Tales of Big Bang

Summary: After the destruction of Hod, and losing of her home on the Isle of Feres, Arietta is raised by ligers and grows up around monsters. She is able to communicate with these monsters and has always thought of this place as “home.” That is, until one day, her life is changed… Waves lapped against an island’s edge, interrupting the silence. With her hair soaked and matted against her head, a small child had washed ashore. She didn’t remember much of what had happened. All that she knew was that there had been a flash and loud rumbling. And people. People screaming, and running as monstrous cracks appeared in the ground, spreading everywhere. And then everything was black. She was half conscious.

The girl had no idea how she was still alive. Wasn’t she supposed to be dead, like everyone else? Like the rest of her…? The word wouldn’t register in her mind, she was too weak. All she felt was freezing cold and pain. Pain that never seemed to go away.

That is, until something soft brushed against her. It was so warm, it felt like the sun. Instinctively, she reached out, grasping that warmth. The girl managed to open her eyes somewhat, though her vision seemed somewhat blurry. She could still make out the thing that loomed over her.

It looked like a giant cat, with really long teeth coming out of the corners of her mouth. The girl was fond of animals, and drew herself, with all the strength she could muster, closer.

The big cat seemed to regard her with sad eyes. Before the girl was aware of it, she was being lifted up. She didn’t care where she was going, as long as it took her away from the pain. The pain of arriving here. And the pain from a soon to be forgotten city. The city of Hod.

The big cat took her through a vivid forest, full of bright colors and wildlife. It was a giant contrast to world outside, where everything seemed dull and lifeless. Plants sprouted from the ground, rivers trickled over rocks, and little creatures scurried along. All the while the big cat continued through the forest, not bothered by anything.

The big cat finally came to a stop in the deeper part of the forest. It was in a small clearing, where hardly any sunlight shone through. Dense undergrowth was everywhere.

Little cats were playing around with some of plants, swatting them this way and that. Their ears perked up when the big cat padded forward, gently placing the girl on the ground. It then roared something to the little cats, and the little cats bounded over. The big cat curled around the shivering girl, and the little cats laid down beside her, sharing their body warmth. The girl soon fell asleep, a faint smile on her lips.

“Mama, do you think she’s okay?” a voice asked.

“I do not know. I’ve never tried to understand humans before…”

The girl opened her eyes, blinking several times before everything came into focus. The four cats were loomed over her. As she sat up, she realized with a jolt that those two voices had come from the cats. Or at least…they had to. The girl swung her head from side to side, but saw no one around. They were alone. But yet the cats were silent, watching her with keen eyes.

“U-Um…did you…just speak?” the girl asked.

The cats exchanged a glance. “You can understand us?” one of the little ones inquired.

The girl’s eyes widened. Her intuition was right! But why did she understand them? It’s not like these powers manifested overnight…suddenly she felt a stab of pain. The whole world seemed to spin as she clutched the side of her head.

She was crouched in front of a scruffy dog, caked in dirt and mud.“I bet you’re lonely, being out on the streets like this… I’d take you in, but Mommy and Daddy said no.”

“It’s all right. I deserved it. I’m just glad you even talked to me. I just feel like an outsider…always wandering. But you…you’ve got a place you can go back to. Cherish it. You never know when it will be ripped away from you.” The dog advised.

“Mhmh! I-I will. You’re a good doggy.”

“Arietta! Don’t talk to that filthy thing! Come inside, it will be raining soon!” Her mother ordered, standing in the doorway. Arietta patted the dog on the head before running inside. Storm clouds had just begun to gather in the sky. The dog tore away, skidding over loose pebbles in the street.

“Mommy, I can understand animals!” Arietta exclaimed as she and her mother walked into the kitchen.

Her mother rounded on her, fire seeming to burn in the depths of her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous! That power of yours is a curse! It was passed down from my mother, and look where that got her! She died because she thought those animals would never harm her! Well, they did! You don’t understand animals, dear. You understand monsters. Monsters that will stop at nothing to kill you. Stay away from them if you value your own life!” she spat.

Arietta shrank away from her. This wasn’t the mother she knew. She spun around and ran out the door. She could hear her mother yelling at her, but she didn’t look back. A heavy rain began to pour, matting her hair against her face. Arietta didn’t care where she was going, as long she got away from the pain.

She tripped, falling to ground, water splashing up in her face. But she just rose to her feet and continued running. There was sudden flash, and the whole world seemed to shake. People were running past her, screaming. A monstrous crack appeared on ground a few feet ahead of her. Taking a step back, Arietta ran and ran and…

Arietta opened her eyes, panting, a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. The world had stopped spinning. She stared at the cats in front of her with new eyes. She’d always understood animals since she was young. Her mother had called it a curse. It was something she’d been born with.

And yet…to her it seemed like the greatest blessing. She didn’t care whether she understood monsters or animals. She was Arietta, a girl who could speak to understand them. Had this big cat rescued her, knowing that? Or was it another reason entirely?

“In a way, yes. In another, you could say I didn’t want to leave a helpless child alone. We are called ligers, little one,” The liger said, as if reading her mind. “My name is Lyra. This little one here is called Viola, the one who spoke. The other two are Etude and Sonata. And you are…?”

“I’m…Arietta.” she answered.

“Ah…that is a nice name. It suits you.” The liger seemed to smile, revealing her sharp teeth a bit. Arietta smiled back.

Sonata smiled, “You seem nice, for a human. I will continuously observe you.”

Etude snorted, turning his nose up, “I-I never wanted a human as a sister. Not as if I was fascinated by them or anything…”

Viola did a little hop in the air, “I have a sister! Yay!!”

Lyra chuckled, “Yes, I suppose you do,” she locked her eyes with Arietta. “If it’s all right with you, that is.”

“You’ll let me stay?” Arietta asked tentatively.

“Of course. As your mother, it is my sworn duty to protect my children. Welcome, my daughter. These woods will be your home from now on. I shall raise you as if you were my own.” The liger wrapped her tail around Arietta, drawing her closer. Viola, Sonata, and Etude squeezed in last minute, and Arietta could feel them trembling.

When she looked Viola in the eye, they shone like stars. All five of them settled down together, just as the sun began to slip beneath the horizon. She’d finally found a place where she belonged. And she wanted it to stay like this. Forever.

…

“Arietta, I advise against this.” Sonata said as Arietta approached the blue bird. Its wings had gotten caught in a narrow gap of trees.

“But…I want to help him. I hate seeing animals suffer.” This, she knew for a fact. She’d practically helped every suffering animal back in that…that…place. She’d lost the name for it, but she knew it as the place she’d grown up in in her human life.

Now, as she stood before the trapped bird, she could see that it was only a baby, just learning how to fly. The bird had just been clinging onto the trunk for support, but its sad chirps showed it was causing it pain.

Arietta reached out with her hands, and the bird cowered, trembling on the spot. “I’m not going to hurt you…” Arietta reassured. The little bird slowly stopped trembling and stared at her, chirping some more. “Don’t worry, I’m getting you out…” she reached her hand through the narrow gap and gently grasped the bird’s wing.

“All right…I need you to let go of the trunk.” This led to a series of chirps and the bird seemed to cling to the trunk even more. “No, I’m not going to let you fall…Trust me on this…” The sound her calm voice seemed to calm the baby bird as well. Closing its eyes, it let go.

Arietta gently turned the birds wing at a comfortable angle and quickly said, “Fly sideways!” The bird resigned, and flew sideways. A second later it was free, but its sense of direction was off. A second later it crash landed in Arietta’s palms. “Are you okay?” she asked. The little blue bird quickly got to its feet. It dipped its head and made another series of chirps.

“I’ll be willing to help you anytime in the future. Once I’ve mastered flight, that is! I’m a Hraesvelgr, and my name’s Cello! If you ever need me, ask for Cello, and I’ll come! Thank you again, goodbye for now!” The little bird spread its wings and took off, flying back up into the trees.

Arietta watched until Cello disappeared among the leaves, chirping all the way.

Sonata grinned. “Maybe I was too quick to doubt. You seem to have a natural talent. I could not understand a word that bird was saying, but perhaps my ears are not attuned to other monsters yet. Whatever the case, you seem understand any species.” Sonata noted, sitting down on a nearby rock.

“T-That was okay, I guess. Nothing too special…” Etude huffed.

Viola did a little hop in the air. “You’re so cool, sis! We gotta try this again sometime!”

Sonata narrowed her eyes. “We may have been lucky this time, but not all monsters are friendly.”

Viola’s tail drooped. “I know, I know…”

Etude puffed out his chest. “That’s why we must know this things beforehand. They’re crucial to our survival. While we may think we are the predators, we could also be the prey too.” he said matter-of-factly.

Viola rolled her eyes, “A show off, as always…” before padding away.

“What’s wrong, my daughter?” Lyra asked, padding over to her, making sure not to awake her siblings.

Arietta stared at her mother, tears running down her cheeks. In front of her lay the body of a dead baby rabbit. “I couldn’t…I couldn’t save her…” she cried. “She told me…that she’d struck with a disease…so I thought…I thought I could find something to help her…but when I got back it was too late…!”

Lyra sat down beside her, holding out a large paw. Arietta’s eyes widened, and a second later she embraced her mother. As Arietta cried, Lyra brushed her tail against her back. “Listen, nature can be cruel, Arietta. You cannot save everyone, but you can try. And you did. To me, that is good enough. There are miraculous things you can accomplish through effort and determination.”

Arietta stared up at her mother, and smiled, the last of her tears dropping onto the ground. “Thank you…Mommy. Mommy, do you…love me?” Arietta asked.

Giving her forehead a lick she said, “Of course I do. I love you as much as I love all my children. But you, by far, are the most special to me. If you…if you…ever left me, hypothetically of course, make sure to come back and visit. Because I would miss you very much.”

Arietta nodded. “I promise, Mommy, I’ll come back home to visit if I ever left.”

Lyra averted her gaze. “Ah…I am glad. And make sure to help out us monsters too. While most appear cruel, we do have a sweet side, a side that humans, except for you, never get to see…I believe if you really try, maybe coexistence between us is not entirely impossible.” She stared up at the night sky as she said this, each star gleaming brightly. “I’m sure your friend is up there…she is no longer suffering. Why don’t we bury her and say our goodbyes before going back to sleep?”

“Yes, good idea Mommy…” Arietta hurried to get her friend’s body. Carrying the baby rabbit in her hands, she whispered, “Thank you, my friend…I hope everything is peaceful where you are..”

…

“Aha!” Viola triumphed, tackling down her prey and pinning it to the ground. “I got you now!” It was a wolf pup, with brown stripes running through its gray fur. Whimpering, it tried to escape the liger’s grasp, but it was futile. Viola finished it off with a clean blow on the neck. “Mom’s going to be so proud! Then she’ll have to agree I’m the best hunter around.”

Arietta smiled, dropping from her perch on a nearby branch. “Mommy will love it.” She reached out, and Viola lowered her head. Arietta ran her fingers through the soft fur. It was so tender and warm. And…fluffy.

Sonata shook her head, whispering to herself, “I did not think she’d learn how to hunt so fast. This is a major improvement.”

Etude licked his paw, and ran his paw over his ears. He rose from where he was sitting on a rock, snapping a stick in the process. “I thought it was a share of utter mockery to a prey’s life. You’re supposed to treat it with respect, and dignity. You make its death painless, fearless and–” he cut off when he saw Sonata’s glare.

“She is still learning, give her time.” She said.

Etude rolled his eyes. “I suppose.”

Viola grunted once she stopped petting her, and only bent down to retrieve her catch. “Have any luck catching squirrels, Sis?” she asked, her voice muffled from carrying the wolf pup.

Arietta shook her head. “I haven’t brought myself to kill them. They’re just so cute.”

Viola scoffed, “Heh, I figured. Mom always said you were soft. But I like that about you. You could calm a ruthless killer. I find it an admirable trait.”

“Thank you, Big Sister.”

Viola averted her gaze. “S-Sure.”

“Why does Mommy want such big catches anyway?” she inquired.

“She said it’s for the meeting. Our cousins will be there!” Viola did a little leap into the air, landing on a large tree trunk. A creature that kind of looked like a bunny with big ears Arietta didn’t recognize ran away. What was that? she wondered.

“Meeting?” Arietta echoed.

“You don’t know? Mom’s the liger queen! She calls meetings every now and then to make sure we’re all well fed. And…” Viola’s eyes darkened and she slowed her pace. “…To make sure the humans have continued to avoid us. If they lay one paw in here, I’ll cut them down!” she snarled, baring her sharp teeth. Her fur bristled, her whole body trembling. In a minute, her fur was lying flat again.

“I’m sorry. I lost control of myself for a second there. If you know what’s good for you, Arietta, stay away from those humans. They’ll try to hurt you in ways unimaginable.” Viola flicked her tail, scattering some leaves in the process. But she didn’t seem to care. Her pawsteps slammed against the ground like a ferocious beast had just been awoken. And maybe that was true.

“Is…she usually like this?” Arietta asked, slowing her pace.

Sonata nodded. “Quite normal. She is the type to get in a certain mode for a while, and it is hard to get her out of it. But after a while she gets over it, which is good.”

Etude’s tuft of fur on his head blew in the light breeze as he closed his eyes. “I didn’t know how interesting you humans could be. You have high curiosity, and a sense of innocence. I suppose not all humans are as bad as we believe. Then again, you’re just an orphaned child, so maybe that makes a differ–”

Arietta’s eyes widened, and she looked away, feeling as if she’d been stabbed.

Sonata gave Etude a little shove.

“Hey, what was that for?” he demanded, regaining his balance.

“Do not be so insensitive and inconsiderate. She must have lived hard life. You should be respecting the fact that’s been able to live this long.”

Sonata came and brushed against her. “I apologize in advance for our brother. He has a hard time understanding others, you see. He simply speaks his mind and states the obvious. Pay him no mind.”

When Arietta glanced down, her sister was staring at her with soft eyes. She had a little fang that always protruded from the corner of her mouth. She gave Arietta a lopsided smile.

“Thank you…” was Arietta’s only reply. In response, her sister simply walked by her side for the rest of the way back. Etude lingered behind them, swiveling his ears this way and that. A far off cry caught his attention, but he couldn’t locate the source of the sound. Arietta had stopped to watch him doing this. He acted as if he were a bodyguard, always on high alert. Finally noticing he was being stared at, he rushed over.

“Listen, I don’t tell Viola about this, but I am training to become stronger. If I’m strong enough I can surely protect all of us, including the Queen. Or Mother, I should say. But who I most want to protect…it would be you and Viola, Arietta.”

He averted his gaze, “I’ve said too much. How embarrassing. I’m sure the both of you find it amusing. Impossible, even. Go on, laugh at me.” All that greeted him in reply was the sounds of the forest. Etude took a step back, raising a paw. He flattened his ears, and tilted his head. “You’re…You’re not going to laugh at me? Don’t you think its absolutely absurd?” he asked.

Sonata walked over to him, and placed a paw on his. “Why would we, dear brother?”

Etude glanced between Sonata and her paw, blinking rapidly several times. “Y-You mean it?”

Sonata nodded, bending forward to lick him on the head.

Etude, for the first time since Arietta had met him, smiled. It was full of happiness, and purity. When he smiled, he closed his eyes and drew his lips back to reveal his gleaming, white, teeth.

Arietta joined in this touching moment, petting both of her siblings. The sunlight sliced through the trees, casting down on them. The birds chirped from where they perched in the trees. Nearby, pink carnations blew in the breeze, and two loose petals were carried away, floating up into the air.

“Heyyyyy!! What’s the hold up?” Viola called.

Quickly breaking out of their “group hug” they trotted after her. As Etude caught pace with Viola he said, “I promise, I’m going to protect you and Arietta together.”

Sonata gave Arietta a wink, and Arietta nodded. It seemed like Etude’s conversation with Sonata had helped him after all.

When they arrived, Lyra was pacing around in circles. She didn’t even acknowledge they were there, aside from a slight twitch of an ear. Viola set down her catch and bounded over to her.

“Mom! What’s wrong? This isn’t like you…”

Lyra looked up, revealing her lifeless eyes, dulled of color. “One of my sisters is dead. She was killed. By a human.” Lyra monotoned.

Viola’s eyes widened. She stomped her paw onto the ground, her razor sharp teeth showing as she spoke. “Who killed her?! I’ll make them pay!” she demanded.

Someone killed Mommy’s sister…I’ll never forgive them! Arietta thought. She was going to get to the bottom of this, one way or another.

Etude flinched, as if he’d been hit. His mouth opened, but no words came out. He simply stared at the ground, eyes closed, gritting his teeth.

Sonata came over and drew her tail over his paws, but he shrank away even more.

Lyra drew herself up, some light seeming to return in her eyes. She fixed her daughter with a fierce gaze. Arietta could almost see the fire burning within them. For one millisecond, Arietta thought back to her other mother. Her birth mother. The fire reflected in her mommy’s eyes now seemed almost akin to her birth mother’s. But yet…they were not entirely the same. The liger queen’s fire seemed almost…softer. Gentler.

“No, Viola! You must stay here. I do not know what I would do if I lost you too. You five are the only family I have left. I will not let you throw your life away!” She hissed. There was a brief flicker of lightening generating from her whiskers. Viola cowered, tugging her tail in between her legs. She laid on the ground and dipped her head.

“I’m sorry, Mom.” Viola apologized, before coming to stand beside Arietta.

Their mother sighed, turning away from them. “The others will be arriving soon. We have much to discuss.” Lyra padded away without another word. Her tail dragged along the ground as she left.

“Where’s Mommy going?”

Viola stared at ground, as if suddenly feigning interest on her paws. “She’s going to go bury her sister.”

“Can’t we come?”

Viola closed her eyes. “No. Leave her be. We hardly even knew her anyway. I only saw her three times. All of them from a distance. It wouldn’t mean anything to us. And it would just be an insult to both of them.” She reasoned.

Arietta reached out and petted her sister’s fur. The normally excited, upbeat, and caring sister was silent. Silent as the blackness of the night as Viola stared up at the moon. It was a full moon, and its silvery light caught in Viola’s eyes.

The only thing that Arietta saw was emptiness. Arietta hated it. She wished the five of them could have done something to save her. But they didn’t even know at the time. There was no sense in bickering. It wouldn’t accomplish anything.

Etude had taken it the worst though. Tears slid down his face, and Sonata did her best to lick them away but to no avail.

“Ha! Ahahahaha….HA….who was I kidding?” He slowly looked up, a smile spread across his face. But it wasn’t the same. It had lost its happiness and purity, it now looked like a smile of defeat. “Me? Protect all of you? What a joke!” He broke into laugh, and Sonata’s gaze darkened, giving up on trying to get rid of tears. “I’ve never been able to protect anyone! That’s why she died, isn’t it? I’m just trash!”

“Etude…” Sonata began.

Etude swung around to face her. “TeLL mE!! AM I wOrTH iT?” Am I????” he demanded.

“Etude, I…you are worth it! You are wrong! This is not your fault, how could you have known when you…” she trailed off. “…When you told me you wanted to protect us I was happy! Is that not enough to prove your worth?” She asked, her voice quivering.

Etude seemed to freeze for a moment. “You were…happy?” He slowly turned around to look at Viola and Arietta, both of them had darkened eyes. When he looked back at Sonata, she was crying too. “No! Noooo!! Don’t cry! I hate it when you do! You’re my big sister, and I admire you! You’re so much cooler and calmer than I ever was…and here I was crying out of self pity! How pathetic is that?”

“N-No…you are wrong too. You are so much braver than I could ever be. You have so much determination. You are special in your own way, too…I wish you would realize that…we all are special…each and every one of us is different, but…that is a good thing.”

Sonata was looking over Etude’s head when she said this. She swiped away her tears with her paw as best she could. “Haha, I guess in the end both of us are pretty pathetic. Listen, you can protect us. Even when you heard Mother’s sister’s cries then, I do not think you could have saved her. Plus, you could have gotten yourself killed. I am glad you are still alive, and here with us now.” Sonata stated.

Etude gave her a playful shove. “I’m glad you noticed what I doing, big sister.”

Etude returned the shove. “You are welcome. We should plan a course of action. Perhaps we can help Mother find out who the killer was in some way.” She suggested, standing straight. The others nodded in agreement.

Arietta just laid her hand above her heart as the breeze blew, picking up her hair. And then she laid her hand on Viola’s face, hoping its warmth would reach her. It did, and Viola’s tail brushed against her. “Thank you for being such a great Sis.” Viola said.

Arietta just nodded. We’ll help you in our own way, Mommy. You can be sure of that. We’ll find the humans who dared to hurt us. Because…we’re family. And we’re going to save you, Mommy!

Later, the ligers all arrived. Most of them shifted restlessly, their eyes landing on Arietta. Arietta averted her gaze, feeling her face flush. She hated being in the center of attention. The liger queen settled down beside her, and Arietta let out a sigh of relief. In her mother’s presence, she seemed to dominate the whole area.

“Ligers, we have gathered here today to discuss humans and the death of my sister.” she began.

“Is that puny thing beside you the one responsible?” A liger asked. A few snickered at his comment, but they all froze when they saw Lyra’s face.

“She is my daughter,” Lyra snarled through gritted teeth, her tail lashing back and forth. “She is not the one to blame. I managed to find traces of the human at the scene. I found strands of black hair, small rips of white clothing…and an unusual scent. They are no ordinary human, by any means.”

Murmurs spread through the group and some made Arietta paralyzed on the spot. Despite what the queen had said, there was some ligers blaming Arietta. She tried to shut out their voices but they sounded so taunting in her head.

“She should just die! How do we know she’s telling the truth? Maybe she deceived the queen! When should be kill her? In her sleep!”

Etude, Sonata, and Viola emerged from the group of ligers, fur bristling. Viola slid next to Arietta and whispered, “Should we go investigate?” But even as the words left her mouth, she already knew the answer. The liger instead immediately began licking her hand. Arietta just sank to the ground, and buried her face in Viola’s fur. Tears slid down her face, soaking Viola’s pelt.

“We should just get rid of her! She’s cursed. A rotten demon in the form of an angel.” Arietta had eavesdropped on her parents one night, when she was really young. Those words seemed to pierce right through her heart.

“That monster doesn’t need friends anyway. She’ll never make any. She’ll be forever alone.” one of them spat.

In that moment, darkness seemed to surround her world. The only light that stopped it from being completely consumed…was herself. Everyone and everything else seemed to drift away. That night she went back to her room and cried. But no one ever acknowledged her pain. She had no toys, no stuffed animals, no amusement of any sort. She just passed by by doing the necessities such as eating and drinking.

The room Arietta slept in was dark and floor creaked. Thus, her parents called her “Arietta,” the sad, musical tragedy. Arietta hated being alone. She hated everything. Her only joy was found in talking to stray animals, but even that was highly discouraged. People feared she would learn to abuse her power, and extract revenge. So Arietta hardly talked. And all she knew was hate, darkness, and utter despair…

Arietta clung to her sister’s fur, her memories of the past resurfacing like reopened wound. Pushing herself away, she whispered in Viola’s ear, “Let’s go.” She took off running, her sister close by her side. Etude and Sonata quickly followed after them. The other ligers yowled after her, but she’d seen some lick their lips. This was their chance to stop the siblings in their tracks. Arietta heard them tear across the ground, keeping chase.

Arietta crashed through the trees, snapping twigs and hopping over fallen tree trunks. Viola managed to keep up, surprisingly. “Where are we going, Sis?” She asked.

“To find where Mommy’s sister died! Can you pick up the scent?”

Viola closed her eyes for a second, sniffing the air. A moment later, they reopened, and seemed more intense than before. “This way!” They made a sharp turn to the left, scrambling over a big rock. They crossed a stream, and made a few sharp turns before Viola stopped running. “Right…here…” Viola panted between breaths.

The area obviously showed that a battle had taken place. There were deep claw marks in the trunks of a few trees. The ground had places were the claws had torn the grass, and a few drops of blood. Something had gotten snagged in the nearby torn bush, undoubtedly the human. There were white pieces of clothing latched onto it. Everything seemed just has her mother had described.

Viola collapsed to the ground, breathing hard. “That was…exhausting…” Arietta had to admit her legs were starting to buckle too. She’d never run so hard and far since she came here. Finally giving in, she sank to her knees. Etude did the same, although Sonata looked unwinded, for the most part. They’d just begun to relax when the ligers tore through the bushes.

“Thought you could outrun us?” The one who had started it all barked.

Viola slowly rose to her paws, lifting her head up. “Pah, think you can harm us? We’re Lyra’s princesses and prince after all!” Arietta was amazed by her display of confidence. She could tell her sister was doing her best to show she wasn’t scared, but Arietta could see her slightly trembling.

“Whether you’re her daughter or not, we’ll kill you if you take one step towards that human,” The leader growled, slowly pacing around them in a circle. “So tell me, what’s your dirty little trick you used?” The liger asked, pressing his face near hers, so much she could feel his hot breath.

“I–” Arietta began, but she was cut off as a figure leaped out of the darkness. She watched, frozen to the spot as the figure stabbed the liger in the chest. In moments, the leader collapsed, dead. The figure sheathed their sword as all the other ligers rushed over.

The figure was a man with silver-brown hair, in an outfit bearing a symbol she didn’t recognize. His eyes seemed like ice, only a faint light shone in them. The man regarded her with a thoughtful expression, one hand under his chin. “You can speak to monsters, yes?”

Arietta opened her mouth to respond, but then shut it. This man probably wanted to use her power. And second of all…she realized she’d never really known how to speak. It seemed like she’d spoken in monster language her whole life. So she wasn’t even sure she could form the right words. Instead, Arietta nodded reluctantly.

The man smirked ever so slightly. “Then perhaps you could be of use. The Fon Master might appreciate it.” He mused.

“F-Fon Master?” she wanted to ask. But she wasn’t even sure he’d understand.

“Would you like to join me, girl? I can save you from this life. The monsters here are very dangerous. You should stay away from them. Not all listen, I imagine.”

Arietta thought of her mother, Lyra, being alone in the forest. And Etude and Sonata, they needed her love and support. And Viola, who had been by her side since day one. She couldn’t just leave them like this…but yet…the man’s offer did sound tempting. She glanced at her siblings, who had been standing beside her the whole time. Arietta hadn’t even noticed. Her siblings could be so stealthy at times.

Seeming to understand the message, the man said, “You can bring them along. But I will not have the queen accompany you. It is much too dangerous and she is expecting soon. I do not want to be near her children at that time. You understand, do you not? This is your chance. Your chance to be wanted. To be needed. All you need to do, is grab my hand. I can help you, I am sure of that. I hate to see children suffer like this.”

The man extended his hand. Arietta exchanged a glance with Viola, Etude and Sonata. The choice is yours, Viola’s eyes seemed to say.Don’t do it!! Etude and Sonata seemed to say. If you go…we won’t go with you! It’s too dangerous! We’ll have Mother rescue you if– Arietta nodded, and placed her hand in his.

Etude and Sonata’s eyes widened, taking a step back. Then they tore into the woods, leaving a trail of dust in their wake. The man smiled, and for the first time they seemed to lose their hardness. They seemed softer than before. “I’m glad. I will take you and your liger to the Fon Master. Let’s go!” The man squeezed her hand tightly, signaling for her to keep holding it. Viola ran after them at a somewhat steady pace.

“I can’t believe you’re coming with me. You didn’t have to…” Arietta said.

“And leave you alone with this human? No way! At some point I’m sure Etude and Sonata will follow us! They can just follow our scents! Plus, I’m staying right by your side, whether you like it or not!”

Arietta smiled. “Yes. We have lots to learn about each other still.”

As they ran, Arietta could hear her mother’s and siblings’ cries. She felt as if her heart were being torn in two. But she didn’t turn back. She and her sister kept running. Running towards the human world once more.

…

This strange world was far from her expectations. It was not what she’d imagined. Everything was so different. And everything…was so dark. She was separated from Viola. But Viola had tried her best to reassure her she’d be fine.

When Arietta came to, she found herself chained up. Looking around, the only light seemed to come from the door. It took her a few seconds to realize she was not alone. The man who had taken her here was standing a few feet away from her. But there was also another human in the room. They were a lot shorter than the man, but it was hard to make out much detail.

Arietta strained against her chains confining her, but she couldn’t move more than a few inches. I’m trapped here! And they took Viola away! Let me out…! She thought. The other human started walking towards her.

“Fon Master, I advise against–”

But the human did not even seem to acknowledge what he said. A moment later he’d gotten close enough in Arietta’s range. Lashing out in self defense and instinct, she bit him on his arm.

“Fon Master!!” the man cried, taking a step forward.

But still, the Fon Master did not pay heed to his words. Realizing that he wasn’t backing down, Arietta let go, eyes wide.

“Van…” The human said, turning towards the man. “This girl’s mind has nothing, right? Not even the score. Isn’t that interesting? I will make her my pet from now on, okay…?” A smile spread across his face with wide eyes.

The man called Van seemed to tense, and then he said, “Yes…but I am considering putting her in the special forces as well. She seems to hold potential.”

“Is that so…? I’ll keep that in mind, but you may introduce her to the generals. You said she grew you in the wilderness?” he asked.

“Indeed. I found her living among ligers.” Van informed.

“Then I’ll teach her our language, since I’m guessing she doesn’t know how to speak it, do you?” He stared at Arietta. Seeing no new reactions, he turned back to Van.

“That confirms it. Not that she understands a word we’re saying anyway. If she does, it’s too little for her to ever make progress in this world and society. Afterword, she can become my guardian…or…as they say, a.k.a., my personal pet. Now, I think its time we let her off her leash, and we get started on the basics…” he said as he folded his hands together, a smirk spread across is face.

The human known as the Fon Master dragged her to a room full of books. Chairs were in several corners of the room. The only exception was the middle, with two chairs across from each other, a table between them.

Arietta was sure that she must have remembered what these things were from her human life. It was a fascinating sight to see, but yet she hardly had no way of communicating. Instead, she was forced to do what the Fon Master wanted her to. Although she was slightly distracted because of her worry for Viola. I hope I can see her soon… she thought.

The human directed her to the center of the room, instructing Arietta as best as possible to sit in the chair. She did, and watched as he pulled out a book from a nearby shelf. He opened it the first page and sat across from her. It displayed a word.

“This is called Remday,” his finger pointing to the word.

“R-Rem…da….y…?” Arietta tried. She assumed he was asking her to say it out loud. Is he trying to help me be able to talk to him? She wondered.

The Fon Master nodded. “Very good. This is Lunaday.” his finger was pointing to the word across from it.

“Um…L…u..n…day?”

“Close. LunAday.” he repeated.

“Oh…Lun…a…day?”

The Fon Master nodded. “See? You’re getting there. Let’s keep going…”

A while later The Fon Master closed the last book. He put all the ones he’d taken out back on the shelf. “Now you know the basics. You still have a quite a long way to go, but this is significant enough for now. My name is Ion, but you may refer to me as the Fon Master.”

He held his hand, and Arietta tentatively reached out and grasped it. “N-Nice…to meet you…my name is Arietta…”

Ion smiled. “You’ve definitely made an improvement since earlier. Everyday I’ll take you here for more practice and lessons until you’re pretty fluent. But as for now, I’ll let Van introduce you to the generals. I’ll see you later.” He headed down the hallway, in somewhat of a hurry. Van was standing outside the room.

“How did it go?” he asked.

“Good…I think…” she replied.

He put a hand on her shoulder. “I know its hard to learn at first, but I have confidence you’ll pull through. As for now, I’ll introduce you to the Five God Generals. I’m their commandant, by the way.”

He led her down a twisting passage way. When they emerged, five people were standing there, all with grim faces. Arietta shrank away, cowering at Van’s side from the look the large man gave her. Van gently urged her to move forward. When she turned to look up at him, he was smiling, reassuring her that it was okay.

Tentatively, Arietta stepped forward. “U-Um, I’m…Arietta…” she introduced, her hands clasped together with her thumbs rubbing her fingers.

The first person, a women with her hair tied in a ponytail, fixed her with an intense gaze. Arietta would have run immediately, but her legs wouldn’t budge. “I am Legretta the Quick.” Legretta said curtly. She…really is…quick… Arietta thought.

Next to her was a man leaning back in a chair. There was a glare on his glasses, and his hands were folded together. “I am Dist the Rose,” he unfolded his hand as he did so, placing one over his heart. “I am beautiful like a rose, and I will not tolerate being referred as a savage such as a ‘Reaper’.” he added.

Beside him, the large man who’d stared at her earlier grunted. “I am Largo, the Black Lion.” He seemed to loom over Arietta, paralyzing her the spot.

Another man was beside him, wearing a mask. Arietta wondered what was hidden beneath it, but she dared not to ask. “I’m Sync the Tempest.”

And finally, the last general looked around her age, maybe a bit older. His face seemed deprived of happiness. When she stared at him, she sensed a being of intense hatred radiating from him. “…Asch the Bloody. Just stay out of my way.”

Arietta glanced at Van. His eyes were narrowed, and his jaw was set. When he noticed her staring at him, he pulled on grin. Although Arietta could tell it was not genuine—there was a lack of warmth in his eyes. “So those are the generals, although you have potential to join them.”

Arietta stared at her hands. “No I don’t…” For a moment, she wished she had something to comfort her. When she took Van’s hand in the woods, she believed Viola would be by her side. Her liger sister was support she leaned on…support she needed.

Alone, she felt tiny and helpless. And she hated being alone. That feeling of emptiness seemed to return to her in seconds. She wasn’t sure what expression she’d made, but whatever it had been…the reaction was one she didn’t expect.

“Listen, Girl—I mean, ah, what was your name again? Oh yes, Arietta. Tell you what. I’ll make you something to keep you company, how would you like that?” someone asked.

Arietta turned to find the source of the voice. Her eyes widened when she saw that it was Dist. “Can you…can you…really do that?”

Dist nodded. “Why of course, dear. I am a genius, after all. Unlike that good-for-nothing, stuck up, overconfident…” Arietta titled her head as he said this, and Dist coughed loudly. “Ahem, I mean, it’s certainly possible. I’ll finish it for you as soon as possible.”

“T-Thank you…” She felt a faint smile tug at the corner of her lips.

As they left the room, Van spoke. “I apologize in advance. Most of the time they prove to be…” he paused for a moment, as if struggling to find the right words. “…more friendly. If you work hard, you can join our ranks as well.”

They headed down some more passages ways and up a few stairs. They stopped outside a set of doors. “I’m guessing the Fon Master wishes to see you. I’ll see you tomorrow, Arietta.” With that, he went back the way they came. Not sure of what else to do, Arietta pushed open the doors.

Inside was a small, white room, with a large bed occupying most of the space. On the walls were several empty bookshelves, except for one. A book lay on its side, most of the pages torn up or reduced to ash. A few windows were behind the bed, with a chair nearby. To the left, large curtains were slightly open, letting in a soft breeze. It lead out onto a balcony. Sitting in the bed was Ion, his hair slightly ruffled and sticking out at different angles.

“Ah, there you are. I was just about to call for you.”

Arietta walked closer, coming to stand beside him.

“I must bring unfortunate news…your liger is gravely injured, and I am not sure how much longer it’ll live. We let it out for a hunt, but it seems a nasty monster got it.” The Fon Master informed, his eyes darkening.

“The monsters here are very dangerous. You should stay away from them. Not all listen, I imagine.” Van’s words echoed inside Arietta’s head. A cold sweat started breaking out on her forehead, and the world seemed to spin. “Where is she?!” Arietta yelled.

“She is in the room at the end of the passage way on the left, but I–” Arietta didn’t even let him finish. She was out the doors in seconds, tearing down the hallway. When she at last reached the door, she was breathing heavily. With as much strength as she could muster, she pushed the door open.

Inside, the room was nearly dark, the only light coming from the videos. Bones were scattered around the floor, and the smell of blood lingered in the air. Arietta glanced to and fro, her eyes finally settling upon a small silhouette in the moonlight. She dashed over and crouched down beside her.

“Sis…you…came for me…” Viola rasped, before coughing out blood. Her breath was ragged, and the rise and fall of her chest was uneven.

Arietta’s eyes widened at her sister’s words, and she ran her hand through her soft fur. She felt it touch something warm, which confirmed what Ion had said for fact.

“Listen…I knew it was foolish…to f…ollow you, but I–” she broke into another coughing fit, spitting out more blood. “–Didn’t want to…leave you alone…I know how much you hate…being alone…Mom always feared…you’d go back….to them…” she coughed even harder before, and she was no longer looking at Arietta. Her eyes were staring up at the ceiling, as if there was something wonderful about it. Viola drew her lips back in a lopsided smile.

“…They sent me…to hunt…so I…got cocky and fought a strong monster…so we’d both have enough to eat…seems like, it was a bad idea, huh…?” she laughed, but that only caused her to get thrown into another coughing fit.

“I always thought…that I was outsider…when it came to my siblings…Sonata always seemed to like Etude more…and you…so I never got involved…but when I met you…everything changed. You…gave me happiness, can you believe it, little Sis…? I am happy…knowing I was able to help you…find a place where you truly belong…if you see Mom again, or Sonata or Etude…tell them…I said hi, for me, okay…?”

Arietta was on the verge of tears. She did her best to hold them back, but Viola’s last words were the final straw. “Live, Arietta…Bring us…coexistence…you are…our only hope…maybe not all humans are as bad as they say…but…I did find out…Mom’s sister’s killer…“

“It was…him…the…human in…wh…e…with…bla….k…fur…he was th…e…one who…also…did…t….e…” With her final breath, she smiled, a single tear rolling down her face. Nearby, a Myrtle’s petal fell off and landed on the ground. Moments later, her body became limp in Arietta’s hands.

That was when the dam within her burst, and the tears slid down her face. They landed with a light splash on her sister’s face. “Viola…why…?!” Arietta buried her face in her dead sister’s fur, sobbing.

She didn’t even notice the door opened. Or that someone walked over to her until they placed their hand on her shoulder. Arietta looked up to see that it was the Fon Master, a frown on his face. Without thinking, Arietta hugged him, catching him off guard.

“Fon Master, she's…! She’s…!!” she couldn’t even form a full sentence.

Ion hugged her back, running a hand through her hair. “I am so sorry for your loss…I feel so terrible…if there is anything I can do to ease your grief, let me–”

“I’ll do what you want!” She burst out, not even caring at this point.

There was a moment of silence until Ion said, “Fair enough. Come with me back to my room…I’ll prepare a place for you to sleep…”

“B-But…bury…her!!” Arietta cried.

“I will, don’t fret. I’ll do it first thing in the morning, okay?”

Arietta nodded.

“I’ll help you to my room…that’s it…keep walking…”

…

The next months passed by rather quickly for Arietta. She learned how to speak pretty fluently. Even Van was surprised by her progress. Ion hypothesized that she’d previously lived among humans before. He said it was the explanation why she learned so fast.

Dist had given her a doll, looking almost like a monster combined with other monsters. It reminded her of her resolve, and motivated her everyday. She kept it with her always, for both support and comfort. She didn’t know how Dist had done it, but he’d made it perfect.

She’d gotten a bit closer to the other generals, and learned a few other things about them. She wasn’t the only one with tragedy—all of them seemed to have some. Although Asch was the most stubborn.

He hardly seemed to want to admit things, or show any sign of weakness. But around her, Arietta felt that Asch would relax, just a little. When she stared at his blue-green eyes, they seemed soft, and far away, as if he was remembering a time elsewhere. But it normally lasted for a few seconds before he moved on.

Sync carried an air similar to the Fon Master about him, and always refused to take off his mask. He said he’d only started wearing it recently. When she looked closer at him, she wondered how old he really was.

Largo, for such an intimidating figure acted almost like a parent around her sometimes. Was it simply because she was young, and he was being kind to her out of spite? Whatever the reason, Arietta was glad to be proven wrong. Arietta saw Legretta as a teacher figure. She often came to her for advice. Legretta was always happy to help, from Arietta’s perspective, anyway.

One morning, though, Arietta dared herself to enter the room where her sister had died. Upon entering, she found a small skull left, nothing more. She picked it up tenderly, and caressed its surface with her fingers. She brought it to the Fon Master’s room, and put it beside her bed. Arietta would remember the sound of her voice, the feeling of her fur, anything.

She surprised herself when she showed it to the Fon Master one night. He was sitting in his chair when she held it out to him. “Look at this…this is my sister. She was very strong. She helped Arietta…she helped everyone.” Ion took the skull from her, holding it in his hands. Arietta turned, spinning around in the direction the balcony. “My sister will help Master Ion too!” She smiled, and heard something she did not expect.

“Arietta, from now on, you are a Fon Master guardian.” he announced.

“A Fon Master guardian is someone who protects the Fon Master, even at the cost of one’s own life.”

Arietta closed her eyes as she said, “Yes.”

“If you become weak, you will be discarded immediately. You understand, right?” Ion asked.

“Yes, Master Ion.” The breeze from the open balcony blew, lifting her air up in its wind. “From now on, Arietta will always be by Master Ion’s side.”

…

From then on, Arietta accompanied Fon Master Ion everywhere. He would read the score to the people, he would travel, and Arietta always was with him. Many times he’d drop by the local markets to buy Arietta something. He’d give her all sorts of things. She’d never experienced the delicacies of apples, and grew quite fond of them. Whenever she smiled, it always seemed to motivate the Fon Master even more.

When they returned from their duty one night, a group of men confronted them. All of them were dressed in black, shadows falling across their face. They were stood in the moonlight, giving them an eerie glow.

“Fon Master…the plan between you and the commandant has already been revealed. Please surrender to us immediately. Now, while we can still change it back to normal.” The man held out his hand. Ion made no movement towards it, and only fixed the man with a cold stare.

“Sorry, but I think I will have to pass on your offer.” Ion replied.

“What you’re doing is a disgrace to spirituality…!! Disgusting!! To make the Fon Master’s replicas!!” The man growled, unsheathing his sword. The others did the same. Arietta, acting on instinct, ran forward, shielding the Fon Master. She felt a stabbing pain flare in her legs, and collapsed to the ground. Second later, the temperature seemed to drop 10 degrees.

“The only one…who can hurt my pet…is me…” The men cried out in agony as Ion struck them down. In minutes it was over, blood spattered across the ground. Ion went over and wrapped bandages around Arietta’s legs. Then he lifted her in his arms, she was surprisingly light, carrying her back to the cathedral.

…

Over time, she noticed he was starting to look more pale, and his movements a bit slower. But she didn’t think it was too much to worry about, until yesterday. Yesterday he collapsed, and had a fever. Arietta had to calm it down as best she could, and when he came to, they returned back to Daath. She thought, as she was his Fon Master guardian, it would be good to voice her concerns.

“Um…Master Ion?” she began.

“What is it?”

“Yesterday, you…didn’t seem well…? You seem…ill…” Arietta hoped this was not the case. Ion had been a big influence in her life over the past years. He’d helped her grow as a person, and supported her at times when she needed it.

“Arietta,” Ion had said to her one night, his back turned to her. “If I’m going to be gone from this world, I will tell you beforehand.”

Arietta’s eyes widened, and she ran forward, embracing him. “Don’t go away. Whether its the duty or the score, I don’t care. I want Master Ion to be with me.” She burst into tears, the first time she’d done so in years. “I don’t want to be alone anymore!! I hate being alone…!!” All of her memories of being alone just crashed down on her in that moment. All those moments of loss, of pain, of grief…

“…I’m just joking…don’t mind it. I won’t go anywhere.” He reassured, his voice sounding oddly empty.

“Right…my body doesn’t seem to function as well before. Because I’m beginning to look weak, you’re probably worried about me. Sorry about that, Arietta.” Ion apologized.

“It’s not like that…!!” she blurted out. She’d been worrying about his health for years, but it had never been too severe…until yesterday.“Please…take it…more seriously.” She turned and headed for the door, going to do the task Ion had requested.

“I will leave her to you, Van.” Ion said, far behind her.

“The girl who was raised by monsters and is able to understand the monsters’ words. To become one of special forces, she really must give all she’s got.”

“It’s good not to let her know anything. This is a comfort I will give to her during the last moments of my life…”

…

“Arietta, Ion has relieved you of your duties as the Fon Master guardian,” Van was saying. “This may come as shocking to you, but he thinks its for the best. He found a new guardian, so you don’t have to worry about him anymore.”

Arietta had been doing her best to deny it, but Van’s words were true. She was seeing it with her own eyes. Ion was with another girl, named Anise, with ponytails, black hair, and a pink Fon Master guardian outfit. She even carried a large plush on her back, just like how Arietta had a plush of her own.

It’s not true, she thought. Anise stole him from me!! A rage had started to boil inside her. It was an emotion she’d never felt in her life until now. All her time with Ion…being with Ion…the thought that someone else was now with him, and she wasn’t, set a locked fuse inside her on fire. I will get the Fon Master back!! She thought, glaring at the scene before her. Without saying any more, she let Van guide her to the other generals. They were all waiting outside the cathedral for them.

“Took your time, Master Van. Did this pipsqueak want to stay with him that badly?” Asch demanded, his arms crossed. Arietta knew that behind his harsh words, there was a softness. In fact, she was even sure that she detected another emotion he was doing his best to keep hidden. Was it…jealously? But…why? She didn’t dwell on it, too much, however, as her rage flooded over through her again.

“Yes, but I managed to convince her. I think one of these days, I plan to go to Baticul for a time…”

…

There was a deep silence within the woods. Not even the birds chirped. The sunlight seemed to be cutoff from the ground, shining only on plants and leaves. There was, however, a large liger. And with the liger, a large, blue, Hraesvelgr. It’s feathers were different shades of blue, with white.

The two of them stood beside a girl. A girl known as Arietta. And the scene before her, was something that was on par with her rage of the Fon Master being stolen from her. In front of her, a dead, giant liger lay, eggs surrounding her. But they were all broken and shattered. And not to far off were tiny bones of what appeared to be a baby liger.

“Who…Who did this?” Arietta demanded, her voice sounding deadly calm.

“Anise and her friends, or what appears to be her friends,” Sonata said. “I am sorry, I was the only survivor…Etude was struck with a disease. And yet, even in his poor state, he defended our mother and I until the end. And here…is where his bones have laid…for years now. Mother missed you, but she refused to let us go. She said the humans would try to kill us on sight. So we stayed here, in Cheagle Woods.”

“Unfortunately, a baby cheagle was careless, and set our old part of the woods and home on fire. Mother demanded the cheagles to bring her food, and moved closer to where they were. They did, for the most part. An unlucky few got eaten, though…And that is here we are, because the cheagles were stealing food from a nearby village…and I’m guessing you can connect the rest.”

Arietta only nodded.

“I’m glad you called a bird like me to help you out, Arietta,” Cello said. “My family proved to be horrible in the end. When I heard your call, I came flying. So now, the both of us have devoted our lives to staying with you, even if we were just tagging along before.”

“Thank you…both of you…Mommy, Etude, and Viola would be happy…to know that I made a friend.” Suddenly, words from long ago began to ring in Arietta’s head:

“Listen, nature can be cruel, Arietta. You cannot save everyone, but you can try. And you did. To me, that is good enough. There are miraculous things you can accomplish through effort and determination.”

“Of course I do. I love you as much as I love all my children. But you, by far, are the most special to me. If you…if you…ever left me, hypothetically of course, make sure to come back and visit. Because I would miss you very much.”

“I promise, Mommy, I’ll come back home to visit if I ever left.”

“Ah…I am glad. And make sure to help out us monsters too. While most appear cruel, we do have a sweet side, a side that humans, except for you, never get to see…I believe if you really try, maybe coexistence between us is not entirely impossible.”

“If I’m strong enough I can surely protect all of us, including the Queen. Or Mother, I should say. But who I most want to protect…it would be you and Viola, Arietta.”

“Thank you for being such a great Sis.”

“Arietta, from now on, you are a Fon Master guardian.”

“A Fon Master guardian is someone who protects the Fon Master, even at the cost of one’s own life.”

“Yes.”

“If you become weak, you will be discarded immediately. You understand, right?”

“Yes, Master Ion. From now on, Arietta will always be by Master Ion’s side.”

“…If you see Mom again, or Sonata or Etude…tell them…I said hi, for me, okay…?”

Flynn set his phone down on the table and released a shaky breath. No, it couldn’t be. He had been so close this time! He had almost made it! Why did things always turn out this way? He tried so hard, he had made it so far, and right when his dream was within his grasp the opportunity had slipped right out of his fingers and flew away. He had even made it to the interview this time. Why wasn’t he good enough?

 Flynn had just applied for a job as a local police officer in his home town of Zaphias. The police station was located just a little ways outside the neighborhood that he had grown up in. He had been overjoyed as he discovered the job opening after many weeks worth of waiting and research online. After having been in the military for a little bit and having graduated from police school, Flynn’s greatest desire was to follow in his Father’s footsteps and protect his friends and the citizens of his neighborhood. But the thing was, no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t seem to land a job that didn’t entail being a waiter.

 He didn’t understand. He had graduated from his school at the top of his class. He had always been ambitious and put his best effort forth in everything. Why wasn’t it enough? His resume had been good enough to land him an interview with the Chief of Police, Alexei Dinoia. But when Flynn went in for the interview, he met with one of the Chief deputies, Cumore. Cumore was less than fond to see Flynn, and when they met he refused to even shake his hand, as if he had been covered in some kind of dirt. The interview had been brief, but Flynn still felt as if he had tried his best.

 But he had just gotten the call. The call that the job had been handed to somebody else. Somebody better than him. Somebody that was more qualified than him. He had failed. He was disappointed in himself. He was certain that he had let down everyone around him, everyone who had believed in him. He thought his Father would have been disappointed in him, too.

 A while after Flynn had set his phone down, he sat at the kitchen table, desolate. He had applied at other jobs, but this was the closest that he had ever been. He had been so close. He just wanted an opportunity to prove himself. He knew he could do good, if only they would give him a chance. He wasn’t the only one who couldn’t seem to land a job with the police force in this city. There had been others who Flynn had kept in touch over the internet with who had the same trouble. But then others who seemed to have no qualifications were hired right out of graduation.

Flynn jumped when he felt a hand clap his shoulder. “Don’t let this get you down. You can do better than this. You will do better than this.”

It was his Yuri, keeping his face neutral, as always. “I thought I did so well. I don’t understand…” Flynn said softly, in dismay.

“You did do well. The system’s just so messed up that it’s bound to be difficult to break through. Don’t take it personally.”

“But if I did well then why wasn’t it enough…?” Flynn buried his head in his arms and Yuri took a seat next to him.

“It’s your dream right? Keep trying. You know I’ll always be here to keep pushing you forward.”

“But Yuri… I don’t want to mooch off of you. We can’t keep living this way, I mean… I have to get a job that pays well sometime. I can’t just live off of the money that you make as chef. I’m just a waiter and that’s only because your friend Judith was kind enough to help me get the job. Not to mention rent and your school loan and I still need to make payments on mother’s funeral and the apartments falling to pieces-”

“Flynn-” Yuri said sharply.

The other fell silent. “You’re doing it again! You’re overthinking these things. Look, I know you’re all stressed out but you can’t just keep thinking about things like that you're you’ll only get more bent out of shape. Just relax. We’ve got this.”

“No Yuri! I can’t relax! I can’t! You’re not taking this seriously enough! Again!” Flynn snapped, “We’re adults now! You can’t just keep pretending like everything will be alright and looking away from things that will come back to bite you later!”

Yuri’s expression turned to one that was slightly that of anger: “Well, you don’t have to do what I say. Stay stressed out this whole time, what do I care? You’re the one’s who’s going to get hurt the most going on like this.”

Flynn couldn’t handle this right now. He needed some fresh air and away from this guy. He stood up and walked over to the coat hanger and yanked off his jacket. “Whatever. I’m going for a walk. Don’t wait on me for dinner.”

“Fine then. Since your such an adult you can make whatever choices you want.”

The blonde paused for a moment, with his hand on the doorknob. He almost turned around right there, he wanted to punch the smug look off of that face so badly. But it would only make things worse, and Flynn didn’t think that he could take it if it really got too much worse. So instead, without a word or second glance he headed out and down the apartment hallway, and into the cool evening air of the city.

When Flynn had returned home from his walk- or whatever he had been doing- he didn’t even bother saying anything to his boyfriend. He walked right past him, took a shower and then went to bed. Yuri knew that whenever Flynn started giving others the silent treatment it meant that he was really angry.  It hadn’t actually been that long since their last fight, and the details were almost the same as this. It was all just because those stupid idiot’s at the police station- or anywhere Flynn had applied for a job- just couldn’t see his boyfriend’s true value. Being rejected so many times was really starting to wear on him.

He didn’t agree with Flynn about his retention of stress and his refusal to relax, but he understood where he was coming from. It was Flynn’s dream to become a police officer and protect others, and it was their dream to help protect and change the world for the better. Yuri had given up on taking the path that Flynn had as military training had proven to be to rigid, and Yuri realized that he wasn’t helping anyone by just standing up straight and marching in place.

But Flynn had persevered and stuck with it, and the way Yuri saw it for all his hard work it hadn’t seemed to get him anywhere... Well, that wasn’t exactly true. He got more stress and more sleepless nights, but nothing good. Yuri knew this, but he didn’t know why Flynn had to take it out on him. Couldn’t he see that he was just trying to help? Why did he always take things out on Yuri? Why wasn’t he more angry with the people who refused his job application in the first place? He didn’t know.

The tension between the two hadn’t gone away the next morning, and Yuri still felt frustrated when he went to work. It was Flynn’s day off, and things would have been even more tense if the two had to be in the same space as each other. Even though Flynn was only a waiter, the restaurant was small and they tended to brush into each other a lot.

Yuri worked as a chef at the restaurant. They sold food’s catering to people who had allergies or odd diseases, especially children. The work was fairly easy, and his friend Judith had opened the restaurant herself. It had all started because Karol, a kid that Judith and Yuri had helped look after had a severe allergy to things with lactose. Karol often came over to help out after school and for Yuri it made his job just that much more enjoyable. And because they made food specifically for people with allergies, Yuri felt like he was helping people without having to rub elbows with any government officials.

Yuri had been slicing carrots much quicker and with more vigor than he had intended, and in doing so he almost cut right into his hand. He quickly withdrew his arm, letting out a soft curse under his breath. “I never knew that carrots could be so offensive.” Judith said, walking up to the counter he was working at. “What’d they ever do to you? Or are you just taking out your anger at Flynn on these vegetables?”

“Who said that I was angry at Flynn?” Yuri said, going back to slicing.

“Oh, it’s just a feeling that I get. You’ve also been pretty quiet today, which isn’t very you.”

“Well, yeah… but what does Flynn have to do with anything.”

“It’s just that whenever the two of you fight, it’s pretty obvious because your mood always takes a nosedive. Not much else gets to you. It’s been kind of happening a lot, these days.”

Did he really think about Flynn that much? Was it really that obvious, or was Judith just good at sensing these things? Yuri was quiet for a moment before saying, “It’s just that things haven’t really been going well for him. He’ll get over it when he finally gets that job; we’ll just have to wait a bit longer.”

“I’m sorry to here he didn’t get it. That’s really surprising though, I wonder who it was handed to instead?” Judith shook her head and her long strands of blue hair bobbed with her, “You don’t have to go in detail about it, not that you would anyways… But why don’t we head out to the front. I think I saw Rita sitting out there, so that means Estelle should be here soon. Why don’t you talk to them? Take your mind off things for a while?”

“Well, if I’m out there, then who’s going to make this salad?” Yuri pointed out.

“There’s not that much left. I could finish for you.”

“Why should you have to do my work?”

“You're so stubborn, never letting anyone do anything for you. Both you and Flynn. Just take a break afterwards, alright?” Judith said before walking away.

Yuri grunted in response, but when the time came he did walk up to the front of the restaurant. He noticed that Estelle had already arrived and was sitting across from Rita, and seemed to be talking eagerly about something. Rita was playing with some kind of gadget in her hands, and if Yuri didn’t know the two he’d say that she looked pretty disinterested in what Estelle had to say. But everyone who was acquainted with the two knew better.

Estelle noticed Yuri walking over and eagerly waved to him. “Hey Yuri! Did you hear?” she asked suddenly.

“Hear what?”

“Well, um… I hope you’re not mad at me. Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad! I don’t think…” Estelle shook her head, “But anyways, I entered you in a “Chef of the Month” contest online. Somebody else has to enter you in the contest and then a judge comes to visit anonymously to try your food. And then the winner is featured on this website. It seems really cool!”

“II don’t mind, but why’d you pick me? Judith does just as much work.” Yuri asked.

“Oh, I asked Judith first and she suggested that we nominate you instead, since you’re never up front with the customers and can never hear what they say. Even Rita thought it was a good idea.” Estelle said.

Rita blushed, “I just figured that if Estelle was going to go through all the work of filling out an application online I might as well get behind it. It’s whatever really…”

“Yeah! I also wrote that people like Rita who can’t eat egg products are really grateful that you have food alternatives like this.” Estelle grinned and the brunette.

“I don’t remember saying that… I just said that it was nice to not have to cook for yourself for every meal. That’s all… nothing big.” Rita shrugged.

“I guess it does seem like you guys to get with everyone without telling me and plan out something like this. But I don’t really deserve any kind of recognition. I mean… I’m just doing my job and I already get paid and stuff.” He couldn’t believe this. What he was doing wasn’t hard, it just had started one day. Somebody like him didn’t need this kind of attention.

“Oh, Yuri. I knew you’d try and play it off, but what you’re doing is really sweet, and your food is always super delicious.” Estelle said.

“Yeah, what the beautiful ladies are saying,” a familiar voice said.

“Wow Yuri! You entered a contest!? That’s so cool! I know you’re gonna win for sure.” said a much younger voice.

It was Karol, and his legal guardian, Raven. Or at least, that’s what everyone called the old guy. He had taken Karol in a few years ago, based on a promise he had made someone else. Raven never went into the details of anything, and seemed to just show up at the restaurant whenever he pleased. Not that he wasn’t allowed, he was just… odd. Nobody knew what he did for a living, and Yuri didn’t think Karol knew either.

“Hey, Karol. I guess I can’t slack off now that you’ve got my back, now can I?” Yuri said.

Karol nodded vigorously, “That’s right.”

“I guess things are really startin’ to come together for you. And Flynn even got that interview, right? See, things all work out in the end. Usually.” Raven said.

Yuri paused for a moment. “Where’d you hear that old man?”

“Ah, y’know. I’ve just got connections, s’all. I hear all kinds of things.” Raven said with a shrug.

“Well, whatever. Flynn actually didn’t get the job anyways. They gave it to somebody else.” Yuri said.

“Wait, he didn’t?” Raven sounded surprised.

“Did your “connections” not bother to tell you that?” Rita said with a smirk at Raven.

“Oh, Yuri, I’m so sorry to hear that.” Estelle said, looking upset “And it was after Flynn did so well this time! Is he okay? What happened? Is that why he’s not here today?”

“No, he just had the day off. He’ll be fine, he always pulls through this kind of thing.” Yuri tried brushed the issue off with a wave of his hand.

“Maybe there’s something I could do to help though. I could try asking around.” Estelle said, not letting the topic go so easily.

“I’m sure he’d be grateful for it, but there’s no reason for you to go out of your way to do something.”

“Maybe Raven could ask one of his “connections” that he’s always talking about. Be useful for once.” Rita suggested.

“Me and my big mouth… geeze. This is certainly a matter I figured I’d have to- er- What I mean is I’ll just see what comes up. What do I know, after all, I’m not really involved in the matter, right? I won’t promise anything, though.” said Raven.

“Yuri, please tell Flynn that it’ll be okay. He has a lot of friends to support him through this.” Estelle said.

Yuri wasn’t sure that Flynn would be in the mood to talk to him later, but he’d at least try. After all, if Estelle was going to go through all the trouble of trying to help, the least he could do was confront Flynn again. He’d have to eventually do it, anyways.

When Flynn woke up, he had a throbbing headache. Where was he? What had happened? He felt extremely disoriented. He didn’t feel the greatest: all of his limbs were stiff and his entire of body held a slight ache. He cracked his eyes open a bit and was surprised at how bright it was. He was lying in bed in his room, and almost everything seemed normal. He looked to see what time it was: one o’clock in the afternoon.

 Why on earth had he slept so late?! Something in the back of Flynn’s mind told him that he should be devastated by something, but he just couldn’t quite remember what it was. He didn’t figure it mattered too much, but he had better get up now or else he’d be in bed until the next morning. When he pushed his stiff joints to stand up it hit him: he hadn’t gotten the job.

 Flynn groaned at the sudden realization and put his head in his hands. How could he had forgotten something like that? It had been on his mind the entire night last night, keeping him awake until early in the morning. The memory of the phone call stabbed in his head like a hot iron.

 He had been so upset after words that he had that he had gone for a walk to clear his mind. During his walk, he decided to go and visit one of his police academy instructors, Niren Fedrock. Niren was a retired cop who had taken up teaching to keep himself busy without all of the excitement of being on the streets. His instructor had been glad to see him, but could tell by the look on his face that he was upset.

 Flynn felt so bad, Niren always wrote him letters of recommendation for every job he applied for and he was always so supportive of him. Flynn wasn’t entirely sure at first why he had decided to see him, as he wasn’t sure what he wanted. In the end, he had tried to apologize for wasting the instructor’s time. Niren just shook his head, saying that it was odd that someone so skilled and qualified hadn’t made it on the force.

 He had felt better after having talked for a bit, but on the way back home the weight of reality started to bear back on him. Maybe it was time to call it quits. He needed to get a job that paid well to help Yuri. He couldn’t just keep mooching of his boyfriend for forever. He was sure that Yuri would never even say anything about it, as the other thought that he could handle everything alone. He’d just have to swallow his pride and work somewhere else. But where? Maybe-

Flynn thoughts were interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. He felt hungry and wrung out, and he seriously considered not answering the door. But the knocking continued, and the sooner he answered it the sooner the knocking would stop. When he saw who it was, his heart stopped. Could it really be…?

“Flynn Scifo! I need to talk to you.” It was officer Leblanc. Had they changed their mind? Had it all been a terrible mistake? Flynn felt hope fill him, along with some adrenaline. His hands were shaking.

“S-sure. We can talk.” Flynn stuttered. Why else would a police officer be here? He hadn’t done anything bad. What else would he want to talk about.

“May I come in? This isn’t something I really want to discuss where others could hear.” Leblanc asked.

“Yeah, come in…”

Flynn felt numb. He fumbled with shutting the door and had to clench his fists together to stop shaking so much. The two sat across from each other in the cramped living room, and there was a moment of awkward silence. Leblanc seemed momentarily interested in a watch he was wearing, rubbing its face. Flynn just wanted to shout to just say what he had to say; to just end this waiting game. “Y’know… I guess I’ll just say this. So you were at Niren Fedrock’s residence yesterday evening.”

Flynn swallowed hard. “That’s right.”

“Can you tell me a bit of what transpired yesterday between the two of you?”

Leblanc drew a pad of paper and a pen out of his pocket and wrote down what seemed to be Flynn’s explanation. After Flynn was done speaking, Leblanc wiped his brow. He looked extremely uncomfortable. “So when you left last night was the last time you saw Fedrock, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Niren Fedrock was found dead in an alleyway early this morning by a witness. He appears to have been brutally murdered. Did you happen to know anything about this?”

Flynn’s entire body jolted in surprise... What? Niren was dead? No, it couldn’t be. He hadn’t heard what Leblanc was saying right. “What?! That can’t be right, I was just talking to him yesterday? How could this happen?”

“Look, Flynn, I might know you personally, but that doesn’t mean that others back at the station can be as easily convinced.” Leblanc said.

“What do you mean?” He was confused. Where was this going?

“You were one of the last people to have seen this man alive, and we need answers. If you cooperate, it’ll make my job a lot easier.”

 Flynn was still in shock when a new realization dawned on him: they thought he murdered his instructor, and the wanted him to confess. “But I would never kill someone else! Let alone someone that I care about! I would never-”

“Look, I’m not here to arrest you, I just need answers. Are you sure you didn’t see anything out of place at all?”

Flynn’s mind raced, but he came up blank. He couldn’t believe this! And here he had thought that he might have even had a shot at the getting on the force- instead the nightmare had only seemed to get worse. He had just seen Niren yesterday. Everything seemed so surreal. But what had happened? Nothing out of the ordinary. “No. I don’t know what happened. I’m sorry.”

“Well, I guess I’m done here. Might have more answers after the autopsy…” Leblanc stood up and took a few steps towards the door.

“So that’s it!?” Flynn snapped, “You’re just going to waltz right back out of here like nothing happened at all.”

Leblanc sighed. “I have to stay on the case for now. I know that you were probably close, and I’m sorry for your loss. Niren was a good man. And it’s probably especially hard for you, after what happened to your Father-”

“Y’know what? Never mind.” Flynn couldn’t handle this, “Just go and do your job the best you can. I don’t wanna talk about it…”

“Call us if you remember anything or find anything out okay? Let the professionals handle this, kid.” Was all that Leblanc said before leaving.

The last words stung. He really was just a kid, wasn’t he? He really couldn’t handle anything, could he? And his Father-

Flynn felt his eyes start to water. He wasn’t going to cry, that would be even more like a kid, right? He was just really upset because Niren had died, and his head was just really congested. And he certainly wouldn’t start crying over his Father again at this point in his life. He could handle himself, it was just a lot all at once. And he wouldn’t cry, because Yuri would never let him live it down. He wouldn’t. That’s what he had told himself.

Or at least, that’s how he would try to remember it.

He signed while glancing at the now emptying wine glass in his hand. Where had that lazy butler gone when he really needed him?! He hated waiting for things, and he certainly wasn’t going to get up to get himself some more wine. Why couldn’t things work out like how they were meant to be? Why couldn’t everything be perfect? People always had to get in his way and try to ruin his life. But then again, he was Alexander Cumore, one of the most refined nobles to ever have lived. They were surely just jealous of his class, status, money and refined sense of style.

‘Those idiots I sent out yesterday to take care of business left a mess everywhere and now the rest of the lower class idiots are all in a tizzy! I just ask for one person to disappear quietly and suddenly it’s flung all over the news. Ah, if Alexei finds out that I acted without his permission he’ll throw a fit. If others didn’t try to meddle in my business it would have never had come to this. Oh, why can’t they just leave me alone.’

‘Not only that, but that lower class imbecile- oh, what’s his name- the obnoxious blonde one- is always hanging around the station these days. Can’t he tell where he’s not wanted? Alexei almost let him in, but luckily I caught him just in time to throw him out. Isn’t there any quality control anymore? The upper class should be the one’s to run things and I’m doing everyone a service by keeping things like how they should be.’

“Oh, no one pays me enough respect for all the hard work I do!” Cumore lamented out loud. “Why can’t things be like the good old days when people knew their place? And where is that damned butler!”

Being patient really was difficult. Cumore didn’t know how much more of working he could take. Things really would be better if Alexei would just hurry up and die already. Then he could take over and things would finally be so much better! If the old man didn’t keel over soon, it might be necessary to help nudge him along in the right direction…

But for now, things seemed to be going in the right direction. At least of those “social equality” idiots had been taken care of, and that was probably enough hard labor for one week. Everything that Cumore deserved would come to him one day, even if he had to do some things himself.

When Yuri came home, he didn’t know what kind of mood he’d find Flynn in- or if he’d find Flynn at all. He thought it was just as likely if the other had wandered off somewhere else to try and clear his mind. He certainly didn’t expect to find the blond curled up in a tight ball on the couch, his clothing looked badly wrinkled and his hair was especially messy. He didn’t think he had ever seen Flynn this messy this late in the day. Had he gone back to sleep? It was after six.

Trying to forget what had transpired between the two of them yesterday, Yuri cautiously approached the other. His eyes were open; bloodshot, but open. So, he probably wasn’t asleep. “Hey…” Yuri said softly, “Are you okay?”

“No. No, I’m not okay.” Flynn said, voice cracking.

That was certainly not the answer that he had been expecting. If Flynn wasn’t even in the mood to at least try and pretend like he was alright like he normally did, then something was really, really wrong. Yuri took a seat on the arm of the old couch, the oald squeal of wood was the only noise that could be heard in the room.

“What happened?” was all that Yuri said.

“A lot…” Flynn mumbled.

“Do you wanna tell me about it-?”

“Mr. Fedrock’s dead.”

That was something else that Yuri hadn’t’ expected to hear. “Wait, you mean like, Niren Fedrock. Like, your old teacher? THAT Niren Fedrock?!”

“Yes, Yuri. That Fedrock.” Flynn paused, “It’s all over the local news… I had to turn the television off. I was tired of… seeing it.”

“I take it if the news is talking about it then he didn’t go naturally then, did he?”

“No, he didn’t.”

Yuri felt disgust well up inside of him. It was always the good people in their lives that wound up dead. Flynn always seemed to lose those who he was close to and looked up to. Yuri had known Niren through Flynn, and had really liked the guy. He seemed to be one of the only police officers that Yuri had actually liked on a personal level. And now he had to go, when Flynn probably needed others the most-

“Leblanc came by earlier and told me…”

“Hmm…? They told you personally? I mean, I guess he didn’t have a lot of family either-”

“No, Yuri. They… they think I did it.”

“Wait, what? Who thought you did what?”

“The police are considering me as a primary suspect in Fedrock’s murder…” Flynn’s voice sounded flat. He didn’t sound worried in the least about what he was saying.

“WHAT!? That’s bullshit! You’d never do something like that! Flynn, what’s going on, what happened?!” Yuri shouted.

“I went to visit him yesterday. I just wanted to ask him for advice… I was the last one to see him-”

“So you just talked to him him and now everyone thinks you're some kind of killer right? Gee, that makes perfect sense. It’s just what I’ve come to expect of any sort of government official. Blaming the innocent just because they don’t want to get off there asses and do any real work to catch whoever the real murder is!” Yuri was furious. Of course something like this would happen. As if things weren’t already bad enough.

“I can’t do anything… I’m just a kid…” Flynn murmured.

“Hmm…? Where’d that come from?” Yuri turned his attention back to his boyfriend, “Hey, you aren’t actually blaming yourself for what happened right?”

“I was the last one to see him… and… I just realized something. It’s my fault. It really is my fault he died.”Flynn pulled his legs closer to his chest.

“No it’s not. Don’t listen to what some halfwit like Leblanc has to say anyways.” Yuri tried to keep his voice soft and level because felt concerned for Flynn; he had never seen him act like this.

“Yesterday… when I went to see him… I told him what happened. And he said that he’d look into some things for me. I said he didn’t have to, but he insisted. And now look. Because I’m just a no-good kid who can’t do anything someone so kind and important had to die…” Flynn’s words were monotone and flat. His eyes seemed to be looking off into the distance; unmoving. “I already called the Leblanc and told him everything I know. I don’t think they’ll find what I said to be very helpful. It’s not a very great alibi.”

“Hey, you’re not just some ‘no-good kid’. Where’d you even get an idea like that? It’s not like just anyone has your level of dedication. Look, I know that things aren’t great right now, but everything’s going to work out in the end.”

“How?” Flynn pushed himself up and glared at Yuri, “There’s nothing that I can do. The police specifically told me to keep out of things or else they’ll have even more of a reason to think that I did it!”

“Things certainly aren’t going to get any better with that attitude. And you’re always off trying to take care of everything yourself. Just earlier I heard Estelle say herself that she wanted to help you. A lot of people do…”

“What?! Tell Ms. Estellise to please not get involved. Look at what just happened to the Captain! I’ll never forgive myself if something happens to her.” Flynn sounded upset.

“Well, I don’t want her getting hurt either, but I don’t think she’ll listen to either of us. I doubt she’ll do anything too rash, though. Right now our real concern is figuring out who really murdered Niren.” Yuri said.

“What?! But, Yuri- we were just told not to do anything!”

“Are you really just going to sit idly by knowing that it’s more than likely someone’s going to be back to arrest you? Flynn, I know you’re upset right now, but we need to do something. Even if you don’t want to, I will.”

Flynn ground his teeth together- “Then what do you suggest? Are you planning on breaking into the police station yourself so you can go through all their files?!”

“If worst comes to worst then sure. At least then they’ll have to put the both of us in prison.”

“Yuri, don’t say stuff like that! I don’t want you getting yourself into serious trouble!”

“I can’t let you go to prison by yourself. I don’t think you’re mentally prepared for the slammer…”

“Quit kidding around! Neither of us have to go to jail. And we’re not going to break the law either. This is my problem…”

“Do you have a way to fix your problem?”

Flynn didn’t say anything. He wasn’t particularly looking for an immediate way to fix anything. Everything he was trying ended up only making things worse anyways, so he had decided to take a break from trying. He hadn’t planned on jumping right back into things. But, could he really wait? What if he really did get into trouble? Was… was someone out to get him? It seemed silly to even think something like that. After all, he wasn’t particularly in a stance of power, so he wasn’t a threat.

But… what could he do? If he didn’t do anything, Yuri or Estellise might do something really reckless in order to help him.

“It’s too late to do much for today, and I can tell you’re exhausted…” Yuri said, standing up. “But why don’t we go and pay the old man a visit tomorrow?”

“You mean Mr. Raven?” Flynn asked, “Why?”

“He always seems to know the latest news on things. Even some things that the police themselves might not know. Maybe he can help explain some things. He always seems to have to have some insider news about this and such. I don’t think we could catch him even if we went over to his place right now. I think he usually out at night. Even if he’s asleep when we go over there tomorrow morning, it’s no problem to wake him up right?” Yuri shrugged.

“Hey, there’s really no need to bother your friends and disrupt their personal lives for a shot-in-the-dark chance that he might know something.” Flynn shook his head. He didn’t want to rely on people anymore than he already was.

“It’ll be fine. Besides, I do a lot of favors for him. I watch after Karol sometimes when he has to run off on his “errands”.”

Flynn gave up.  He didn’t have anything else to do anyways. He didn’t think that Raven would know anything, but he didn’t know anything, either. He supposed that it couldn’t hurt to ask.

Yuri smiled, “I’ll take your silence as a yes. I know it’s hard for you to admit when I have a good idea. But I’ve got another idea and that idea’s dinner. When’s the last time you’ve eaten, anyways?”

Flynn thought about it, “I think… it’s been a while.”

“I’ll make us some ham sandwiches.”

Yuri had already started to head for the kitchen when Flynn called out, “Do you want me to help?”

He grimaced, “No, why don’t you just take it easy. There’s no need to push yourself that far.” Flynn felt slightly insulted at the comment, but shrugged it off. He did feel pretty weak from everything. Maybe he would feel better after he had eaten.

“Are you sure about this? It’s only nine-thirty in the morning.” Flynn commented, pulling uneasily at his sleeve.

The two were standing outside Raven’s apartment, about to go in. Several times that morning Flynn would sheepishly suggest that maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to “bother someone else” for help. It took all of Yuri’s strength to not snap at the other, as it was still early and it was annoying to hear the same question every few minutes. But he knew that Flynn needed someone to be at least a little put together in his life, and it wasn’t often that he’d accept help.

Yuri glanced over at the other, still sluggish and exhausted looking. “Yeah, it’s fine. I don’t know any other way to catch Raven unless he’s sleeping.”

Without anymore hesitation, Yuri knocked on the door. No one came right away, and the wait made Flynn shift around on his feet. He was just about to suggest that they should go and leave the whole matter be when the door finally opened.

“Yuri…? What are you doing here?” It was Karol. The boy was still wearing his pajamas and his hair was sticking up at odd angles. It seemed as if he had just woken up.

“Oh, hey Karol. Sorry if we woke you up. I was trying to get the old man to come and answer the door.” Yuri said, inviting himself in, “Aren’t you supposed to be at school anyways?”

“It’s a Saturday! And besides, aren’t you guys supposed to be at work or something?”

“No, I was thinking about taking the day off to take care of some business… Is Raven here?”

Karol yawned and shut the door after everyone was inside. “I don’t know where Raven is. He left last night, and I don’t think he’s back yet.”

“Raven leaves you here all by yourself? What if something bad were to happen?” Flynn asked in disbelief.

“I can take care of myself. I’m not a little kid, y’know!” Karol said, sticking his hands on his hips and puffing his chest out.

“Yeah, he does that a lot,” Yuri said, “I figured he be back by now though. Do you know what he’s been doing?”

Karol shook his head. “Not really. He’s been super busy lately. First he has to run some letters here and there, and then he’s off doing something else. It’s actually be pretty lonely here.”

Yuri ruffled Karol’s hair before the boy pushed his hand away, “Sorry to hear that. I didn’t know that Raven was such a busy guy.”

“What were you going to ask him anyways? You’re up super early and you brought Flynn with you too.” Karol paused for a moment and then gasped, “Are you guys on a super secret important adventure!?”

“Well, uh… I’m not sure-” Flynn started.

“Sure. I guess you could say that.” Yuri cut in.

“Wow! That’s sooo cool! Can I join in too? Please? I promise not to weigh you guys down-” Karol babbled on, now looking fully awake and alive with excitement.

Yuri glanced at Flynn and saw that his face was filled with far less excitement. He seemed worried, “I’m not sure Karol. What we’re doing… it’s not really something that I want anyone else to have to deal with. I’m sorry.” Flynn saw the crushed look on Karol’s face and quickly added, “I promise to take you on the next adventure. Maybe one that’s far less dangerous…”

Karol still seemed disappointed, but at least to be a little mullified with the answer he got. “Okay, but you guys have to take me with for real. I’m going to remember that you promised.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure Flynn holds up his end of the deal,” Yuri said smirking at the blond. “In the meantime, is it okay to stay here for a bit Karol? We really need to talk to Raven. I think he can help us out.”

Karol grinned, “Sure, I don’t mind, but only on one condition: you guys have to play games with me until then.”

“Well then, I guess we don’t have a choice.” Yuri glanced at Flynn. “Is that okay with you?”

Flynn felt anxious and the last thing he wanted to do was sit around and waste time. But even if he said no, what else could he do? It wasn’t like he could apply for jobs that didn’t exist, or pull evidence that proved his innocence out of thin air. He already hated that he had to ask for help like this when he hadn’t done anything to help Raven out personally. Waiting only caused his emotions to stir around inside of him, causing him to feel ill. He didn’t think that he had ever felt so powerless in his life before. He hated that feeling.

But there was nothing else that he could do.

And so, the three of them ended up playing board games waiting for Raven to arrive. It was a few hours later when Flynn began to feel as if he was certainly stuck in some awful dream. ‘I wonder if Raven’s even going to get here… I mean, of course he’s going to come home at some point, because he wouldn’t just leave Karol like that, right? But what if it’s not today? Or what if something terrible happened to him? Not only would we be even more lost, but then we’d have to take care of Karol, too. I can barely take care of myself, I can’t take care of someone so young…’

“…you’re doing it again.” Yuri’s voice broke through his thoughts, “It’s your turn, sleepy.”

“Oh, uh, sorry-”

“I can tell that you’re worrying yourself to death over there. There’s nothing we can do right now, so calm down. When we get things figured out, then you can worry.”

Flynn bit his lower lip between his teeth. He was very conscious that Karol was in the room, and it was the only thing that prevented him from starting another fight. Karol looked between the two, certain that there was something odd about the way the two were acting. He was just about to ask what they were talking about when the front door opened.

“Hey, you're late old man.” Yuri called when he saw who it was.

Raven sighed and rubbed the back of his head. “I wondered why the front door wasn’t locked. I thought that I had forgot. What’s a group of trouble makers like you even doing?”

“We’re playing board games!” Karol explained, “They said they wanted to see you but you weren’t here. Aw… but now that you’re here, we probably are done playing aren’t we?”

“Why would you want to talk to someone as boring as me? I don’t have anything good to say. And after such a long night too…” Raven seemed to mutter the last part to himself.

“It’s pretty important actually. I figured that you might be able to at least help us a little.” Yuri said standing up, “It’s kind of about Flynn.”

“I’m not going to get to go to sleep anytime soon am I?”

“I’m sorry for bothering you. If you really want, we can leave-” Flynn said hurriedly.

“No, there’s no need for that. You waited all this time so I guess it really must be important. I guess I can try to help you out. Not sure if I’ll be of much use to you. Just let me sit down first…”

Flynn and Yuri explained everything that had happened in the past few days. Recounting the events brought up the still painfully fresh memories, but Flynn thought the feeling was a sight better than sitting around pretending like nothing had happened.

After they were done explaining, Raven sighed. “I never imagined that they’d be so adamant on tryin’ to keep a kid like you out… And I heard about what happened with Niren. To be honest, I don’t think that case’s going anywhere.”

“What do you mean?” Flynn asked.

“Look, you didn’t hear anything I’m about to say here from me, but, Niren didn’t have a lot of friends in the police force.”

“Wait, so you’re saying that a police officer was the one who did away with him!? Damn, I never knew the captain had that many people out to get him.” Yuri grit his teeth together.

“Could someone really get away with something like that?”

Raven shrugged. “I don’t know who did it. Could’ve just as easily been a government official or someone of the like who wanted him gone. But the point is, even if it was, they’re not going to get sentenced. Unless someone else even more high up wanted them to be found. But there’s nobody like that right now. That’d be a whole other big commotion.”

“So what you’re saying is that there’s never going to be any justice for the captain?!” Yuri was furious, “Of course not. I’m not surprised. What else have I come to expect?”

“It’s no secret that it’s hard to get anywhere in as a public official unless you have money or some kind of connection. The police force kind of has a hierarchy in this neighborhood too. It’s all because of that obnoxious Cumore guy too-”

Flynn eyes widened. “Hey, that’s the guy who conducted my interview. You know him?”

Raven scratched his chin. “Know him? I certainly hear things about him. He’s just some spoiled rich kid who’s Daddy’d cut off his allowance unless he did something. So he got a job as deputy and pushes people around a lot. And I’m sorry to say it, but he’s probably the reason why Flynn didn’t get hired. Mostly that guys just picks people who he thinks will do his bidding without thinking. I know you might not think it now, but you might be thankful that one day you didn’t end up working directly under that guy.

But honestly at this point, there’s nothing that anyone can do about anything. Or at least, I can’t. My hands are a bit tied at the moment, anyways.”

Flynn felt disappointed. He hadn’t hoped that Raven would do all his work for him, but the situation looked bleak. “I always knew that things were corrupt, but that’s why I wanted to enter the force in the first place. To change things. I wanted to make a difference. But it doesn’t even look like I’m going to get a chance.”

“Look kid, don’t think this is the end here.” Raven said, “Sure, this time didn’t turn out to be what anybody expected, but there are lots of other chances out there. I mean, I certainly didn’t expect to end up where I did, or the path I took to get here.”

“Thank you… I’m not going to give up. I just… don’t know what to do next.” Flynn said. “But, I’m sure I’ll figure it out. Thank you again for your time.”

“Are you leaving? Okay with me.” Raven yawned, “I really have to be getting to sleep right now. I’ve been up forever. Take care, kids.”

Flynn pulled his shoes off and carefully set them down on the floor of his closet. He was exhausted, and he felt as if his bones had turned into jelly. He took a seat on the edge of his bed. He had known that the others were planning on throwing Yuri a surprise party for winning the Chef of the Month award, but he hadn’t expected it to be that wild. It had gone on until the middle of the night and Yuri and Flynn had just gotten home.

Flynn was proud of Yuri, he really was. The other had come a long way from being the delinquent of a boy he once knew. Yuri really was making a difference in others lives, in his own life as well. Deep down, Flynn had to admit that he felt a little… envious. The other had ended up so successful; it wasn’t that he didn’t want that for the other, but why had it ended up this way?

It had been almost a whole month since Flynn had first heard about Niren’s death, and he had learned nothing new in the meanwhile. It was life had punched him in the face and then just expected him to forget about it. Part of him had felt like nothing had happened at all. Maybe he had just made it all up. He wished he had. At least then he could stop feeling so gloomy all of the time.

Even though life seemed to be moving on there was still tension between the two lovers. Flynn knew Yuri wasn’t to blame, but he couldn’t help feel like snapping at the other, no matter what it was. He felt like anything the other would do was irritating. Part of him knew he was being irrational, but he didn’t know if he cared. He felt bad for how he was treating Yuri, but he didn’t feel like he could stop.

Yuri knew that Flynn had been in a bad mood lately, so he generally tried to stay out of the other’s way to avoid conflict. He really wanted to yell at the other and tell him to snap out of it, but he knew that if he did it could really hurt their relationship. But what was he supposed to do? Just put up with it the whole time? This couldn’t go on too much longer or he was going to go off on Flynn. And he knew the other was itching for a fight, that would just be giving the other the what he wanted.

The entire bed shook as Yuri flopped down on it with a loud groan. Flynn turned around to look at him. “You look tired.” Flynn commented.

“So do you.” Yuri said with a stretch, “You know, I always tell Judy and the others not to go out of there way for things like this and what do they do? Throw a huge party. Geeze, I never thought I’d win either…”

“Your food is really good. You deserve this.” Flynn said.

“I dunno… I feel like you work hard too. A lot of people do. I’d give the award to you if I could.” Yuri said without a second thought.

“I don’t deserve anything. I honestly haven’t done anything yet. I might not do anything. Maybe this is the way it’s always going to be.” Flynn mumbled, turning back away from Yuri.

“Not this again…”

“Fine. I won’t bring it up… I just-”

“Just what?”

“I’m just jealous of you!” Flynn snapped.

Yuri was confused, what was the other talking about? “You’re jealous of me? Is it because of the award?

“No, not because of the award. I’m just jealous and I feel so guilty.”

“You feel guilty because you're jealous?”

“No…! Well, yes, but what I’m trying to say is I feel bad. You’ve been taking care of me lately and that’s not how I want it to be. I want us to be equals. I want both of us to be able to fill our dream of helping others. And how I’ve been acting lately… It’s like you’ve grown up and I’m the one who started acting like a toddler.”

“You have been acting a little irritable lately-”

Even though Flynn agreed, he winced at the comment.

“I’d rather it be me taking care of you, if one of us had to take care of the other. It’s just that I love you and all I am is a burden on you. You’ve been taking care of me and this was your apartment in the first place. I just moved in. And I can’t even do anything like cook dinner for you.”

“Flynn-”

“You should just break up with me and go and find someone who’s actually worthy of you. Someone who can actually be your equal.”

“Flynn!” Yuri shouted, “Do you really think that I’m just going to dump you just because you’ve hit one rough patch in your life?! Think about all we’ve been through in the past. We never let anything tear us apart and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let it now. Do think that even if we were separated right now that I’d ever be able to forget about you?”

“I…” Flynn was at a loss for words. He had never expected Yuri’s response to be so serious. Yuri rarely ever took anything seriously and Flynn only ever heard him use that tone on the rarest of occasions.

“What if i were in your shoes? Would you leave me for somebody else?” Yuri asked.

“Of course not, I’d never leave you! Flynn said.

“Then stop being an idiot. I’m not leaving you and you’re not a burden.”

Flynn paused and took in what Yuri was saying. He had never imagined what it would have been like if he was in Yuri’s place. It seemed really obvious. Of course he wouldn’t abandon one of the only people who had ever been family to him. He trusted him. It was just hard to believe that Yuri could see him in that same way.

“To be honest, when we were kids I always thought that it would stay the same…”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s just that you were always the one making trouble when we were kids. I was certain that I’d have to look after you forever to make sure that you stay out of trouble.”

“Hey!” Yuri jabbed the other in the back.

Flynn chuckled, and laid down beside Yuri, not having to make eye contact but not needing to. “Yeah, I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve been thinking… things really didn’t turn out how I expected them to at all.”

“You always were so single minded, you know that right? There’s more than one way to do things. Even though you kept with being in the military, I knew that it wasn’t for me. I just felt like the way that things were going I couldn’t get anything done.”

There was a pause between them. Yuri always said those same words. Whenever things didn’t work out one way he would become frustrated and try to take another path. Flynn didn’t feel like that at all, he always wanted to keep going the same way, and Yuri always called him stubborn for it. Maybe he was stubborn… a little too stubborn.

“I’m sorry…” Flynn said softly.

“H-hey, quit apologizing. It’s weird… You didn’t do anything wrong anyways.” Yuri sounded embarrassed.

“I was a jerk to you when the person who I had problems with was myself. That’s why I apologized.” Flynn said.

“So you’ve finally admitted it.” Yuri said teasingly.

Flynn pinched Yuri’s arm and laughed. “Hey, I thought you said you were done being a jerk.”

“I am. I just can’t let you get away with everything.” Flynn wrapped his arms around the other and drew him closer. “If you want, I can make it up to you. I’ll do anything you’d like.”

He kissed Yuri on the cheek and he grinned. “Hmm… I guess I can overlook your behavior if you make it worth my while.”

Flynn certainly intended to make it worth his while.

Things seemed to have returned to normal between the two lover’s, Judith had noticed. It had all happened after the party they had thrown for Yuri, and while she did not know exactly what had happened, she felt as if she might have had an inkling. She was glad that her two favorite dorks were being their usual selves, at the very least because it made the air less tense when they were both at work.

Today, Estelle had apparently texted Yuri saying that there was something that she wanted to show Flynn. He had spent the entire day serving orders with his curiosity pulling at the back of his mind. He felt like he wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about it until he knew what it was.

Flynn felt the pair of arms around him before he saw her. “Flynn!” Estelle cried, squeezing him tightly.

“O-oh. Estellise, I’m glad to see that you’re here.” He gasped.

“Flynn, there’s something that I wanna tell you about!” Estelle said excitedly.

Rita had walked into the restaurant behind Estelle and nodded her head in greeting. Yuri and Judith walked over at the commotion, knowing who it was without even having to look. “I hear that you had some exciting news to tell Flynn earlier. I hope you don’t mind if we listen in.” Judith said.

“No, I don’t mind! But you’ll never believe it Flynn! So, do you guys know my cousin Ioder, right?” Estelle asked.

“Oh, he’s the one running for mayor right? Of course I’ve heard about him.” Flynn said.

A lot of people heard about him. He was a rather young candidate, all of the others had been ranging in their mid-forties or up, so a lot of people didn’t hold a lot of respect for him. But the goals that he seemed to be fighting for were honorable.

“Well, anyways, now that he’s running, he’s going to be in a lot more danger from now on. So, they’re hiring more secret service members to follow him around and stuff. And I know it’s a bit out of your way, and it’s certainly got a lot of long hours, but if you applied for the job I’d put in a good word for you.” Estelle said, “I thought you might be interested. If you’re not, you don’t have to-”

“N-n-no, I’m interested! But Estellise, is it alright for you to offer me something like this?” Flynn asked, his heart racing.

“Of course! There’s no one that I know who works harder than you, so I know that you’d keep Ioder safe. It’d make me really happy in fact, if you took this job.” Estelle beamed.

“I guess we’re going to have to hire a new waiter, Judy. It looks like Flynn’s leaving. Here’s to hoping that the next guy who works here’s not nearly as annoying, eh?” Yuri said, clapping Flynn on the shoulder.

“Y-Y-Yuri, I don’t have the job yet!” Flynn stuttered. He was too afraid to get his hopes up again, it would almost be too good to be true. It certainly wouldn’t have been the way he had been expecting, but he didn’t mind in the least. In fact, he would be overjoyed. And he even be in the presence of someone he looked up to like Ioder.

“Yeah, but something tells me this one’s not going to get away. Especially if Estelle works her magic. She has a way getting things she wants done.” Yuri said.

“Thank you so much, Estellise. This means so much to me.” Flynn said.

Estelle smiled, “It’s no problem. I just figured that if everyone pitched in we could get something figured out eventually.”

“So, are you going to apply for it?” Rita asked. “Or are we just getting all worked up for no reason?”

“Of course I am.” Flynn said, smiling a wide smile that he had felt in months, “I’m going to give it my best shot.”