It was early morning. The sun was out, the wind cold, the sky as clear as the surrounding ocean. The last leaves of the season fell from a now naked tree somewhere nearby, and Ferain stood there, surrounded by their presence. Her long hair billowed in the breeze, her shifting bangs hiding most of her face. Through her dancing hair, her eyes focused on the city of Olirian. From her vantage point, she could see most of District-B, and even a little over the checkpoint into District-C. She did not blink, she hardly breathed, and her body remained still. Only her clothing shifted due to the breeze that sent shivers up and down her body.
The end of November finally arrived. The end of her first year in attendance at this academy was here, and she was… lost. In reality, not even a full year had passed since leaving her home back in the Sakura Nation. In the grand scheme of things, ten months was not all that much time, a blink really, a fraction when compared to a lifetime. Yet… in so little time, so much happened, important events, things that would change her life, and who she was as a person forever. Events that could not be taken back, and things that had granted her blessings to which she would be eternally grateful for. In so little time, this life she lived was not the one she had suffered through before.
She had friends, real friends, for the first time in her life. She had control over something that had always beat her down whenever she tried to live how she wanted. She was… different… better, she thought. In so little time, she now stood here, overlooking a place that had quickly become her place of belonging. The exams at the start of the month had come and gone, her results had shown her that she passed, as she suspected she would, and relatively speaking, it had been an uneventful month. There were no more attacks on the students, and with Fera’s opposition within the school being, for the lack of a better word, neutralized, even her days had become rather peaceful. People didn’t sing her praises or compliments around every corner, but they no longer insulted her, at least not openly. Marrow, primarily due to his sister, had simply left her alone, going as far as to even refuse looking in her direction. Raven… Raven was long gone from the academy. It was still a sore spot for Ferain, the failure of that day, but there was nothing to be done about it.
Besides, with how easygoing the last few weeks had been, she didn’t seem as concerned or brought down by these events any longer. They still crossed her mind, but they no longer ate at her heart the way they had before. For the first time since coming here, she felt truly free of her burdens. The case was solved, her status in the school was no longer that of an outcast, and she had an array of companions to share her time and company with. Life was good, and it was normal, and she was pleased to be able to think that. But, as good as these feelings were, they were the reason for her feeling so lost. She felt ingrained into this place now, like they were two parts of the same whole. Splitting them up would be impossible to fathom. Yet, in only a few days’ time, she would be back aboard a ship to leave this place behind her.
It wouldn't be permanent, she would be back in just over a month, but… but it was hard to even let it go for that long. Still, if ten months was so little time, one month was a granular speck in comparison to that. Ferain swept some of her flapping hair back, away from her face, and watched her home as it was warmed in the sun’s radiance. The light passed over the buildings like a tidal wave of sunshine, starting in the east, and as the sun rose higher, the wave continued westward. She’d been here for hours at this point, unable to sleep, and unable to shake off all of the memories that, for some reason, were filling her with so much nostalgia. The thought made her chuckle quietly to herself. If only one year did this to her, she couldn't imagine what it would be like leaving after four, knowing that when she left that year, she would not be coming back… not in a month, not in a year, possibly not ever again.
Ferain blinked once… twice… then opened her eyes slowly once more. Today was the festival that they held every year when the final term came to an end. Uncreatively, they called it the End of Year Festivities. All month, everyone within the school grew more excited by the day for what awaited them. Mamane and Tianna, the two fourth-years that Fera knew best, seemed to be among the most enthusiastic, partially because they were part of the planning committee. It was their last year here, and they wanted to go out with a bang. There were talks of fireworks, a lot of them too, and a whole show put on by some of the fourth-year students using their powers to their maximum to show what they’d learned throughout their tenure here. There were crazier rumors swimming around as well, like a cross-city race that anybody could participate in, an all out brawl between all of the teachers, and plenty of others on top of that.
Even Ferain was getting excited for the night, it was impossible not to when it was all everybody talked about. What she was anticipating the most, however, was not the games and contests. It was the time she could spend with Anita, the best thing that happened to her, her most treasured friend, and the biggest accomplishment of her life. Her feelings were not awkward now. They were no longer confused or conflicted. She no longer feared where she once had. She loved Anita with everything she had, and in the last few weeks, she made sure to show it whenever possible. They were one now, no longer just a pair. Anita was her sun, and she always would be. This reminded Ferain that she still needed to discuss what their plans would be during the break. She did not know if going home would be wise, and the thought of staying with Anita had been floating around for some time now. This was one of the handful of things she still needed to see to before leaving the city. The other came in the form of her friend Mana. Admittedly, they never spent enough time with one another, but they were friends nonetheless. With the investigation over, Cross, Mana’s adoptive father, was returning home. She needed to see if Mana had decided on whether to stay or to return with her father.
There was also Lilipa, whom she missed more than she could have ever anticipated. The small girl might have an attitude about her, and a mouth to match, but she was smarter than she let on, and proved herself to be a reliable source of inspiration for Ferain when she needed it. Fera felt a tad guilty that she could not do the same when Lilipa needed her now, though it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Ferain made sure these tasks were all organized in her mental to-do list before taking a final observation of the scene outstretched before her. This would be the last day of school, and after that, they had the festival to attend. She needed to get ready, and part of that was to prepare herself mentally for her inevitable departure from her new home. Fera turned towards the metal door that would lead back inside her dormitory from the roof, and made for it with a slow, procrastinating gait.
She and Anita got ready for school, just as they usually did, and then they were off to join the hundreds of other students that were making their way to their first lessons of the day. They split apart upon arriving at the school, and Ferain continued on to the class she shared with Maple and Victor. Mr. Haris was not the only person in the class that did not pay it any mind whatsoever. Everyone, and that meant everyone, was completely distracted from the day’s lessons. Maple and Victor teased each other, like they normally did, and Ferain joined in from time to time. As the mood of the city lightened, as the weight on Fera’s shoulders faded, she found herself in a much more jovial mood as of late. Jokes seemed funnier, playing with her friends seemed more joyous and worthwhile, and she had a lighter heart at almost all times.
Again, the day passed mostly uneventfully. There were some mishaps in the halls when some of the planning committee dropped some fireworks in the eastern stairwell, setting them off accidently. Nobody was injured though, and it gave people a good laugh as the day went on. She and Anita ate lunch together, as they did everyday, and before she knew it, they were in their afternoon lessons, which were mostly academic and physical classes. They too steadily went by, like a gentle summer breeze, only colder when it came to the physical education class, which they did outside today. In what felt like the briefest of flashes of passing time, they were already returning home in order to get ready for the festival. There was a dress code put in place for that night’s event, and it was to dress as if you were going to a ball. Fancy clothes only, no exceptions.
Fera never once dressed in a fancy manner, not in her entire life. She hardly wore makeup, her clothing consisted of almost exclusively baggy, torn up jeans and oversized t-shirts and jackets. Red satin dresses and silken blouses were never her style, partially because of the price, and partially because she was not one to get dolled up for any occasion. Also, there was the small, minor detail that with her condition, she’d never really been allowed to leave her house, let alone go to parties or events. The simple act of getting invited was even impossible for the life she’d lived before. Keeping that in mind, it was up to her experienced, and extremely wealthy partner to pick out an appropriate outfit for her to wear, and Anita did not fail in that regard.
When the evening came, Fera’s reflection showed a complete stranger to her. Anita had changed her completely, or, it seemed that way to Ferain. Her hair, while still sticking up in places, was pulled back around her head, and tied into a knot. Beneath the knot, Anita left the remaining hair to brush against her back. She also left some loose around the right side of her head, while pulling it all back from the left side. She even went as far as to sweep her bangs to the right and pinned them there with a moon-shaped ornament. In place of her usual dark eyeliner, Anita went with something smoky and gray, and apparently decided that ending it in little points at the corners of her eyes would be a cute touch. For the first time, she also wore blush and some pinkish lipstick. It wasn’t enough to be extremely noticeable, just enough to give it a bit of a sheen and a glittery appearance.
As for her clothing, it was a flawless black dress that was a single piece outfit. Her whole front was covered, but her back was almost completely exposed, scars and all. Below her waist, it had a short skirt that was pleated and ruffled, much like their school uniforms. She had on some thicker black tights to keep her legs warm, and Anita made sure to have a coat of some kind to keep her body warm whenever she got a chill. She didn’t know how to walk in high heels, so Anita forwent them, replacing them with flat shoes that to Ferain, seemed equally as fitting. Around her right wrist, instead of the ribbon that was now tied in her hair, was her mother’s metal necklace. The chain was looped around her wrist twice in order to keep it tight, like a bracelet, and from it dangled the blue crystal. Anita even got her a black choker to wear, one that had a tiny moon sewn into the elastic material.
As stunning as Ferain found herself, she was nothing when compared to Anita, who seemed to glow like an angel. Her hair was twisted into a long silver plait that ran the length of her back, and she tied some smaller braids along the right side of her face as well with some of the excess hair that hung there. Her dress had long, puffy sleeves and was as white as snow, with gold accents along the hem and collar. Her stomach had a diamond-shaped window, giving a perfect view of her navel, and there was a long slit up the length of her left leg, revealing the white, winter tights she wore beneath it. Anita decided against high heels as well, though unlike Ferain, she could easily manage them.
She had sapphire lashes under her eyes, drawn on by makeup, and around her gray eyes were matching outlines. Her lips were a glossy red, though they were sort of like Ferain’s in the way that they weren’t overly noticeable. Anita liked dressing up, and she enjoyed makeup, but she absolutely despised it when it was overused. She would always say that there was a limit to how much a person should wear, and she was clearly right. Her face was not the only place she decorated in blue. Her nails, both on her hidden toes and on her fingers, were the same shade as the decor on her face.
“Beautiful.” Anita gasped, looking at the pair of them in the mirror, though Fera knew who she was really talking about.
“Not really.” Fera said timidly, reaching up to play with some of what remained of her hanging fringe. Anita quickly slapped her hand away.
“Don’t mess with it. That took a lot of work to get it to lay down even this much. If you start playing with it, you’ll ruin it before we even get to the school.”
“It’s not really that big of a deal, Anita.” Fera said.
“Of course it is, silly. If we don’t look our best, what’s the point in dressing up at all?”
“A lesson from your parents, I think.” Fera muttered.
“Well, I had to learn something from them, right? If they know how to do anything, it’s how to dress to impress. Their whole careers were made from wooing people, after all.” Anita then sighed while examining both of their reflections. “You know, I was worried we might never make it here. I know a year isn’t a long time, but there were a few moments this year that I thought we’d be dead before the final term, let alone the end of it.”
“I’m happy we aren’t.” Fera said, grinning as she involuntarily played with more of her hanging strands of hair. Anita again smacked her hand away and laughed. “Sorry, can’t help myself.”
Anita shook her head and smiled. “Well, that makes two of us. I mean, if we died before getting here, all of my planning would have been for nothing.”
“Planning?” asked Ferain. “Planning for what?”
“Our break.” Anita said. “I have a lot of stuff on my itinerary, and we simply must do all of it before coming back next year.”
“Like what?”
“Kissing under the mistletoe, for starters. We can also go see a movie together, and I want to have a real, romantic dinner at one of my favorite restaurants. It’s a little expensive, but you know, it’ll be worth it to experience it at least once. I also want to show you my house.”
“I was going to say that we could do all of that here, but I guess that response is thwarted, huh? Can’t really see your house from the island.”
“Can’t go to my favorite restaurant from here either, Ferain.” Anita helped Fera out of the chair she’d been sitting in while her makeover was happening. When both were standing, Anita gave a final brush of her hand through Fera’s hair. “Hey, Ferain?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you mind that I’m making all of these plans without asking you? I can stop if it bothers you. I know you don’t usually feel comfortable around people, and all of my ideas are… What’s so funny?” asked Anita, noticing Ferain’s stifled giggles.
“Nothing. It’s nothing, Anita. Just… I don’t know. To see you flustered, it’s kind of cute. Make all the plans you want, I don’t mind. Actually, I was a little nervous about going home anyway, so I was hoping you had an idea of what to do?”
“Why were you nervous?”
“Oh, well… My grandmother. She hasn’t checked up on me this year, so I was thinking that she finally got tired of me. She pays for my house and stuff so, if she doesn’t want to bother with me anymore, I don’t know exactly what I would do when I go back.”
“That’s easy. You can stay with me.” offered Anita. “We have, like, a billion rooms, so I’m sure you could find one to your liking. I was going to invite you to stay with me anyway. I’m a little nervous too, and I wanted some company when I go back.”
“I gave my reason. Why are you nervous?” Ferain questioned, turning to look at her lovely partner’s contemplative expression.
“Hmmm. My parents, I guess.” Anita answered. “I promised you that I would stop running from the stuff that scares me, and my parents terrify me. Or… not so much them, per se, but telling them the truth.”
“Truth?” Fera said.
“The truth, like my arm, and how I feel about them, and… about us. Boy, that will be a shock for them.” Anita quickly smiled. “No pun intended, of course. But still, they always wanted me to go and marry some wealthy doctor or something, and then we’d have children and all of that. Bet they never thought I would bring a girl home instead.”
“And a poor one at that.” Fera added. “Truly, I would be shocked.”
“Ow!” Anita gasped, as Fera let a small blue current zap her lightly. “Ferain Hirigaya, did you just shock me?” she asked, laughing. Anita held out her hand and a gust of wind caused Fera to stumble back into the wall by the mirror. Anita closed the gap at once and slammed a hand into the wall beside Fera’s head while leaning in close to her face. She grinned wickedly before kissing her on the lips. “That’s for using your powers on me.” Anita said, as if this was some sort of punishment. She started moving in for another one, but a quiet beeping played out from the band on Ferain’s left wrist. This resulted in a quiet, resigned sigh from Anita, who stopped just short of kissing her again. “We should probably get going soon. We spent enough time getting ready. If we don’t hurry up, we’ll be the last ones there.”
Fera, somewhat reluctant to leave this position, agreed and followed Anita from the room, and then from the apartment. They talked with one another before arriving down in the lobby and seeing something that stole their ability to speak.
“Of course he’s running late. I offer him my company and the lazy asshole keeps me waiting. God, it’s so like him.” complained a voice that sounded younger than any other student at the school.
It was a small girl, about four feet tall, and her bright blonde hair was tied into a tail by ribbons at three different points. The end of her stylish locks reached her ankles, and nearly brushed against the floor as she paced back and forth. She was wearing something more mature than Fera had ever seen her in before. It was a short silver dress with a glittering pattern on it, like she wore cloth woven with diamonds instead of stitching. The wavy skirt shifted around with each step, and the tight outfit did a fantastic job of accentuating her boy-like body, an insult that Anita would most likely throw out had the last month not happened. Her indigo eyes widened as she saw Fera and Anita stepping out of the elevator, and after blinking, the purple had changed to two different colors. The right eye was a dull gray and the left matched Fera’s own shimmering yellow.
“Ah, you two.” Lilipa said cheerfully. “It’s been a while. Have either of you seen Kiko, by the by? He was supposed to meet me here like–”
“That’s what you say?” Anita interrupted. “You lock yourself in your room for a month and the first time you see us, the first time you talk to us, that’s what comes out of your mouth? Are you broken or something?”
Lilipa crossed her arms over her flat chest and donned her trademarked scrappy expression. “Well, what else am I supposed to say?”
“For starters, how about an apology?” suggested Anita.
“A what?!” shouted Lili, stomping a foot on the ground. “An apology for what? What makes you think I owe you anything of the sort?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. Maybe for all of the times we’ve been trying to get in touch with you and you’ve completely ignored us. That sounds like a good one to me.” Anita said, stomping closer as she spoke. It wasn’t long before they were at each other’s throats, arguing with one another as if they’d never taken a break from it.
Fera would usually break apart their arguing, playing the role of the intermediary, but this time, she simply walked up and pulled Lilipa into a loving hug, one that she had desperately wanted to have for quite some time. She squeezed until she heard the small girl gasping as she patted Fera on the back, most likely trying to get her to let go.
“I’ve missed you.” Fera said.
“I guess so, Sparky.” Lili quietly replied. “I’ve missed you guys too.” she then admitted shyly.
“So, if knocking or calling everyday didn’t get you out of your room, what finally broke you?” asked Anita, putting a hand on her hip.
Lilipa and Fera broke apart and the smaller student gave a furtive glance away from Anita’s watching eyes. “I don’t know, I just felt a bit tired of living like that. When it first happened, I just couldn't believe that Yarin did those awful things. Now… I believe I’ve finally come to terms with it. If he did do it, locking myself in my room until I die isn’t going to make me feel any better. Might as well get back out here and just live my life the best way I can.” Lilipa smiled grimly before looking up at Ferain. “Life isn’t fair, after all. We just have to roll with the punches we’re dealt, right?”
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“Yeah.” Fera agreed. “Yeah, I think so.”
“My thoughts exactly.” said Lilipa. “So, anyway, I knew that I wanted to leave my room again, but would you look at that, it’s the end of the year already. No more classes, no more reasons to go out. That is until I heard about the festival. I guess I just wanted to jump back in headfirst, so I asked Kiko to go with me and he said yes. I would’ve asked you, Bug Zapper, but you’re already taken, I think.” Lili said with a smile.
“And Kiko is running late?” asked Ferain.
“Per usual. You know what? I’m just going to walk with you two. He can meet me there or stay home. I’m tired of waiting.”
“I don’t think you’ll have to break his arm to get him to stay.” Anita murmured. “He doesn’t seem like the type of person that would be excited about going to a party.”
Just as Anita finished speaking, the elevator dinged behind them and out came a boy in a black suit and tie. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets, while his hair was also in its usual shaggy style. The mere sight of him was enough to send a shiver up Fera’s spine. She recalled the last time they ran into each other in this lobby, when they were alone, and when he had pressed himself upon her and had his lips near her neck.
“That’s hurtful to say, Anny,” he said, walking up with his typical slouch and lazy gait.
“Anny?” thought Fera. “Anny?” she repeated, thinking it over.
“Fera, you in there?” asked Anita.
“Huh?” Fera gasped, escaping her deep dive into her memories in order to see why that nickname stuck out to her so much.
“I asked you a question.” Kiko answered. “It doesn’t matter anyway, I suppose. It’s not like I really care about the answer. Come on, runt, let’s get this over with.” Kiko said, walking past Fera and Anita as Lilipa stomped her foot angrily.
“I told you to stop calling me that!” she shouted, giving chase as Kiko reached the door and shoved it open. He didn’t bother holding it for Lili either, so she nearly walked into it as it was closing ahead of her. “Ah! You complete ass! I’m taking back my–”
The door closed behind them, cutting Lilipa’s words, or what they could hear of them, short. Anita held out her arm and smiled at her partner. “Shall we?” she asked.
Fera giggled as she locked arms with Anita and nodded. “Let’s. So, what did Kiko ask anyway?” she inquired while reaching the doors.
“He asked how you’ve been, nothing important. I’m more curious about where you were?”
“Where I was?” asked Fera.
“Yeah, I mean, you definitely weren’t here if you didn’t hear him.”
“Oh, that.” Fera said. “I was… just excited about tonight, and I was overwhelmed with seeing them again, and–”
“Okay, okay.” Anita said, giving a soft kiss to her cheek. “If you don’t want to tell me the truth, I won’t pester you.” Anita saw Fera’s confused expression and laughed. “You’re a terrible liar, Hirigaya, always have been, probably always will be. Come on, we’ve got a bunch of stuff to do and so little time to do it. In fact…” Anita said, breaking apart and skipping ahead a few paces. “I’ll race you there.”
“A race? Really? What about my precious hair?”
“Hmm, that is a problem, isn’t it?”
“Come on.” Fera scoffed, grabbing Anita’s wrist and walking past her.
The school grounds were alight with decorations. Tianna’s group went above and beyond, as they apparently always did for every event throughout the year. Tents were put up with drink and food stands, games were all over the place, and lights were literally everywhere. Hanging from posts, stabbed into the dirt along the walkways, wrapped around bare tree branches. There wasn’t anywhere that seemed to be left alone. Music was playing through the speakers that were usually reserved for the announcements, and everybody seemed to be in groups, all conversing and having a relatively great time. That atmosphere was a positive one. The only thing that itched in the back of her mind was that nickname, the one she’d heard Kiko say probably hundreds of times this year.
“Anny.” she repeated quietly.
“Don’t you start using that stupid name too. I really do hate it.” stated Anita. “Besides my grandfather, Kiko’s the only person who has ever used that ridiculous name, and, you know, my grandad gets a pass.”
While Anita continued speaking, Fera’s mind drifted back to the night Yarin attacked her. He had said that name. Now that Fera thought about it, she’d never heard Yarin use it before. In the heat of the moment and in light of her terrible fever, she barely remembered what he said in the first place during their encounter. That’s why she was having a hard time realizing this. Her eyes widened as more of the Yarin she’d seen that night came back to her. The way he walked, the way he acted, more especially, the way he talked, it all reminded her of another moment that year. It vividly brought back the night with Kiko in the dormitory lobby. For a second, her breath caught in her throat and her heart plummeted.
“Impossible.” she thought. “He confessed. He pretty much told me that he did it. Kiko is an ice-wielder, he couldn’t have…”
“Fera?” Anita asked. Ferain blinked and shook her head, trying to stabilize her racing mind. “You okay? You just sort of… spaced out or something. Something going on with your powers?” she asked.
Fera blinked again, then another time before coming to a single, simple conclusion. She had to be wrong. It was too far-fetched to think Kiko could do those things. It would be too stupid to take that one word and think that’s enough evidence to convict somebody. Perhaps Yarin slipped up, having heard it from Kiko so many times before. He did seem psychotic at the time, his head wasn’t on right. It’s likely that it just spilled out accidentally. Fera looked over to Anita and smiled.
“Y-yeah, maybe it’s my powers. I think all of the lights and stuff, you know, the currents and things like that, might be messing with me. I don’t know, really, just a weird feeling.”
“Okay.” said Anita, not sounding entirely convinced. “Well, we were heading to the arena, right? I heard they’re having some band put together by students playing on a stage there. Maybe we can even get some dances in if they play anything suitable.” Anita sang, grabbing Fera’s hand and tugging her towards the arena.
Fera didn’t put up much of a fight, and she was glad she didn’t. To the best of her ability, she shoved her speculation, her crazed theory, to the very, very back of her mind. Her goal was to enjoy tonight. The murders were done and over with, Yarin was the killer and he was behind bars currently, and now, all she had to do was get through the next few nights and she’d be heading back to the mainland. There was no need to be concerned over this anymore, that was a certainty. Or… it should have been. Still, even after following Anita into the arena, where the court they had taken their classification exams resided, she couldn’t shake this ominous feeling. It was sort of like she was being monitored by some outside presence, like everything around her was just a short step away from tearing apart at the seams. One false move and her reality would be upheaved again, before being brutally shaken to its core, and then being rewritten entirely.
The arena was full of students, a hundred at the least, and some of the faces were actually familiar to Ferain. It wasn’t like she knew them personally, but she’d shared classes with some of them while others she had seen in the cafeteria or in the hallways during her breaks. Even the person that was up on the stage, sipping from a bottle of water as a red and white electric guitar hung behind his back on a leather strap was somebody she recognized. It was one of the twins she’d ran into a few times since starting here. If she remembered, the girl’s name was Amber and the boy’s name was Zaz. They were a complex pairing that almost always wound up bickering in the few classes she shared with them.
The caramel skinned boy had a loose-fitting collared shirt that was untucked and had the top-most buttons undone. The right sleeve was rolled up to the elbow while the left sleeve stopped at the wrist, and his black tie was left in a disheveled, mostly untied state. He finished his bottle of water in one go, threw it to a girl in the front of the crowd, who quickly threw it back in a huff, causing him to laugh.
“My lovely sister, everyone.” he said into the microphone, starting a round of applause.
“Shove it, Zaz!” Amber called out angrily.
“Oh, I love you too, my darling little sibling. Now, onto the next song!” he called out, before brushing back some of his loose brown hair with a hand and swinging the guitar back around to his front.
“Wait!” came another voice, one closer to Ferain, though it was growing distant rapidly. “I want to try one!” the voice continued, and when Fera looked to her right, Anita, who had been there seconds before, was now gone. She was running towards the stage, shoving lightly past the crowd of people and waving a hand in the air to get his attention. A vortex of wind came to life around Anita, lifting her gently onto the stage without breaking her stride. She gingerly landed in front of Zaz and while he covered the mic and held it away, they talked in private.
“Oh, I like that.” Zaz said, uncovering the mic as he moved it back to its normal position in front of him. “Okay, change of plans.” he now said, talking into it. His voice echoed throughout the crowded interior thanks to the large speakers set up on either side of the stage, as well as some hanging speakers that were up in the rafters. “Ms. Anita Caswell would like to sing a few songs with us. You can play and sing, right?” he asked her, looking to his left.
“You bet I can!” she called out enthusiastically.
“Awesome. Here, I’ll let you use the love of my life for this next one. Promise to treat her right?”
“Of course.” Anita said, as Zaz lifted his guitar up and over his body.
Anita took it, slid into the strap, and began readjusting it to fit her better. To most, she probably seemed calm and collected, very much so, in fact. But Fera, who’d known her for almost a year at this point, noticed her little quirks. Her hands were shaking as she tested the strings and adjusted the strap. She bit the corner of her mouth in a way that wasn't very visible to anybody who didn’t know what to look for, and she allowed some of her hair to fall in front of her face. She was nervous, alright, so Fera didn’t understand quite why Anita was putting herself out there like this. While Anita finished her preparations, Zaz was filling the drum player and the other guitarist in on what they were going to play, as well as grabbing another mic stand.
“Ready, pretty bird?” asked Zaz, grinning from ear to ear.
“All set.” Anita answered, getting into a more comfortable position with her instrument.
Zaz nodded, counted them down, and when he was finished, the drummer gave a single, loud tap against one of the buckets. There was a second’s pause before he gave three more rapid hits. Another second passed and he started going into a slow, steady beat, accompanied by the bass player beside him. Zaz gave Anita another nod, apparently signaling for her to start, because she gave a quick and powerful strum of the strings while her left fingers moved swiftly into a chord. Everything went silent momentarily, and all of the lights that were pointed at the stage went out. The crowd was speechless for a second, and then Anita’s strumming began filling the room as a single light fell on her. It was fast, but controlled, and it had a somber but hard element to it. To Fera, it sounded like most rock songs she’d heard, which was admittedly not many.
Anita leaned into the microphone and gave a long, melodic hum that matched her playing. Zaz soon joined in as his own light turned on. He gave her a sideways glance and smiled as she held her note. The drummer kicked in as his station was illuminated from above, and then the bass player joined in on the music making. Zaz and Anita began to sing energetically as she played faster and better than Fera had ever seen her play before. The crowd broke their silence and began singing the words along, making Fera think it was a popular choice. They were all stomping their feet and clapping their hands, and all the while, Anita looked as if she was having the most fun she’d ever had in her life. She was beaming from ear to ear, her perfect hair was dancing around her as she bounced and jumped and sang heartily into the mic. It was a sight that Fera couldn’t help but drown in. The entire time, her eyes could not leave Anita as a permanent smile crept onto her face.
Anita stopped briefly from her pouncing around, and ceased her playing as she stepped closer to the mic again. She released the guitar, clamped down on the microphone with two hands, and began a long humming rift while closing her eyes, letting the music become a part of her. One gray eye opened and she found Fera. A smirk found the corner of her lips as she finished with a raspy growl and a shake of her head, causing her silver hair to fly around while taking a leaping step back. Nobody in the audience was silent, not even Ferain, who had shouted out cheers with everyone else when they’d finished. Anita stood up there, breathless and looking as if she was in a dream that had finally come true.
Zaz began clapping as Anita lifted the instrument over her head and held it in both hands in front of her. “Woooo!” Zaz howled into the mic. “Wow, I didn’t expect that. You’re pretty damn good, Silver Locks. What do you think, everyone, was she amazing or not?” he asked, facing the crowd again. Everyone broke into whistles and cheers and deafening applause, causing Anita to blush and grip the neck of the guitar tighter as she held it to her hastily heaving chest. Zaz brushed some of his hair away from his eyes again before looking back at Anita. “What do you say, a few more songs before we let you go?”
Anita looked ecstatic, like she wanted nothing more in her life, but that look instantly deflated when she found Fera’s eyes. She knew then that Anita would feel incredibly guilty if she left her alone tonight to have some fun with some random band. Knowing this, Fera smiled back and sucked in her breath. She cupped both hands around her mouth and closed her eyes. “Keep playing!” she shouted.
This somehow started a chant of her own words, and soon, everyone was yelling this. When she opened her eyes, she swore she saw Anita’s hair stand on end and her beaming smile once again found her features. She gripped the instrument tight enough to turn her knuckles white and she nodded her head hastily.
“Awesome.” sang Zaz. “Oh, you can keep playing that for now.” he said, gesturing for Anita to keep the electric guitar. He covered the mic and leaned closer to Anita again, who nodded after listening to whatever it was he was saying. “Sweet. You’re a girl after my own heart. Didn’t expect a princess like you to know this one. Color me impressed. Alright, boys, number six, let’s get started.” Zaz said, gesturing for the guys in his band to get ready to play.
Anita opened this one up with a skillful guitar solo, but how it ended, Ferain never knew. As she watched Anita up on the stage, something happened that instantly took her out of the room. Her eyes went wide in shock, her breath was stolen from her lungs, and her heart began pounding rapidly against her ribs. Her head slowly swiveled towards the exit of the arena as all of the sound around her became muffled, distorted, and shortly after, vanished completely. Even the world around her turned black while her vision solely focused on the door, or more specifically, what awaited past them. Blue currents snapped around her body sporadically as she felt something familiar and haunting all at once. This invading feeling, this electrical ping that she somehow sensed, was quite possibly the worst thing that could have happened now. It pulled on her senses, tore at her powers, and nagged in the back of her mind. It was electrifying, but in a strange way compared to her own abilities. It felt as it did that night, the night that she wanted nothing more than to forget.
Without thinking about it, she began following it, just as she did then. She didn’t look back, nor did she bother to tell Anita where she was going. Her blood was boiling, her pulse was skyrocketing, and the only thing inside her mind besides a hint of curiosity as to how this was possible, was that she had to keep Anita as far away from this as she could. She left the arena, followed the current in the air as if it was a visible trail left behind by some sort of beast or animal, and found herself bumping into Lilipa on the way.
“Oh, Sparky. Hey, have you seen Kiko around?”
“Hmm?” Fera hummed, snapping briefly out of her stupor to look at the small girl.
“Kiko? Have you seen him? He ditched me like half an hour ago and I haven’t been able to find him. That asshole standing me up. I know we’re not a couple or anything, but–”
“Ditched you? You can’t find him?” Fera gasped, nearly choking on her words.
“I know, right, what a di…” Lili stopped abruptly and her look turned serious as she saw the fear in Fera’s eyes. “What’s up? Something going on?”
“Lilipa. Kiko, during the attacks, do you know where he was for any of them?”
“Well, no, but… I mean, it’s not like I’m his babysitter, right? How would I… Wait… You don’t…”
“Ah!” Fera gasped, clutching her head as an enormous amount of power filled the air. It was like something in her body pulsed or exploded. There was a surge of energy within her that almost knocked her off of her feet.
“Hey, you okay?” asked Lilipa, gently grabbing her arm.
“Yarin.” Fera gasped. “I feel… I feel him.”
“Yarin.” Lili repeated, her own face changing quickly from concern to confusion and intrigue. “Where? Take me to him?”
Fera nodded and after grabbing Lili’s wrist, they both started running. The energy was only growing stronger as they left through the checkpoint, headed out into the streets and alleys of District-B, and continued turning corner after corner in order to find what they were looking for. After a while, she could actually see red strands of electricity snapping and crackling in the air around them. Even Lilipa seemed able to see them, as she sucked in a breath and muttered her closest friend's name. They kept running, kept following the trail, but soon, when they appeared to be right around the corner, the trail vanished. There was a strong pulse of energy, this time causing Ferain to stumble and lean against a wall as she clutched her body. After that initial wave passed, everything went dead still. Some hanging traces of electricity hung in the air, but there was nothing besides.
“Ferain?” Lilipa said, stepping closer to Fera. “Fera! Where is he? Why aren’t we moving?! Ferain!”
“It’s gone.” Ferain said quietly. She stared ahead blankly, forced herself off of the wall, and began following what little path remained to her.
“Gone? What do you mean by that? Do you mean that he left again? Fera, answer me!”
Fera did not do anything of the sort, however. Slowly, unsteadily, she continued walking awkwardly towards the last place she felt the final pulse emanate from. She rounded a corner, Lilipa hot on her heels, and she instantly stopped in her tracks. The smell of burning flesh filled her nostrils, and unlike any time before, this was a combination of memory and reality. Images of her mother’s body flashed in her mind, and her lungs seemed to instantly shut down. Even her heart seemed to stop entirely. It didn’t beat fast, it didn’t feel like it was beating at all.
“Yarin?” Lilipa cried, covering her mouth with her hands. “Yarin?” she choked out again, taking one step closer.
“Tsk tsk tsk. Again, Fera? Here you are, walking in on something you weren’t supposed to see.”
This was not Yarin’s voice. Ahead of her, she saw a silhouette of a man in the darkness of the alleyway they turned down. It was a he, and he was wearing a black suit, just as he had done a few hours earlier when she last saw him in the dorm. His hands were in his pockets as black and red currents of lightning snapped around his body, causing his shaggy hair to stand on end in several places.
“K… Kiko?” Fera choked.
Her eyes darted to the right of him, where she saw something that looked as if it had been frozen halfway between standing and falling. There was another shadow that looked like a pillar had risen from the ground and pierced through that something in several places. She heard the dripping sounds of some liquid splashing against the crete beneath them, and in her mind, she began to count them. The smell of blood was in the air, intermingling with the buzzing sensation of invasive energy that was all around them. Behind Kiko was another shadow, a limp one that had fallen on the ground and had a few columns of wispy smoke rising from its freshly charred clothes and skin.
“Maybe.” Kiko said. “Or, maybe I’m somebody else, somebody wearing his skin.” He then laughed. “I’m just kidding, Ferain, of course it’s me. Man, here I thought you were smart. After I slipped up last time, I thought you would have found me out right away. Seems I was worried for nothing.”
“Yarin. Yarin! Wake up!” Lili cried, tears streaming down her face as she took several steps closer.
“Yarin?” Fera wondered, looking more clearly at the other bodies in the alley. Her expression turned grim and she covered her mouth as she finally realized who was pierced onto the rising pillar.
“Ha ha ha ha!” Kiko cackled maddeningly. He covered the left side of his face and continued laughing. “That’s right, runt! Your precious, pathetic Yarin. Ha ha ha! Dead, right in front of your eyes!”
“Shut up!” Lilipa screamed, rushing forward.
“Lili, no!” Fera cried out, breaking into a run after her, but it was too late.
“Guh.” Lilipa gasped, as Kiko stomped against the ground and a thin, drill-like spire of earth rose instantly, punching right through her tiny body.
She gripped the stone powerfully enough to start causing cracks in the thick rock, but after a second, her hands lost their strength. They released the pillar, and her arms dropped lifelessly to her sides as the stone slithered out of her. Just before she fell, a blast of black and red lightning flew at her in the blink of an eye, sending her flying off of her feet. Fera slid to the center of the alley and caught her, causing her to stumble and slide a few feet backwards. Kiko buried his face into his hands as his crazy, high-pitched laughter rang out into the quiet of the night.
Fera looked at him dead in the eyes as she held a hand over the gaping hole just above Lilipa’s stomach. Her hand was crackling with power as she pressed it firmly to her friend’s body, not burning her, but instead, somehow pushing something else into the wound. Fera didn’t know how she knew what to do, but something told her to focus on healing, to focus on closing the wound from the inside out, so that was what she was doing. The currents around the hand against Lili’s body shifted from blue and white to a sort of greenish coloration, though it was so vague, it looked mostly white from a distance. Kiko watched them while laughing even more powerfully than before. He truly was lost, Fera thought. She saw no hope for the monster standing in front of her. What she also had a hard time seeing was what her next move should be. If Yarin, who trained her how to use her powers, succumbed to Kiko’s hidden strength, what chance did she have? Should she run? Should she try to fight? Should she call Anita or Guji or Cross? Too many options and not enough time to decide on any single one. She stared at what was once her friend, and his cackling continued incessantly, echoing in their space, and within her own mind.