Here is the second chapter I promised, sorry it took a while. Work hit hard haha. But I at least got it out soon for you all. I hope you enjoy this, and the terrible foreshadowing that is to come. 

Also, look forward to the utter cuteness I have caused to unfold between Sid, and Jessica, and Suzuki. Haha! The Next Chapter is actually a Suzuki POV chapter, and will be great in length. Taking time to write, it will cover 5 full battles to show just how Adept Tournaments really happen, at least when players who use strategies, and unique methods fight it out, instead of relying on brute strength, and small cunning.  ^.^

As always, much love and cookies.

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I woke up slowly, blinking my eyes blearily as my alarm went off. I threw an arm over and hit the snooze, feeling something soft and squishy under my forearm, and hearing a small ‘eepe’ I blinked a bit, slowly remembering Jessica had stayed the night. I dozed off slowly afterwards though thinking ‘Mmmmm, warm’ and snuggled into her, curling up in a little ball and burrowing against her body.

“S-Sid..Please, w-wake up.” It was low, and whispered with urgency and I just snuggled deeper, mumbling as I did so. “No, warm. Sleepy.”

I felt her shift, trying to escape and I groaned, and through one of my legs over her, and one of my arms trapping her. Warm, cuddly, sleepy. I passed out for a bit more, only to be woken up again by her trying to wriggle around and out. I squeezed her with my leg and arm making a ‘Nyuuu’ sound and buried my face into her shoulder.

She started getting warmer. Mmmmm, warm. “S-id, pretty please l-let me up. I-i-i-i Need to p-pee really badly” I pouted and and made another ‘nyuu’ sound put flopped onto my other side, and snuggled up with the stuffed skeleton toy that was showing some wear and tear from age.

I felt the bed shift, and then heard her running to the restroom. I pouted in my half asleep state, missing my heating pad. “Waaaarm” i moaned in lamentation at that lack of heat and curled up from shivering some.

After a little while, I felt a hand on my shoulder, gently shaking me awake, and I groaned. “Sleepy!” I said, latching onto the hand and rolling over, pulling her on top of me. I then wraps my arms around her and snuggled the warmth. Mmm, warm.

I opened my eyes, everything was a little blurry but I saw Jessica, still in her jammies and blushing redder than a tomato again. “S-sid, time to g-get up. The Tournament.” I groaned, and snuggled her more.

“Sleepy, you’re warm. No go.” I mumbled. But, sadly, she escaped and uncovered me. Making the cold air hit me in full force and waking me up enough to see a flustered and blushing. I got up while half asleep, and pulled on her arms, and plopped her in my lap half sprawled and giggled “Cuuute” while poking her nose going boop, boop.

This continued until I fully woke up, with a very flustered Jessica trying to escape and growing redder, and redder. The small of her back was even red and I found it so adorable! She’d make Suzuki think so to. I knew it!

I poked her, and she just hid telling me to shut up while I giggled at her. I went to my bathroom and washed my face, getting ready for the day ahead of us. We had an hour before we had to meet Suzuki and her Mommy.

We had finished getting ready, and were walking to the park. Jessica was still not talking to me, I’d really gotten her embarrassed. “I’m sorry Jessica, you were just so comfy, and warm!” She turned to regard me and glared while her cheeks were still red before huffed, steam coming from her mouth in the cold air.

I felt bad now, but it was still really cute looking. I grinned at her pouting, and couldn’t wait to see her happy with Suzuki! I’m sure Suzuki would love her, assuming she was into that kind of thing. I tilted my head a little. What if she wasn’t? That made me worry, I didn’t want Jessica to be sad because her crush didn’t like girls.

I started fidgeting with my sleeves when we arrived, worrying about it now with time to think. The what if’s, and stuff. But surely if someone as cute as Jessica confessed to them, anyone would be happy at least, right? I know I would be.

I frowned, to get them alone for a period of time so Jessica could talk to her would be the tricky part. I’d find a way to make it work though. I smiled, my motivation renewed when I saw Jessica standing there looking excited. She should be with someone who she likes too!

When Suzuki and her Mommy arrived, I waved to her, the her Mommy seemed nice. But she was really soft spoken. Suzuki introduced us, and she was polite but distant. We talked a little before getting into the van. Suzuki had gotten out to sit in the back with us. She got in first, then I did. Jessica seemed stunned a little, but was making her way in. Was she upset I was sitting beside Suzuki?

Jessica POV -

I was still upset! Sid had confused my confession of being a lesbian, and who I liked last night in such a splendid and fantastical way I couldn’t muster up the courage to deny her assumptions. I was to scared, then tonight I became her heated pillow!

I blushed, remembering her long soft legs thrown on top of my thighs, and her arms along my chest while she snuggled me and then she made all those cute sounds. But I needed to escape, at the time. She was so defenseless, even after I told her I was attracted to women. I had wanted so badly to kiss her, to tell her I loved her. But I was just a coward. I didn’t want to lose her.

Then there was Suzuki. I knew she prefered girls, like I did. She was bi though. I didn’t like how she had moved to get so close to Sid, she seemed a lot more confident than I was as well. I needed to find a way to confess without losing Sid, if she denied me.

Franny even was saying I needed to confess, or I’d lose the chance forever. I..I would, I just needed the right time. The fact I took advantage of the innocence and cuteness to stay over when I could for just a little bit more contact wasn’t wrong, right?

I sighed, moving to get into the van after Sid, and froze. I was face level with her rounded butt, and blushed immensely when I realized she was wearing tight jeans that showed her curves very well. Her mom must have picked it out, her Dad always chose baggy unflattering clothing.

She had worn it today, I knew it meant nothing, but she had worn them knowing we were going out with Suzuki. I glared at the smiling little asian girl, and she just smiled knowingly at me. Bitch! I’d show her! I won’t lose to you, I thought.

We got in the van, and I talked absently to them both. I was mostly lost in the memory of Sid clinging to me. She had smelled really good, and was adorable making those cat like sounds in her sleep when I tried to leave. It was nice to pretend she and I were more than friends, and it had been because she wanted to cuddle more.

I sighed when we pulled into the parking lot, and made our way through the entrance for the participants.

“Suzuki, and two guests. They can walk around the backstage area with the other participants and guests until the tournament begins, then you must move to your seats.”

We nodded to the man as he droned out the answers. I glared at him when he leered at Sid once she walked away. Sick old man! When we arrived at our designated area I started to get a bad feeling. Sidnie was looking around like she was about to run off like a kid in a candy store.

She was a bit too into the  scene, even with her overwhelming love of this kind of environment. Then I remembered, she planned to give me time alone with Suzuki. I panicked, reaching out to her about to say not to worry about it, then she turned in a flash smiling widely.

“I’ma go see the Prize display area,  I had read the Prize this year for the Rose Bowl was the Horse Race.~!” then she was gone, i let my hand fall, my mouth open in shock. Crap, I heard a soft laugh to my right and turned to glare at Suzuki.

“She is so very full of energy, is she not? Adorable, like a little puppy you want to grab ahold of and hug until she licks you all over.” She glanced at me slyly at the words ‘licks you all over’ She was goading me. I turned toward her, nothing bothering to hide anything.

“Stay away! She isn’t some puppy you can claim!” I was so mad, and Suzuki just smiled knowingly.

“Yet you treat her like a possession, and cannot even tell her your feelings. To afraid of rejection? Then it will be your loss. I like her as well, and I will tell her such at the end of this tournament.”

Oh hell no! “If you lose, you stay away from her!” She smiled, rather cruelly in response, and patted my shoulder, I smacked her hand away.

“Then you have to confess, if I lose If I win, you stand aside and allow me to confess, Jessica, without interference.” I felt like throttling her, but nodded, my face angry with rage.

Sidnie arrived soon after, looking beautiful, her hair flying behind her, and looking hopefully between us. Oh no, no, no, no.

“Did it go well!” She blurted out, and I face palmed. God, why? Why was she so clueless? I heard Suzuki laugh beside me and link an arm with me.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“I’m sorry, Sidnie, but I cannot see her as more than a friend. Though we have a bet on the outcome of the tournament. I’ll tell you what it…” I slapped my hand over her mouth, glaring at her, before taking over.

“We have a bet, you’ll find out at the end.” I saw her frown in confusion, but nodded, and pounced on us both. Excited for her first tournament. I blushed, and so did...Oh you fucking bitch! You were purposely acting cute now, to make Sid notice you.

I wanted to her, so very badly right now. I clenched my fist, and resisted the urge to punch her. Thankfully, we needed to take our seats soon, and Sid and I left. She was hanging onto my arm all excited, and it cheered me up. I was a part of her first live tournament, and that at least, was something to celebrate.

I remembered the time she was sick, how she had looked like death. I’d been terrified I’d lose my best friend for months. Then around the time I turned thirteen, I started to realize I didn’t like boys, and that I started to have more, and more complicated feelings for Sid. I’d confessed to Franny, that I was a Lesbian, she had supported me in her own way, though she couldn’t understand it beyond being happy with who you were happy with.

My Dad had been a different story, a man from a different time of bigotry. He didn’t support me, and condemned me for my sexual preference more than anything. Mom was no help, she was to timid to stand up for her ‘little’ girl. I snorted, making Sid look at me, tilting her head in a way that made her platinum blonde hair frame her angelic face nearly perfectly. I gulped, she was very beautiful, and refused to acknowledge it. Last night she said she wasn’t as pretty as I was, and she was right. She was drop dead gorgeous without even trying, she just didn’t notice it.

I just smiled at her, fighting the blush that wanted to show itself. “Ready for the fights?” She nodded, forgetting her curiosity in favor of the tournament. I sighed in relief, she was easily distracted still, at least. Hehe, made it fun. Though if she set her sights on something, she stuck to it. Like making me flustered. She was good at that, and loved my reactions. Cruel, cruel, confusing things she did. I didn’t know if she liked girls, I knew she liked boys though. I frowned, remembering a conversation with the Dick head in question regarding if Sidnie needed a guy to make her come back to the proper side.

Pig! I’d slugged him, and told him to stay away from her, he’d only break her heart. That was something I never wanted to see, I’d been called a bitch at the time, and he sneered he’d have her in the end. Over my dead body.

We reached the seats, and sat down. They were amazing seats, right at the front row of the closest section to the Dungeon World Table. Her Dad was really connected, I was still thankful that he had given Franny and I our Dungeons, and A.I ahead of time, so we could play with Sid, and have an excuse to be with her more.

I regretted the time I was to afraid of letting what I felt slip, and scaring her away though. I knew it had made her sad. I giggled silently as the first match started, an Insect user fighting an Arachnid user. She had said to ‘Pet me’ one halloween, and I had decided to try and get better, and be how it was. Ignoring my feelings because I hated knowing I’d upset her with my distance. She had also looked adorable in that Fluffy outfit.

I set my hand in hers, taking full advantage of the fact that she would latch onto it thinking it was nothing more, while I savoured the contact, and silently hoped I lost the bet, even as I prayed I won it to keep Suzuki away from the one gleaming light in my life, aside from Franny who knew more about my Dad than I was sharing with Sid. It’d just make her sad to know how he treated me after learning I was a lesbian. She kept me going, her sweetness, and that was but another reason I loved her. I felt her small, dainty fingers intertwine with mine, and we watched the Tournament together, like that. When it came time for Suzuki’s first match, I all but growled because Sid cheered like she had for me, every time I’d fought and she had watched.

I was jealous, and it was petty, but it didn’t matter. I did not want to share her like this, it made my heart hurt. But now I was trapped into confessing, or watching as Suzuki made an active effort to claim her, and could not do anything to stop if she won. I lost either way, in my mind. SO I savored this little time before the Tournaments end, gripping her hand a little tighter, having a feeling I would lose her, either way, at the end of the day.

Fluffy POV -

I was savaging the corpse of a wolf that had trespassed into my lands with one head, while the other spit out a stream of boiling liquid hot enough to sear fur and flesh toward a group of wolves that were coming toward my hunting pack.

They had grown more aggressive, they seemed almost desperate to break through the territory boundary, and I had no idea why. None of my scouts ever returned to tell me, and I could not go myself. I had to keep the packs from going after each other, more so now that I had added one more Pack to the area, and grown walls around it designed for our four legged bodies.

It took two hours, but we killed the remainder of the Wolves and werewolves that had broken through the boundary to assault us. They were growing in number, and seemed haggard and distressed beyond reasoning, as if running from something. Yet we never heard howls, or growls of fighting in our patrol of the border.

I huffed, exhausted, my youngest daughter, a Liquid Flame Dark Hound, dragging one of the Dead Lava Orthos bodies from the wreckage. We needed to separate the corpses, and properly lay the two dead to rest.

I growled for the others to begin helping my youngest, and they did. We made our way back, and I personally dug the hollow we would use for their burial, they were with the ancestors now. Mother would watch over them, and keep them safe.

I laid them both gently into the earth, and had the Lava hounds spew their Lava into the pit until filled, burning the bodies to ash to feed the new ground that would form, and I cooled it quickly with my liquid, creating the hard rock that was our ground.

I led the howl to honor their passing, their sacrifice in defending myself, and the packs from the Wolf menace. I had been slowly expanding the border, forcing the wolves to fall back a little each day. Perhaps that is why they now assaulted us with such fevered fervor, though I had a suspicion it was more than that.

I could only wait, and see. I would not willingly send my pack to their deaths without needed cause. We lost several each night to the raids that fought with a mindless fear, but it was nowhere near the amount we would lose if I sent all of my Packs into the remaining Wolf territory. A third the size it had been, I had begun to wonder where the Monster that led them was, I have not seen him since the night Mother was butchered, but I knew he yet lived. Something inside told me he did.

I looked out at the forest, seeing nothing, hearing nothing, smelling nothing. Yet I knew, knew within my very bones that something was off. Something was happening, and I did not know what it was.

Could it be Mother showing me something was wrong, without making her presence known? I did not know. But I doubled the wall patrols in each pack for the night, once the mourning was finished for the Winter Run Pack deaths.

But something happened, just as I laid down for sleep. A connection with the land, it had been completed, no longer halved by green, I jumped to my feet in an instant, growling in fear. Something had killed the monster within the wolf domain, I could hear the distant dying howl of his, I knew it well. What came after, would haunt me for years to come, I knew it would. It was the baying of hounds, darker, more sinister than my Packs, deeper, stronger feeling. I flinched, feeling the connection of the corruption our presence did, and knowing something truly horrible was coming.

The baying grew louder, more numerous. It reminded me of the dark times told of in stories, that ended when I had been born, what Mother had caused. The dark ones, the cruel ones, the EVIL ones were within my lands, and they were hunting. Blood sport, a curse of our kind tempered by my power, and Mother's influence, but I knew its sound within those baying howls, and growls.

We were the next to be hunted, and I would meet them head on. For Mother, for being denied my revenge, and to protect my people. I howled into the night, my howl met by the each and every waking member of my Packs, we would not be hunted in our home! I felt my eldest pups answer my howl, promising they were on their way, along with the other two Packs, as I was currently within the Winter Run Pack Den.

I looked to my youngest daughter, the last I had birthed that was like me, and feared for her. She was a Dark Hound, like her older Siblings, but she was precious as well, Mother chose to come to me through her, I must keep her alive, keep her safe. Regardless of my fate, Mother would care for her, keep her alive in my stead should I perish.

The Baying grew louder, they had passed the boundary. The dark ones came, and the Blood Moon shined brightly. I charged into the night, hunting the hunters, while being hunted. The Winter Run Pack just behind me, my youngest beside me, a warrior in her own right, I would keep her alive. For Mother, and myself.

Then I found them, scores of bloodied black furred bodies, all black with red eyes, the red from the blood of the wolves they killed. I met them in a torrent of fangs, and claws, Boiling water, and Poisonous gases. The longest night had only just...begun.