Igniting Passions

*Click*

-??? POV-

Walking through the long white halls draped with blank tapestries leading to this room, I kept close to the benefactor's right hand. Her expression contrasted her bubble gum pink hair flowing down her back until it flickered.

'Violet again.'

The long nights have done a number on us all, left everyone weary and shaken from what we saw. The light fades once more while record after record were strewn across the floor.

"... I can't…"

"Ma'am."

"Yes, Lyra?"

Lyra, Sage of the Realm… I didn't consider myself to be worthy of the title considering my predecessor. It was a title too many sizes too big. One I'd have to grow into.

"Why not get some rest?" (Lyra)

"Rest? He'd laugh at us."

"I'm sure he'd laugh at your condition even more." I put a pair of gloves on before picking up the documents one by one.

It irked me. How I, someone so respectable had to put my head down to like her. In the halls of white marble and sculptures that could bring gods to tears was this slouch. The number of empty mugs about the place was absurd.

'I'm sure this wasn't intended to be the workspace of a slob!'

Crisscross apple sauce in a black tank top and flannel pants. Still as gorgeous as ever.

Whenever one would first think of an issue of this scale. Finding a saint, a high priestess, a grand wizard would come naturally. Yet, this wasn't a matter most could digest. But here she was, looking over all this information that could easily drive someone to the brink of despair without the slightest care.

It was her of all people who was chosen for this.

"Maybe…"

"Good! Quinn and I were thinking of going out for some cheesecake after this if you wanted to join us." (Lyra)

I stopped in my tracks after I said it. Feeling a sharp gaze at my back, I put down the documents on a table.

'She felt it too, dammit!'

A thrum. Nothing more, nothing less. It was momentary like nothing could go wrong.

"Wha- What did you say?"

"That you could join us?" (Lyra)

"... No, before that."

"That Quinn and I are going out for cheesecake?" (Lyra)

'She couldn't be serious, right?'

Like before, a pulse so minuscule, so insignificant lasted for a millisecond and if you didn't latch on it'd be gone.

So, I did.

Reaching out with the core of my being, not letting run any further and there it was. Just as warm as they left a room, I could see it, the final creation let us peek into what became of everyone.

I didn't know if I should cry or scream when a soft chuckle resounded throughout the room.

"They're alright. THEY'RE ALRIGHT! AHAHAHA!!!"

*BAM*

"What happened?!" A lady with raven-black hair and golden-eyed moved her finely tuned aura to surround the room. It couldn't even get halfway to us before shattering.

"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT!" She stuck up in her hands in alarm, forgetting that she was given protection if something like this was to occur.

Following behind her and her cracked shield was the benefactor. Ginger hair with hazel eyes in a long robe that transitions like autumn leaves. "Ah, now that's one I haven't felt in a while. Someone said cheesecake?"

"YOU'RE NOT COMING ON OUR DATE!" (Lyra)

""". . .""" Even as powerful as I was, I couldn't overcome the red flush across my face when the hall fell to silence.

'I SAID THAT OUT LOUD! I CAN'T BELIEVE- . . . HE MADE ME SAY THAT OUT LOUD!'

"Date?"

"AHHH!" (Lyra)

***

-Kohaku's POV-

"AHHH!" I was about to take a free fall into the bayou when I was jerked to a stop.

"SHUT! UP!" (Kuda)

A crocodile leapt out of the water, snapping its jaw at where we were.

""AHHH!!"" (Kohaku + Kuda)

"Was that not enough of a lesson to stay quiet?" The two of us were reeled into Hanashi's grasp

"WELL MM-!" He put his hand over my mouth and pointed back over to the croc looking around blindly.

"Breathe and chill out." (Hanashi)

"Sorry, I'm not some spider like you!" (Kohaku)

'Could you imagine swinging around, sticking to walls like it was nothing?! He makes it look so easy! And what did they use any strings for in the manga?! Puppets!... And traps. Puppets and traps!'

"And what's that supposed to mean?" (Hanashi)

"That'd you'd have an easier time without me so why are you still here!" (Kohaku)

I couldn't feel the tug against the back of my shirt anymore and almost screamed when my kosode was grabbed and I was pinned against the tree trunk. His face was so close to mine that I could feel his breath.

'Not again!'

"So, you give up?" (Hanashi)

"Huh?" (Kohaku)

"You wanted a stupid adventure, right? You're on it.

Now you're giving up because you have a tag-a-long and nearly got eaten by an alligator?" (Hanashi)

'Stupid… Alligator?!'

"It's a crocodile." (Kohaku)

"What?"

"It's. a. Cro-co-dile." (Kohaku)

Silence. He stared at me like I had three heads, and I was trying not to look too long at his pecs that bounced! How are his going to jiggle and mine don't?!

"Nah, that's a gator." He released me and went back to looking at the water below.

"This is saltwater, only a crocodile would live in that." (Kohaku)

"Wanna bet?" (Hanashi)

"Y-huh?" (Kohaku)

"I'm askin' if you can put your money where your mouth is and bet. Alligator or Crocodile. If you win you get anything you want if it's within my capabilities."

"Fine, then I'll make you bet" (Kohaku)

"On what, quitter?" Hisashi crouched and pulled a wooden pipe from his pocket that glowed around the rim, lighting itself.

"I'm not quitting!" Both of us looked back towards the water and relaxed when nothing showed up.

"Hoo! We got a big man in the house." (Hanashi)

"I bet I'll be able to make it to that dungeon before you!" (Kohaku)

"Boy, I could push you right now and there'd be no saving you." He blew a puff of orange smoke out of his mouth before looking back at me

I already regretted opening my mouth the moment I started. I swallowed my pride and spat it out.

"S-So teach me."

"You can't be serious." He stood back up, only a little shorter than me. With the way he could fling me around I wasn't going to say anything about it.

"And what if I am." (Kohaku)

"You're funny, I'll give you that much. Fine, I'll give you a lesson." (Hanashi)

For the next hour I had somebody to learn from. N-Not that I didn't.

You don't get to learn stuff like this at the coliseum. Nobody really wants the kids learning more than a jutsu or two for the sake of us escaping or overpowering the guards, I guess.

***

Was that smart to teach kids how to play with fire? (Hibiki)

We only had 4 accidents! (Kohaku)

How many of those were actual accidents? (Makoto)

… 1? (Kohaku)

***

It was better that he wasn't expecting too much out of it. According to Hi-Hanashi, It was like having a glass of water. If you filled it to the brim, it's probably too much and cracks the tree. If it's too little, then you wouldn't even stick.

"Sticking isn't the problem here for you, it's how long. You really suck at balance too. Isn't that what monks do? That makes for the 5th slip-up of the night, don't you have dark vision?"

I got it eventually-

***

By that, you mean by sunrise? (Makoto)

It was enough to keep from falling out of trees so no… but, yeah… (Kohaku)

***

Everything kept getting worse once we heard a baby crying. Getting chased by giant mosquitoes, spiders you could barely make out without dark vision then nearly drowning again!

I had to assign some of my attribute points to scrap by and slip past those problems.

By the end of it, I wasn't sure if Kuda was okay. He did take that note to be quiet to heart and we finally trudged our way onto land caked in mud from head to toe.

"See! That was what nearly drowning was like." (Kohaku)

"IT'S STILL NOT GOOD, YOU NUMBSKULL!" (Kuda)

*SNAP*

The devastating crunch of a giant spiked turtle snapping the log beside us was enough to send me running as exhausting of a night it was.

"See, that was your fault!" (Kohaku)

"Tsk!" (Kuda)

*HISS*

I immediately grabbed Kuda and tumbled into a roll forward; feeling heavier and heavier the more time went by until I crashed into a wall.

*SPPLLISSHH*

"This is it! This must be it!" I could barely make out the fox shaking himself off before I reformed.

"Ugh…" Going from water to me felt like going through a blender, I was going to be sick if I had anything left in my stomach.

"Tsk! We have to hurry! We can't lose to that bastard!" (Kuda)

"Right!" (Kohaku)

We caught a whiff of something so savory, Kuda's mouth was watering as we sprinted into the ruined building. Right in the middle of this place in ruins, two people sitting next to an open fire. Between them was the source, a hot steaming pot releasing the rich fragrance.

Hotaru, covered in what I could only assume was blood tapped her travel buddy on the shoulder before digging into her bowl "Look who arrived!"

"Mm?" Makoto looked up at us like he was in a world of his own.

"T-That means we-!" (Kohaku)

"Lost?"

I turned my head back as the long-haired elf walked past me with a long wooden staff on his back and a white snake on his shoulder.

"They lost! They lost! Shishishi!" The snake I haven't seen before laughed.

After all that struggle, I dropped to my knees in disbelief.

"No way…" (Kohaku)

"Enough of that. You wanna eat?" (Hanashi)

"Please!" (Kuda)

"K-Kuda!" (Kohaku)

"Are you hungry or not, KO-HA-KU?!" (Kuda)

"I-" (Kohaku)

*GROWLLL*

I covered up my stomach; my face becoming hotter by the minute.

Growing as red as the fire for one reason or another when I looked at Hanashi's smile. Sly and mischievous like a fox for someone so… depressing.

'This is so embarrassing! I, I-'

('I think I need a doctor.')

S: I would too after that. (Hikari)

B: EAT! SLEEP! SOMETHING! AHHHH! (Yasu)

M: Please do get something. I'm not feeling too-" (Hisashi)

And it all went dark.

*Click*