???: [Take her…and go…I promise I will be okay…]

???: [But…Mo–]

???: [I promise…I’ll join the two of you outside shortly….please…just go…]

Tears were streaming along the faces of both a little boy, and a little girl.

They moved in a quick motion towards the woman in front of them, who was injured and kneeling on the floor. The two of them were then embraced by her, in a warm and loving hug.

Did the warmth exist due to the fire that surrounded the area?

Or was it perhaps the love that existed within that moment?

None could truly tell.

Woman: [I love you two…so much….]

The woman smiled, tears had begun to fall across her face much like the two she held in her arms.

Woman: [Please…take care of yourselves…]

The little boy then grabbed the girl’s arm, and rushed out of the building via the pathway that was made for them.

Girl: [MOM!]

Boy: [Don’t look back! She said she’d join us! Trust her!]

They ran, and ran, until they were on the outside of the building, and far enough in which the fire could not hurt them.

They then gazed back at the building…

To see it collapsing.

The woman they had waited for…

Was nowhere in sight.

Fire.

An immense amount of fire.

The house that had once been there, was no longer there.

It lit up the night in a horrifying way, and danced around the survivors, as if laughing at them.

Sadness filled their bodies completely.

The little girl cried and screamed at the sight before them.

But the boy…

The boy had a much different feeling…

Boy: [Why….]

He did not understand.

What could they have done to cause this?

This woman they had loved so much…

She would never hurt a single being.

Not even a flower.

He did not understand this situation.

Not a single bit.

Nothing made sense.

What had been done, that allowed for an action such as this

Boy: [WHY?!]

A scream, asking the fire why it had decided to engulf what was once there, had roared into the night.

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Kōkatsu: [♪From day to day, I travel to quench my thirst. Constantly dancing, until I feel as though I’ll burst. Through rain and fire, my feet will skip along the ground. I’ll never stop, until I know my goal is found. Hot, cold, young and old, none of that matters to a warrior who’s bold.♪]

While the group continued to travel, Kōkatsu had begun to jump around and pose, in what could only be referred to as a dance while keeping her eyes closed, as they continued forward.

This had startled the rest of the group as there was nothing prior that had occurred to warrant her putting on this performance.

Shiro: [That’s an interesting song, Kō. Where’d you learn it?]

Kōkatsu: [’S a handcrafted song from a sly little fox girl many years ago! The girl would usually go around and perform on the street in order to get money, and this was the song she made!]

Nero: [That little fox girl must have been very talented.]

Shiro: [She made both a song and dance that people enjoyed? I’m kinda jealous of her accomplishments.]

Kōkatsu: [Come on, Shiro! Join me!]

Shiro: [I know getting all excited would be a good boost of morale, but I don’t know…I’m not really the singing and dancing type…]

Kōkatsu: [’S fun! I promise!]

Kōkatsu continued to jump while asking Shiro to join her.

Shiro: [I wouldn’t be that good at the dance anyways…]

Kōkatsu: [If ya don’t join, I automatically get to name a kid of yours, even if you end up havin’ just one! I’ll name ‘em Graggle or somethin’ like that!]

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Shiro: [WHAT?! NO! Okay, fine I’ll join!]

Despite Kōkatsu’s threat seeming like it would not truly hold up, Shiro nevertheless agreed to join in with her.

Shiro had begun to start performing the same dance as Kōkatsu, only her actions seemed to hesitate on occasion.

Kōkatsu: [Go with the flow! Go with the flow! Ya gotta give into your body’s desire to dance rather than just tryin’ for it!]

Shiro: [I can try…]

Shiro took a deep breath, before once again proceeding with the dance.

Only this time, her body moved in the same manner as Kōkatsu.

Kōkatsu: [That’s it! That’s it! Yer perfect! Now come on! Sing along with me!]

Shiro: [I don’t know about singing…]

Kōkatsu: [Fungus is soundin’ like a good name right now!]

Shiro: [OKAY, OKAY, BUT AT LEAST TEACH ME THE LYRICS!]

While Shiro and Kōkatsu danced and sang up ahead, Nero and Silvia stayed back a few feet so as to not disturb them.

Nero: [They sure are quite the duo.]

Silvia: [Though I value my friendsssship with both of them, I musssst ssssay I am rather jealoussss of theirssss.]

Nero gave out a light chuckle towards Silvia’s response.

Nero: [It’s hard to disagree with that. I’m sure a friendship like theirs is something that everyone strives for.]

Silvia: [Ssssertainly. If possssible, I would like the ssssame level of friendsssship towardssss Shiro, and of coursssse, to have the ssssame level sssshared back with me.]

Nero: [As do I.]

They continued to move in silence for a few moments, until Silvia had a thought pop into her mind.

Silvia: [Nero, I am curioussss of ssssomething.]

Nero: [Hm? Do tell.]

Silvia: [You are rather nervoussss about thissss Yoro woman, correct?]

Nero’s face became pale at the mention of his task.

Nero: [I suppose to a degree, it does concern me a bit. But I will overcome this duty I was given, no matter what!]

Silvia: [Issss it perhapssss you feel that you will fall in love with her?]

Nero: [I bel–eh…?]

Nero had prepared himself for a different follow up question altogether. But the question he had received surprised him completely.

His once pale face had now turned a glowing bright red.

Nero: [I-I don’t think….I-Si-Silvia….I….]

Silvia: [It issss only normal to feel that way. I am rather nervoussss for the day in which I will find a man who can ssssatissssfy me. You do not need to sssshy away from ssssuch a thing.]

Nero: [Bu-bu-but….that’s not….that’s not what I…]

Silvia began to rub Nero’s back in order to soothe what she understood to be his feelings.

Silvia: [There, there. It’ssss okay.]

Nero: [But….I….I don’t…..It’s not….]

The conversation between the two of them had gone silent, with Nero in an embarrassed state, and Silvia rubbing his back in an attempt to calm him down. The silence was only being slightly interrupted by the two friends who were walking in front of them, singing and dancing.

In the midst of their walk, however, the area around them felt as though it had begun to change.

Kōkatsu: [♪And then by dawn♪....Oi, oi. Is it just me, or is it gettin’ fuckin’ hot?]

Shiro: [Huh? Oh, you’re right. It does kinda feel different.]

Nero: [That’s odd. It seems as though the more we walk, the more the heat is increasing…]

Kōkatsu: [That’s just how heat works. Cause we’re walkin’, therefore we get tired. Duh.]

Silvia: [No….Nero issss correct…it issss mosssst ssssertainly increassssing…I can feel it…]

As the heat began to increase, Silvia’s response had become much slower.

Shiro: [Are you alright, Silvia?]

Kōkatsu: [Oi, don’t snakes enjoy the heat?]

Silvia: [In the right ssssetting, yessss. But much like other living beingssss, there’ssss only sssso much our bodiessss can sssstand….It’ssss taking quite the effect already.]

Shiro: [Damn….I’m starting to feel it as well….can we get the water out or something….?]

Kōkatsu: [Haaaah…..My kimono might be nice and all for dealin’ with this…..but the fur on my tails and ears ain’t helpin…..]

Silvia: [I’ve never sssseen what a sssshaved kitssssune lookssss like…]

Kōkatsu: [And I’ve never seen a descaled snake girl….Wanna trade…?]

Shiro: [Alright….I’ll get the water….GAH!...DAMN!...THE BOTTLE IS SUPER HOT!...]

Shiro had attempted to reach for one of the water bottles they had brought along the way, only for it to provide a burning sensation upon touching it, causing the bottle to fall onto the sand.

Kōkatsu: [The fuck is goin’ on right now…There’s nowhere in the world that has ’s weather changin’ like this…at such a fast pace….Plus….why is there even sand now….it feels like that’s burnin’ too…..]

Shiro: [You're right….where did all this sand come from….We were walking on a grassy field earlier…]

Silvia: [Ssssomething issssn’t right….]

Kōkatsu: [No shit….I don’t know what’s happenin’....but it sure as hell ain’t normal…]

Shiro: [Kō….you said you were good with a bunch of stuff….right?......Why not make us cool off with some of it…]

Kōkatsu: [I’m good at usin’ them for a fight….But in a scenario like this….I don’t know….it might be risky to use my magic….]

Nero: [Oh. How silly of me. I should have increased the range. My deepest apologies, friends.]

Kōkatsu: [...I’m just gonna take off my sleeves real quick….let my tits take in the air……aaaaaaaaaaaaah….much bette–AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! WHY IS IT COLD NOW?!]

After slipping off the sleeves of her kimono, Kōkatsu quickly put them back on after feeling a sharp drop in temperature around her.

Shiro: [Wow. This feels much. What happened?]

Nero: [Once again, my apologies. I had forgotten to increase the range of my ice.]

Shiro: [Wait, this chill came from you? You’re using your magic to change the temperature?]

Nero: [It’s rather easy for myself, but to put it towards a specific area can be rather difficult to control. I obviously do not wish to hurt anyone, so I must be careful how I go about using it. It should be fine now, however. Do you feel better, Silvia?]

Silvia: [Yessss. Much better. Thank you very much.]

Nero: [I’m glad to hear tha-aaaat!]

While Nero had his attention focused towards Silvia, he was gripped tightly by the collar of his clothes. His face turned back in order to face what was in front of him, only to see an angry kitsune.

Kōkatsu: [NEXT TIME WARN ME BEFORE I GO FLAPPIN’ MY TITS IN THE AIR!]

Nero: [I’m very sorry! But you did have that sarashi, correct? So surely it wasn’t the worst possible–ah!]

The grip on his collar grew even stronger, and the kitsune in front of him only grew more upset.

Kōkatsu: [THIS SAND PROBABLY DOES WONDERS FOR BURYIN’ SOMEONE!]

Nero: [I’M VERY SORRY!]

Kōkatsu then loosened her grip and the group continued to move forward.

Kōkatsu: [Well, that works out for our scenario. Now all we gotta do is cross this place with that ice goin’ and we’ll be okay. How long can ya hold that?]

Nero: [It doesn’t use very much magic with this method, so surely we can reach our destination before this expires.]

Kōkatsu: [Perfect. Then I’d say for whatever the fuck was happenin’ here, it’s all safe and sound now.]

The wave of joy and encouragement that was on Kōkatsu’s face from before had once again risen from within her.

Kōkatsu: [There’s no way things could go wrong now!]

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Kōkatsu: [H-H-H-HOW THE FUCK DID IT GET WO-WO-WORSEEEEE!]

After traveling for quite some time, the group had traveled through what felt like a scorching desert, to a now freezing arctic. Shiro, Kōkatsu, and Nero were all shivering with their arms crossed along their chest, while Silvia remained slithering as if everything was normal.

Shiro: [I-I-I don’t get it. Why is this ha-ha-happening?]

Nero: [I’m s-s-sorry, but sadly, I don’t have any other magic to countera-a-act this.]

Kōkatsu: [And how are y-y-ya holdin’ up? Are snakes good against the co-co-cold?]

Silvia: [No. In fact, it would be rather dangeroussss for me to be expossssed to thissss. However, thankssss to thissss unique coat of mine, I am rather warm within it.]

Kōkatsu: [Well go-o-o-od for y-y-ya.]

Nero: [This is certainly very od-d-d-d. There’s no reason that the temperatures should cha-cha-change so quickly. On top of the fact that the l-l-land itself is changing as w-w-welll.]

Kōkatsu: [Somethin’ re-re-really ain’t fuckin’ ri-right. I tried t-t-to take a step to the left at one point, and it was su-su-super sharp on the pain. I got a bad feelin’ ever since this shit star-t-t-ted.]

Silvia: [May I ssssugesssst ssssomething?]

Kōkatsu: [Go ri-ri-right ahead.]

Silvia: [Kōkatssssu, I believe you brought up your fur during what had occurred earlier.]

Kōkatsu: [What ‘bout i-i-it…Wait…Oh, I see!...I can warm myself u-u-up with my tails!]

Silvia: [Not jusssst you, but Sssshiro and Nero could walk alongsssside you, with each of them holding three of your tailssss.]

Kōkatsu: [Damn! That’s a gr-gr-great idea! Thanks for the ti-ti-tip, Silvia! Oi, you two, get over here!]

Shiro: [Ri-right!]

Nero: [Ye-yes!]

With her tails now warming them up, Kōkatsu walked alongside Shiro and Nero in a huddled position. It had been awkward for them in terms of moving while trying to stay warm, but they much preferred a difficult way to move over the idea of freezing to death.

Kōkatsu: [At least this way, we might not fuckin’ die….]

Shiro: [You look like you’re still kinda upset, Kō. Although it might be due to seeing your face so close to my own that’s causing you to look like that.]

Kōkatsu: [Nah, I am upset. There’s really somethin’ fishy ‘bout this shit. I don’t know what it is, but somethin’ didn’t feel right for the past while now, and I get the feelin’ ’s only gonna get worse.]

Nero: [Do you think someone is behind this?]

Kōkatsu: [Someone? Hell no. If someone was capable of such a thing, the Bloodfire’s would consider this an immediate threat. Nothin’ of this level would be allowed to exist without any permissions or rules in play. I don’t think ’s a someone kinda situation, but rather a somethin’.]

Silvia: [Assss in…ssssomething that doessss not bend to the rulessss of the living?]

Kōkatsu: [Alive, dead, who fuckin’ knows. Whatever it is, it ain’t like us. I can tell that much.]

Shiro: [This is pretty scary to think about…]

Kōkatsu: [Regardless of what happens from here, whether ’s while we’re walkin’ or when we get where we need to be, there’s surely somethin’ waitin’ for us. I can see a couple of villages up ahead already.]

Kōkatsu’s face twisted into a much more serious expression, one that Shiro had rarely seen, but by this point she was familiar with nonetheless.

Kōkatsu: [Ya’d best prepare yourselves, guys. Things are only gonna get harder from here.]

With her words that sent a chill through the spines of those who were listening, Kōkatsu and the rest of the group had continued to walk.

What truly awaited them beyond where they were…

Was something truly unknown.

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