the Fifth Omni Cavalry Dragons. I am over 2000 years old, living in a body representing only thirty years of age thanks to the kind curse Tenbu has placed upon us all. However, unlike the putrid Purgatory Curse, our curse doesn't protect us from death completely. When I heard my comrades being spoken to with lowly regard, I couldn't help but feel infuriated; as the oldest Fifth Omni Cavalry member, I have been allied with dragons that died in their service. Such memories fill me with guilt and doubt due to my own inexperience at the time of their deaths. I hated myself, and the people around me reminded me of that. Their words also undermined the sacrifices of my brethren. Because of that, I observed less populated areas.

Parks included such areas. My SD form allowed me to be appreciated by some of the children and young adults there. My, admittedly, adorable appearance allowed me to be accepted. Even though I had the responsibility to find a buddy, I would find myself playing with the children and teenagers that wished to do some. With the older humans, I would play logic games or have buddyfights, while I would do something sillier with the kids, such as playing tag. These humans were so much more lively and happy, so it struck me as odd to see that there was a young girl, with long and dark black hair, was sitting alone. She was wearing a long purple robe, the same kind she wears now. However, one oddity that I noticed was that her sleeves went past her hands; her robe was at least three sizes too big for her. She wasn't looking at anything in particular; she was staring outwards. When I waved to her, she noticed me, quickly hiding her eyes behind her long hair. I found her behavior incredibly new to me; unlike the carefree and innocent nature of the teenagers and children around me, her eyes spoke to me that expressed absolute misery.

I made an effort to approach her. Even though the other kids wished for me to keep playing, I told them that I wanted to talk to this girl, and then they could keep playing. After leaving the group, I walked in front of the lonely girl. She curled herself up into a ball, nestled on the white wooden fence. As friendly as I possibly could, I asked her something. "Excuse me, but is that seat taken?" Without looking at me, she quickly shook her head. As I crawled up onto the wooden bench, due to my SD form's minuscule height, I noticed that she would make occasional glances at me. To me, it was a sign that she wished to talk to me. I imagined that she yearned for company, so I obliged. I don't exactly know how or why it happened, but she saw something in me. As of right now, I believe the trait she admired about me was how I was willing to go out of my way to assist someone in need.

She was a recluse, yet that did not stop her from trying to talk to me. Melanie would chime in every few minutes or so and ask questions about me. I would do the same back to her. It was then that I learned the housing situation; her parents were violent ones, but not to her. As I recall, CJ, she appears to be the most like you in a way; she has fears of her family falling apart around her, and rightfully so…."

Mizaru stopped himself for a moment. His arms were shaking, rattled by a sudden shot of fear. When he opened his mouth, empty words were the only things to leave it. Merak looked over at him with his right hand extended. The blue dragon humanoid held onto Mizaru's shoulder, firmly supporting him. Mizaru turned to his comrade with stunned eyes. My body tensed up, for I knew that we were approaching something that truly shook Mizaru to the core. Somehow, he managed to continue speaking. "… She… she would normally leave ahead of me at around 6 pm, when the sun was still up. However… one day, she and I both lost track of time…."

(POV: Third)

Melanie's pure and innocent blue eyes finally acknowledged the darkened skies around her. Beside her was her new friend, Mizaru, who was residing in his SD form in order to follow the world's laws. She smiled softly to herself as she curled up into a little ball. The night skies were enough to warn her about the ensuing cold air. Her hair covered the entirety of her face, shielding her from the world. Mizaru nudged closer to her, resting his small body against hers to provide some warmth. The young girl breathed slowly as she spoke. "It's… cold…."

"We truly did lose track of time," Mizaru replied with a calm exhale. "We should get you home before it gets too late."

Melanie's head slowly rose up. Unexpectedly, her body rattled. "W-We?"

"I wouldn't want you to walk home this late," Mizaru replied with the calm, soothing low tone of his voice.

"Y-you don't have to," Melanie muttered back to him. The small, black dragon tilted his head, confused at his friend's sudden shift in behavior. He got used to the rather reclusive behavior or Melanie, but her frightened attitude towards this came out of nowhere. She drearily turned her head away, letting her eyes drift off towards the ground. "I… I don't want you to go out of your way to."

Her tone of voice became somber as she continued on. Mizaru couldn't let this standby. He reformed his body, becoming at least seven feet tall as he towered over his new companion. Melanie, even in her introverted state, was left in awe as the small dragon from before transformed into that of a well-toned, humanoid dragon warrior. Mizaru, clad in samurai armor, stood proudly above his friend's stature. He offered the young girl a hand, smiling down at her. "I cannot let someone young and defenseless go off on their own. If I must, I shall carry you home."

Melanie's eyes widened in awe and wonder. Without any signs of protest, the dragon hoisted the small girl into his arms, holding her like a precious treasure. Mizaru slowly walked home, observing his surroundings carefully. It was because of this that he became oblivious to the girl's eyes; she couldn't take her eyes off of the one person holding her like this. She felt something that she, personally, had never felt before. She grasped onto her own arms, holding her long sleeves in place. It wasn't long before an innocent smile had formed.

As Mizaru continued to walk through the neighborhood, Melanie acted as the conductor of the trip. However, Mizaru couldn't help but start grumbling as he began to hear two adults arguing in the distance. The voices were muffled, telling him that the two participating in the fight were behind closed doors. He snorted before shaking his head. "How insane of them; there are children out late and these adults have nothing else to do but argue." Suddenly, he began to feel Melanie shaking a little in his arms. He looked down to Melanie, watching as she calmly looked up at him with her large eyes. The dragon assumed that she was shaking from the cold. He hoped he would get close to her home soon. "Tell me when we get to your house, okay?"

Melanie nodded back to him. She stuck out her arm and pointed to a nearby house with a golden-colored roof. It was a small and quaint home, but it looked charming to the tall dragon. Unfortunately, it was about three houses away from the loud and boisterous house. Mizaru grumbled more before speaking to his friend. "I hope you don't have any friends that live there," he began. Melanie turned back to him with a slight frown. "Oh, I'm sorry," he replied nervously with an exceptional amount of genuineness in his voice. "If you do, please try and talk to them like I've done for you. I'm certain they'll appreciate it."

As Mizaru placed Melanie down, he noticed another oddity in Melanie's behavior. She didn't immediately turn to her directed home; she continued to look at the loud home. The man and woman from inside had their silhouettes shown in an open window. At this point, they were so close that they were able to pick apart what each speaker was saying. The first was the shrill cry of the woman while the second was the wildness of the man. "How can you even come back here?! Did you get a job yet?!"

"Hey, I'm trying to find one!

"Oh, REALLY now?! It's been months since you were able to make a few yen! How are we supposed to take care of Melanie?!"

Mizaru's body tensed up. "M-Melly?" When his eyes noticed Melanie, he witnessed the young girl shaking even more violently. "Melly… is that really your-?"

The man's voice shouted out once again. "Stop being a bitch! I don't see you doing anything either!"

"I can't get a job, you now that!"

"Why, because you're back is aching a little bit? Grow up!"

As each person yelled ever more violently, Melanie shuddered. It happened whenever one person broke the previous vocal barrier. Mizaru could only watch as the events unfolded in front of him, standing at the mercy of the truth. There was a loud slam against the wall, soon followed by the sound of breaking glass. The man yelled out to her. "Don't throw shit at me!"

"You're not really finding a job!" The woman cried back. "You're off with Lia, the whore!"

"Where the hell did you get that from?!"

"A friend of mine told me. No way in hell am I telling you who!"

"So you're spying on me now?! You can't trust your own damn husband?!"

"I would never trust a lazy, cheating asshole!"

Mizaru slowly approached Melanie, not wanting to do anything too quickly or without caution. The girl quickly turned around, only able to see the dragon's large silhouette against the darkening sky. She gasped before falling to her feet. Mizaru had to act quickly; he changed back to his SD form and rushed to Melanie's side. "Melly, it's me! Are you okay? Please, talk to me, Melly!"

As the girl's body continued to tremble, the voices of her parents got louder and louder. The wife cried back at the husband. "I knew I should've listened to my parents! You're rotten to the core!"

"Don't blame me for your screw-up!" The father yelled back. "You said you wanted to be with me, and it's too late to back out now!"

"Oh, but I wish I fucking did!" The wife yelled back. "At least my old boyfriend cared about me!"

"Shut up about that fucker!"

"Oh, but I won't!" She stormed back. "Even now, I remember how well he treated me! But now I know it's too late to go back, only because I decided to stick with some loser!"

SMACK!

Everything suddenly went silent. Mizaru senses ceased until he realized Melanie had frozen in place. Her eyes gazed forward with no emotion present. Her mouth was slightly open from the shock of such a terrible noise. Soft whimpers could be heard from the house. Melanie's arms shook. She quickly raced off on her own, leaving Mizaru behind. Her speed surprised even Mizaru. "Melly!" Mizaru rushed after her as she weaved her way around the fences surrounding other homes. Her boots flung off her feet as she ran barefoot on the murky and wet pavement. Bits of gravel flew off from her feet pelting the ground. Even with her surprising speed, Mizaru had stamina.

After a few minutes of running, after a number of sudden shifts and turns, Melanie gave in to her exhaustion. Her body collapsed onto the pavement as she heaved from her sudden dash. She wearily looked at her, soon seeing Mizaru rush to her side. He kneels beside her as the young girl reluctantly looks away. She was trying to keep herself from the only person going out of their way to help her. Mizaru wasn't having that; he approached her with a solemn, stern yet calming face. He sighed morosely as he patted her forehead. "I'm sorry… I didn't know."

Melanie refused to look at him, overcome with guilt. "I… didn't want anyone to."

"I want to help," Mizaru replied with urgency. "Please, Melanie, let me help you."

"I can't…."

"Melanie, please, let me"- A sharp noise alerted the two of them. Melanie shot up, completely startled by the harsh noise. Her arms flung into the air for a moment as her long sleeves sagged downward. Mizaru locked on to the source of the noise, soon noticing that a stray cat had tipped over the lid of a nearby trash can. The cat was thin with its bones able to be seen. It hissed back before leaping away, scurrying out of sight. Both Melanie and Mizaru sighed, relieved that it was only a false alarm. "That startled me," Mizaru sighed with relief. He began to turn to face Melanie, hoping to continue the conversation. "Anyways, like I was saying, I-…"

Mizaru's voice vanished. The pupils in his eyes shook, trembling at the sight before him. He wasn't looking at Melanie anymore, but her arms. Melanie blinked in confusion for a moment. In an instant, she felt a cool breeze rush against her arms. It was like she knew the issue in an instant. She didn't even need to look at her arms to know that Mizaru had seen something that he shouldn't have. She quickly covered her arms again with her long sleeves, but the damage had been done, and Melanie knew that. She weakly quivered as she retreated within herself. Mizaru could hear the child weak, defenseless and vulnerable to the world. Mizaru didn't need to demand Melanie to reveal her arms once again; what he saw was ingrained deep in the back of his mind. He lowered his head. His eyes darkened. He tightened the bandana around his forehead as he returned to his normal form. With a katana in hand, he turned away from Melanie, growling furiously with a cold stare. "I'll be right back," Mizaru scowled at nothing. "I need to talk to your parents."

Melanie's voice cried out at him. "No!" She broke down. When Mizaru turned, he saw Melanie grasp his waist with her arms. "Don't hurt them, please! I did this!" She kept crying out. Her wails echoed throughout his mind. He only wanted to hurt her parents even more. For putting such a child in this position, he wanted blood. He wanted this girl's innocence to be avenged. However, as he watched Melanie wail at her legs, Mizaru suddenly came to a realization. As he heard his friend cry out for peace, he knew that violence was not going to solve anything. He dropped the katana, soon kneeling down to the girl's height. The warrior embraced the young girl, shielding her from the world around them.

(POV: First)

I was unable to utter a single word. As Mizaru finished his story, my body felt uneasy by the scenario placed into my heart. "With the help of the other Cavalry Dragons, we were able to argue that Melly's parents were unfit to take care of her. She's been living with her grandparents ever since; soon she will stay with us permanently when she becomes of age. That was the agreement." His eyes were directed right at me, but I still couldn't say a single word. "… I've heard from Arkaid that she has told you Rikka's story. This isn't your first time learning about your comrades." Somehow, I was able to shake my head back to him. My eyes soon looked at the floor. Melanie blamed herself for a broken home, Rikka lost her brother to a horrible mother. I couldn't even imagine the pain they felt. I couldn't say anything. Maybe that was the point; nothing could be said, so nothing else should be said.