They walk down the street a couple blocks away from their homes. The city is peaceful at this time of night. Cicadas and birds' wings are the only things heard. Takei sees Usagi, her face deadpan, uncertain.

“Usagi? There is something bothering you, right?” she asks.

“You that good at telling when someone is in need? You like a superhero or something?” She chuckles.

“My mother taught me a lot when I was younger. I didn’t know her for a very long time, but I do remember the things she used to do.” Takei and her mother had a special bond. One that nobody could rip apart except death. The sweetness of her mother was a light in a dark world, a light that got put out too soon.

“Your mother must’ve been a catch for your dad in that case.” She says

“You see, Takei, what I said to Keiko earlier… that wasn’t just for show. The thing troubling me tonight is that I’m afraid. I’m afraid of you guys getting hurt.”

“I see,” Takei says. “That’s a possibility for any of us, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. I don’t care if I get hurt. It’s whatever. I’ll heal, but you guys, damn, do I not want to see that, and damn if I’ll let that happen.” Her voice wobbles.

“Usagi, have care for yourself. We’re your friends, and if we saw you hurt, we’ll feel the same.” Usagi didn’t foresee this response. She grits her teeth.

“You’re right. Every one of us will protect one another. I can’t forget that. We’ll need to learn how to fight as a team to make sure we got everyone’s back.”

“I agree with that. We’ll make sure nobody hurts any of us, and if they do, I’ll heal you all, and we’ll prevail.” Those words set her mind at ease.

“You always know what to say and when to say it, Takei. I wish I was like you sometimes.” Her words strike a chord with Takei. What does she mean?

“Well, look at this, a bunny and her partner walking all alone in a dark alley.” A shrill voice comes out of the dark.

“Takei behind me!” Usagi bounds in front of Takei, a man approaching from the shadow.

“No need to be all jumpy. I’m not here to kill. That’s not my job for the day.” Mr. Music reveals himself, his smile sharp with a smirk.

“I don’t give a damn what your job is. I’ll kill you on the spot if you come any closer!”

“Always the hasty one, little bunny. Don’t worry yourself. As I said, I simply have a message for you today. And that message is: they know about you, and they’re coming for you.”

“H-huh?” Takei widens her eyes. “Coming for us?”

“Yes to your little friend over there, do pass that on to all of them. And don’t mistake this as an act of kindness or betrayal to my Remnants, in fact. I was told to tell you.”

“What!? Why!?” Usagi doesn’t take her guard down. The strain in her voice causes it to go hoarse. There is an element of fear and uneasiness.

“Miss Bones told me. You’ve heard of her, haven’t you, bunny?” he asks.

“The Remnant of bones.” The salvia in her mouth dries. “She’s a monster no different from any of you. She is a killer of many.”

“929 of them. She is a precise woman. Including seven Remnants.” Both of the girls' hearts drop.

Takei can feel the chill of the wind. Usagi has her hair ride along with it, her determination unfazed if he chooses to attack.

“Are you telling us this so we’ll be afraid?” A smile shows on Usagi. Her fangs now bared in a wicked smile. “Because if you are, you’re not getting anywhere. I’m not the same girl you used to know.” Her aura surrounds her. A glare of surprise hits his face.

“I’m well-aware.” He is intrigued by this level of power. She isn’t near his own, but a display like this in a short period of time. “No matter, little bunny. You know as well as I that I’m not the true threat. I’m simply a grunt who works for a higher, stronger power. And it’s not my place to be the first to test you.”

“Test us? Do you think this is a game!? These people are trying to destroy life as we know it, and you’re testing us!?”

“We understand Mr. Nuke Happy. That’s for us to know and for you to never understand. But this isn’t a want from him. This is Miss Bones's request.”

“Miss Bones can die in a hole like the rest of you,” Usagi snaps.

“Usagi…”

“Takei, stay behind me, understand? Don’t try and stop me. This bastard is dying tonight!” She launches forward.

“Usagi no!” Her plea doesn’t go through. She is blinded by rage and the desire to make him pay.

“My little bunny, you are a foolish girl, aren’t you?” The girl connects her first with his arm, and he stumbles back. A swishing leg comes from the left side, hitting her hip, the force knocking her into a wall as she grunts in pain. “Damn it!” Pounding her foot against the wall, she resumes her attack. This time, Mr. Music grips her ankle, lifting her above his head and shoving her into the concrete. A trail of blood leaks from her forehead. “Don’t think you won!” Her fighting spirit isn’t broken.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

She forces him to let go, gaining her footing and launching another attack, jumping high into the air, the moonlight shining her fangs as they come down, missing his shoulder. With a right hook, he pummels her into the ground as Takei stands in horror.

“Your bunny friend isn’t the smartest girl, is she?”

“Don’t you mock me!” Her fist comes up and hits his chest. He grits the gravel, stones flying up around him. He clenches his breast. “Gah! Lucky hit. But you noticed one thing, didn’t you?”

“Yeah…” she says as she gasps for air in her lungs. “You’re not using your Remnant.”

Takei falls to the ground in fear. His power is immense, and he’s not even using his Remnant. “Usagi, please, we can’t win…” she says.

“Your friend is wiser than you, you dreadful bunny. Lucky for you both, it isn’t my job to kill either of you only to deliver that message.”

Usagi is dead silent.

“I’ll be taking my leave now. Oh. One last thing. You better all try harder because whether you intend to take down our organization or not, you’re all part of Miss Bones’s hit list.” He leaves the skirmish. The blood of the girl hits the ground, her hand wiping it from her forehead as she takes in the sight of it stained on her hand.

“Usagi!” Takei stands up, rushing to her friend. She checks her injury, being met with a blank stare. “You’re bleeding, let me h—”

“It’ll heal on its own. Please. Let’s not make a big deal of it.”

“Usagi, please, it’ll scar otherwise, l—”

“Then let it scar!” she shouts. A tear befalls her cheek. It joins the red river against her skin, each falling and mixing. “I couldn’t win… I wouldn’t have won if he had intended to hurt us; I would have lost, and that would have meant, it would have meant!” She collapses onto her knees, her back resting against the wall as she hides her face away, ashamed to cry. “I never cry, I never ever cry, but I couldn’t win, Takei. I should have won, I should have gotten close, not for it to be a completely one-sided affair!” The hurt in her voice is bristling her speech.

“Usagi… You did your best.”

“It wasn’t enough! If he had hurt you, I… I…!” Arms tighten around her, the sudden warmth of her friend. “You fought for me, to protect me, and to make sure I wouldn’t get hurt.” Her hands pull her chin up gently, their eyes meeting. “So please, let me heal you for helping me, okay?” The wet eyes of her friend slowly go away.

“Takei… Yes, you can heal me.” She brushes her hair out of the way, showing a deep wound. She had taken a beating from that short fight. She begins to heal her.

“I’m not a docile little bunny…”

“Huh?” Takei tilts her head.

“He calls me a little bunny… a mocking nickname because of my charm. I’m not a bunny. Bunnies are prey in the wild, animals that run away from other, bigger, more dangerous animals in hopes that they’ll live another day. I’m not a bunny no matter what my charm is…”

Takei can hear her pain.

“You’re not a bunny because of your charm. You’re a girl with a lion heart,” she sings out.

“Takei, that doesn’t even sound like a song that’s just words.” She laughs a little. Her song truly sounds offbeat and not free-flowing.

“A song doesn’t always have to be the most fitting to a melody or a rhythm. Sometimes rules are meant to be broken.” She grins.

“You’re starting to sound like Okazaki now. Though. You’re both right. Rules aren’t always to be followed.” She pauses.

“So, maybe I don’t have to be a scared little bunny just because that’s the rule of nature. I am not a bunny. I’m myself.”

“You are.” Takei keeps healing her, her eyes closing.

“Bunny, bunny, bird, bird, these are animals on this green earth. Though they come from different worlds, they are apart of the same, and all the while, none the same.”

“Ever thought of becoming a poet, Shakespeare?” She now belly laughs, her spirit being lifted after it all. The wound seals up.

“Still. We need to be aware now of what we’re truly dealing with and what he said. It seems now we have absolutely no choice on the matter. We have to take them all down.” She stands up, her body feeling rejuvenated after being healed.

“We have to tell the others.” She grabs her phone and starts to type.

“By the way, I sent you an invite to our group chat just now, so make sure you join it. We’ll need to use it to discuss our plan of attack.”

Taking the invite, she jumps into reading.

Usagi: Hey guys, bad news to announce. Me and Takei were attacked by one of Mr. Nuke Happy’s lackeys.

There is a pause before multiple are typing. Takei joins.

Okazaki: Wait, what! The hell U mean!?

Keiko: Oh no, no! Are you two okay!? Did you get hurt!? The following is a barrage of cat emojis, symbolizing her worry.

Ishimoto: You must tell us more

Shoji: That’s not good. Tell us what happened.

They explained to them. A jaw-drop of horror, a dash of intrigue. They all can’t help but imagine this outcome was a sign that their training is not enough. A hefty amount will need to be done to even come close to them, especially the one Usagi describes as Miss Bones.

Ishimoto: Sounds like we’ll need to have a discussion about this Miss Bones. If she holds more power then Usagi, we’re in deep trouble.

Okazaki: Yeah, she may not have had it much longer than we did, but did you see the way she handled that guy like yesterday’s garbage? Doubt anyone could have done that besides her.

Shoji: Yeah, you guys are right, we neeeeeeeeeeeeeeddddd.

Keiko: Shoji fell asleep mid-text again. He’s hopeless!

Usagi: Regardless, we need to keep a lookout. We’re all targets now, and none of us are safe. From now on, we gotta keep tabs on one another.

The mood is set for the upcoming future of them all.

Ishimoto: Understood. And from now on, we need to push ourselves harder than ever. Let’s all meet up after school tomorrow.

All: Right.

The two girls shut their phones off.

“Hey, I’m walking you home tonight, all right, Takei? I know my house is first, but I can’t let anything happen to you.” A sliver of leftover blood drips to her palm. “Hey, want to see something cool?’ She licks and smirks. “I’m a bunny vampire, baaah!” She begins to chase Takei, her teeth out as she runs down the alleyway.

“Hey, hey! Stop, Usagi! That’s scary!”

Her heart is pounding, and she smiles. These moments with her friends are levity in any situation, including this one. She recognizes this dire time in their lives, in everyone’s. She has this fire in her now, lit up, and a cracking inside her head. She can see it. The ability to heal forgoes the ability to hurt. She blanks out for a moment, standing still. Usagi uses this opportunity to lunge forward and hug her from behind.

“Something wrong. Why did you stop? You afraid I’m going to dig these fangs all the way to the veins that you froze from fear?”

“No, sorry… I just… had this weird thought, is all. You’re chasing me like you used to when we were kids. Aren’t we a bit old for that?” She laughs.

“Never too old to have fun. I feel that’s what the world forgets, especially in this time. Even with everything going down the drain and the possibility of Armageddon, we shouldn’t lose all sense of self. Hell, we all should keep being ourselves despite all this, never forget who we are, yeah?”

“You’re right. If we do, we’ll only be consumed by fear.”

“Yeah, matter a fact.” She extends out her pinky. “We promise no matter what, we’re always going to have fun and keep going. Hell, maybe let’s all go to the arcade soon. I need to pay back Ishimoto for being better at that crane game than Okazaki and me for being such a sharpshooter in cowboy-get 'em-up!”

Takei takes in the sight of her pinky and clasp around instantly.

“Yeah, we’ll not let this consume us.”

In agreement, the two make their way home. Usagi makes sure she’s at her door going in before taking her leave. Takei, in her room now, takes the sight of the ceiling. She thinks about the mundane things. Life won’t be the same anymore.