In the main hall of the Golden Phoenix Flock's base, Kori was standing over a frozen Jinkai, where only his head was left in the open. Sitting on their knees next to him was Shirokane and Akahito, "So... Do you two want to explain why Jinkai acted out and attacked one of the students in Zubeth?" Kori asked calmly.

Akahito quickly bowed before he answered, "I wasn't watching him properly, ma'am!" Akahito sweated nervously as he kept his head lowered.

Jinkai said something but his breath was shivering and faint. "Quiet, you've caused enough problems!" Akahito hissed.

Kori sighed, "Jinkai, you'll be tied to the post until the game passes. You are to not be given food or water," Kori then stood up to walk over to Jinkai. "Did you really think I would applaud you for not only attacking an innocent student, but also putting forward my plan to restore the economy of Eleanoria?"

Kori snapped her fingers and Arashi walked up with a document, showing a projected graph for the sales of the game. "I had Meiji make this, this game will allow small struggling businesses to sell and make profit they've been struggling to do. All thanks to one person, Kai."

The ice around Jinkai melts as he's grabbed by Arashi. "By allowing that wolf to come here, two things will happen. One, by allowing a Silver Wolf, one of the Flock's hated, to come into Eleanoria for a simple game, trade firms will see that we're not so violent as people believe and start back up trade." Kori and Arashi began walking, with Jinkai being dragged along, Akahito and Shirokane following behind them. "Two, from what I know about Kai from what Gin has blathered on about, Kai is a big spender, especially when traveling. money is no issue for him as he has literal millions saved up due to fights, allowances, and selling caught Ferals. By letting him come here, he'll support the stores failing to make ends meet and then some. So if he doesn't show up to the game due to your actions..." Kori pulled Jinkai's head up to make him look her in the face as Arashi tied his arms to a post. "I will skin you alive and make a bag out of you. Understand?"

"So the plan is to get him here, he'll spend big, and show that we welcome canines. Once again Lady Kori, you're a great mind and leader." Akahito said as he bowed his head.

"Yes, thank you for breaking the record, Akahito." A voice spoke up from where Kuroimizu sat.

"That was Dooku!" The tortoise said defensively.

Kori then walked by Kuroimizu and spoke, "Kuroimizu, Dooku, ensure that no one under any circumstance gives Jinkai any food or water until the game."

"Yes ma'am, I will make sure of it. Dooku already poisoned him to keep him from moving." Kuroimizu spoke with Jinkai falling over, a double piercing bite mark on his leg was shown.

"Excellent work Dooku," Kori nodded as Shirokane walked up to her, "Yes?"

Shirokane lowered his head and spoke, "I'd like to discuss the plan to observe Kai's actions"

"What?"

"The one we talked about over the phone, I called your personal line."

"You didn't call my phone. If you did, Arashi would've picked up first. I have no idea how to use a cellphone." Kori admitted with 0 shame.

Everyone fell silent before suddenly someone came in, a Long-Eared Owl Pangean in a business suit holding a box. "Oh, sorry if I interrupted anything important. I just needed to drop off this last box, on and Mother-in-law--"

"Meiji, we agreed you'd never call me that." Kori answered with venom.

"S-sorry ma'am, anyway, Niji wanted me to return your phone. She had it since yesterday, I don't know why she had it." With those words, everyone was silent. Shirokane left the room then a powerful scream could be heard for a second before he returned. "Are you alright Mister Shirokane?"

"No, I believe lady Kori is planning to kill me now. In the event of my death, Meiji, I trust you to handle the affairs of my funeral." Shirokane sounded so sure that he was about to die.

"Not yet. First, explain."

"We believe Kai is the one Lady Taiyo has fallen in love with, if I was speaking with Lady Niji, she ordered me to kill him... I suggested we spied on him instead." Shirokane explained.

Kori was silent for a moment before sharply inhaling, "... Arashi! Paddle!" Arashi quickly presented a wooden paddle with holes cut into it. "That little lady is going to get such a paddling." Kori swatted the paddle on her hand making a loud SWAT sound, which made Shirokane clench his buttcheeks.

"That explains a lot on the weekends." Meiji said under his breath.

"What was that?" Kori asked.

"NOTHING! I'll leave now!" Meiji dropped the box and ran out of the room.

"I heard what he said, oh my~" Akahito replied under his own breath. "Ahem, in any case, I think this plan should go through, spying on him I mean. We can't confirm that this Kai boy is the one Taiyo has her heart for, and we could learn a few things that could help us, seeing how the commute of the Pack treats their own canines and do the same."

Kori placed the paddle on her shoulder as she thought before speaking, "Good point, and having a student from Eleanoria will also help increase relations between the two cities."

"Who will be spying on them?" A voice spoke, the one belonging to Dooku.

"Yoshimi, she was expelled from their school the other day for bashing another with a brick."

"I taught her that!" Kori shouts proudly. "Alright, send her to their school, watch Kai closely, make sure he doesn't suspect a thing."

"And if he is the one she loves?" Shirokane asked but Kori remained silent, she needed to think.

"What was your impression of him?"

"He seemed like a threat, a tactical genius ruling his peers like the son of a thug he is." Shirokane answered.

"The devil in person!" Ozzy answered. "He scared me then."

"Young, brash, and ferocious! But slightly good looking, I can see why Lady Taiyo might like him." Akahito answered with strange looks from the Bat and Tiger. "What?"

Jinkai made a noise but nothing really made sense before he was smacked by a serpentine-like whip coming from Kuroimizu's robes. "I can speak paralyzed tongue." Kuroimizu replied before speaking. "He said he looked like a bitch to me-- C'mon Jinkai, stop being petty."

"I see, he must be someone with greatness to his family, the pride of the pack after all."

*****

Kai was sleeping in his room, a bag of chips on his stomach and in his underwear, he snorted in his sleep he rolled over and fell off his beanbag chair. Kai groaned before letting out a burpsnart, in the order of burp, sneeze, and then fart. Cujo opened the door to see Kai with his butt in the air, shaking his head before closing the door.

*****

In Chi's bedroom, Taiyo was covering Chi's facial scar with a golden aura. After a while, the scar glowed brightly but yet nothing changed. "D-damn it, not again. I'm sorry Chi, I swear maybe if I--"

"Taiyo," Chi spoke up. "I think you've done enough for now. I just want to get some rest."

Taiyo quickly stammered out, "Wait! Healing spells like this one cause drowsiness and will cause other issues!"

"Taiyo!" Chi walked to her bed. "It is a scar, you can't heal alright... maybe you got scammed with that book."

Taiyo looked at the book and replied, "Maybe if I just..." Taiyo yawned heavily, before rubbing her eyes.

"Taiyo... How long did you sleep last night?"

There was a knock at the door. Taiyo walked over to it, opened it and saw Meiji just outside. "Oh, hey Taiyo."

"Dad!" Taiyo hugged the owl, her father. "What are you doing here?"

"Just checking up on you and your sister, be busy with working the books and this event your grandmother is planning." He scratched the back of head, he looked nervous, one mishap could ruin it. "I think if we mess this up she'll try to flay me alive, hehe... again."

"That was a scary Christmas." Taiyo sounded horrified.

"By the way, why are you in Chi-Chi's room? I-Is she not well?" Meiji asked as he looked inside the room to see his other daughter on the bed. She looked over her shoulder to see him but looked away, guilt hitting him as he saw the scar. "Um, could I come in, Ch-Chi?"

"Your house too, no matter what Grandma says..." Chi replied with her father entering. He then noticed the book Taiyo left on the dresser.

"Hmm, practicing magic you two?"

Chi sighed, "Taiyo's trying to heal this scar." Chi pointed at her scar

"Th-that can be done?!" Meiji sounded surprised as he made his way to the book and started to look over the pages.

"I've tried reading it, it is in another language, someone told me it might hold a spell that could help her but I have hard time trying to understand it and--"

"This is written in Wukong." Meiji said to his daughter, surprising her. "I never picked up the language, but the Wukongs have a history for collecting and creating spells and other things,"

"R-really, I never knew the Wukongs had a language."

"No one ever did, unless you were a Wukong or have close ties to one you can't understand it. Sun Wukong the Fourth tried teaching it but others thought it was a joke and in anger they swore to never teach it to anyone other than themselves... After destroying that city that laughed at them." Meiji explained. "Sorry, to both of you, I'd really want to help but I barely understand some of their basic characters... Wait, Taiyo, where did you get this book?" Meiji asked Taiyo to sweat bullets. "Taiyo, where?"

"... Zubeth."

"You went--!" Meiji covered his mouth before whispering, as he noticed Chi rose from laying down as she heard. "You went to Zubeth? Are you crazy? Why?"

"I met this lady who told me about it, I took that chance and went there."

"I can't believe it, Junfuku wouldn't have let you go there, how did you convince him to take you?"

"He... didn't... I went alone." Taiyo could see her father's beak hit the floor. "Sorry, I-I wanted to... I want to help Chi!"

"I do to, when your mother... when she did that to our daughter I was horrified and wanted to do everything in my power to fix it, your sister didn't deserve that and..." He turned to see Chi was sitting in her bed before laying down. Meiji lowered his head in total shame. "I wish things were different, I really do girls, I love you both equally." Meiji walked over to Chi was closed her eyes, trying to seem she was asleep, he lowered down and kissed her forehead.

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"Dad, please don't be mad--"

"I'm not mad, I'll never be mad at the girls I love, I was never mad at your mother either, a piece of me believing she didn't want to do what she did either. Taiyo, I hope you find a spell that will help your sister."

Meiji started to walk out of the room, Chi having a slight tear rolling down her face, and Taiyo looking at the book before remembering something. Wu, the Wukong that was with Kai.

Suddenly, a loud SMACK echoed down the halls, startling the father and daughters.

"What was that?!" Taiyo asked.

"Your grandmother is punishing your mother!" Meiji said as he started to run out. He heard another smack with him stopping and covering his backside from the sound of each smack. "This really does explain so much about Niji." He then continued to run towards where his wife was being punished.

*****

In the library of the main building, Kori had Niji bent over the table. "Causing problems like always!" Kori announced as she reeled back the paddle.

"Mother, Please I was thinking about Taiyo's future! That boy could be a bad influence!" Niji begged as she struggled against her mother's grip.

"You would have screwed up her future with what you tried! Are you trying to start a war!" With one last smack Niji was sent flying across the table and landed on the floor across the room.

Niji flopped around on the floor, holding her rear, Shirokane and Akahito were standing outside waiting to give the maids the sign to clean up the mess. "If I recall correctly, you and Niji were famous for getting that paddling from Kori."

"I know where you're going with this, don't do it."

"You especially, while you were still young and inexperienced."

"Swear to god, don't." Shirokane hissed.

Akahito had a wide grin before speaking, "When they called you Paddleboy Kane."

"THAT NICKNAMES DIES WITH YOU!!!"

*****

"Dear, are you alright?" Meiji asked his wife who was lying on her stomach in bed, the moment she saw her husband she reached forward and pulled him into bed hugging him tightly "I see it was a rough day."

"Oh Meiji, My Meiji! It was so much! I learned Taiyo has fallen in love and the boy is a bad influence! And now my mother punished me because I suggested on killing that FUCKING BRAT!" She then noticed she was holding too tightly as his face was blue, releasing him. "Oh! Sorry!"

"It is fine dear, but you know the Flock can't do that, he is in Zubeth and is the grandson of Gin, Alpha of the Pack. Attacking him would start a war. I fear what that would do to everything your family built." He said with concern, he moved behind her moving his wings on her shoulders rubbing them like a massage. "You've been through so much and this is overdoing it. From what I heard at that meeting they still don't know if it is him." Meiji explained to her trying his best to calm down the phoenix. He placed a wing on one of his moving sides and gave him a kiss he returned.

"Oh my dear, I know the bad sides, I just want what is best for our Taiyo. I love her so much."

"I do to, I really do, now how about we just calm down and--"

"Actually, I need stress relief." Niji got off the bed and walked over to the closet, Meiji looking worried. "I know it isn't the weekend but..." She walked out holding a paddle of her own as well as several bondage equipment. "I NEED this."

'Oh Lord, I need to save my ass literally and metaphorically.' Meiji then had the idea, he'd apologize to Taiyo later. "Um, right dear I should also tell you something important, I didn't want to increase your stress, but... Taiyo snuck away from Junfuku and went to Zubeth..." The moment those words left his mouth she dropped everything in her wings and ran out of the room.

*****

The next day, around noon, Junfuku spotted who he believed to be Taiyo walking out of the house in a very out of character and casual attire. "Hold it, Lady Taiyo, you're supposed to be in your room, grounded-" Chi turned to Junfuku, revealing the large scar across her face. "Oh! Lady Chi, my apologies, I thought you were Taiyo."

"Yeah, well I'm not. Can I go now?" Chi replied, turning to head back out the door only for Junfuku to stop her again.

"Hold on, where are you going?" Junfuku inquired, "You are still a part of Lady Kori's family."

"Yeah, but I'm not all that important, everyone sees the scar and ignores me." Chi replied, pointing at her scar. "They know I'm about as important in my family as my dad is, so they act like I don't exist, just like how my mom forgets that I exist."

Junfuku sighed heavily as he thought to himself, 'I want to argue but I can't... Everything she's said is true. Lady Niji can barely recall she has two daughters, much less recall her name... As are the effects of Fledging...' He noticed her walking, he wanted to follow her protect her since she was apart of the family but couldn't, he had his duties.

Chi walked out of the gates to her home and down the street, Kori was watching her second granddaughter walk off. 'Fledging... When two or more Avians are born the mother will scar the weaker child and favor the stronger one. As a result, the child is scarred and completely pushed from the mother's memories, forgetting the child ever existed. Niji doesn't even remember she has two daughters after attacking Chi,' Kori thought as she took out a pack of cigarettes and put them in a long cigarette holder. "If only I got there sooner, such a wonderful day wouldn't have been ruined by such a horrible event."

Arashi spoke up, "Ms. Kori, you said you'd quit those-" His voice was silenced by Kori freezing his beak shut. Kori took a long inhale before letting out a large cloud out the window. Her eyes seemed to remember the day Taiyo and Chi had hatched. "If that fool Meiji hadn't brought Niji to her daughters when they hatched, it never would have happened." She then noticed Junfuku, she could tell he was contemplating whether he should follow her or not, he looked up to see Lady Kori looking down at him before nodding, he followed Chi.

*****

In Taiyo's room, the Golden Phoenix was searching her room for her book. "Where is it? Where did I put it last?" She asked herself as she searched the room. "I know it's around here somewhere."

Just then Taiyo heard her door open, peeking over and she saw her mother, Niji. "There's my baby girl, how's your home-"

Taiyo immediately cut her mother off, "My homework is finished, my study guides are complete, and my book assignments are done."

"That is great, now that it is over maybe we can speak some mother-daughter time! We can trim your wings a little, practice a new spell, talk about what you were doing in Zubeth and who K- I mean... just talk... Yes, sweetie, just talk."

"Mom, I am sorry for going to Zubeth, but I needed to go there for Chi."

"Who?"

Taiyo paused where she stood and looked at her mother, "Chi... Your older daughter? My older sister?" Niji tilted her head in confusion as Taiyo continued, "Chi, older daughter, scar across the face, can't do magic that well."

"Taiyo, you are my only daughter. You don't have a sister." Niji replied.

Taiyo's eyes twitched before she shouted, "GRANDMA!!!" Taiyo and Niji were taken a back when Kori crashed through the door, nearly knocking the door of the hinges. "AH!"

"What is it?! Assassin?! I'll use Meiji as a shield!" Kori looked around to see Niji and Taiyo alone. "Oh, your mother is just over coddling you. I'll take care of her and get her to leave you be."

"I don't over do that!" Niji sounded protective of herself.

"I'll get the paddle!" Kori replied with Niji sweating profusely while Taiyo was confused.

"Um, Grandma, can I have a word with you?" Taiyo asked, Kori nodded as she grabbed Niji, walked her to the window and tossed her out of it. "Grandma!"

"What? She can--" she was interrupted as they heard a thud hit the ground. "She's an idiot who forgot to fly. What is it you wanted to talk about?"

"You know Chi right?" Taiyo asked, Kori looked confused which made Taiyo worried.

"Of course I do, why do you ask?" Kori said, easing Taiyo.

"It's just that... I asked my mother about Chi and she acted like she didn't know who she was."

"Oh... I should tell you about that." Kori then explained everything to Taiyo, about the Fledging... Taiyo looked horrified. She learned everything, how her mother scared her own child because she was weaker and now she doesn't even remember having her.

"You mean... that is why she... this explains everything..." Taiyo looked as if she was going to cry, Kori comfort her granddaughter with a hug. "Why... why did she have to do it?"

"It-it is an outdated and worthless thing to do, no mother should do it to their child." Kori told Taiyo trying to ease her worries.

"Why did I have to be born like this... maybe if I was never hatched she wouldn't--"

"Taiyo!" Kori pulled her back and placed her wings on her shoulders. "Never say that! Ever! You were born but you didn't make your mother do what she did! It... it was a poor moment of weakness. Nothing is your fault, I swear." She then pulled her back into the hug.

"Grandma... you know why I'm grounded right?"

"You went to Zubeth, Junfuku was punished enough and I think a week is enough for you to learn a lesson." Kori explained to her granddaughter.

"That's.." she then gently pushed Kori back, giving her space. "There is a reason I went there, I found this book and someone said it holds a spell where I can heal her scar... I need it thought and..." Kori stopped her placing the tip of her wing over her beak to silence her for a second.

"Shh. If you believe this book will help I hope it does, I want nothing more than to help your sister, I felt so much guilt for never stopping your mother but I want to trust you dear." Kori then pulled her into one more hug.

*****

Chi walked through a park, the carrying bag around her shoulder felt heavier than she could ever believe, she passed a bench where three avian Pangeans, each a different breed of a robin, each eyeing her as she walked by but stopped to give them a side eye forcing them to look away. She continued on her walk with the three robins looking at each other, one pulled out a bag, another had rope, and the last had a rag and bottle in their winged hands. The moment they rose from the bench, two of them suddenly disappeared, the last robin looking around before a pair of black wings grab the side of his head before snapping it.

Chi heard the snapping sound and turned around to see nothing, no one was there, she thought the robins left. She continued her walk again, this time making it to a bridge over a river, stopping half way across, she pulled something out of her carrying bag, it was the book Taiyo had left in her room. '...Taiyo... I bet you brought this to try and make yourself look good, trying to impress our family even more!' Chi thought and believed, she didn't think Taiyo was actually helping her, why would the "perfect" child want to help the "weakest" one. She got ready to throw the book, she wanted to get rid of it, thinking it couldn't help her, she thought it couldn't, but she didn't believe it couldn't.

She lowered her wings, looking at the book, she opened it, whoever wrote the Wukong language was either a Wukong themself or just a jerk who thought they were funny. 'Could this really help me... this scar, this damn thing that even to this day still hurts really help me?' Chi's thoughts were interrupted as a rustling sound could be heard, turning she saw Junfuku falling out of some bushes. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, me, just doing my job and protecting you and your family." Junfuku replied, shaking off the dirt and leaves. "So Princess, why did you want to leave the house? You're not one for going on walks."

"I..." Chi quickly placed the book back with Junfuku reaching her, she avoided eye contact. "I... don't want to talk about it... Taiyo has been trying to fix this." She pointed at her scar then looked down into the water. "Typical Taiyo, the perfect little girl wanting to do the impossible and impress everyone."

"C'mon, that isn't Taiyo, she isn't the perfect girl, she's trying to help you because she loves you. You're her sister after all." Junfuku said as he looked over the young phoenix. "I know things are rough--"

"How would you know that?! I have a scar across my face! You don't know how bad this looks or the pain with it!" Chi sounded furious before seeing Junfuku didn't turn to her, she went too far. "Shit, I-I'm,--"

"Right? Yeah, I can never know the pain you're going through. Really, that scar and what your mother did really haunts you. Your father, grandmother, and everyone who was supposed to protect you the moment you were born, especially your own mother, failed to protect you... But Taiyo, she wants to make it right, she wants to be a good sister and help you, she really does, if you don't believe me later tonight go and see your sister." Junfuku looked at Chi who lowered her head in shame. "Now, how about I return that book for you and take you home?"

Chi handed him her carrying bag and walked with him, she needed this talk and now an answer for a question. "You killed those robins, didn't you?" Chi bluntly stated.

"They were thinking of doing something so I prevented it. Thank goodness Ozzy was free today."

Just elsewhere, Ozzy the bat was digging three graves, with three bodies already in bags, he looked pissed off. "Call me on my first day off in four years! 'Hey Oz! Could you bury a body or two? Thanks, drinks are on me tonight!' Fuckin' mad crow! I didn't sign up for this! I'm only in the Flock because I accidentally off'd that spy that was going to sell 'em out to the cops!" Ozzy then noticed from the shadows Junfuku and Chi walking by, not noticing him, a part of him wanted to flip off the crow but couldn't.

"Junfuku," Chi turned to a crow who looked at her with a smile. "Thanks for talking to me, you're protective, kind, and now just how to keep someone calm in mind, you would make a great father."

Junfuku stopped for a moment, his smile washed away, before Chi turned to see why he stopped the crow and swiftly wiped a tear. "Yeah... I could have made a great father..." They continued to walk.

*****

It was close to midnight, Chi was sneaking through the hallways to her sister's room. 'I can't believe I'm doing this... She's going to be asleep like everyone else!' Chi thought as she walked through the halls.

Upon getting to her sister's room, Chi opened the door slightly to peek inside, where she saw Taiyo at her desk, looking at the book she risked her safety for, holding a pen trying to decode the language. Chi could tell her older sister was nodding off while she was trying to stay awake before she flopped face first onto the pen. "Taiyo!" Chi announced as she approached her sister quickly, Taiyo made a twitching motion before she turned to ash within seconds. "Dammit... Grandma!"

Kori suddenly burst through the door and announced, "Whaths whrang...?!" Kori hung her head from her shoulders, still very sleepy before Chi slapped both her cheeks and woke her up. "I'm Awake! What happened?!"

"Taiyo Ashed," Chi answered before Kori zoomed past her and began quickly using magic to gather Taiyo's ashes.

"Ashed while working late, again?" Kori stated, causing Chi to do a double take.

"I'm sorry, Again? She's done this before?" Chi asked.

Kori sighed as she whistled, Arashi then appeared in pajamas and holding a jar in which the icy phoenix placed the ashes in. "Yes, Taiyo often over works herself. Last week, Shirokane found her still awake after staying up for nearly five days straight without sleep. Ashed after falling back on a nail in the wall due to minor narcolepsy mid-conversation."

Chi was flabbergasted, her sister was overworking herself studying, "F-for what?! What could possibly be so important to her that she needs to spend several hours awake trying to learn!?"

"If her answers are consistent, try to learn a healing spell to fix your scar, and she's been doing this for a long while." Kori answered. The older golden phoenix was stunned, her little sister was doing this for her? Why? Why would the perfect child of the family go through so much to heal her? "I'm... Gonna go to bed..."

"Chi..." Kori spoke to Chi who kept going to her room. "Good night, my little bird..." When she knew Chi was out of hearing her, she spoke again, a single tear falling from her face. "And I am so sorry that I couldn't protect you."