Something was very wrong.

Glancing around, Vultur felt a certain unease travel through his body.

'Wh-What happened?'

Surrounded by a red, twisted forest, Vultur tried to recall what happened to him.

He... he had been with Navy and his Mistress when golden chains suddenly grabbed him. They had locked onto his body and drained it of all its energy. The loss of which caused him to fall unconscious almost immediately.

Vultur shivered slightly, recalling the event.

He hadn't been able to predict, let alone react to the golden chains.

'Navy... I hope you're okay'

Vultur's Mistress was without a doubt alright. Navy, on the other hand, wasn't the most... able in a fight. Vultur had to check on her. He couldn't allow his first and best friend to be in danger!

Focusing inward, Vultur tried to find something. A familiar connection of sorts. One that always guided him back to his Mistress whenever he was lost. It should help him get back to Navy. If anything bad happened, his Mistress would not doubt be with her.

'It-It's not there?!'

Vultur felt that little tinge of unease bloom into full-on panic.

'It's-It's really not there!!'

The connection, that had always been present, was suddenly gone!

Vultur shifted his body, anxiously feeling the collar's familiar weight around his neck. He shouldn't panic; he had been trained for this exact situation by the other familiar. All he had to do, as they said, was take stock and devise a plan. So, Vultur took stock. He found himself lost in an unfamiliar place, without any form of help, clueless about how he had arrived there, and without the faintest idea of how to leave... What was he supposed to do!?!

Vultur's eyes widened as his gaze darted back and forth through the forest. The longer he stayed here, the more wrong the forest looked. He needed to do something; he needed to leave. Vultur quickly spread out his wings and prepared to leap into the sky.

'Huh? Did my wings always have golden tips?'

A fleeting, unimportant thought entered Vultur's mind. He didn't dwell on it, though, deciding that leaving this creepy forest was most important.

His legs were already primed for the takeoff when something happened.

Something unexpected.

Just as he was about to take off, an object crashed into his body and wrapped itself around his neck. A lovely, sweet voice sounded next to his ear,

"Vul! Vul!! Where have you been!? I missed you sooooo much!"

It was as if a gentle breeze had brushed through Vultur's feathers. Tiny hands, carrying an indescribable softness and warmth, travelled their full length with the sole goal of massaging and soothing.

'Hehehe'

Vultur struggled not to let a sound escape from his beak. Eventually, he gave up and let a little laugh free. There was no doubt that this was the work of his best friend! Only she knew how to play with his feathers just right!!

A feeling of contentment spread within Vultur's as he felt himself slowly calm down. Such special treatment from the Navy only came during nighttime. It had become something of their own small ritual after Vultur convinced her it was necessary in order for him to sleep. Navy grumbled at first, but she was no much for Vultur's pluffy feathers.

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A sigh slipped out of Vultur's mouth. He could stay like this forever.

This was pure bliss.

...

...

But...

As much as Vultur was enjoying this, they couldn't stay like this forever. Something was off with this place, and terribly so. Worse still, he couldn't tell what it was. He needed to get Navy back to safety. They needed to go back to the palace.

"Um... Navy, notthatI'mnotenjoyingthisoranything, but we need to head back to the palace quickly! This place is dangerous and very creepy!!" (V)

Vultur might've spoken with a hurried breath, but it was necessary. They should've left a long time ago.

Navy abruptly stopped petting Vultur. She stepped away, then lifted her hands and cupped Vultur's face.

"D-Don't say that... It's... It's not creepy or dangerous! Just... unique!" (N)

Vultur stared at Navy with eyes full of surprise. She looked oddly very hurt by his words.

"O-Oh, okay! Sure!" (V)

Vultur's senses were not always right. If Navy said it wasn't dangerous, then she must have sensed something he didn't.

"So, um, do you like wearing dresses now?" (V)

In a weak attempt to change the topic after seeing Navy still look down, Vultur blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

It worked.

"Ah, oh, y-yeah! I-I thought about it and realised only babies would complain about wearing them." (N)

Vultur stared at Navy once more in surprise. He hadn't been expecting such an answer.

"Cough, A-Anyway, I have something super important to ask you!" (V)

Navy lightly pulled Vultur's face close.

"Do you want to play?" (N)

In a twisted red forest, two beings could be found.

Beneath the shelter of a grand tree, they lay back leisurely, gazing into the bright night sky.

Vultur hummed a joyful tune. He was in a really good mood after playing. It's been a real long time since he and Navy had some long one-on-one time. Time where they could just relax together properly. Most of the time they had in a day was spent training and honing skills. The only time they got to spend together was at night, after classes, talking. A time when they were both exhausted.

After Vultur and Navy had concluded their visit from the twins, they hadn't really gone anywhere. They had just stayed in the palace. It was... is very boring. It had gotten to the point where Vultur found himself missing those sneaky twins. For, as much as they fought, at least they got to play. When it came to playing within the palace, it wasn't even a consideration. The one-time Vultur managed to muster up the courage to ask, he was met with the response, "Did you not play yesterday?". The idea of playing had long left his mind until now.

"Vul, did I ever tell you how much I like your fluffy feathers?" (N)

The answer to that question would be... no. Navy had never complemented Vultur, at least, not when she's awake. If one were to count her sleep murmurs, then the answer would be countless.

Vultur was about to open his mouth to answer when he suddenly decided against it. Instead, he turned his head and gazed at Navy, who was resting on his back. Navy gave Vultur a questioning look. Vultur moved his head closer to Navy's own, then exposed his softest feathers before proceeding to rub Navy's face.

"Vul, hehe! What are -hehe- are you doing!? Th-hehe-that tickles!" (N)

This continued until Navy finally broke into a full-on giggling fit. The best Vultur has ever had the pleasure of hearing.

After Navy had calmed down and backed away from Vultur, she abruptly yelled while donning a face full of smiles,

"Vul, I love you so much!" (N)

Vultur felt his heart skip a beat.

"Me, me too!!" (V)

Navy once again tackled Vultur with a tight neck hug. The two of them held onto each other for a short minute until Navy quietly whispered,

"Vul... I-I sometimes get a little lonely when I'm left alone.... Can, can you promise to always be with me?" (N)

Vultur did not even think, not that he had to.

"Of course! I'll always be with you!!" (V)

Navy let out a little laugh before releasing her hold on Vultur and rolling onto his back. She flashed Vultur a bright smile before closing her eyes. Her movements gradually slowed as her body stilled. It looked like she had fallen asleep.

Vultur gazed at the figure of his best friend sleeping. Navy had been behaving more oddly than normal. She had been much nicer and even more expressive than usual.

Vultur felt butterflies float up in his stomach.

Maybe staying here a little longer wasn't so bad.

----------------------------------------

The palace retained its beauty, just as it had when she first laid eyes on it.

As the carriage departed, White watched its shimmering form one last time in silence.

Thousands upon thousands of questions plagued her mind. They carried insidious whispers that would normally drive her mad... but now they felt like nothing more than blubbering nonsense. White's heart was strangely at ease. It was an ease she hadn't felt in a long, long time.

Looking across the carriage, White saw a troubled lady. It was evident that something had transpired upon White's departure, and yet, despite this knowledge, she made no attempt to offer comfort. It didn't feel like her place. Instead, White returned her gaze towards the shimmering palace, just out of view. Dreaming about a new future.

A future that didn't seem so impossible.