[72.5] A Brawl of Sobbing Children

[Author's note: this chapter isn't from anyone's perspective.]

Lene was scrambling up a tree, shouting down at Lovi, "Come! Climb!!"

Lovi shouted up at her, "I'm not climbing up there!!! I will die! It's a death trap!!!"

Bale turned into a panther and scrambled up majestically, "Hehe! Don't worry, Lovi! I will catch you if you fall!"

"NO WAY! I'd rather die than be caught by you and your grubby paws!!!"

"Awww~ Come on! Pretty please?"

Atta pulled out a piece of paper and wrote on it. She held it out for Lovi to read: 'As your hero, I will save you!'

Lovi read it and clicked her tongue, "I don't need a hero to save me because I'm not going to climb a tree."

Atta wrote: 'But I need practice to be a good hero!'

Lovi put her hands on her hips, "You don't need practice to be a good hero!"

Lene stuck her head out of the leaves, "Big sister needs practice?"

Lovi shook her head, "No, she doesn't. She's just too obsessed with becoming a hero-"

"I will help you big sister!!!" Lene suddenly jumped out of the tree blindly, her long silver hair sailing and spreading out behind her, "Save me!!!"

Atta's eyes shimmered in excitement as she leaped forward. She caught Lene midair and did a few cartwheels before landing on her feet in a swift and smooth motion.

Bale clapped his paws together, "Wow! Nice catch!"

Lene giggled while she climbed out of her arms, "Hehe! That was fun! Again! Again! This time I'm going to jump even further!"

Atta nodded quickly and took her new position further from the tree with her hands out.

Lene shouted out, "You better be far, big sister!!! Cuz I can't see and I'm going to jump BIG!!"

"STOP!" Lovi let out a scream, "THIS IS WHY YOU ALWAYS GET HURT YOU IDIOT!!!"

Lene ignored her and ran off the tree limb, flinging herself off with the momentum. Since she was jumping in the opposite direction, Atta had to put more force into her calves to sprint forward. The wind whipped wildly as she sprinted faster than a speeding train. She caught Lene just before she hit the ground. As Atta heaved heavily, her eyes twinkled with excitement.

Lene burst out laughing, "FUN! FUN! FUN! Let's go again!!!"

As she climbed up the tree, Bale lounged on a limb laughing, "Lene, you're crazy."

"Watch this!" Lene started laying out some webs, "This time I'm going to fly even farther! Get ready Atta!"

Lovi stomped on the ground, "STOOOOOP! You're going to lose the last of your brain Lene!!!"

A group of demon children walked over to them with the eldest who asked, "What are you hornless freaks doing?"

Bale jumped down from the tree limb and landed in front of Lovi, growling protectively at the newcomers.

Lovi glanced down at him in confusion, "Who are they?"

"The coyote family. A bunch of bullies, but they are all bark and no bite."

The eldest waved him off, "Relax Bale, we don't have anything against you or your mate."

Lovi's cheeks burned bright red, "I-I'm not his mate!!!"

"We got a problem with this hornless weirdo." He poked Atta's chest so hard she stumbled back, "So? What are you doing in our village you hornless weirdo?"

Lovi's face turned red with anger, "What did you just say to her?!"

Bale rubbed against her, "Don't worry, Lovi. Demons are like this. We all ridicule each other and love to play rough with each other. It's kind of our way of showing affection. As long as she stands her ground and taunts them back, they'll respect her and leave her alone."

He jabbed Atta again in the chest which made her stumble back again. Atta was confused by his hostility and wrote on a piece of paper: 'I'm a hero saving Lene.'

The boy snatched the paper out of her hands and raised an eyebrow, "A hero? You can't be a hero."

Atta went to write on another piece of paper, but he snatched it out of her hands and threw it to the ground, "Stop scratching on paper! If you have something to say, then say it!"

Another joined in, "Yeah! You ain got a jaw, but you have a tongue!"

Atta fiddled with her hands wanting to write, but no longer able to. Seeing the children circle around her she tried speaking, "Lly?"

The coyote children burst out laughing. The Eldest shoved her again, "You sound so stupid!"

Bale's face fell, "Oh."

Lovi looked at him anxiously, "What?"

"I forgot you were all raised by the Great Fairy…"

"Why does that matter?"

"You're all too obedient and nice to bully anyone back. We should probably do something before-"

Another child shoved her harder, "A hornless freak like you can't be a hero."

Another joined in, "Yeah! Heroes are strong and beautiful. You may be strong, but you're not beautiful!"

Atta blinked in confusion, motioning to her face as if confused by their meaning.

"That's right!" The Eldest picked up a clump of dirt and threw it at her, "Heroes aren't ugly!"

Another pushed her, "Yeah! So leave our village already, ugly!!"

Atta was confused as she stared at the demon children relentlessly cursing at her.

As her gaze jolted side to side to the circling children, she was hit by an overwhelming feeling.

For the first time in her life, she felt an emotion for the first time.

Disgust.

Tears poured out of her eyes as she covered her face in shame.

The emotions were so intense and confusing, a burst of energy exploded out of her chest.

The children all started crying with her, but their tormenting didn't cease. If anything, it grew more intense.

"Get away from her!!!"

Lovi sprinted towards Atta, shoving the children away. As soon as she entered that invisible circle, she was swept up by the wave of uncontrollable emotions.

Lovi growled at them with tears in her eye and picked up a rock, "She isn't UGLY!!!"

Cocking her hand back and swinging it forward, she threw the rock, hitting the eldest child in the forehead.

He cried as he held his forehead, "HOW DARE YOU?"

He jumped forward, pouncing on her and clawing at her face. 

However, Lovi was more vicious than she looked and quickly tossed the boy off, exchanging scratches for punches.

Lene sensed Lovi getting attacked and rushed over to join her side. She shot webs out from her fingertips and covered the boy, immobilizing him. She shouted proudly, "DON'T HURT MY SISSY!!"

"That weird girl just hurt him!"

"GET THEM!"

The fight between Lovi and the boy turned into a full-blown brawl of children. Seeing Lovi in the fight, Bale produced his claws, "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!"

Atta stood to the side, crying uncontrollably and sweeping up everyone into her wailing as they all fought each other.