“See you later.” Fera said, unable to hide the embarrassment in her voice as she opened the front door of their dorm and blinked out into the hallway. She didn’t bother closing the door, instead deciding that it would be better to just leave as quickly as possible. As she instantly appeared in front of the elevator, she looked back in the direction of her room, hoping that Anita wouldn't chase her. “Sorry.” she whispered, just as the lift dinged and its silver metal doors opened to let her in.
Her leaving wasn’t exactly how she planned it, but it was planned. It also wasn’t entirely false though. Anita talking about sleeping together, on this day of all days, it really got to her. The embarrassment she felt only added onto the anxiousness she already harbored, which resulted in her running out without any real excuse to do so. Knowing Anita, there was a chance she’d blame herself for it, and Fera already knew that it was going to worry her partner, but it had to be done. She had a plan for today, and nothing was going to ruin it, even if Anita had to suffer just a little bit to see it through. The only reason Ferain thought it would be okay was because she knew it would be worth it in the end, for not just Anita either, but both of them.
As she got streetside, she saw Maple and Victor talking outside of her building, one leaning against a light post and eating a banana, and the other appearing to be half-asleep and about as alert as somebody in that state possibly could be.
“Morning, Lightning Bug.” said Victor, being the first to notice her. Maple just about fell over and yawned after catching herself against her boyfriend.
“Morning.” Maple said mid-yawn, so it didn’t exactly come out completely as intended, but Fera knew what was meant.
“Hey, guys. Thanks for getting here so early.” Fera said, clasping her hands in front of her and grinning graciously.
“No problem.” said Victor.
“Speak for yourself.” Maple said, trying to fight back another oncoming yawn. “You know, Fera, there’s a really good explanation about why I’m usually the last one to get to school. I don’t like early mornings.”
“I know, and I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
At this, Maple grinned and seemed to wake up just enough to latch onto Fera. “I know you will, and I have just the idea in mind. I want to see everything, and I don’t want you to be shy about it either.”
“Maple.” came Victor
“D-deal.” Fera said, fighting back the strong sensation of even more embarrassment. “I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll dress however you like and I’ll… I’ll pose whatever way you ask.”
“Fera, you really don’t have to.”
“No, she doesn’t.” said Maple, almost sounding like an evil villain that was finally getting what they wanted from their mighty rival. “But she will.”
“Enough of that.” Victor said, grabbing Maple’s bag and pulling her away, almost like a dog-owner keeping their pet away from another passing dog.
“No, she’s right. I’ll do it for this.” said Fera, before checking her watch. “I have to get going. I have to get to the nurse’s office as soon as I can.” Fera gave both of her friends a grateful, pleading glance. “Please, try to keep her happy. She might not be in such a good mood this morning.”
“Why?” asked Maple, putting her hands behind her back and creeping into Fera’s personal space. “Did you two fight? Oh, Fera, and on such an important day.”
“N-no, we didn't fight, we… We just…”
“I’m playing. No need to explain. Go on, you have a meeting, right?”
“Yeah. Thank you.” Maple quickly grabbed Fera’s cheeks and then kissed her on the lips. It left Fera speechless when Maple pulled away and laughed.
“You really do shock people when you kiss. I always wondered. Good to know.” Maple grabbed Victor’s hand and began pulling him towards the door as another pair of students were leaving. Fera was left standing there, still stunned by what happened. “Make sure you hide that.” Maple then said to Victor as they passed through the door, and with that, they were out of sight and earshot.
Ferain eventually snapped out of it and continued her rapid jaunt to school, determined to use every second she could to practice. As she reached the checkpoint, she saw Marrow waiting for her, which is what he promised a few days before when she asked him for this undeserved favor.
“Seem to be in a hurry.” Marrow said.
“I want to use this time wisely. It’s a chance I might not get again, and it’s going to help a lot with tonight. Are you sure she won’t mind?”
“How am I supposed to know? I’m only telling you what my sister told me. You’ll just have to ask her yourself when we get there. Speaking of which, are you ready?”
“Yeah. Lead the way.”
“Why the hell do I have to do that? You know how to get there better than I do.”
“It’s just a sa–”
“I know, I know. It’s no wonder you were never popular. You take everything so damn seriously.”
“You said it seriously. How else am I supposed to take it?”
“I don’t know, maybe as sarcasm or something.”
“Sounded more like a genuine question to me.” Fera muttered, walking beside him after passing through the checkpoint.
It didn’t take them long to get to the nurse’s office, and inside was Mr. Ita, Marrow’s older sister Mamane, and her old partner and best friend, Tianna Haze. Neither of them really changed all that much, which wasn’t all that shocking of a discovery given the amount of time that passed since they last saw each other. Mamane, or Mae, was wearing a blue hoodie with cat ears on the hood, and a white skirt that matched the long-sleeved sweater she wore. Her black and partially dyed blue hair was swept back mostly, and both her bone-colored left eye and her seafoam green right one were focused on the nurse. As for Tianna, she was wearing some baggy camo pants that rode a little low around her waist, but what might’ve been revealed was covered up by the green camo parka she wore. Her curly blonde hair was cut shorter now, like a wavy bob, and the electric blue highlights she once had were now gone.
What remained of that lighter color were her eyes, which had always been pretty amazing in Fera’s opinion. Despite her boyish appearance, or maybe because of it, that odd bit of dazzling femininity really did make her stunningly beautiful in Fera’s eyes.
“Hey, Sis.” said Marrow, causing Mamane to instantly turn around, but it wasn't her that managed to move first. Instead, it was Tianna that rushed forward and pulled him into such a suffocating embrace that it made Fera thankful she wasn’t the target. Unfortunately, hugs didn’t last forever, and Fera was still there. Her turn came and she nearly had the life squeezed out of her by Tianna’s powerful arms.
“Good to see you guys.” said Mamane.
“You bet your bottom dollar it is.” said Tianna. “Man, I’ve missed both of you.” She then looked hungrily at Fera, sending a shiver up her spine as she remembered exactly how Tianna thought of her. “Especially you. Don’t worry, I brought a collar this time. Ow!”
“Don’t be too afraid of her. I’m sure she won’t kidnap you.” said Mamane, grinning as Tianna rubbed the side where her partner elbowed her. “Right, Tia?”
“No promises.” said Tianna, putting a hand on her hip. “You know, when Marrow told Mae and she told me that you wanted to see me, my wheels started turning. I got to thinking, collars and leashes aren’t enough for you, Prodigy. I mean, obviously we still need the ears and tail, but I started thinking bigger too. Maybe some chains, a cage for sure, and then–”
“Tia.”
“Sorry. Anywho, you wanted some personal training, right? Always happy to help my juniors. You have it from here, Mae?”
“Obviously. I really just needed you for the company.”
“Good to know that I’m so cherished.” said Tianna before kissing Mae on the cheek. “See you soon.”
“You two are dating?” asked Fera, after they both entered the hall.
“For now.” said Tianna.
“What’s that supposed to mean? Don’t think it will work out?”
“No, it’s not that. We lived together for a long time, and between you and me, she’s hot. What I meant, though, is that this is just a sort of trial thing. We both like each other as really good friends, but we wondered what it would be like if we dated. We were both single, we live together, so I said why not. It couldn’t hurt to try, and besides, sleeping with a gorgeous babe like her whenever I feel like it, sounds like a deal to me.”
“But what if it doesn’t work out?” asked Ferain.
“Then we go back to being friends. It’s no big deal. Nothing really changed anyway. We still had sex and stuff before we were dating so it’s really just a label of sorts.”
“You what? But… Isn’t that a couples thing?”
“It can be, or it might not be. You can be friends and just screw around. There’s no law saying otherwise. Now, back on topic. You wanted to train in what exactly?”
“I want to know how to do what you do. I’ve been finding that I can do a lot of what other lightning-wielders can. It’s like I copy their powers or something, at least it feels that way after a bit of training. I know you said that we all have our specialties, but I don’t really know if I have just one. I have Yarin’s strength, Senna’s blinking, my own speed, and I can sort of do what you do on a much smaller scale. I think that if I get a little bit of training from you, I can at least get the basics of it down quick enough.”
“Hmm.” Tianna stopped and put a hand on her hip again while looking down at Fera. “True, if that is the case. To hell with it. We can give it a try, right? What’s the harm? Why are you in such a hurry though, and why today? I know that I always wanted to avoid training on the last day of school.”
“It might come in handy for what I have planned tonight. Are you going to be around all day?”
“I’ll be here as long as Mae is, which will probably be all day, yeah. She wants to spend some time with her brother and I’m the third wheel, so it’s not like I’ll be all that busy either. Where do you want to train at?”
Maybe in the club building.” suggested Ferain.
“We could do that. At least when I was here, there were always a few of them not being used. We can get Guji to let us in for a bit.”
“Got it. I’ll go talk to him now if you want to head over there.”
“Sure. See you in a bit.” Tianna started walking away before stopping and looking back. “You owe me for this though. I do want something in return.”
“Like what?” asked Ferain.
“I’ll tell you later.” Tianna gave a little wave before leaving.
Ferain’s next stop was Guji’s office, where she got the key for an inactive club room, and then she had to hurry all the way there to meet back up with Tianna. A short time was spent training before she had to rush to her class with Itani, a definite low point in her day. Once she got there, she was met with an amazingly gleeful looking professor. He watched his class as they all settled into their seats in the classroom, not the gym anymore. His chipper expression was definitely an odd sight to witness, given that any time he looked even remotely happy, it was when he was torturing students. This time, it appeared different though, like he was happy with them as a whole instead of the idea of maiming them.
Amara wasn’t around, thankfully, leaving just a pleased looking teacher and a bunch of confused students to each other’s company. He didn't even give Ferain his usual judging and disappointed expression. After the bell rang, he smiled at all of them in turn while clapping his hands together.
“Okay, class, we have finally reached the final day of our first year together. First off, I would like to congratulate all of you. You have all made some exceptional progress, and though most of it was in this last month, I will still applaud it. Now I hope you see how foolish it was to fight back against my methods for so long this year, and if we see each other again next term, I pray that you’ll be more keen on listening. With that being said, I believe you all deserve to relax today. I will leave you all to your own devices, and I want you all to have some fun while you still can. This might, after all, be your last festival.”
“Always ends it on a high note, doesn’t he?” Marrow muttered.
“At least it’s ending,” said his girlfriend Mio.
“For now.” Fera joined in. “Let’s just hope he isn’t back next year.”
“I don’t see why he would be,” said Mio. “The headmaster can’t approve of him very much.”
Fera looked over at her, curious as to how much she should really say on that matter. Itani’s position, and Guji’s inability to do anything about it wasn’t, as far as she knew, common knowledge. To them, it must’ve looked like Guji was just ignoring what Itani was doing to his students, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. It pained Fera to know that, more than anything, Guji just wanted to help the people here, but he was powerless. She also had a strong suspicion that Guji’s recent mood was caused by this very fact.
“I’m sure he doesn't,” said Fera. “I just don’t think he can do anything. I’m not entirely sure, but Itani is probably special for some reason, or else the headmaster likely would have gotten rid of him a long time ago.”
Halfway through the class, Ferain left the room with a few others to go to their secondary lessons for the morning. She hurried up to Guji’s office on the fourth floor, hoping for an easy conclusion to her pre-lunch schedule. As Ferain was arriving there, however, she saw Autumn waiting outside his set of double doors.
“Good morning, Ms. Hirigaya.”
“Morning, Professor. Are you locked out or something?”
“No,” said the stern, blonde professor. “Actually, Guji asked for me to relay a message. He wants you to meet him on the roof.”
“How come?”
“Not entirely sure. I’m certain you’ll find out when you get there. Get going, best to not be late.”
“Yeah. Thank you, Professor.” Ferain started walking away when she heard the woman call for her. She stopped and looked over her shoulder to see a warm smile replace the stone cold sternness that was usually found on her face.
“I’m really proud of you, Ferain.” Ferain’s eyes widened and she felt an emotion rising in her chest for some strange reason. She was never close to Professor Willow, not really, so it bemused her as to why she felt such a bright, rushing flood of pride swell up in her body. “With all that you’ve been through, and with all of the lies you’ve endured, I’m immensely proud of how you've managed to rise above them. I was concerned with letting you in the school originally. You… Harriet was my best friend, and because of that night, I lost her. I am and always was fully aware that you were not to blame. You were just a child with newly received gifts. How could it have ever been your fault? But… I still had a coldness in my heart towards you. I didn’t trust you. Now I know it’s because I didn’t know you. Ever since your advancement test, when I saw how hard you fought, I found myself seeing you for who you are, and not the monster I painted you out to be. You’re a hard worker, and you’re somebody that’s determined to do what they think is best for the people around them, even at the cost of themselves.”
Fera felt herself struggling to hold back tears as her eyes began to glisten, and Autumn continued.
“You were no longer the girl that wore my friend’s face, but the girl that carried her legacy on her shoulders. Harriet was a wonderful person, and despite the start of this year, I can see that you have that part of her as well.” Autumn walked over to Fera and pulled her into a tight embrace, holding the back of her head just as a mother would their child. “I’m sorry for the way I thought of you. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you sooner. Your mother was always there for me whenever I had a problem, whenever I was feeling down, and I hardly repaid any of that kindness.”
Ferain didn’t exactly know what to say at that moment. Willow seemed to pick up on it and lightly eased away from her, making sure Fera knew she was still smiling. After a brief farewell, Willow sent her on her way, and that was the last Ferain saw of her. Guji essentially had the same words for her, about how proud he was of her achievements, and while the talk was short, it filled her with more happiness than she could have ever thought possible. It was every child’s dream, to earn their parents’ respect, to be praised and loved by them. Ferain could hardly remember what that felt like, and she never expected to feel anything remotely similar to it ever again. To hear both Guji and Autumn praise her and tell her how proud she made them, it made her lose her breath. She found herself crying in the western stairwell before everyone was released for lunch, clutching her heart, and this time, it wasn’t because of pain, but an overwhelming sense of love that was impossible to keep inside.
After collecting herself, she returned to the club room for her lunch break, choosing instead to train some more with Tianna. It was difficult, certainly. She never had to focus so much in her life. Controlling her powers was one thing, manipulating them was another. Small shapes were easy, add on two or three more of them and it started to get complicated, but what she had in mind, she needed to do much, much more. She decided then that she would spend the rest of the day with her new mentor. It wouldn’t hurt anything anyway, seeing as every teacher was likely going to be pretty passive today. Before she knew it, the final melody to dismiss the students chimed over the speakers, signaling the end of the day. Fera had a few more stops to make, one of which was back to Guji’s office, where she kept her outfit for the night.
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After saying bye to Tianna, she hurried to the back entrance of the main building and practically flew up the eastern stairwell to the fourth floor, partially to avoid Anita, should she go looking, and partially to make it to her next and final appointments on time. She had people to meet, she had to get ready, and she had to mentally prepare herself for the daunting task she set for herself. Guji’s was a quick trip, seeing as he wasn’t in his office. Instead, he would be getting things ready to close off the entire floor for her. It was a huge ask, but he obliged nonetheless, which was something she would be eternally grateful for. She jumped down the central stairs after getting her clothes and then ran to another club room, which in hindsight, would have been a better place to store her outfit, but she already knew that this way of thinking could be pretty pointless. Ferain opened the door to a room that was void of life entirely. There was a large rectangular table, made of some light wood, in the center of the room, with matching chairs placed around its perimeter.
Some shelves were set up, and there were a few posters of skateboarders and BMX enthusiasts that Ferain was completely clueless about. She was only alone for a few moments before Amber and Zaz walked in. Amber was holding a small pink chest under her arm while Zaz was carrying a guitar case on his left shoulder, and both his and his sister’s bags on his right one.
“Hey, Ferain.” Amber said kindly, walking over and hugging Fera after she stood from the chair she was taking a rest in.
“Hey, guys. Thanks for coming.”
“Of course. When you told me about this a few weeks ago, I knew I had to do everything in my power to make it a reality.”
“And I’m just along for the ride.” said Zaz, smiling as he gave Fera a peace symbol with two of his fingers.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Zaz, you’re also providing us with the club room. You’re much more helpful than you think.”
“Good to know that my only worth is in superficial things. My looks and the room I can provide.”
“I’m honestly amazed you know what superficial means.” said Amber, giving him a concerned look, as if somebody had replaced her brother and she was wondering where the real one wandered off to.
“Having a sister like you is good for a few things. I do pick up some of your nerdy shit every now and then.”
“If you consider language to be nerdy, I guess that’s accurate. It’s a blessing to me that you even pay enough attention to retain even that much.” Amber ran a hand through her straight brown hair, giving it a flick while shaking her head. “Right, well, back to the matter at hand. We have to get you ready. Now, this is the part where you leave, Brother.”
“I don’t get to see?” he asked incredulously. He raised his arms at his side in a complaining manner. “I provided the room. I carried the bags. The least I could do is watch. It’s not like you’re changing.”
“I will be.” Amber argued.
“Yeah, after her. I can leave once she’s done. Who’d want to see you anyway?”
Amber scoffed and started towards him. She turned him around and pushed him out the door. “Wait outside. If you peep even once, I’ll tell Mom you were spying on girls.”
“It wouldn't be the first time.” he said, grinning.
“You’re such a perv.” she spat, slamming the door in his face.
“Come on, Fera, vouch for me!” he called out, his voice partially muffled by the thick wooden door that separated them.
“Don’t listen to him, Ferain, he’s an idiot.”
“I wouldn’t have minded.” Fera said, grinning.
“Don’t even joke like that. If he hears you say that, he’d never stop asking. Trust me, better this way. Come on, let’s start with your hair.”
Again, just as Anita had done the previous year, Amber transformed her into a girl beyond recognition. Her hair wasn’t all that different, having only been tied into a miniature tail, though this time, it wasn’t at the base of her neck, where she usually tied it. Instead, Amber tied it further up so it was like a spiky plumage that curved just slightly back downward. A bunch of the loose spiky hair on the sides was also pulled back to reveal more of her ears and face than was normally visible. The reflection that was looking back at her wore her face, but it was wearing much more makeup than she was used to. Black eyeliner was a nearly everyday companion, but the blush and pinkish lipstick were somewhat unfamiliar additions.
Her nails were also fake, making them much longer and sharper than they normally were, but they were still nice and had an even, glossy coating of gold and bronze that made them sparkle like polished metal. Her outfit was a tight, sleeveless vest that zipped up the middle of her back, accentuating her slim figure and vague curves to the point that they were surprisingly much more noticeable than before. In the front, it was so form-fitting that the indent of her navel could be seen through it plainly. She wore a black and white checkered skirt as well, matching the half white and half black pattern that split the vest up the middle. Her tights were as black as usual, but these ones had barely visible stars woven into the fabric. She had on some boots still, but they were much cleaner and newer, seeing as they’re fresh from the box she bought them in. They were only ankle-high, with a black leather base, and white cuffs at the top that were folded down at the sides.
“Do you like it? I even trimmed a bit of your hair, you know, making it more even.”
“It looks amazing. I look amazing.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to hide the scar though? I can put some makeup on it and–”
“No, it’s fine.” Fera interrupted, staring at the only flaw she could find on her face; the jagged, partially vertical lash that Raven had gifted her with. “There’s no point in hiding it.”
“As long as you’re sure,” said Amber, running a couple of fingers through a few loose strands of Fera’s hair. She then laughed. “You’re shaking like a leaf.”
“Am I?” asked Fera, before holding up her right hand, which she decided to leave unwrapped for the night. It was clearly trembling, causing her to laugh as well. “I guess I am a bit nervous.”
“There’s no need to be.” Amber said. “She’ll love it. If somebody did something like this for me, I’d be head over heels.”
“You’re not a hard one to please!” came Zaz’s voice from the other side of the door.
“Shut up, and you better still be out there!” Amber yelled back.
“Prude!”
“Pervert!” Fera raised a hand to her mouth as she laughed heartily. “Do you like when we argue?” asked Amber, unable to help smiling.
“I do, but not in a mean way. It’s kinda fun… and it makes me a bit jealous. I always wondered what it would be like to have a sibling. You two always seem to have so much fun.”
“Is that what you call it?” asked Amber, giving a sideways glance towards the door. “I guess it is kind of special though.”
“What was it like, growing up with him?” asked Ferain.
“Hell.” Amber said instantly. “Well, not really, but you know… He’s a bit of a troublemaker.” Amber’s caramel-toned face quickly shifted from a playful grin to a nostalgic smile. “Honestly though, I couldn’t imagine my life without him in it. We were only born minutes apart, but he still always acted like the overprotective older brother. He was always there for me, no matter what. Whenever I would get sick, he would always take care of me, and whenever he got sick, he would tough it out and try to hide it so I didn’t worry. Zaz can be a lot of things. He can be annoying, argumentative, perverted, and a bit of an idiot, but… he was also my protector, and my best friend. When his friends would ask him to go play or hang out somewhere, he would always put me first. Like, this one time, he promised to take me to an ice cream stand that we hardly ever went to. It was a bit of a walk from the house. He turned his friends down to keep that promise to me, and he always has done stuff like that.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” said Zaz from the corridor. “I just didn’t want to hear you cry all the time.”
“You’re such a jerk!” Amber howled, growing red in the face. “I say all of these nice things and that’s what you come up with?”
“It’s the truth.” Zaz said nonchalantly. “I always hated hearing you cry. I hated seeing you sad or hurt. You always had a hard time making friends so I wanted to be there for you whenever you were lonely. We’re two halves of a whole, right? We were practically made to be each other’s best friends.”
There was a quiet sniffle and Amber turned to see Ferain crying in her chair. “Ferain?”
“Sorry. I just… Sorry.” she said, wiping her eyes on her palms and arms. “It must have been nice.”
Amber leaned down and hugged Ferain from behind, resting her chin on the back of the chair Fera sat in. “There’s no need to wonder how nice it would’ve been, Ferain. You’re already experiencing it. Today alone, we’re all helping you because we care about you. It’s the same way that Zaz and I were while growing up. What you’re feeling now is exactly what it felt like to have a sibling. In fact, we might as well be your siblings, right?”
“Count me out of that!” yelled Zaz.
“How come?” asked Amber.
“You can’t kiss your sister and I haven’t given up on Fera just yet.” he replied.
“You really are the worst!” Amber yelled.
“Aren’t you the one that’s always promoting honestly? I’m just telling the truth.”
“I can’t believe I said all those nice things about you. I take it all back. You’re an imbecile, a savage, a… a…”
“A hooligan?” suggested Zaz, making Amber fume as she stomped a foot.
“Well, I think I’m all set. It’s been over an hour since we started, and I still have one more place to be. I have to go talk to Kitari about her part. Thank you both, I can’t possibly do enough to repay you for this, but I’ll never forget it.”
“I can think of a few ways.” said Zaz, earning him a book thrown at the door he was lucky to be hiding behind.
“Don’t mention it, Ferain.” Amber hugged her again. “Good luck.”
Fera found Kitari waiting on the fourth floor for her, her back against a wall and a juice box in one hand as she sipped from the straw protruding from the top. She was already wearing a black one-piece dress that had swirling accents of deep blue all over the flared lower portion. Her matching hair was in a short ponytail, just like how Fera normally wore it, though her fringe was swept to the left and likely doused in hairspray to keep it there. Her young but typically harsh expression looked impatient, like she was in a hurry to be literally anywhere else at the moment.
“Hey, Kitari.” said Fera, after finishing her climb up the stairs.
“Lightning Girl.” Kitari said in a way of greeting. “You doll up nicely.”
“A hard compliment to come by from somebody like you, I’m sure,” said Fera, grinning.
“It can be. So, we doing this thing?”
“Yeah, soon enough. I just wanted to check to see if you’re ready, and to thank you for helping me. I know it’s going to be pretty exhausting, but I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
“Don’t worry about it. Hearing my father rant about you after I turned him down was one of the most amusing things I’ve seen. I’ve never seen him act like such a child before. That paid me back for this and much more. You really got under his skin, you know that?” Kitari then let out a quiet, menacing laugh. “Well deserved, I say. And just you wait, Ferain, there’ll be plenty more where that came from once I get back home. I’ve had enough of letting him push me and my sister around. Raven always thought I could be the one to do it, you know? To stand up to him. I’m going to, for both of us, and you helped me get a bit of the courage I needed. Helping you woo your girlfriend is the least I can do. So, are you ready for things to get dark?”
“If you think you’re up for it. I’ll let Zaz know to find her.” Fera started walking further into the corridor before stopping and smiling over her shoulder. “Really, thank you. After last year, I really wanted to make this special, and I couldn't possibly do it without your help.”
“Alright, alright, I heard you already. Just to make sure it stays that way, I’ll try to not throw up during your grand scheme.”
“Why would you?” asked Fera.
“Too sweet.”
“Maybe you’re right, but I wanted to go big.”
“Eh, more power to you. Not for me, personally. I don’t see the big hype for love and all of that.”
“So nobody caught your eye this year?” asked Ferain.
“I don’t do physical attraction.” Kitari spat. “I’m best left to my own devices, and now that I’m out from under my father’s thumb, I’m gonna enjoy some long overdue freedom. First, however, I have to help you. Time for lights out.”
Kitari clapped her hands together and at once, shadows began engulfing the entire corridor, swallowing up every bit of light in the vicinity. Both Ferain and Kitari vanished entirely in the pure, unhindered darkness that was left behind in the gullet of her shadowy cocoon. A short time later, she heard Zaz and Anita coming up the stairs to the fourth floor, and as instructed, Zaz’s voice soon vanished. Anita climbed up the rest of the way, and the only reason Ferain knew that without a doubt was because of her electrical sense, making it possible to see her as if she was some sort of amalgamation of electrical currents in the basic shape of a human body. She swallowed hard and she felt her body shaking. The only thing that slightly calmed her down was that she was practically invisible in this darkness, and she could keep it that way as long as she did this right.
“Ferain? Are you up here?!” Anita asked, looking around. Fera heard Anita’s wind whipping up around her as she grew more and more cautious.
“Now or never.” Fera said softly, raising a hand and creating a ball of blue static at the far end of the corridor, opposite of where she was hiding. Instantly, she felt the strain of it take hold as she molded the electrical sphere into a rough, honestly embarrassing puppy, a wolf pup to be exact.
“Fera?” Anita asked quietly, lowering her guard just a bit and approaching the newly created creature.
Ferain sucked in a breath to help calm her nerves and hopefully keep her focus. Things were about to get much harder, but she had to remind herself that it would be worth it in the end. All she had to do now was power through.
Anita neared the sparking canine cautiously, not entirely put at ease, though she did only know one person that had blue and white lightning as a defining trait. She crouched down in front of the pup and wagged a finger at it.
“Do you know where my girlfriend is? She’s a little shorter than me, really bright, just like you, and she has pretty glowing eyes. Seen anyone like that?”
The shifting, almost diamond-shaped eyes of white energy looked up at her before walking around Anita. It started with a slow trot as dazzling blue and white stars started to appear overhead. Anita looked up at them in amazement, the reflection of the beautiful light show showing in her glistening gray eyes.
“Incredible.” she mumbled, growing breathless from the view.
She turned back to the wolf, who was looking back at her pleadingly. Anita giggled and followed for a couple more steps, but then, something appeared that wiped away her cheerful expression. Two older wolves suddenly formed from their own balls of blue and white energy. The pup nuzzled up against the smaller of the pair before they vanished, leaving the pup alone in the darkness. It trotted a few more steps forward, bringing Anita along with it. When it stopped again, more stars appeared in the sky, and it sat on its haunches as it gazed up at them, looking sad and lonely. It almost broke Anita’s heart, seeing it gazing skyward so longingly, like all it wanted was something to hold it and comfort it through the night.
The wolf looked down and the stars vanished entirely, leaving its own flickering light as the only source in the room. The wolf then wandered, growing slightly larger as it continued stepping forward. Anita’s eyes were locked on it, and her hands were clasped over her heart, coming to a conclusion as to what this really represented. As the wolf grew, some more stars reformed in the air, and there were some flickering lights that danced along the walls, almost like miniature strikes of lighting that were hitting nothing. Once a few seconds passed, the wolf stopped again, this time sitting down and looking expectantly back at Anita. She started forward, but at once, a pouncing fawn came around her and headed right towards the wolf. It stopped, looked at the small canine, and then pounced around it playfully. More stars appeared overhead, and then a moon joined them, all of them crackling with a beautiful hum that sounded to Anita like a song.
This was because it was playing a song. All of the different currents, all of the chirps and hums, they were all joining together to play the song that Anita wrote for Ferain, and played for her constantly ever since completing it. Reluctantly, the wolf started following the fawn. They circled around Anita, and would go back in the direction she came from every now and then, all the while, the wolf would get more energetic, more open, more accepting. Anita felt tears welling up in her eyes as she watched the two creatures play. At once, though, just as things were going great, the fawn was hit by a bolt of lightning. It fell, and before it hit the ground, it vanished completely, leaving only a few specks of electricity behind. The wolf cried, the stars disappeared, and the music ended.
Even the wolf’s own light had died out some, making it much harder to fully distinguish. It was almost like a blur of light that was unrecognizable as anything other than just that. It didn’t move anymore, and instead curled up on the ground. It cried and it whined and when Anita tried to get nearer, it growled and snapped. Blue sparks fell from the white eyes and vanished upon contact with the ground. It was crying, but it wouldn’t let Anita get close to comfort it.
“I didn’t die, Ferain.” Anita said softly. “I’m okay.” The wolf looked up at her and then stood shakily. It started towards Anita’s legs, but it did not touch her. It instead recoiled from the outstretched hand that Anita offered. “I know you were hurting. I just wanted to help you. You didn’t have to feel so alone.” she said.
The wolf started past her again, almost limping, and as other small creatures started getting closer, it grew more and more aggressive, more and more unstable. It couldn't walk straight, and it let nothing get close. Anita followed it, not even knowing what direction she had come from or where they were heading. She didn’t care. She wanted to keep an eye on this tiny wolf, and the one who she knew it represented. Ferain was trying to tell her something, to show her something, and she was going to take it all in. The wolf met a large, coiling snake, one that had deep red eyes. It confused Anita, because the only person she’d ever seen with red lightning was Yarin, but it was impossible for him to be here. The red eyes looked to be smiling, and it lowered its head to apparently whisper in the pup’s flattened ears.
The serpent vanished, and the pup was suddenly fighting what looked to be a bison. The wolf lunged, and while it took a few hits, it stood victorious as a trail of other electrical animals were sprawled out behind it, flickering away one at a time. In the end, the wolf was once more left in darkness and solitude, though even for Anita, it seemed to be even more suffocating. When the pup was at its lowest, and its light was at its darkest yet, the fawn appeared again. The pup was hesitant, but for a much different reason than before. It looked frightened. Its tail was tucked between its legs and its ears were flat backwards, and the closer the fawn got, the more steps back the pup took. It shrunk smaller, and tried to make itself less noticeable. It was uncertain of what to do next, and whether it should trust again. Or perhaps, it was uncertain of whether it deserved trust.
Anita could feel the guilt in the air, almost like all of the lightning dancing around her was transmitting the actual emotions of the animals in front of her, or she supposed, Ferain’s emotions. The fawn took one more step closer, and for a split second, Anita felt like the wolf was going to attack. She felt angry, afraid, worthless and unworthy. She felt confused. She didn't know why the fawn still loved her. She didn’t know how the fawn could stand being around her, but the fawn persisted. The room started getting lighter as more stars appeared in the darkness. The wolf’s ears perked up as the fawn showed no fear, no hesitation. It grew closer, closer, and then, their noses touched. The wolf jumped back, but the fawn still advanced.
“I won’t ever leave you, Ferain.” Anita said, gripping her dress over her heart. “No matter what, I’ll always be there for you.”
The wolf and fawn both looked at Anita, and then they ran around her. As Anita turned around, Fera was there, the two animals rushing towards her, and then past her. They flickered away into the darkness as Fera’s body was covered in more than enough light on its own. Blue and white currents radiated around her, and her eyes glowed beautifully.
“I know,” said Ferain, her voice sounding shaky and timid. “You never have, despite everything, and I know you never will. I don’t know why. I don’t think I’ll ever know that, but I’m sure that it’s the truth. I’ve never been so sure of anything before." Fera stepped forward, and the darkness that engulfed the corridor started receding. A few remaining stars danced around Anita as Ferain grew closer. Fera stopped in front of her and held out her right hand, which Anita took, and Fera’s other hand reached up to tap one of the stars with her finger. “I wanted to share this with you. How I felt, and who I am. I don’t tell you everything I should. I try to hide things sometimes, and I try to be strong. I try to act like I’m not hurting as much anymore, but what I did to you, and everyone else, it still hurts me. It will always hurt me. But you are still here. I don’t deserve it, but I am so grateful for it. I didn’t really know how best to convey this, but I wanted to show you everything that you helped me overcome during our time together and this is what I came up with.”
The darkness passed around Anita and Fera. The hallway was still dark, as the lights were off, but the dimming sunlight outside granted them plenty to see each other’s faces perfectly. Ferain’s eyes dimmed and her body cleared away its static armor.
“I love you, Anita. I want you to be by my side forever.”
“Are you proposing to me?” asked Anita, giggling slightly to try to hide her tears and sniffles.
“No.” said Ferain, letting out a cute laugh of her own. “No, not yet. I still mean it though. I don’t ever want you to leave. You are my sun, and just like the pup, I would be alone without that deer helping me into the light. I was always alone. I never had anything like this before. I just wanted you to know how special it is to me… and how special you are to me.”
“Fera, I already knew that.” Anita said shakily. “Did you have to make me cry just to reiterate it?” She waved a hand in front of her face, cooling it off and trying to hold back any more tears.
“I’m sorry I worried you today. I listened to your message. I was busy training and setting all of this up for us.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Anita said, sniffling. “It was worth it.” Anita then lunged into Ferain, wrapping her arms around her and kissing her deeply. She felt some slight surges of electricity flow into her from her lips as Ferain kissed her back, their grip on each other tightening.
When they finally broke apart, Fera laughed while rubbing her arm. “Come on, we have a festival to go enjoy now. We got a bit interrupted last year. I believe you owe Zaz a few songs, and then I owe you a dance.”
“You owe me more than that, Hirigaya, but I suppose I can take a few of those favors away for tonight. This really was something special. And wow, those things you were doing. Did you really just learn how to do that?”
“I’ve been practicing, but Tianna was here with Marrow’s sister so I asked for some help. It’s where I’ve been all day, or most of it anyway.”
“You’ll tell me all about it later. For now though, I think you’re right. I have some music to play, and I know just the song I’m going to perform.”