The streets of Ashford overflowed with celebration as the New Light Festival parade wound through town. Colorful banners fluttered overhead while delicious aromas wafted from food stalls lining the packed streets. Light Aurons performed overhead, their abilities painting the evening sky in dazzling patterns that drew gasps of wonder from the crowd below. But Angelo couldn't appreciate any of it – he was too busy chasing after Red's rapidly disappearing form through the sea of festival-goers.

"Red, get back here!" Angelo's voice carried equal parts panic and frustration as he shouldered his way through the crowd. The thought of seeing Harry again after all these years made his stomach twist into knots. Why did Red always have to make everything more difficult?

Ahead of him, Red weaved through the crowd with predatory grace, completely ignoring the protests of people he squeezed past. His trademark wicked grin only grew wider with each step closer to their old neighborhood.

Behind Angelo, Neiva did her best to keep up, leaving a trail of breathless apologies in her wake. "Sorry! Excuse me! Coming through!" Her brilliant red hair made her easy to spot as she navigated the human maze, trying not to lose sight of Angelo running ahead.

The commotion drew the attention of a woman standing at the edge of the crowd – Mrs. Lin, whose eyes widened as she spotted the approaching figure. Her initial alarm at seeing Red's manic expression quickly shifted to recognition as she noticed Angelo pursuing him. Her hand flew to her mouth in surprise.

"It couldn't be..." she whispered, memories flooding back as Red skidded to a stop right in front of her, his grin now impossibly wide.

"Hey Mrs. Lin!" Red's casual greeting carried all the innocence of a child who hadn't just caused chaos through half the festival. "Is Harry around?"

Mrs. Lin's gaze darted between Red and the approaching Angelo, pieces clicking into place. "Angelo? No, wait – you must be one of the others he manifests." Understanding dawned in her eyes as Angelo finally caught up, hands on his knees as he caught his breath.

"Mrs. Lin," Angelo managed between breaths, mortification clear on his face. "I am so sorry about this. Red just spotted you and-"

"You're looking for Harry?" she asked gently, something knowing in her expression.

"Yes!" Red's enthusiastic response came just as Angelo blurted, "No! Please ignore Red – he specializes in making bad situations worse."

The air shimmered as Blue materialized beside them, offering a formal bow that seemed oddly fitting despite the chaos. "Mrs. Lin, it's wonderful to see you again."

Neiva finally caught up, her confusion evident as she looked between them. "Wait, you know each other?"

A warm smile touched Mrs. Lin's lips. "Of course! Angelo and Harry used to spend hours practicing together when they were younger. Those two were inseparable."

"But..." Neiva's brow furrowed as she tried to reconcile this with what she knew. "I thought they were rivals who hated each other?"

Mrs. Lin's soft chuckle carried years of memories. "Oh, it's much more complicated than that, dear. Much more complicated indeed."

The festival lights painted shifting patterns across Mrs. Lin's face as Red bounced on his heels, unable to contain himself. "So," he pressed, practically vibrating with anticipation, "where's Harry?"

A shadow passed across Mrs. Lin's features before settling into a bittersweet smile. "He's not around anymore," she said, her eyes distant with memory. "A professional Auron manager heard about his unique abilities and came to scout him. Now Harry's out there, chasing his dream of becoming a champion." Pride and pain mingled in her voice, making it waver slightly.

"Oh wow," Neiva breathed, while Red scuffed his boot against the ground, deflating like a punctured balloon. Angelo couldn't quite hide his relief, his shoulders relaxing fractionally.

Blue studied Mrs. Lin's expression with scholarly attention. "You seem... troubled by this development," he observed carefully.

Mrs. Lin's fingers twisted together as she stared past the parade, seeing something far beyond the festive crowds. "I am happy for him, truly. There's not much here in Ashford for someone with his talents. It's just..." She took a steadying breath. "There's something else."

"What's wrong?" Angelo asked, his usual edge softening with genuine concern.

"You remember how Harry was," she began, "always keeping everyone at arm's length."

"Tell me about it," Angelo muttered, memories of Harry's increasingly isolated teenage years rising unbidden.

"I hoped he'd grow out of it eventually." Mrs. Lin's voice carried the particular pain of a mother watching her child drift away. "But it's only gotten worse. He barely speaks to me now." Her composure cracked slightly. "I even called his manager once. All he said was 'Harry's a man of few words' now."

Neiva's face fell with sympathy, but Red's expression suddenly lit up with dangerous inspiration. "Say, Mrs. Lin," he leaned forward, ignoring the warning looks from the others, "has Harry evolved yet?"

The unexpected question made Mrs. Lin blink in surprise. "No, he hasn't. Why do you ask?"

A predatory grin spread across Red's face. "Well, we have. And since we're planning to hit the tournament circuit ourselves..." He cracked his knuckles with theatrical menace. "When we run into him, we'll use our evolved power to knock some sense into that thick skull of his! Make him realize his mom's worried sick and he needs to drop this lone wolf act!"

Something about Red's aggressive attempt at comfort – complete with exaggerated flexing – broke through Mrs. Lin's gloom. A genuine laugh escaped her. "Oh, you haven't changed a bit, have you?"

"Why mess with perfection?" Red snickered, drawing eye rolls from his counterparts.

"Just... try not to be too rough with my boy," Mrs. Lin's maternal concern couldn't quite hide her amusement. "Though you know how tough he can be."

"All too well," Blue acknowledged diplomatically.

"No promises!" Red's declaration overlapped with Angelo's more measured "We'll see what we can do."

Their synchronized response drew startled looks from both women before laughter rippled through the group, softening the earlier tension. As they exchanged farewells, the festival lights seemed warmer somehow, as if the moment had carved out its own pocket of peace amid the celebration.

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"Where to now?" Neiva asked once they'd left Mrs. Lin behind, practically bouncing with curiosity as she fell into step beside Angelo.

He paused, something distant in his expression as the sounds of the festival faded behind them. "Somewhere special," he said finally. "Maybe even a bit nostalgic."

Neiva's eyes lit up with intrigue as they turned toward the forest's edge, leaving the bright lights and cheerful noise of the festival behind. The trees ahead stood like silent sentinels, their branches swaying gently in the evening breeze as if beckoning them forward into memory's embrace.

The forest seemed to hold its breath as they walked, branches reaching like curious fingers through the deepening twilight. Neiva picked her way carefully behind Angelo, wincing as thorns caught at her clothes. When they finally emerged into a clearing, the sight made her forget her scratched arms entirely.

Moonlight painted the scene in silver, reflecting off a pristine pond that mirrored the star-filled sky above. The water's surface lay perfectly still, like polished glass set into the earth. Old trees stood around the clearing's edge, their ancient branches framing the ethereal view.

"It's beautiful..." Neiva breathed, drinking in the peaceful scene. Then her eyes narrowed as realization struck. "Hold on – if you knew about this gorgeous spot, why did we camp all the way out there in the thorny wilderness?!"

Angelo's shoulders lifted in a casual shrug. "Didn't want to be too close to town."

"Finally, some honesty," Red snickered from where he lounged against a tree trunk. "Though that's not the whole truth, is it?"

Blue materialized beside them, his scholarly presence somehow fitting the serene setting. "Indeed. Let's not pretend this is about scenery, Angelo. You're many things, but sentimental isn't one of them. This place holds deeper meaning."

Neiva glanced between them, confusion evident on her face. "What am I missing?"

Angelo's eyes remained fixed on the pond, his voice carrying the weight of memory. "This is where we first learned to be... us. When my aura manifested and Red and Blue could finally take physical form, we needed somewhere private to practice. Somewhere away from the town's prying eyes and whispered rumors."

Understanding dawned on Neiva's face as she looked at the clearing with new appreciation. The peaceful surface of the pond seemed to hold echoes of countless training sessions.

"We discovered our limitations quickly enough," Blue added, his usual analytical tone softening with remembrance. "Being weaker than normal Aurons meant we had to get creative. We focused on evasion rather than direct defense, perfecting our shared vision and coordination through endless practice sessions right here."

"Then we're here to..." Neiva's words trailed off as Angelo strode towards the open space between their group and the pond, the silent invitation clear in every step. His evolved aura exploded outward like captured sunrise, forged energy coalescing into his signature flowing robes. The Angel of Death's hood cast deep shadows across his face, but his eyes blazed orange with fierce purpose. "Come on, Blue. Time to settle our score from Albert's."

"Very well." Blue's azure aura answered Angelo's challenge, forged energy crystallizing into elegant armor that covered his joints and limbs. "Though I'll skip the theatrical costumes – some of us prefer efficiency over dramatics." he commented dryly.

"Hey!" Red's protest carried all the indignation of a child denied dessert. "What about me?"

Neiva couldn't help but giggle. "Patience, Red. Wait your turn."

"Don't patronize me!" Red's response only made him sound more childish.

"Sorry Red," Angelo called as his scythe materialized in his grip. "You and I sparred at Albert's. Tonight's Blue's turn." He settled into a combat stance, weapon glowing with barely contained power.

Red's voice cracked with frustration. "Maybe YOU should sit this one out! You've fought us both – let me and blueberry dance!"

"Pointless," Blue's dismissal carried glacial precision as he mirrored Angelo's ready stance. "Our power merely copies his. We gain nothing from fighting each other."

Before Red could argue further, Angelo launched forward. His scythe cut through the night air with deadly grace, its blade leaving trails of orange light in its wake as the peaceful clearing transformed into an impromptu arena beneath the watching stars.

The moonlight turned their battlefield silver as Angelo struck first, his scythe carving a horizontal arc through the night air. Blue bent backward with the grace of a serpent, the blade whistling over his face close enough to stir his hair. In the same fluid motion, his foot snapped up, catching the scythe's shaft and sending the weapon spinning into the darkness. Each movement flowed like water into the next as he completed his backflip and launched into a counter-attack.

But Angelo was ready. His evolved aura pulsed, and the ground between them erupted. Four tendrils of forged energy burst forth like angry vipers, their orange light reflecting off the pond's surface as they slashed at Blue with deadly precision.

From her spot at the clearing's edge, Neiva watched in awe as the identical figures clashed. Beside her, Red sat hunched with his arms wrapped around his knees, his usual predatory grin replaced by an expression of pure dejection.

Blue weaved through the striking tendrils as if dancing between raindrops. With a gesture, he manifested a single massive tendril of his own – thicker than Angelo's and gleaming azure in the starlight. It shot forward, wrapping around Angelo's quartet of energy constructs like a constrictor claiming prey. Using the tangle as cover, Blue surged toward his original.

"Tch." Angelo abandoned control of his ensnared tendrils, choosing instead to dodge Blue's incoming strikes while maintaining his position with unusual stillness. Every movement was efficient, calculated – and suspicious.

Blue noticed too late. A faint whistle behind him made him leap skyward just as Angelo's discarded scythe spun through the space where he'd stood. Angelo snatched the weapon from its arc, using its momentum in a spin motion to launch himself after Blue like a predatory bird taking wing.

The trap was perfect – Blue hung suspended, unable to dodge in mid-air. He shot two tendrils toward the ground, trying to pull himself to safety, but Angelo's scythe flashed twice in the moonlight. Blue's hands separated from his wrists in clean cuts, dissolving into particles of azure light that drifted away like fireflies straight into Angelo.

Neiva's horrified gasp cut through the night air. "Oh god!"

"Don't get your panties all twisted!" Red's irritated voice carried none of his usual humor. "They grow back! It's not like it actually hurts him."

As if proving Red's point, Blue landed with his characteristic composure intact. He studied his handless arms, which leaked soft blue light and floating particles, before manifesting new gauntlets of forged energy where his hands had been. His expression remained perfectly stoic.

"Well done, Angelo," he acknowledged with scholarly approval. "You've improved considerably."

Angelo's eyes blazed orange beneath his hood. "I'm just getting started."

They clashed again beneath the stars, their movements a deadly dance of precise strikes and fluid dodges. Every attack flowed into defense, every evasion led to counter-attack. The clearing filled with flashes of orange and azure as their evolved powers painted the night in competing colors.

An hour later, Angelo's aura finally flickered and died. He stood bent over, hands on his knees, breathing heavily. Though he hadn't landed many clean hits on Blue, some did land. His scholarly duplicate had stopped underestimating him after losing his hands.

"Finally!" Red exploded to his feet, practically vibrating with pent-up energy. "Thought that would never end!"

"Can we head back now?" Neiva's voice carried bone-deep exhaustion. "I can barely keep my eyes open."

"Yeah," Angelo managed between breaths. "Think we're done here." Blue nodded once before dissolving into azure smoke that streamed back into Angelo's body.

"Back to Novaria tomorrow?" Neiva asked through a massive yawn.

"After we see what Bob turns up," Angelo hedged, not wanting to promise anything. "We've learned what we needed from Ashford."

The walk back to camp passed in exhausted silence. Red radiated sullen energy while Angelo and Neiva could barely put one foot in front of the other. But despite his fatigue, satisfaction warmed Angelo's chest. He'd held his own against Blue and maintained his evolved state for over an hour – clear progress, even if his muscles screamed in protest.

As they approached their tents, the looming winter chill made him wonder if anyone could actually sleep well in a sleeping bag. But those concerns felt distant compared to what tomorrow might bring. They had a lead now, even if it pointed to Infernia of all places. And there was Red's impulsive promise to Mrs. Lin about Harry... though surely an unevolved Auron couldn't pose much threat to their combined strength?

Such thoughts would have to wait. Angelo and Neiva crawled into their respective tents, desperate for whatever rest they could find. Tomorrow would bring its own challenges – they'd need every scrap of energy to face them.