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kryptored · 4 years ago

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Fall

Would you look at that, huh? I finally finished mine and get to post it for all of you to see, especially @bbwoulfc who I wrote this for and provided me with wonderful prompts.

Here’s to my first time participating in the @lovebugs-and-snakecharmers Valentine Exchange Event 2021. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Cross-posted from AO3.

Organizing his room isn’t something Luka learned from his mother, but it’s what he makes into a habit after living with her his whole life before moving out. His apartment isn’t as messy as La Liberté is after leaving it alone into his mother’s hands, but that doesn’t excuse him from cleaning his own domain every now and then. And so on that’s what he ends up doing on a Monday, free from other obligations that would’ve prevented him from cleaning.

He starts off by clearing out a particular box stained with multi-coloured paint, sitting at the bottom of a shelf in the corner of his bedroom. He wouldn’t have paid too much attention to it on any other day and just made sure to organize the chaotic stacking of whatever’s on top of it, but there’s something about the chaotic joy that emits from the box, calling out to him like a fairy in the forest. And so he sits down, clearing out the surprisingly spacious box filled with so many things. He finds old photos of him and Juleka smiling widely into the camera and showing off their missing teeth, a few forgotten guitar picks obviously painted by himself, some beads of what could only come from his mother’s collection, and an old shirt that he hopes was washed before sleeping in the box for years. But underneath all of those lies an even smaller box painted dark-teal with splatters of pink, rectangular in shape, and with a latch keeping it closed.

The box is small enough that he can hold it with his two hands, but the sound of shuffling tells him that something is hiding inside it. He opens the box carefully, mindful of any stray glitter that he might’ve forgotten about (something he’s learned in the past), only to find something else. He picks up a small notebook that appears to have something stuck in between its many pages, and he realizes they’re pressed flowers – daffodils, rose petals, violets, daisies, and even bluebells. He carefully closes the notebook, making sure that the flowers are left undisturbed, and notices something written on the first page. He recognizes his handwriting and his pathetic attempt at writing his name in cursive, Juleka’s, but there’s a third name that’s written by someone else’s. It looks much neater than his, so it’s easier for him to read it, and his finger gently brushes against the years-old charcoal on paper: ‘Marinette Dupain-Cheng’.

All of a sudden, the name of a long-lost friend unlocks memories of the past. Memories of children spending most of their days together, running around and splashing each other with water and sharing snacks while sitting under a tree. He sees memories that unlock something that has been planted in his heart a long time ago, spending years in silent hibernation, until now.

He blinks his eyes multiple times, trying to shake away the wistfulness and longing of what he thinks is already gone, and puts the notebook back in its place. As he does so, he notices a necklace chain lying at the corner of the small box and picks it up. Strangely enough, nothing is attached to it. He thinks hard on what could have been there, and whether or not it had been lost during one of his previous cleaning before, during, or after moving out. He’ll have to ask his mother and maybe Juleka about that. For now, he pockets the chain and puts the small box right by his bed as a reminder to put it somewhere else.

Not wanting to get too distracted, he quickly and carefully puts the rest of the trinkets away and continues with his cleaning. Despite that, though, he spends most of his cleaning time thinking about the past and a girl he once called Marinette.

While he clears out the dust gathering from every corner, he remembers the softness of her hand whenever they held hands.

While he sweeps the floor, he hums the tune of an unnamed song he remembers singing to her after tripping and scraping her hands and knees.

While he washes, dries, and folds his laundry, he smiles when he remembers the sound of her laugh.

While he cooks dinner, he remembers the smell of grass that lingers around them after rolling around it for hours.

It takes him until he’s lying on his bed, eyes wide open, fingers twiddling with the necklace chain that he realizes it’s always been there. The feelings have always been there, but he was too young to know until now. He closes his eyes to sleep, hoping to at least see her again - if not in reality, but perhaps in his dreams.

He wakes up in the morning, tears staining the sides of his cheeks, and he realizes he’ll never see her again.

A few days after the impromptu visit down memory lane, he walks into an arts and crafts store to buy some special paper to use for his band’s flyers. After asking an employee on which aisle to go to, he hums the same song that reminds him of her, and for now he won’t cry again. But as he turns the corner of the aisle, he halts his steps and his face is frozen with wide eyes and a gaping mouth.

There, standing in the middle of the paper aisle, is who Luka can only assume is Marinette (if he remembers her features correctly). From the looks of the basket she’s carrying filled with paint and paintbrushes, she must’ve been here for a while now. She looks pretty - no, prettier - than how he remembers her, and he wishes he can take a picture of her in case it’s all he has left of her before she disappears again.

She looks pretty (what was wrong with repeating it?) standing there looking at the shelf of cardstock paper, her hair done up in a bun with a few stray strands brushing against her neck and cheeks. She’s wearing a peach-coloured blouse with a ruffled collar and short butterfly sleeves tucked into light-blue high-waisted jeans, and gold-coloured sandals.

Luka changes his mind and thinks that she’s not pretty - she’s absolutely beautiful.

“Marinette?” He calls out to her in a soft voice, unsure if she’ll hear him. Luka remains standing still, his breathing even caught in the moment, and that’s how Marinette finds him when she turns around at the call of her name. She puts on a polite smile, unsure how to address the stranger who knows her name, until she realizes it’s not just a stranger.

It takes her a while to recognize Luka, mostly because of the teal-dyed tips of his hair that apparently suits him well. He’s grown up from the lanky boy she used to grab onto whenever she gets scared, judging by how well the all-black raglan t-shirt clings to his arms. She notices how tall he’s gotten, what with how long his legs look wearing those dark skinny jeans and a pair of low cut white and mint green sneakers.

“Luka? Is that you?”

They simultaneously walk closer to each other, but still wary about whether or not they’re mistaking someone else for their childhood friend.

“It’s been awhile, hasn’t it?” He asks, and his heart beats a little louder and faster when he hears her laugh, the back of her hand covering her mouth to hide her smile and he so wishes to see it again after all these years.

“I guess it has been.”

“So… 15 years, huh?”

“Hm? Oh! Oh, yes!” She laughs again and he loves the sound of it. It sounds even better than he remembers it to be. “I can’t believe it’s been that long already.”

“Yeah, neither can I. So, uh… how have you been? How’re your parents? Do you live around here, too?”

“I’m doing fine and so are my parents. They have a bakery and apartment set up at the 21st arrondissement, so you should come by! They’d love to see you again, you know?” she holds onto one of his arms, and it feels so warm and he doesn’t want her to let go. “What about you? How’re you doing? And Juleka? Your mom?”

“We’re great,” he responds breathily, “I’m glad to see you again, you know? And I’d love to drop by at the bakery. And you said ‘they’ so, does that mean you…?”

“Moved away? Yes, I have.” She lets go, and he feels as if winter has come to hold him instead. “It’s actually not too far from them so, we don’t really miss each other that much.”

They continue with their small reunion, walking around the store while exchanging stories that they missed out on each other. They talk as if 15 years had never separated them at all, until their meeting comes to an end when Marinette sees that time and tells Luka that she has somewhere to be. Sad as it is, he finds comfort when they exchange numbers and have something to hold onto the other - to have something to remind them that they’re not separated anymore.

He waves her off from the store’s door, and it’s only when the same employee he spoke with earlier asks him if he’s found what he’s looking for that remembers he was there to buy paper.

Right, of course.

They spend the entire night after their reunion talking to each other, and it ends with them agreeing to meet up outside of Shakespeare and Company, a bookstore they’ve both been meaning to visit soon. They agree to meet the day after, and it leaves Luka feeling nervous as he picks out what to wear. After 15 minutes (he made sure to wake up extra early today) were spent looking through his closet, he finally decides on a white graphic shirt slightly tucked into light-grey chino shorts with a brown belt to secure it, and blue and white loafers. He grabs his dark-green crossbody bag, checks that everything he needs is already inside, locks his door, and leaves for the bookstore.

When he arrives at the bookstore, he sees Marinette standing outside looking down at her phone, and he can’t help but admire at how adorable she looks wearing a white oversized shirt with drop shoulder sleeves reaching down to her elbows and tucked into all-black shorts, black high cut boots, and a black bucket hat to cover her head from the bright sun. As he walks closer, he notices that she’s left her hair down this time, and the image reminds him of those times she and Juleka would practice different hairstyles on each other. Her other arm holds onto the strap of her own crossbody bag.

Luka coughs into his hand to catch her attention, to which she responds and he’s happy to see how bright her eyes are when she notices him.

“Luka, hi! You’re here!”

“Hello, Marinette.” He greets her, and the way those words leave him feels all too familiar until now. “You ready to go in?”

“I’m excited, actually. But I think knowing you’re spending the day with me makes it even more exciting.”

Unsure whether the weather is getting warmer or not, he clears his throat and opens the door for her. “So am I, actually. After you.”

The day goes well - even better than yesterday - and they spend it like good old friends who leave no time for awkwardness. They touch each other by the arm or by the shoulder, something similar to what they used to do, and yet they’re also more than that. Each touch is warmer and lingers longer than the last, and Luka can only hope that Marinette feels it, too. He thinks she does with how she turns around quickly after they brush their fingers against each other while reaching for the same book. His mind is stuck with the image of what he can only assume was a blush on her face, unable to respond to her squeaking out, “I’ll check the next aisle!”

He only stares at her back, initially scared that she’ll disappear again and never to see him again for 15 more years, but he calms himself and ponders on the tingling that tickles him from inside out. And for the rest of the day, they peek through corners of bookshelves and vacant spaces in-between books, smiling and laughing as they share their finds and decide on what to buy.

They leave the store to eat lunch at a nearby café, doing some more catching up with each other. They talk and talk and talk the entire day away, going from one place to another without a care in the world besides from knowing that finally, finally they’ve found each other again, and it’s like they don’t want to let go of each other again.

The next few days, unfortunately, do not cater to their sudden need for each other’s company, because of their own personal responsibilities. Luka and practicing with his band, writing and composing songs, and visiting his mother and sister while letting them know that he’s seen Marinette again. Marinette, on the other hand, finds herself busy with multiple card orders from her clients, helping out at her parents’ bakery, and definitely letting them know that she’s seen Luka again.

It’s not until a week and a half later that they get to see each other again in person for a picnic. Although they spend the previous nights texting and calling each other, there’s just something about seeing someone special to you without the physical limitations from their phones. Even when it’s summer, the days and nights they spent apart after reuniting could only make them feel like it’s winter.

The picnic was to take place on a field outside of the city, a place recommended to him by one of his bandmates (after some well-deserved teasing when they found out the reason for his asking). Because it was a bit far, Luka volunteered to drive them both there with his car. The lack of the typical urban noises they’ve grown accustomed to only serves as a plus, considering they were both the type to prefer a calm ambience.

Marinette had brought some home-made pastries for them to eat, as well as some water and juice to drink. She also brought with her a sketchbook and some pencils in case inspiration were to strike her and use it for any future cards to make. Asides from those, she also made sure to bring two small bed tray tables for them to place some of the food on. She also decided to wear a light blue V-neck dress just brushing against the top of her knees with circular cap sleeves extending down just before her elbows, and white sandals. Once again, her hair is left down to spread across her back.

Luka, on the other hand, was quite adamant to take responsibility for bringing the picnic blankets that could fit an entire class and more when they first planned the outing. Asides from those, he also brought some foldable chairs for them to sit on if the ground started feeling too stiff for their bottoms, and his guitar to pass the idle time by playing some music for both of them. As for his clothes, this time he went with a light blue button-up shirt with the first two buttons left open, paired with black shorts, and sand-yellow loafers.

After arriving at the field for their picnic, they choose to sit close to a small cluster of trees that would give them more than enough shade to protect them from the sun. They were taking out all of their picnic essentials from Luka’s car while also admiring the scenery in front of them, when Marinette said something.

“This is wonderful, Luka. Please thank your friend for recommending this place, and I really think we should start doing this more.”

“For sure, Marinette. And not that I don’t like it, but aren’t you a bit too early to say that?” He turns around from where he’s busy placing their food basket down, “What if you ended up hating the picnic?”

“Wha - no! As if!” Marinette looks over her shoulder quickly and he sees her eyes going wide, her hands clenching onto the blanket she was supposedly fixing, “Why would I even think that? Why would you think that? This place is perfect, the weather is perfect, the food is perfect, and - ”

“And the company is perfect?” Luka’s question was a gamble on his part, and he hopes that Marinette doesn’t notice the trembling of his voice.

“Yes!”

He also wasn’t sure that she’d even say something back, but he watches as her eyes slowly widen even more, the flush in her cheeks rapidly gaining territory of her entire face, and her mouth shaping into a large ‘O’ until -

‘Yup, there it is.’ He thinks to himself, unsure whether he’s referring to the lovely shade of red on her face or the fact that his childhood friend finally realizes what she’s said.

“I-I mean – it’s because – I wasn’t thinking properly when you – but that doesn’t mean that I think you’re – but you know what I – ” Marinette quickly turns her back on him, her shoulders tense and hunching, and just as Luka’s about to reach out and touch her shoulder for comfort, he’s startled when he hears her muffled scream.

“H-hey…Marinette, come on. It’s okay.” His hand finally makes contact with her shoulder and pats it gently. “I understand, so don’t be too hard on yourself, okay?”

He sits closer to her and gives her a side hug, rubbing her arm to try and console his easily flustered friend. It seems to work when her face finally surfaces from the safety of her hands, face still a little red, her brows scrunched up in worry and her eyes glossy from unshed tears.

“Hey, hey…” he coos at her, leaning even closer to her to the point that their shoulders are practically touching, “It’s alright. I get it. You know you don’t have to worry about embarrassing yourself in front of me. And besides, I am the perfect company after all.”

“Lukaaaaaaa!” she whines and hits him not too hard on the chest, inducing a hearty laugh from him.

“Alright, alright! Easy there, Marinette. How about we forget about this and go right ahead with eating. Sounds good?”

“Mhm.”

“Good. Why don’t you get some of your stuff that’s still in the car, and I’ll set the food?” He gives her the car keys, implying that she can lock the car afterwards. Just as Marinette takes the keys, turns around, and walks away, Luka quickly turns his back towards her to hide his face that’s now rapidly gaining a new shade of red.

‘Magnolia and cherry blossom;’ he thinks to himself, referring to the smell from his friend, ‘like a walk at Champ de Mars.’

Before getting caught, he goes right back to taking the food out from the basket and sets everything down onto the blanket with shaky hands.

After eating and admiring the view, they eventually find themselves leaning onto each other’s back. They make no other noise asides from Luka strumming his guitar and the occasional scratch of charcoal against paper on Marinette’s end. After the slightly awkward chattering from earlier, it worries Luka that there had been little talk between them since then. And even when Marinette would keep on assuring him that everything’s alright, it worries him that perhaps after being separated for 15 long years, not everything goes back to the way it used to be.

Perhaps he is expecting too much, thinking of what ifs and could have beens, and he’s left clueless on how to keep their strange relationship afloat if the day ends on a sour note. Perhaps he should’ve kept his mouth shut, and maybe Marinette wouldn’t feel too uncomfortable anymore and -

A muffled thud rouses him from his deep thoughts, curious to know what could’ve dropped onto the blanket. Just as he turns back to ask Marinette what it was (if she would even answer him at all), he sees something flash from her small and soft hands.

There, sitting perfectly from Marinette’s hand, is what looks like an open pocket watch with its outside the colour of champagne. But as he looks closer, he realizes it’s actually a compass with a sundial instead of a watch with gold-coloured rims. Marinette notices him looking at what she’s holding, and before she can say a word, he beats her to it by asking,

“You still have that? After all these years?”

“Of course. It’s one of the few things I can never let go.”

Instead of saying something back, Luka immediately starts patting his shirt and shorts, before finally putting his hand in one of his pockets to grab something and pull out the same necklace chain he had found in the small box hiding in his room, and holds it out to her.

“This is its chain for it, right? The compass, I mean.”

“Y-yeah. You told me I could have the compass while you keep the chain, so we’d know there’s always a chance for us to see each other again.”

The words ‘and we did’ are left unsaid, but they still knew what it meant for them. What it means for them. No longer able to stop himself, he cups both her cheeks and leans his forehead against hers, close enough to smell the flowers on her again. Close enough to brush his nose against hers. Close enough to just kiss her.

But he doesn’t and she doesn’t. And frankly, they’re alright with what they have right now.

They end their picnic in the late afternoon, with the sun still up and hinting a shade of orange in its yellows. They pack everything back inside Luka’s car in silence, but the kind where they are comfortable and content without the words. They spend the rest of the drive back to the city basking in a new kind of understanding, one that they’ve chosen to keep among themselves, hands bashfully brushing against each other every now and then, and eyes sneaking glances at one another.

They don’t talk again until Luka drops Marinette off, helps her put all her stuff back in her apartment, and stands outside of her door.

“Thank you again for the picnic, Luka.”

“And thank you for the company, Marinette.” Instead of getting flustered at the reminder of what happened earlier, she only offers him a small smile.

“You know you can stay a little longer if you want,” she offers, “surely you must be tired from driving.”

She wraps her hands across herself, her fingers playing with the fabric of her dress. Her hair is now tied into a loose side ponytail, her sandals replaced with soft home slippers in light pink.

Luka scratches his right cheek with a finger, his eyes telling her without words that he is more than ready to accept her invitation. His left hand is hiding within the confines of his pocket, fidgeting as much as possible with his phone.

But just as Luka opens his mouth to verbally accept her offer, they hear something buzz. Luka immediately takes his phone out, sees his mother’s name and excuses himself, walking a few steps away from Marinette. He notices her glancing away, giving him some privacy.

His head is filled with today’s events, even as he listens to his mother’s words through the phone. He can’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, they’re not just childhood friends anymore. That maybe, just maybe, these feelings between them can grow just as they have. But as soon as he comes to that conclusion, his heart drops at what his mother tells him.

He hangs up after bidding her goodbye, puts his phone back in his pocket, and walks back to Marinette. For every step he takes, he dreads of the disappointment he’ll see on her face as soon as he tells her,

“Sorry, but I can’t stay.”

The guilt eats at him as he watches her smile drop, her bright blue eyes looking from up at him to down at her shoes, her brows a little furrowed from -

‘Disappointment. She’s disappointed I can’t stay.’

“So, uh…” he clears his throat, “I really want to stay, but Ma called me to – ”

“It’s okay, I understand.” Marinette finally looks up, and Luka’s glad that there aren’t any tears. “Just tell her and Juleka I said hi.”

“Yeah, for sure.”

He remains standing in front of her, still not ready to leave her in fear that it’ll be the last he sees of her. They remain standing in front of each other in silence, the gaiety from today slowly slipping away until it leaves them with a cold hug. All of a sudden, it feels like winter during a summer night. It doesn’t make sense; not in the slightest, and Luka hates it.

“I guess I’ll just call you when I get home?” He asks her, his arms opening up to invite her for a hug.

“Yeah, of course.” She walks into his embrace, and he’s not even ashamed of letting out a sigh of relief when he feels her hands wrap around him. “Let me know when you’re back home.”

He hums in agreement, even when bites his tongue to not say ‘I am home. With you.’

They separate after a few more seconds, but only enough that they’re still wrapped around each other, Luka looking down at Marinette’s face. He looks into her eyes, and he sees the same blue sky that often smiled upon them when they used to be children, and he wishes to see the same sky now that they’re no longer that young. He looks at the small blush that finds itself spreading onto her cheeks like the picnic blankets they used, and he sees the sunset that used to smile down on them whenever they bid farewell and went back home; before the last goodbye turned into years instead of a night and day.

And suddenly, he has an idea.

He has an idea, and it’s a very bold one. He has an idea that has been whispering suggestively at him from the very corner of his mind, persisting to catch his attention and never going away. He has an idea that persists on calling out to him, screaming at him, telling him to just –

He leans down slowly, his eyes looking into hers before falling down onto her lips. He looks into those lips that he keeps thinking whether they taste just as sweet as the pastries she bakes.

Instead, he gently presses his own lips onto hers, and all he tastes are blueberries and lemon. He thinks he’s kissing pure bliss, but perhaps it’s happiness.

He feels her hand cup his cheek, slightly putting pressure onto the skin and pushing him closer to her, and suddenly happiness turns into elation. Marinette is responding and it’s utterly delightful. Luka doesn’t want to let her go anymore – because he’s finally telling her what’s been gnawing at him – but he pulls away, nonetheless.

He hears her whine in disappointment, and he mentally berates himself for making the habit of disappointing her.

“I have to go now.” He whispers to her, but with where he’s looking, neither knows if he’s telling Marinette, herself, or her pair of lips.

After gaining the confidence to look into her eyes again, Luka believes his knees are going weak.

“I really have to go now.” He tells her, and he leans onto her hand when her fingers start caressing his cheek.

“I know.”

He finally lets her go and steps away, unwilling to turn his back around; afraid that he’ll lose sight of her and never see her again for years. Or ever at all.

“I’ll call you later?”

Marinette can only smile at the boy she once knew 15 years ago, tucking stray hands of her hair behind her ear.

“I’ll wait for you.”

He smiles back at her before walking away,

only to quickly turn back around to kiss her like sunlight with the flowers on fresh, spring morning.

#lbscexchange2021 #lukanette #luka couffaine #Marinette Dupain-Cheng #lukanette endgame #endgame lukanette #pure and utter fluff #childhood friends #happy valentine's day #mwah mwah #choop choop

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tarottenblade-blog · 8 years ago

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Obsidi’s Shade

Sphinx opened her eyes as her hibernation was interrupted, it had been a long sleep that she dreaded the end to, the end of sleep meant that a monster had arisen and the world was in need of her once again. At least that was what she first believed as the nannite gel-water had drained from her stasis pod. It was rather odd to actually have the full timer counted down for her full recovery and the glass pane slid up to allow her to easily climb out of her stasis pod. When she sat up, there was only a pair of explorers amid the ruins of the once heavily manned laboratory.

The two rabbits watched in awe as the winged creature climbed out of the pod and stood before them in her bare fur, both of them holding an easy foot and a few inches over her in height. She sounded a little annoyed as she attempted to question them in a forgotten language from the age of Human rule. A few moments of silence passed and then she spoke again after a sigh.

“Why have I been awoken?” Sphinx asked again while using the universal language of the world and the two rabbits looked at each other in confusion. “You do understand me, correct?” The rabbits nodded. “Then why does my question still go unanswered?”

“Well, we were expecting more gratitude for one.” The older of the two rabbits stated bluntly. “You've been locked away in this prison for over five thousand years.”

“Five thousand years?” Sphinx asked as she took a moment to scratch an itch behind her left ear. “Huh, seems like it was only five hours. “I guess a few lessons must have stuck since the last monsters were hunted.” She said more to herself than to the rabbits. “Well, I suppose I'll give the upper world a look around while I wait for the stasis pod to re-cycle through...” She looked around the laboratory and noticed that it was running on emergency solar power and most of the other pods had been emptied for a long time, including the one intended for her mate. “How... how did you two even find this place?”

“We found a map engraved into an ancient puzzle box, of Kitsuni make, which guided us here and gave us all the lock combinations and passwords.” The other rabbit stated as he showed the artifact he was talking about.

Sphinx looked at the box and her long ears lowered, she recognized the make and finely crafted designs all the way down to the last flaw. “Neco...” She said under her breath and then shook her head. “Very well, let us be out of here.” With a clap of her hands she and the rabbits were on the ground level of the ruined building. Even with there hardly being any thing left within the stripped building, she could tell that the base had held its disguise of a hospital rather well. “You two are free to do as you please.” She said and tossed a couple of gems to the rabbits as compensation. “I'm sure that those are still valued among the races.”

The rabbits looked at the blood rubies with their eyes sparkling in awe and when they looked up the shadow furred feline was gone, leaving them lost within the ruin city within the Thassissirrian forest. She figured the rabbits would find plenty of treasures and compensation for their efforts of waking her, as they desired. If their greed was reason enough for them to die, the forest could be the judge of that.

There wasn't much to judge about the passage of time other than how far the forest had expanded while she had hibernated. What used to be a leisured day's flight away to the nearest village or city was now vastly covered by the aggressive woods and other forestation. She was amazed that the bowl of the mountain ranges surrounding the lands on all directions was now filled with forest as far as her eyes could see, with a spark of civilization on the distant horizon as the natural curve of the world took hold.

At this point, Sphinx knew that she had one of two options that the others awoken before her must have also faced. She could turn back and return to her hibernation pod and hope to one day be awoken once again when she was needed, or she could make her place in the world as she saw fit. A small part of her mind wanted to return to the simplistic way of her old life of waking only to deal with large threats to the entirety of the world as a whole and then sleep of the times between while hardly aging at all, but another part of her desired to experience the life she was never allowed to have, one where she would have to make choices biased on her own survival and how the world would see her, aside from a legend or fable. She decided that still being a legend could be possible and that it might even be what some beings called 'fun' to create her own legend.

With a minor idea of a goal in mind, Sphinx stopped hovering over the center of the forest and took aim to reaching the current visual edge of the world, following the playful currents of the winds as they spun, twisted, dipped and climbed.

The weather was miserable in the towering shadows of the city, it was mildly bitter-cold and the rain falling from the sky felt as dirty as it smelt to Sphinx. She had spent a day and night flying with-out rest or hunting and with the anticipation and excitement wearing away, she was starting to feel tired, hungry and thirsty. On the positive note, it didn't seem to take long for her to gain notice from the other beings as the barren stone roads began to come to life as the gray skies brightened with the day.

A kindly female rabbit was the first to approach Sphinx with concern in her eyes and a blanket on one arm, which she quickly draped over Sphinx's shoulders; who was currently in her wingless form. “Child, why are you wandering the streets with no clothes?” The rabbit asked while trying not to sound demanding. “Where are your parents? Are you lost? Hurt?” It didn't take long for the rabbit to see the confusion in Sphinx's eyes, and assumed that the child did not speak the common language of the land as she held the warm blanket around herself. She looked about and quickly waved down a police officer to provide proper aid.

The wolf towered a foot over the rabbit and plenty more over Sphinx as she looked up at him with her right eye, while her scarred left eye remained closed at the moment. Sphinx quickly guessed that he had some dire-blood in his family line, but still found his athletic figure and piercing ice-blue eyes cause to feel a little flustered and aware of her own undressed and possibly shabby appearance. “What seems to be the problem?” He asked in a calm deep toned voice before he got a good look at Sphinx, and realized that the poor girl had obviously not eaten in days and had been caught in the foul weather with out a scrap of clothing for untold hours. He was quick to radio in this discovery and to have child services waiting for their arrival. “I'll take the child from here ma-am. If you leave an address we'll have the blanket returned to you by this evening.”

“The girl doesn't speak... or at least doesn't understand common.” The rabbit stated as she borrowed a pen and note pad from the officer to give him her name, contact information and where to send the blanket. “Do you think she's part of... well, you know... that violent underground?”

“I can't say yet.” The officer said while pondering such things as well, the scarring over the child's left eye would suggest the possibility but there were other ways a child could lose an eye and those situations were just as bad, if not worse in some cases he had seen and heard of in the past. “There won't be any telling until we can manage to talk to her.”

Sphinx sat alone in a room with plenty of paper and colorful wax sticks, swinging her legs as she sat in the chair leaning over the table to try her hand at art while the law enforcers, as she guessed the people who were fussing over her to be, conversed on the other side of a mirror tinted glass window. She had been clothed in colorful feminine garments and given a small meal to eat along with surprisingly clean water to drink and was shown where a privacy chamber she could use was located. Compared to the majority of ages she had the blink of time to witness on occasion, the current civilization was by far more advanced, though obviously far behind the age she had come from at her birth. In her opinion she was nearly finished with her first actual attempt of free-style art work when a female feline of white and black stripped fur entered the room, dressed in a feminine gray suit.

“Hello, do you understand what I am saying?” The feline asked carefully slow as she attempted to make eye contact with Sphinx. Her Filonian was a little rough since the age of adapting Human English as a universal language over the globe and such old languages were only electives and rarely ever used outside of classes. She had a pocket book in her hand just in case a level of communication could be reached, which to her delight had just happened when she was given a nod and was looked at by the girl's crimson eye. “Me am called Lucy. What you called?”

“Sphinx.” She answered and pointed to herself, while using the Human vocal language. “Sphinx... learn speak... not... quick.”

Lucy was glad to hear that Sphinx was attempting to adapt. “Can I speak normally and you can understand then?” She asked and again Sphinx nodded and this time set down her crayon. “Do you know where you are?”

Sphinx shrugged. “East... Thassissirria?” She suggested not quite sure if she had used enough words to be as easily understood as broken Felonian.

“Thassissirra?” Lucy asked and followed with another question. “Is that where you're from, Thassissirria?” Once again Sphinx nodded while obviously paying close attention to how she spoke. “I didn't even know there were any tribes still living in such a dreadful place. Is that where you lost your eye?”

Sphinx shook her head. “No. Daorb stole Sphinx eye.” She stated as she adapted her style of speaking to attempt to match Lucy once again though she made it obvious that she did not like talking about her left eye and made the attempt to cover it a little.

“What is Daorb?” Lucy asked.

“Daorb, monster.” Sphinx answered. “Sphinx, sisters, brothers fight Daorb, stop from breaking world.” She attempted to explain and could only guess that some thing wasn't translating properly as Lucy frowned. The feline was obviously looking for a different topic and chose the drawing.

“What is this you're drawing?” Lucy asked while seeing a lot of black with different sparks of color mixed within. “Stars?”

Sphinx shook her head. “Home at dark.” She explained before Lucy set her drawing down and then handed her a blank piece of paper.

“Can you draw your family?” Lucy asked curiously and only had a look of confusion from Sphinx. “Your pride?” She asked suggestively and still only got confusion from the child. “Your... pack? Herd? Um... your brothers and sisters?”

Sphinx caught on to what Lucy was asking and then looked at the crayons and then the paper. “Sphinx's sisters and brothers... Sphinx... had many... now only Sphinx.”

“What happened to them?” Lucy asked curiously as a sense of potential dread tingled up her tail and through her spine when Sphinx's ears lowered with a sense of loneliness in the child's expression.

“Gone.” Sphinx answered. “Saved world with them and put into hibernation, no one left but Sphinx when wake again.” She said and hoped the explanation would be enough. “Even breeding partner gone.”

“Breeding partner?” Lucy asked in an obvious tone of concern now finding it hard to ignore the fact that the poor child had been abandoned after going through plenty of physical and obviously mental abuse. “Who chose your breeding partner? Can you draw them?”

Sphinx looked at her crayons once again. “Not with wax or ink.” She replied as she did her best to not take concern with the tone of voice and body language Lucy was giving off. “Did the Elder do some thing wrong?”

“Do you know what breeding is?” Lucy asked curiously.

“The act to make offspring of a plotted design, to reach a means of desired perfection.” Sphinx answered with a nod. “Sphinx was to be Miles' breeding partner when the time came. But... Miles is gone... Sphinx is alone. No family, no Elder... no orders.” She was handed a sharpened pencil and set herself to draw the Elder who was responsible for her sector with as much detail as she could remember. By her perspective, it had only been two days since she last saw him and when Lucy saw the drawing a long silence passed between them.

Lucy was bewildered of the talent Sphinx had for drawing alone, but what she had drawn in such fine detail was a Human in a lab-coat, with a thin body build and obviously at the perspective angle that the child would have seen the man. Had images of Humans been more available for public access she would almost accuse the girl of being a liar, especially since it war even more rarely known that Humans, more commonly known as 'fur-less' had the tendency to have some facial hair and one particular item in the drawing stuck out with too fine of a detail was the receding hair-line being poorly covered by a thin layer of hair being combed over the obvious balding. The man's eyes were strangely kind in Sphinx's drawing and there was a bit of emphasis of the man holding a pocket watch, reading the time of three fifteen in very small, and accurate detail in roman numerals. “This... was your Elder?”

Sphinx nodded and looked to the mirrored window when she heard some shouting and rapid compact explosions coming from near the entrance of the building. There were screams of fear as more the rapid explosions occurred followed by off-timed similar explosions of less occurrence. It took only seconds for her mind to register combat from the noise and shouting.

Lucy watched as Sphinx dove from her chair take a single bound off of the floor and dove through the two way mirror and was losing her through the still closing door of the witnessing room, moments before the emergency code was called out over the private channel. She had to explain quickly that Sphinx was no longer in her sight as she took a more cautious approach in following Sphinx's path out of the room, clearing away the broken glass remaining in the window frame with the wooden chair.

The familiar air of combat flowed over Sphinx, the weapons were different, more alchimeical in craft, but the air was familiar and that was all that mattered. While the officers took cover behind flimsy structures, that were being shredded by the weapons of the attackers, she charged and bounded at the attackers from sudden angles picking one off when he rose to use his weapon once again. Of course her assault did not go unnoticed and some weapon fire was turned in her direction as she attempted to continue her assault. The impact of the small projectile grazing her skull threw her backwards and into the wall behind her, leaving her stunned and dealing with a tremendous headache.

A few short moments passed before Sphinx rose to her feet again as she once again had to deal with her foul choice to play with her opponents instead of just accomplishing victory. She gritted her teeth as her rage rose, there was no point to her combat armor just yet and she felt a sense that it would be best not to reveal all of her power just yet. She let out a fierce yell as she took hold of a nearby desk and flung it at the attackers.

Only two of the eight remaining attackers managed to dodge the flying desk and were surrounded in an instant with plenty of officers just itching for a reason to place a projectile between their eyes. They were forced into surrender and were treated very roughly as they were shackled and pulled away.

“Sphinx!” Lucy called when she finally managed to push her way through the desks and medical workers. “What the hell were you thinking, you could have gotten yourself killed! Are you alright?”

“Just a little dizzy from a minor graze to the head.” Sphinx answered, while making a light gesture to where the projectile had struck her and stabled herself against a near-by wall corner. “I... I should be fine in a short... while...” She could already feel herself blacking out as she calmed down from her rage. How much more embarrassing could it be than to just barely be struck and to lose consciousness shortly after victory. She felt pathetic as she watched the beginning moments of the ground rushing up to meet her and was waking up to a mimicked rhythm of her heart-beat being timed by an annoying beeping, and a scent of a far too sterilized building.

When she opened her eyes with a slight groan she first heard the movement before she spotted the young tiger in a bed similar to the one she was in. Her head was wrapped in a soft compress and her left eye had been caught up in the wrapping. She tilted her head from side to side and was relieved to know that her left eye still remained where it was supposed to be this time.

“Nurse, she's awake.” The tiger stated over his intercom when Sphinx finally sat up, looking obviously confused and lost as she muttered to herself in a language he had never heard before. The black furred feline's crimson eye focused on him as she turned her head to look in his direction and he swallowed nervously. In the twilight hour she had a look of what nightmares could be born from, though at the same time she had an unmistakable beauty to her. “Um... hi?”

“Greetings.” Sphinx said with a light smile and did her best to ignore that she was bound to her bed, though the tiger was not bound to his. “Can you tell me where I am?”

“You're in a hospital.” He explained while fighting back a whimper. The girl's voice was a disturbingly soft, just barely above a whisper. “You were sleeping when you were brought in a few days ago.”

“Days?” Sphinx asked in disbelief. “I've never been rendered unconscious for days... minutes at best, but never days.”

“You had to be sedated for your surgery.” A rabbit of brown fur stated as he entered the room, wearing a mint-green fabric uniform stated. “You're a very brave girl to take on nine armed gun-men head-on like that Sphinx.”

“More like very foolish.” Sphinx stated bluntly. “I got lost in the familiarity of combat that I had forgotten I was practically on my own... What's an operation?”

“When they cut you open to fix parts of your body that are broken under your skin and fur.” The tiger answered casually. “Did you really get shot in the head?”

“I've still got a headache to prove it.” Sphinx stated as the rabbit shined a bright light into her eye and blunk out the blotches she saw when he was done with his experiment.

“Well, if any thing, you're very lucky to still be alive.” The rabbit stated. “A little more centered and we wouldn't be having this conversation.” He stated in a scolding manner. “It's also a miracle that you didn't lose another good portion of your face.”

“May I ask why I am tethered to this bed?” Sphinx asked in hopes of an acceptable answer or even release while she became more aware of other parts of her body feeling a little uncomfortable from intrusions other than the needle in her tethered arm.

“We were given some minor advice that you're not quite familiar with current medicine, and by the gods that was an understatement.” The rabbit sighed as he made some notes on Sphinx's medical chart. “You've never had a nannite infusion, so you may feel some minor discomfort, nothing painful I assure you, for a few weeks as your body is synchronized with. You'll also be expelling a lot of toxins and impurities over the next few days while that process continues. I would have to say, that at this point the only reason you've managed to live so long with out them is because you've got yourself an unusually uncommon natural regeneration, and your immune system is nearly god-like to what you've been exposed to in your short life. There will be some choice words to be directed to your family... when we manage to find them. For now, just behave yourself and don't do any thing that will end up getting you or others hurt.” He said as he moved to leave the room and paused before the tiger's bed. “Van, keep an eye on her as usual, and only call us if there's trouble.”

“Yes sir, Doctor Lhay.” Van said with a nod and smiled to Sphinx, who was looking a little more like a normal person after being lectured a bit. A few moments of silence passed once they were alone before he rose from his bed showing off the cast on his right leg. “So, what is it like to be shot in the head?” He asked as he reached for his crutch to aid in his journey to the chair next to Sphinx's bed.

“Like the weight of a log large enough to take down a giant striking the surface space of a small coin.” Spinx answered as she watched Van hobble across the room and even got a few good moments of looking at his bare backside within the gown he wore, one similar to her own. “What is it like to take months to recover from a broken bone?”

“Mind nimbingly boring.” Van sighed wearily. “At least while you're stuck in the hospital with child services investigating why I ended up having a broken leg. But at least I finally get to have some one to talk to while my family is being questioned.”

“So, how did you break your leg?” Sphinx asked curiously. “Were you pushing your combat training too hard, or just end up landing on it wrong during acrobatic drills?”

“I tripped.” Van admitted and lowered his ears with a sigh. “And fell down a flight of stairs. First day off of Velcro and I trip on my shoe laces.”

“Velcro?” Sphinx asked curiously and saw that Van didn't really want to answer the question. “Eh, I'm sure I'll figure it out later.” She said and wondered why the tiger continued to stare at her with a mixture of curiosity and caution. “What?” She asked while feeling herself blush a little.

“Your eye reminds me of those of Grand Elder Nahul.” Van said as he leaned in a little closer. “It even glows a little like his do.”

“Grand Elder Nahul?” Sphinx asked curiously. “Who is he? The only Elder I knew of other than Elder Loki was Elder Frag above him.”

“Grand Elder Nahul, well he's been the Grand Elder for a few generations now.” Van said thoughtfully. “The only non-tiger species to become a Grand Elder for two reasons, the first being that he was chosen by the Grand Elder before him, despite Nahul's original resignation and two refusals, and by right of age. You look a lot like him, perhaps he's your grandfather.”

“Grandfather?” Sphinx asked a bit confused. “Is this related to what is known as a family?” She asked in hopes to start making some links to the many words she had no reference to since she started speaking the land's common language.

“The male parent of one of your parents.” Van explained when he could read the honest confusion Sphinx was having over basic family structure. “I guess your brain is still a bit rattled from being shot.” He concluded more to himself, while giving Sphinx a workable excuse she could use for a short while. “But, perhaps you're related to him. I would even be willing to bet on it.”

“Like what?” Sphinx asked curiously while also a little tempted to take on a wager. It wasn't impossible that what Van was telling her could be true, she didn't know any Nahul's among her brothers and sisters but it wouldn't be so uncommon for one of their offspring. “Does he look a bit like a big feline?”

“A bit, though he's silver furred, golden haired and has pearl feathered wings.” Van stated seeing a light glimmer of Sphinx's hope fade. “Is some thing wrong?”

“He's not of my brothers and sisters.” Sphinx sighed as she pushed away the blanket to look at her ankles, which were also tethered to the bed and frowned before using her tail to free her legs as she freed her left arm from her tethering. “Can you direct me to the privacy chamber?”

“Oh, bathroom is just through that door.” Van stated as he pointed to the only other door in the room, the one in which Doctor Lhay had not come through. “Guess it is about time you had to use it.” He said with a light chuckle and watched with delight as Sphinx walked past and fixed his view on her bare backside, which she had no shame in leaving uncovered.

“I know you're staring at my flank.” Sphinx stated as she opened the bathroom door. “I'll want an honest opinion when I get back.”

Sphinx was sent with Van's family a few weeks later, after a few suggestions from the young male tiger that she could have some relation to the Grand Elder Nahul. It was apparent that Nahul was indeed curious to meet the mystery girl after receiving a few descriptive letters and a photograph.

To say that she was a bit nervous was an understatement, and this was just to meet Van's family, she didn't even want to think about what she would have to worry about when it came to meeting the essential leader and representative of an entire species. When the time finally came the experience was nothing like she expected, for one; 'parents' were much older than she had thought and came in pairs. Secondly; as a unit, 'family's' seemed to communicate in vocal manners mixed with gentle physical contact referred to has 'hugging'. She even experienced the physical contact of a hug from the female parent Van referred to as 'mother'.

It seemed that Van's family had been given a great honor to be permitted to escort Sphinx to the Grand Elder and the younger 'siblings' continued to talk excitedly about how their envious their friends would be if they could manage to get an autograph during their visit.

There was a lot of stressful energy involved with a family unit held together by a metaphorical elastic band of rules and trust. Much more lenient than those of the unit she was familiar with with little space for disobedient and disruptive behavior as the younger two cubs displayed every chance they got to push their boundaries to wander as they could and their attempts to touch, hold and lift any object they could get their paws on at the distress of their mother constantly raising her voice to gain their temporary compliance.

Finally the time came for Sphinx to meet the Grand Elder and her distractions came to a bitterly sudden end for the time as she had to leave Van's family behind a very secure, though sparsely guarded door being led by a tigress of athletic build wearing very professional and functional attire, all in dark shades. She couldn't help but notice that the tigress kept giving her curious glances.

“The Grand Elder will be with you shortly.” The tigress explained as she let Sphinx into a fairly large room that emphasized on the fact that it was a large room with furniture placed only along the walls and a throw rug at the very center, contrasting the rest of the carpeted floor and a wide and sturdy mahogany desk resting before a large floor to ceiling west-ward facing window with the curtains half-drawn and tucked at the center fold to give a minor accent to the lighting of the room. “Do you need any thing? Water, a sugar drink?”

“My friend?” Sphinx asked with a hopeful whimper saturated in fear.

“Trust me, you won't need him.” The tigress said with a light smile. “Nahul just wishes to meet you in person. He doesn't intend to pass any harsh judgements, just wants to ask a few questions I would assume. He hasn't even put much interest in choosing his replacement as he has in you. I'll be honest, even his mate is a bit jealous of you right now. So, don't give her any reason to justify her feelings.”

“Y-yes ma-am.” Sphinx said as she took the tigress's advice and began to ponder just what kind of a person the Grand Elder was. The door had barely closed when she heard a light chuckle from behind the desk. “Who's there?”

“Only those of us who should be here.” Came the reply of a young adult male feline of golden hair, silver fur, crimson eyes and pearl feathers, standing only two feet taller than Sphinx. He smiled warmly to his guest while slightly keeping his right eye out of direct view to hide the scar he wielded. “Well, you do look a lot like me in structural appearance, and you're obviously a shape-shiftier in regards to hiding your wings. You've got a better talent than I did at your age.” He said as he stepped out from behind the desk and approached her and studied her at a closer angle, circling her a few times muttering and humming thoughtfully to himself under his breath. He gave her neck a light smell and caught her by the wrist when she reacted to slap at him and examined her claws for a few moments before stepping back. “Well, at least I know you're not one of my cubs now.” He stated confidently. “Judging by the glow of your eye... you're a Thassissirrian, and of course there are a few other things your eye tells me that we both already know.” He said with a sigh. “I'll keep this simple, you are of the Shade clan of Windsong. Technically my mortal enemy of an age long since passed after Humans chose to leave this world and the ones who remained which eventually bread their species too thinly to discern from any other you could find on this world today.”

Sphinx swallowed nervously, if she was Nahul's enemy and he was much older than her... what was he going to do with her?

“Luckily for you, I am not permitted to be violent and I have grown tired of it over the years, dealing with others of the Shade clan growing up and not knowing why.” Nahul said and shook his head with a weary sigh. “I can not offer much, even with my state of power as a Grand Elder of the Tiger clans, but I can make you an offer you are welcome to turn down.”

“An offer sir?” Sphinx asked while it was still soaking into her mind that she wasn't going to need to defend herself and that Nahul was even showing her kindness.

“Being a Windsong these days is very lonely.” Nahul stated as he paced slowly back behind his desk and sat in the swiveling armchair, spinning himself idly. “I am the last of my clan, aside from my pending cubs,” he paused with a boasting smile, “and you are, to my knowledge, the last of your own clan. I can offer you a safer place to live than this city, the land is a bit dull but it is still as beautiful as the day I was brought there. It would be a simple life of hunting or crafting tools for hunting and defending the tribal lands of the Otus tribe's ancestors. It's a bit of a tourist spot in the warmer seasons, but usually rather quiet.”

“I don't mind the city.” Sphinx said casually. “It has a lot of excitement and chances to improve my training.”

Nahul couldn't help but smile as he could see that Sphinx's spirit rivaled his own at nearly the same age. “I do believe you could be correct.” He admitted to her obvious surprise he even chuckled a little. “You've obviously already made a friend, it would be unfair for me to just move you away from him when you've obviously made a very important bond already.” He could see that Sphinx was looking for a way to act as though she didn't know what he was talking about. “A boy by the name of Van Kelsing, of the White Claw tribe. You've been spending the past few weeks with him.”

“He's just the only person I've been able to talk to that hasn't been trying to find a villen that doesn't exist.” Sphinx stated a little defensively, feeling that Nahul was reading into her logical reasoning for being around Van and found herself blushing.

Nahul grinned widely. “Oh, that's what you say now.” He stated while clasping his hands. “But, I believe he's more important than that. I would even risk saying that you and he were more than just acquainted, close enough to possibly call you two friends.”

Sphinx's ears twitched as her tail swayed to the new use to the word Nahul used. “You mean like allies?”

“Well, that's a good example.” Nahul said with a nod and smiled as he stopped spinning in his chair at an almost precise centering of his desk and rested his elbows on the desk top. “Though friends are only slightly different in this context. You can still rely on him for support as he'll rely on you in turn, but it may not just be for combat... I highly doubt that cub is even suited for combat against a moth if he's thwarted by shoe strings.” He said with a teasing smirk. “Though with the way you're still blushing... perhaps your mind hasn't caught up with the rest of you yet and he may mean even more to you than you realize. I'll need you to send in Van's parents behind you, but heed my last bit of advice if anything I have said today or may even say to you in the future.” He paused and made sure that Sphinx had given him her full attention. “Nothing is forever, especially for our kind, make the most of the time you have with your friends and loved ones. Time is cruel and unyielding and once you've said or done any thing you can never take it back.” He took an unusually rare calming breath before breaking the serious expression on his face with a cheerful smile. “I know you're a good girl and your future will be full of many adventures and plenty of challenges, perhaps more aggravating and horrific than my own experiences. Don't forget to share them when it's safe to do so.” He said and then made motion for Sphinx to leave his office. “Enjoy your life, and I hope when we meet again it will be on just as friendly terms. You have no idea how much of a pleasure it was to meet you today.”

“So, how did it go, what was Nahul like?” Van asked when Sphinx had sent his parents in.

“He was... shorter than I expected... and looked a lot like me.” Sphinx admitted with a smile. “Kind of acted like a child, but his eyes told such a tale of his age. He was really kind too... especially with the magical power he has... it was frightening to feel the magical power that flowed naturally from him, nearly overwhelming. I've only seen such power on monsters before him.”

“So, are you related to him?” Van asked as he remembered the bet he had made with Sphinx about the subject.

“About as related as you are to a mountain lion.” Sphinx said with a sigh. “I'm the only one of the Shade clan left.” She stated with her ears lowered. “So... I guess I'm alone.” She flinched a little when Van draped an arm over her, partially to comfort her, partially to use her head as an armrest to snap her out of being depressed. “Okay, so... maybe I'm not entirely alone. I still have my friend after all.”

“Oh, you made a friend?” Van asked with a smirk while Sphinx pushed his arm off of her head. “Are they cute, do they have a cuter sister?”

Sphinx pondered how to answer Van's questions. “Well... I don't have much to compare with just yet, but he dos have an adorable younger sister, and a brother and he's apparently a good friend from what the Great Elder has told me.”

Van laid his ears back and gave Sphinx a seriously inquisitive look. “He?” His question was saturated in jealousy as he met Sphinx's gaze. “They're not smarter than me are they?”

Sphinx smiled and pretended to think. “Well, I would say you're about equals.” She teased and found herself suddenly understanding why one does such a thing as Van frowned. “He's also got some handsome features about him, a bit clumsy as well, but no being is perfect. About your height and build even.” The bitterly jealous expression started to not be so cute and she leaned in to stop his personal green eyed monster her friend was becoming. “Nahul thinks I may... well he says my mind needs to catch up with myself about how I feel about him.” She stated and realized how close she was to Van now and pulled back blushing heavily as the secured door opened. She cursed her bandages for preventing to peak and see how Van was reacting further but could only guess by his growls that he was very, very jealous of himself. “So... any way, since I won the bet, that means that you have to do what I tell you for a full season, right?”

“Wait, what?” Van asked and snapped out of his jealous mind set when the mention of him losing to Sphinx settled in his mind.

“That was our bet.” Sphinx said with a smile using her imagination to picture how Van must look. “If I was related to the Grand Elder by clan, I would do what you wanted for an entire season and if I wasn't you would do what I wanted for an entire season instead. So you have to do what I want for at least three months, following all the rules we instated before hand. So I can't have you do some thing that can get you into trouble, can't cost more than five credits every three weeks in total, no accumulating funds or days not used, no cheating because the season is about to shift, nothing that would hurt the other more than a minor bruise,” she muttered the word 'baby' teasingly under her breath as she took a moment to remember the rest of their rules, “No forcing the other to give up their personal belongings, though sharing is still an option, no gloating to last an hour in total through each month, especially no take backs on the bet from either party and no retaliation from the losing party, even after the season is over. I think that covers what we agree on.”

Van frowned, having hoped that Sphinx wouldn't remember their bet if she had won, she didn't even bother mentioning it after it had been agreed upon. Still he was a tiger of his word and if he wanted to keep his friend he would be wise to male up and follow through with it to the end.

“Lucky for you I don't really have any thing I need you to do for me right now.” Sphinx said with a wolf-ish grin as she met Van's gaze again. “Though I am curious as to what you would have wanted me to do. So... my first thing I'll want you to do is to tell me what you had planned when we have the same privacy as we did when we made the bet.”

“What?” Van asked looking very flustered.

“I'm not accustomed to having others do things for me and never really thought about having some one do things for me.” Sphinx said casually. “I think it's rather lazy, but I can't just let go of the prize I just won, only because I don't have any current ideas on how to use it just yet. But we'll talk about that later.” Almost as if on a que Van's parents stepped through the security door, both looking a bit bewildered, though not in a bad way. If she were to guess it was an expression mixed between shock and disbelief with just a dash of joy.

Van's mother was the first to make the attempt of moving the day along from their shock, it was obvious to Sphinx that what she, her breeding partner and the Grand Elder had spoken about was her and that there were some things she was not supposed to know. She didn't like it when orders were kept secret from her.

“So... Sphinx, would you like to come home with us?” Van's mother asked curiously. “Van isn't going back to the hospital, and it wouldn't be fair for you to be cooped up and all alone.” She casually explained, secretly grateful that Nahul had given her a few lead-in topics to aid in Sphinx not getting lost through the cracks when it came to how orphans were treated in even the current society.

Sphinx's mind clicked to the situation rather well as to why Van's mother would propose such an invitation to her. “The Grand Elder wants to keep an eye on me, doesn't he?” She asked and saw that she had hit at least one nail on the head.

“Well, yes, and it will be a little easier if he knows where to find you.” Van's mother said with a nod. “He says you're very important and that you wanted to stay close to your friends.” She smiled at Van happily, knowing that for once her cub had done some thing right on his own.

Van's other mother, who had been rather quiet since meeting Sphinx, seemed to still be lost in delusion as the younger two cubs playfully pulled back and forth on the leopard's arms.

“It may be for a few months, to even a few years but-” The tigress continued and was cut off by Sphinx's sudden answer.

“Yes!” Sphinx squealed out and then covered her mouth, blushing. “I mean... I would be happy to accept your generosity.” She said and was rewarded with a petting of her head and purred happily. She was starting to rather enjoy non-combative physical contact.

“Alright, we can stop for pizza on the way home.” The tigress said with a cheerful and honestly happy smile. It was rather silly that she had been thinking of inviting Sphinx over for a visit as it was, since the girl was the only friend Van had made since the move to the city when she re-married. She turned to face her mate who was still looking lost. “Hellen... honey... you're drooling.” She stated and snapped her fingers before her love's nose.

Hellen blunk a few times, looking as though she had just snapped out of a strong hypnosis spell. “What, Mave, where's the Grand Elder? Did I fall asleep?”

The tigress giggled and rubbed her cheek against her love's. “You fainted on your feet again love.”

“I didn't fall down this time, did I?” Hellen asked while fearing that she may have broken some thing.

“No, and nothing was broken either.” The tigress said with a light giggle as she leaned in and whispered the news into her love's ear making sure to hold her muzzle closed in advance to muffle the cheer of joy. “We're going for pizza.”

Sphinx leaned in near Van needing to know. “What is pizza?”

Chaplin Cheezers was the name of the cub infested tavern biased on plenty of noise, flashing lights and colors from every imaginable spectrum Sphinx could see and among the smell of minor nausea and sugar blended drinks with some stronger drinks stuck into the mix was an unusual ambrosia of a food she had never known to exist, supposedly a traditional food from the Fur-less age. It was hard not to know who worked at the unusual tavern, since they all wore a pattern of purple, pink and white. All about her was an energy of excitement, and a level of chaos that was considered to be fun for cubs of all ages, and some thing for just about any being to enjoy.

To Sphinx the place was more disorganized than a battlefield with no commanders with two saving graces; food and the yarn-ball pit that she nearly dove into the moment she saw it and the various colors.

“Easy girl, there are still some precautions to take.” The tigress stated as she nearly watched Sphinx's eyes take shape of the balls of colorful yarn. “You'll need to put on your safety gloves and foot pads before you can go play. We don't want any accidents.” She said as she placed one hand on Sphinx's shoulder and offered her the added garments. “Elder Nahul's request. He say's that you might get a little passionate and even though you can properly restrain your strength and temper... you need to keep your claws covered.” She was glad to see that Sphinx didn't want to argue and wished that her younger cubs could at least see the reason behind following a simple request than wasting time arguing.

The gloves and foot pads weren't much of a trouble to put on and were even easily bound behind her joints by two unique fabrics, on similar to the wool of an unshorn sheep and one with fine rows of little flexible hooks which held to the wool-ish fabric. “Am I permitted to play now?” She asked as she showed her hands and feet were properly covered and was given a nod of approval after a quick check to insure that they wouldn't simply slip off.

“Alright, you and Van can go play now.” Hellen said with a nod and gave Sphinx a little rewarding scratch behind the ear for being a good girl. “Mave or I will come get you when its time to eat. Is there a type of topping you'd like?”

“Topping?” Sphinx asked while tilting her head to the side and looked when she saw that some form of flat style food was being brought out from the tavern's kitchen and raised herself on her tail to see what this 'pizza' was and almost looked like she was going to turn a dominant green as the scent of heavily salted fish assaulted her nose. “Not fish.” She stated as she set herself back on her feet. “Ugh, it's so saturated in salt I can even taste it from here.” She stated while trying to get the flavor and scent to go away.

“Right, no anchovies.” Hellen said with a light giggle, even non-tigers knew that the Grand Elder was the same way. Looks like a feline, acted like a feline occasionally sounded like a feline but hated eating fish. “Any meat?”

“Meat?” Sphinx asked and tilted her head to the other side. “What's meat?”

“You're teasing, right?” Hellen asked and only got a shake of a head from Sphinx. She knew that the hospitals had a special protein enhanced drink for a predator to get their needed nutrients, but she hadn't expected that Sphinx was so innocently vegetarian that she didn't even know what meat was. “Alright, that will be a surprise for you then... do you like spicy or mild?”

“Oh, spicy!” Sphinx exclaimed with excitement even though she didn't quite now what it meant it sounded good. The word alone sounded like a wonder of the world and thinking about it made her mouth water with anticipation.

“Okay, now you two go run along and play and don't-” Hellen could only watch as Sphinx was out of ear-shot before she could finish being parent-like, “get into any trouble.” She sighed and looked to Van. “Try to keep your friend in line Van.”

“No promises.” Van said as he hobbled along after Sphinx watching her dive into a flip, which landed her on her back in the pool filled with various colored balls of yarn in an amazingly graceful manner. It was a wonder that some thing so simplistic seemed so fun to a girl Sphinx's age, when even most cubs didn't even bother with the yarn pool any longer when there were plenty of video games to play instead... though he had to admit that watching her swim through all the balls of yarn made it look rather fun. At one moment he realized that Sphinx had spotted him and had dove to the very depths of the pool, to the point that her displacement was unnoticed until she popped up next to him with balls scattering about as she burst through the surface. He yelped when she let out a a short and playful roar and pulled him into the pit in one swift and effortless moment and brought him beneath the surface. “Holy hells woman!” He exclaimed and then sighed when Sphinx giggled and rubbed her cheek against his.

“Now that we have just enough privacy for whispered secrets,” Sphinx purred into Van's ear. “What would you have had me done if you had won our little bet?” She asked as she cuddled up against him.

“Mostly my chores I guess.” Van said with a sigh. “Though I suppose it would have been pointless with my broken leg.” He said while only telling a partial truth.

“And?” Sphinx asked curiously adding a tone to her voice to let him know she knew there was some things else he most likely wouldn't have let her get out of if she had won their bet. “You lost so you have to tell me.”

Van attempted to mutter his way out of his confession and sighed when Sphinx told him to speak up. “I wanted to see you naked.” He stated feeling a little ashamed of himself only to hear Sphinx snicker and then giggle before she gave him a playful nip on his nose. “And?” She pressed further knowing that he was going to go that far that there was obviously more especially when the bridge of his muzzle went scarlet and she could smell his scent shifting toward-. “...oh... Oh!” She gasped and could feel herself blushing as she sat up and pulled Van with her and scratched at the back of her neck. “I... I didn't think I was worthy of such desire... at least not from you. I mean... look at me, even at a first glance adults flinch in fear. I must be terrifying. My fur radiates it's own shadow, my right eye glows and my left...” She placed her hand to her patch and averted her gaze from Van. “I'm... I'm really not worthy of your desires. Not a monster like me. I'm lucky enough to be thought of as your friend.”

“Hey, you can decide what's worthy of you, me I get to decide what I think is worthy of me.” Van said as he gently made Sphinx look at him and he could see that she really believed she was some sort of monster. “You've got plenty and more to be worthy of a dumb kid like me and a lot of others. I mean, hell if any one knew about what you did at the police station last month you would already have a fan club and a comic book character named and inspired by you.”

Sphinx didn't know what a comic book was, but she figured by his passion it was some thing of high rank in Van's opinion to aspire for.

Van smiled when he guessed that Sphinx was blushing as she continued to shyly avert her gaze. “Besides, after the initial shock, your eye is really cool and your fur is beautiful and is some thing no one else will ever have. He leaned in and purred softly to her and when she faced him their noses met and she backed away in shock her eye wide in fear. “D-did I do some thing wrong?” He asked and realized that Sphinx was gasping for air while looking very frightened. “Sphinx are you alright?”

Sphinx wasn't sure if she was alright, her heart was racing her mind was in a blur of emotions and her body in a whole was feeling a way it never had before.

“Van, Sphinx, food is waiting!” Mave called out from a short distance away and Sphinx looked panicked.

“Oh no... no, no, no...” Sphinx groaned as she thought she and Van were being inappropriate. He wasn't her breeding partner, she shouldn't have been alone with him for as long as she had been, and she even took him into hiding. “If your Elder finds out I was swaying you from your breeding partner I'll be spayed for sure.” She whimpered and turned to escape but then remembered that Van couldn't get out on his own. Her panic froze her to inaction until Mave found them and she felt like she was going to be executed on the spot.

“There you two are, I've been calling for you both for five minutes now.” Mave said and couldn't help but notice that Sphinx was looking very flustered and her eldest son was looking both confused and a bit pleased with himself. “Van, what did you do?”

“Me, I didn't do any thing, she pulled me into here.” Van stated in his defense. “Pulled me in like a trap-door spider and every thing.”

“Yeah and I'm the queen of Belthasar.” Mave grunted.

“We just accidentally rubbed noses.” Van stated and watched as what little bit of sanity that held Sphinx together burst and she collapsed in a total burn out.

“Oh my.” Mave said as Sphinx was talking to herself fearfully. “The Grand Elder wasn't teasing when he said she had a strict up-bringing. This is going to make her sharing a room with you rather difficult.”

“With me?” Van asked in shock. “Why?”

“Well your younger brother and sister have the other room, and a girl Sphinx's age needs some privacy.” Mave said bluntly. “Neither your brother or sister would give her a moments notice, since any thing that crosses the threshold of that room the instantly claim as a toy for their personal amusement. I know I can at least trust you to give her space and privacy in the proper times, and there's no way I'm letting her sleep in mine and Hellen's room, and she's not sleeping in the den. So it will have to be your room. Now you two get your butts out of there and get to the table. Your pizza is getting cold.” She looked at Sphinx and picked up a yarn ball and gently lobbed it to strike the girl on the nose and she looked at the still half-crazed, though listening girl. “What ever you're thinking is going to happen to you isn't going to happen. You harmlessly brushed noses.”

“But what if the Elder finds out I nearly seduced him?” Sphinx whimpered. “I would bring shame upon your clan and the clan of his assigned breeding partner.” She said and tugged on her ears until she was pelted again with another yarn ball which slightly stung for a tenth of a second.

“Stupid girl, you're his assigned mate.” Mave growled at Sphinx in Felonian and saw the last thread snap in the confused girl's mind as the panic and fear flushed away in a moment. “Just don't tell him until he's able to speak Felonian, and don't you dare rush grandchildren into my life.”

“Oh, looks like our little princess has been struck by a love bug.” Hellen giggled softly into Mave's ear and gestured to Sphinx in the slightest manner.

“You should have seen her when I found her alone with Van.” Mave whispered back as she indulged in a slice of plain cheese pizza that had been dabbed down with a few napkins to remove a good amount of grease. “Apparently they've rubbed noses and she completely flipped out in panic, thinking that she was going to be punished. Had to pelt her twice on the nose with a yarn ball and then told her what she needed to hear to stop her panic attack from taking her back to the hospital.”

“The Grand Elder did warn us that she was going to be up-tight for a few months.” Hellen reminded Mave with a smirk as she happily ait a slice of pepperoni, sausage, bacon and hot-sauce pizza and savored every sinful bite. “Good thing she has you around to lie to her I suppose.”

“If you want to explain the freedom of one's own choice to her while your pizza is getting cold, then by all means go right for it.” Mave said casually. “Besides, I think she would make a wonderful addition to our clan... even if she isn't good enough for my boy and all of that smothering motherly crap I'm supposed to say. Besides she's not the only one struck with a bug.”

It was rather obvious that Van was also looking a bit flustered to be having Sphinx glancing his way and giggling a little since she fished him out of the yarn ball pit with only the use of her tail.

“If I had to guess, I think he's had a crush on her since he first got to talk to her.” Mave theorized with a smirk when both cubs met gazes for a moment and then looked away to nibble at their slices of pizza.

“Um... is this supposed to be getting hotter?” Sphinx asked as she took a couple sips of water to alleviate the burning spice on her tongue only to feel it spread like Greek fire. It wasn't unbearable, and in fact she liked it but she wasn't sure it was supposed to feel like she was capable of breathing out some light sparks.

“Well, that's what spicy does, it's a different kind of hot.” Hellen said with a smile to sphinx. “Though I would suggest washing your hands before attempting to rub your eye, or it will burn your eye even worse. It could even blind you.”

“Thank you for the warning.” Sphinx said as she stopped mid-reach to scratch at an itch near her eye and decided to distract herself fully with her meal before it got any colder.

“So, I hear you rubbed noses with my oldest son.” Hellen said in a stern tone of voice and held back her smile when Sphinx choked on her next bite a little. “I'm glad you're feeling that comfortable around him already. It should make giving him his baths a lot easier.” Van was now right behind Sphinx in choking on a bite of pizza for a few moments and both of them struggling to drink a little water to dislodge their un-chewed bites. “Mave and I already have our hands full with his siblings, who need to be watched constantly, we don't have the time to insure he gets properly bathed while keeping his cast dry. A lot of deadly accidents could happen to him if he isn't watched and helped when he needs it. Not to mention that a boy his age would be devastated to have to share a bath with either of his mothers.”

“But... but...” Sphinx stammered while trying to talk her way out of the responsibility but her mind once again went numb.

“We're going to have to get some one started on her regimen.” Hellen made mention of the obvious to Mave. “Should we pick up an emergency box just in case?”

Sphinx frowned when Mave and Hellen whispered back and forth in a language which reminded her of chattering squirrels and twitches of tails and ears and plenty of giggles and glances her and Van's way. Being as paranoid as she was she suspected that she and Van were being plotted against in some way.

“The only buts in this conversation will be yours and Van's in a bath tonight.” Mave stated calmly as she finished her slice of pizza while the cubs finished theirs shortly after. “Though Hellen needs to take care of a couple of chores, so you kittens can have an extra hour to play about... but no more yarn ball pit for this visit. Keep an eye on the clock, she will expect you two at the front door in one hour.”

“Leah, Rind, let's go.” Hellen said as she took a hand of either cub, leading them out toward the parking lot.

“Here's a little money for some games.” Mave said as she handed ten credits to Van and Sphinx each. “Van, a quick word alone. Sphinx, no listening in, this is between a mother to her son.”

“Y-yes ma-am.” Sphinx said as she looked at the new form of currency she held in her hands. It was a card made of blue plastic with a solid 'X' centered on one side and a single line near the top on the other, it was nothing like what she was used to. The distraction didn't last long and she found her mind wandering toward her coming responsibility to give Van his bath and her imagination went into a wild spiral of chaos and by the time he placed a hand on her shoulder she was an Elder herself with a clan spanning miles to govern over with him at her side. She looked at him as her gaze slowly became less distant and she smiled lightly. “So... I've never rally played any of the games here. What do you like to play?”

“City Battle Brawler is probably one of the only decent games this place has.” Van said with a sigh. “Just really hard to play with a broken... well any thing, since the game takes that into part of how it plays. It gets a read from your nannites to determine how your character is compiled and what skills and strengths they have and from there you control your avatar to fight through the streets of the city against other people's avatars.”

“So... there's a game that allows you to have an entire battle on the streets?” Sphinx asked as she followed Van. “That sounds really neat, do people get hurt?”

“Hardly, but if you don't own your own console your avatar gets deleted in a few hours, if you're not holding the top ranking.” Van said with a sigh. “I got mine to last three days once before some one bumped me off.”

“So... what did your mother want to talk to you about?” Sphinx asked as she followed Van.

“That you're not on birth control yet, and that I should be extra careful with you in the tub if things go far enough that I end up... well...” Van blushed deeply. “Would it go far enough that we would want to be cautious?” He asked as he met Sphinx's gaze as he hobbled alongside her.

“I...” Sphinx purred a little on the thought and nodded. “I think it might be a good idea to be prepared, just in case. I don't think I'm as prepared as your parents are to be tending to the needs of cubs.” She said a little sheepishly. “Besides, we're two strong willed teenagers, I'm sure at least between the two of us we should have a strong enough will. Worst case I could always lock my mind into 'work mode'.”

Van raised a inquisitive eyebrow while tilting his left ear to the side to mimic Sphinx's usual expression of confusion. “What?”

“In some of the work I have done in my past emotions could have easily gotten in the way of my goal.” Sphinx explained. “So it was required that we were capable of locking off our emotions and narrowing our personal desire to the mission goal and surviving... since both went hand in hand.”

“What did you use to do?” Van asked curiously and frowned when they came to a set of stairs blocking him from easily reaching the arcade above. “By the gods I hate this place.” He muttered under his breath. “If it wasn't for the pizza I wouldn't even want to come here.”

“Meh, even I can cook better than that on a campfire.” Sphinx said bluntly. “Granted it was a new experience, especially the experience of 'spicy', but the quality could use some improvement for sure.” She said and smiled. “I could tell you about some of the past missions I've been on if you want to do that instead.”

“That... actually sounds fun.” Van said as he pocketed his credits and was surprised when Sphinx handed him hers as well.

“I don't have pockets in this gifted outfit.” Sphinx explained as she gestured to her skirt with a light spin. “And I'm not as ample in the region Hellen keeps a spare card.” She gestured to her blouse which barely showed any curvature compared to the other females resembling her age. “I'd look rather foolish walking about with money in my paws for the world to see.”

“I'm surprised you're both waiting for me out here.” Hellen said happily when she found Sphinx and Neco waiting outside Chaplin Cheezers. “Must have blown through thoes credits like a fire in your pockets, eh?”

“The arcade was up a flight of stairs.” Van grumbled as Sphinx assisted him into the car. “So we decided to sit outside and talk. Did you know that Sphinx was a monster hunter?”

“Really, what kinds of monsters did you fight?” Hellen asked curiously. “Monsters under the bed, or in the closet?”

“Not always.” Sphinx said with a casual tone as she took the seat next to Van in the back of the car. “Monster is a metaphorical term in my old line of work.” She explained with a sigh. “I'm quite aware that when I use the term 'monster' the thoughts that come to mind are things like goblins, trolls, orcs, and the list can go on for days really; but the kinds of monsters I refer to are beings who ignore the value of the lives of others. Though it is a very fine line, when it is crossed there's usually no doubt that these beings have refused to learn and change.”

“Who makes that call?” Hellen asked as she merged into the traffic to make the slightly long drive home.

“In the end it would be decided by my clan as a whole.” Sphinx sighed. “It's never easy to take a life... even from those who do not value it.” She made sure that Hellen and Van both understood that she took no joy in her previous means of living. “It's one of the reasons why my clan rarely went out on missions, being the last judge and jury and why we are trained to lock off emotion. Our minds have to be clear to see what needs to be seen, and to make sure that our target isn't just being set up for a fall.”

“Have you ever mistakenly killed some one because of that?” Hellen asked as she looked at Sphinx through the rear-view mirror.

“I pray to the gods every night that we haven't.” Sphinx answered. “That's why there are other methods put into place before my clan is put into action.” She stated. “First the Lotus clan would be sent out, gaining information from locals and travelers alike to know what the current street gossip was. Then there was the Rose clan, the ones who would keep an ear up in law enforcement of news of crimes that were on a particular level of violence or were multiple cases. Then came Nahul's clan, Lance, the first line of physical force to put a potential stop to the monsters in the making before they got out of hand. They would be sent out a good number of times against the same target some times. My clan would only be called in when casualties have totaled the minimum of a village population.” She smiled a little. “It's probably because of us that you have those legends of monsters in the closet, under the bed and lurking in the shadows, and occasionally gifting good children with blankets, treats and toys on occasional Dreamer's Nights... it kind of takes off a little of the guilt on occasion.”

“And how many monsters have you taken out?” Hellen asked.

“More than I'd like to admit.” Sphinx sighed as she looked out the window with a distant gaze. It was quite possible that in total her clan was just as bad as the monsters they hunted in the number of lives they had taken and she had no real idea as to what they may have done while she was locked in hibernation. This realization made her more determined not to let Nahul's hopes go to waste.

“So... what is Dreamer's Night?” Van asked curiously, feeling the need of a change of topic and was looked at with disbelief from Sphinx.

“How can you not know about Dreamer's night?” Sphinx asked and looked to Hellen who seemed at just a loss as Van. “It's one of the best festivals the Fur-less ever celebrated. Cast a shoddy enough enchantment spell on an item and you can blend in for the festivities and treats. The one time when social class is forgotten and all are able to be what they dreamed of being for a few weeks, within limitations. There's music, magic, games, food and even actors putting on shows on the streets, following plots that flow through the celebration.”

“That does sound like fun.” Hellen said with an agreeing tone in her voice. “What season did it usually get celebrated in?”

“After the last crop harvest of the year.” Sphinx said with a smile. “Every clan enjoys the festival so much that we set aside any and all rivalries and work. Our Elders allowed this, since it was a chance for them to not have to worry about us getting out of hand or losing our minds. I must have missed a lot of them by now, even before they were obviously forgotten.”

“Speaking of celebrations, do you know when your birthday is?” Hellen asked curiously.

“You mean the date of when I've managed to survive a rotation around the sun?” Sphinx asked and got a nodding of Hellen's head. “Some time in the frozen season.” She answered casually. “Just before the rain freezes.”

“During the school year then.” Hellen said thoughtfully. “Well, we'll get a more accurate date once your nannite analysis is released. But I have to ask, were all of your assigned jobs hunting monsters?”

“Oh, not at all.” Sphinx said with a giggle and a delighted smile. “Some times we would be set on different missions which suited our stronger skills at the time.” She said rather cheerfully. “I'm actually a decent cook and I'm good with healing magic, so on occasion I got work as a cook and accompanying healer for caravans going long distances and got paid extra if I ever had to fight. Rarely ever got that bonus though, since most travelers who could afford to higher a member of any clan had more than enough muscle to thwart attackers. I'd just end up patching them up.”

“So... you could heal my leg?” Van asked in awe.

“I could, but then your mother would be upset that she spent all that money going to a cleric.” Sphinx sighed with a light shrug. “Then there's the point of being able to afford my fee. Magic isn't free to use, especially for those gifted with it or even with pseudo-magics. Both are energy, and every being has a limit and has to be able to recharge those energies... which leads to a larger need for food minimally.”

“I'm more interested in the fact that you can cook.” Hellen said while turning onto the freeway. “Most females leave that to males these days.”

“Female needs to be self-reliant at all times.” Sphinx said casually. “There's no telling when you may not have a male to pick up your slack, and you get really tired of coal for meals after a couple days. Besides, there's an old saying that the quickest way to a male's heart is through his stomach.” She said with a smiling giggle. “I heard you and Mave whispering, I speak Felonian quite fluently amongst the fact that ten minutes of listening to any language and I start to pick up on it. Even if it's a language spoken in code. You can't keep secrets from a Shade for long... unless you're a telepathic, or out of range of my hearing.” She twitched her long ears lightly. “If you want an idea of how sensitive my hearing is... I should ask if you've told your cubs yet.”

“What?” Hellen asked while she saw that Sphinx continued to gaze out the window.

“Your heart skipped a beat, and what you're probably nervous about is what I know is inside you.” Sphinx said and turned her head to look ahead of the car. “Look out!” She exclaimed and vanished from her seat as she traveled through the shadows and tossed the car off of the road to avoid smashing into the back of the truck. She then traveled through the shadows again the pull Van and Hellen along with her to a safe location on the side of the road beneath an evergreen. Her heart was racing and she was feeling a new feeling she had never felt before, relief, as the car crashed into the earth a near mile away and a different crash took the place of theirs. She let out a sigh of relief once again when most of those involved in the accident were well enough to get out of their cars and yell at each other before silencing at the explosion of Hellen's car. “Do you have a way of contacting Mave. I'm sure this will worry her greatly.”

After every one was assured that every one was fine and the only damage to their family was the car, some nervous and awkward confessions and explanations were given.

“So, what was that you did today?” Van asked when he and Sphinx settled down for bed. It actually felt kind of nice that she preferred to sleep under his bed. He knew that if there were any monsters his friend would be able to send them running to the closet in terror. “You know, teleporting us.”

“Oh, the Shadow's Gate.” Sphinx said with a giggle. “I can travel through shadows as long as they're connected, no matter how faint.” She said proudly. “My whole clan could use the technique as well, though it's dangerous to do it on nights of a full moon. Shadows cast in that light... We should never touch it, for it could take our very lives.” She snuggled herself up under the warm blanket and rested her head on the soft pillow. “I'm sure we're going to have a long week, so we should rest while have the chance. “Hey Van?”

“Yeah?” Van asked in reply.

“Can we make a promise here and now? One that we will never break.” Sphinx was unsure if she was wise to make such a vow with a being she still hardly knew.

“What promise is that?” Van asked and leaned over his bed to look under it to see Sphinx's glowing eye.

“That, no matter what, even if things don't work out between us as your mothers keep thinking is going on between us...” Sphinx took a calming breath. “Promise me that we can always trust the other and remain civilized and remain honest at all times.”

“Alright, I can promise that.” Van said happily and offered his hand to Sphinx. “Friends no matter what, for life and beyond.” He smiled when Sphinx took hold of his hand and yelped when he was pulled under his bed and hugged tightly and cuddled. So much for getting any rest, he thought to himself and smiled as she fell asleep, resting her head on his chest. He couldn't bring himself to move.

The week turned out to be very long indeed, especially since there was only one car to use. Sphinx and the young twins had to be registered for school, and had to get the school supplies for all four cubs, while also having to see a doctor about a special medicine for Sphinx, and then there were doctor appointments for Hellen's pregnancy, all while Hellen and Mave still had to make time to get to their own jobs.

Sphinx did her best to try and aid Hellen and Mave where ever she could, from going shopping, cooking and cleaning up the house as she went along. She could tell that Van wanted to help and was growing agitated about his leg. “You just focus on getting better.” She would tell him when ever he complained, and if he attempted to ever argue she held her winning their bet over his head to end the argument. She also compensated a little by showing him how to cook, so that he could take over when he was able to use both arms and legs again.

Finally a form of aid came from the Grand Elder Nahul, in the form of financial compensation for caring for Sphinx with promise of more aid to come, and an accompanying gift came for Sphinx in the form of a rare video game with notes that she could only share the game with one other player and it came with a thick book of instructions and a minor starter's guide, all delivered by a new tutor for Sphinx and Van, a wolf who went by the name Neco.

“So, you're the new students.” Neco said as he eyed Van and Sphinx over curiously with his ocean blue eyes. “Nahul must have some sort of plan for you two if he wants me to be your tutor. So, what is it you want to learn?”

“What?” Sphinx asked curiously.

“The schools are going to teach you what you have to know... mostly.” Neco said casually. “You know; the basics to get you by in the profession you decide to be. I'm here to show you how to do what you want to do. Nahul suggested music for the two of you, so we'll go over your options later and see what you like later. I'll also aid in keeping you up to speed with your current education when needed.”

“Could you teach me mask crafting?” Sphinx asked hopefully. “Ones which could be used in combat... oh, and enchanting. I'd like to improve my skills.”

“Oh, already have a dream set in your head?” Neco asked with a smile. “May I ask what that dream is?”

Sphinx smiled proudly. “I'm going to bring back Dreamer's Night.” She boasted to Neco's surprise.

“Dreaming big.” Neco said with a smile and nodded. “I'll do my best to help you gain the skills to reach your goal Sphinx. Combat masks eh? And enchantments? I believe I can teach you the basics.” He then turned his attention to Van. “What would you like to learn?”

“I want to be better than Sphinx at cooking.” Van stated with a coy smirk. “I've got to be better than her at some thing. You think you can do that for me?”

Sphinx giggled her way into laughter. “You think you can out cook me? Bring it on. I'll even have a competition with you when you feel confident enough to try your skill. Plenty of time to work out the rules and settings for each competition.”

“You think I can't do it?” Van demanded.

“Oh, I want you to beat me, but I'm not just going to let you beat me with out a fight.” Sphinx stated. “I'll make it fair and not take lessons in cooking from Neco while you're training. It's the basics for alchemy after all. Do well enough and I'll even share my secret recipe, coveted by all the races who have only heard myths of it.”

“You wouldn't be talking about the legendary healing muffin?” Neco asked as he began to salivate. “You actually know how to bake them? Who taught you?”

“I created them, what flavor you want?” Sphinx asked with a boasting smile. “I'm also the creator of the Heart Clog-er, the Hearth Fire, Scavenger's Delight and the infamous Dragon's Blood sauce. Then there's the three layer shake, and Diabetic Special.

“I... I've got my work cut out for me.” Neco said nervously.

“Oh, I'm sure Van has a chance.” Sphinx purred. “He's already been inspired by what I can cook, even though I don't really know all that I'm using by appearance. I have to rely on my sense of smell on most things, unless I'm baking.”

Sphinx was proudly wearing her first crafted mask on the first day of school along with her own crafted clothing which allowed for mobility, comfort and cover from the elements. She currently wore a leather eye patch she crafted for herself out of leather, which resembled a belt with a square buckle resting over her left eye comfortably. Her rain cloak was obviously enchanted to repel the rain and to keep the wearer protected from the elements, it resembled the hooded cloaks of the healers of the time she last visited.

She wore a bag over her shoulder with the words “Wander Lust” sewn into the hand crafted bag, enchanted to repel the weather as well. She stood next to Van smiling happily as she held her share of their lunches in her enchanted bag with pride while her rival struggled with an umbrella as they waited for the bus to pick them up. Her confidence wavered a little when she was stepping onto a bus crowded with others her age and then smiled as she found herself a spot to sit next to her appointed guide. “Hi, I'm Sphinx.” She said cheerfully to the mouse and offered her hand in a friendly gesture, already confident that she was wearing her safety gloves and socks.

The mouse was surprised to see a feline smile so kindly and honestly, it almost made her want to cry that she was still so frightened of her.

“You're Sarah, right?” Sphinx asked and got a silent nod from the mouse. “It's nice to meet you, I'm already hoping that we can be friends.” She continued and decided to lower her hand to her side, rather than let her gesture linger awkwardly between them. “I... I know I'm a bit intimidating when I first meet people. It's kind of a shock to see such a pretty face needing to stay hidden behind a patch. Yes, my eye was taken by a monster, but it was my arrogance that caused it. The monster is gone now. So I'm moving on with my life and accepting what I can't avoid. So I think it's best to make a lot of friends so I can have a reason to be strong.”

“You really want to be friends?” Sarah asked as she eyed Sphinx. “A cat wants to be friends with a mouse?”

“Who said I'm a feline?” Sphinx asked with a giggle. “I'm of the Shade Clan... A Windsong.” She watched the mouse's jaw drop in disbelief. “What, were you not informed?” She asked innocently.

“Well, I was told that you exceed basic education and were to be assistant to a few of the teachers as you accompanied me through the school.” Sarah said as she began to explain the situation. “You're my body guard for this semester.”

“Body guard?” Sphinx asked curiously. “Why would you need one? Is some one bullying you? If you want I can put them in their place quick and easy. I have a lot of influence with adults since I have some connections of some sort. I can make sure you're listened to and some thing is done.”

“You'll see soon enough I suppose.” Sarah said with a sigh as the bus moved along, after Van took his seat with a few friends and was already bragging about Sphinx living with his family and talking up how her cooking was the best he had ever had.

It wasn't long until there were whispers about Sphinx knowing how to cook and that she even made a lunch for herself and Van as part of a competition. Questions started to follow and Sphinx was starting to feel on edge, fearing the worst for the lunch she had brought for Van and herself to share. Sphinx ended up smiling and dared them to try their best.

The school finally appeared through the cover of a rare glade of trees, revealing an open field behind a tall stone wall, surrounding a grand, tower-like structured building, constructed of white marbled stone.

“Sarah, Sphinx, this is your stop.” The bus driver announced while the two new students gawked at their new school. It was usually the same for every new student; wide eyed and awe stricken.

“Could have sworn I would have been in Van's school.” Sphinx sighed to herself as she dug through her bag quickly and gave Van his share of their lunch. “Don't go trying to say that yours was better because I wasn’t there to see.” She warned with a playful smile. “I'll see you when we get back from school.” She waved and then followed Sarah off of the bus.

“So, are you sweet on that tiger?” Sarah asked with a light smirk on her face.

“Oh, he and I just live together.” Sphinx giggled. “Friends no matter what. He's also my cooking rival.”

“So, the whispers are true then?” Sarah asked with a smirk. “You actually know how to cook.”

“It's not like its the most difficult thing it the world to learn.” Sphinx stated bluntly. “It's the general basics to advanced beginner's alchemy. Know your measurements and supplies, learn the basic known procedure to get to the end result, adjust and substitute accordingly once you know your recipe.”

“Most females would leave that to men though.” Sarah said with a giggle.

“Well, there aren't any males left of my clan.” Sphinx said bluntly. “So that rather limits on who does the cooking, doesn't it?”

“I suppose it would.” Sarah said and lowered her ears when she realized that Sphinx's clan was doomed into extinction. “I didn't know that your clan was going extinct.”

“We're not extinct... just dwindling in numbers.” Sphinx said with a giggle. “When the time comes, my clan will restore it's numbers, generation by generation.” She smiled proudly. “The genetics in my clan is rather stubborn and adaptive.” She boasted with a proud smile. “Even now, I'm sure I'm being put through some form of testing to prove that I am an improvement over the previous generation.”

“Okay...” Sarah said with a slightly nervous smile as they passed through the gates leading to their school.

Sphinx flinched as her left eye triggered on the strong sense of many illusion spells and cast one of her own in turn as she shifted her eye patch to her right side and swapping the appearance that her left eye was the normal eye while her right was covered by the enchanted eye patch to prevent scrying. There were plenty of students going about using disguise spells to cover their timid and frail demeanor, making her almost curious as to what their illusions could have been. Some kept their illusions simple, making themselves look bigger or more muscular, some a bit more feminine or others more masculine. If any thing it was almost a bit like dreamer's night, with the acceptation that every one was in the theme of hiding in fear. It was then that she knew what kind of mask she desired to craft for herself and even a fun outfit to wear it with.

“You still with me there Sphinx?” Sarah asked when she saw a light smile cross over Sphinx's face.

“Oh, sorry, I was lost in creative inspiration.” Sphinx said with a nervous giggle. “I've got a lot of thinking time on my hands and it sort of gets away from me at times.”

“Hey, wasn't your patch over your left eye?” Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow.

“It was.” Sphinx said with a nod. “I sensed illusions and wanted to see the truth, so I traded sight and appearance.” She explained while lowering the extension of her hood to hide her face in the shadows of her hood as a wolf approached them. He wasn't under an illusion as far as Sphinx could tell with her true vision, and he was not armed with any metallic weapons. She swapped eyes with her patch and dropped her illusion in time to notice that they were being approached by one of their instructors.

“So, who of you used a 'True sight'?” The wolf demanded the moment he was within reach of the two new students.

“That would be me sir.” Sphinx said with her right hand raised. “I know it's against policy; but it's an instinct ingrained to know what I'm up against, especially with so many illusions triggering at the same time.” She noticed the wolf's flinch when he met her gaze from within the shadow of her hood.

“Then you must be Sphinx of the Shade clan.” The wolf sighed with a nod. “You're lucky that you're a teaching aid, or you would have been under lines of punishment for using a True sight on school grounds.” He then turned his attention to Sarah. “Princess West, I assure you, you are in capable hands within this school.”

“You make it sound like she's going to be under constant attack.” Sphinx snorted. “Let's go get our map and time sheet.” She suggested to Sarah with a smile. “I'd like to build a good mental map of the place and where I need to be.”

“Um... alright.” Sarah said while Sphinx carted her away from what usually ended up being a lengthened introduction of how the school ran. “But shouldn't we at least listen to what he has to say?”

“Nah, those are usually the same no matter the establishment.” Sphinx said with a snicker. “We run a tight ship, or what ever, we follow guidelines listed here, if you step out of line there will be punishment, do yourself proud and you will do the same for this establishment. And begin theme song or chant if they have one. Then we get the guided tour with all the information we can't stand.”

Sarah had to admit to herself, that was how it usually went with every school she had gone to, always told that she would be in capable hands, then the school would get attacked or she would be captured and some where along the line one side or the other would claim that there was too much risk involved and she would have to go some place else.

“Look, I'm not going to pretend I know what is going on in your life.” Sphinx said with a light smile as she raised her visor to increase her view. “But I'm going to at least recognize the moments where some one else is wasting your time and get you around it as quickly as possible, or at least make it more amusing.”

“But what about when some one comes to attack me, or kidnap me?” Sarah asked nervously.

“Well, I'm not going to be every where you're going to be.” Sphinx said with a knowing sigh. “What do you know in the means of defending yourself?”

“I know a few shielding spells.” Sarah said with a sigh. “I also know a couple of temporary walls spells.”

“Good for supporting another and making a needed retreat I suppose.” Sphinx said thoughtfully. “But I was thinking more on the lines of offensive spells. Like fire, ice, lightning, wind, earth, water, or healing or even summoning.”

Sarah shook her head. “No... but how is healing an offensive tactic?”

“Well, if you're not bleeding, they're not winning.” Sphinx said casually. “Though there are other ways to apply healing magics in a manner of which they can be harmful. Perhaps even addictive if you can weave the proper spell.” She said with a slightly cruel smile spreading across her face. “But those aren't lessons I am permitted to give.” She said and looked at their combined schedules and corresponded their rout on the map from their current location. “Wow, they're really making us bounce about the halls.”

The cooking hall was filled with a minor murmur of hushed whispers among the males when they took notice that there were two females in their class and one was supposed to be aiding their instructor. Sarah stood quietly at the front of the class near her own stove, where Sphinx could keep a proper eye on her while Sphinx herself was busy writing down the recipe of the day for the students to follow, while the instructor dozed off at his desk.

“Alright, we've got our standard school lunches to prepare, and we've got the mid afternoon snack to have ready.” Sphinx said once she was done writing all the measurements, ingredients and cut styles needed to make the meals proper. “You've got two hours, so be patient and accurate. If you have any questions, ask immediately. A single mistake can make the whole day bad for every one. So gather your materials and tools and get yourselves washed up and prepped. You've got five minutes to be ready. Group 'A' will be in-charge of Vegan this week; Group 'B' you're on omnivorous; Group 'C' you're on predator.” She rang a small bell to aid in triggering the students to get moving when they looked a little overwhelmed. “Pick a spot and move.”

The instructor began to arouse from his nap to the smell of foods nearing completion and let out a loud yawn and the weasel was blinking awake to the sight of Sphinx observing the students while sitting on his desk. “So, how's the lesson plan?” He asked and found himself being handed a mug of steaming coffee with a light hint of sugar.

“They're doing quite well, though they seem to struggle a bit on baking measurements and preheating.” Sphinx said with a sigh. “But I have a good feeling about today's lunches.” She giggled happily. “I've also got a back up treat for this mid-afternoon tea. Just in case, if it's not needed it can hold a few days.”

“Very good, better than I hoped for a set of first year students.” The weasel stated as he sipped on the coffee and found it amazingly sweet, and tasting more like a hot-chocolate than coffee. “What in the world is this?”

“A diabetic special.” Sphinx said with a giggle. “Seven tablespoons sugar, an eighth-cup of modified chocolate, fourth cup heavy sweet whipping cream and blend with triple strength coffee. Best topped with a chocolate mouse.”

“This isn't half-bad.” The weasel chuckled as he took a few hearty gulps of the drink.

“You should try my 'toxic waste' some time.” Sphinx giggled while the food stocks were being transferred for the soon approaching lunch period. “Good job every one. You'll know what your grades are by the end of the lunch period.” She stated with a smile while final timers were signaling for the baked goods through the entire kitchen. “Got to love the smell of properly followed instructions.” She purred as the smell of baked muffins filled the air along with that of the feast waiting to go out to the students.

Time went on swiftly and before Sphinx knew it, the time to return home had arrived with little more than a refreshment on her mathematics and assurance that she knew how to read and write in common. The rest of her time was spent insuring that Sarah got through her day with no problems.

Even her tutoring with Neco seemed to be going at a smooth and steady pace, with her picking up on an instrument known as 'String Rings' rather swiftly. As long as she knew what the instrument looked like and thought of it for a few seconds, the rings would create an interactive holographic instrument that would create the sound of the strings manipulated by her fingers. She had a vast variety to play upon with a small booklet giving her the names and design of the instrument and a single song to play on them to associate her fingers, hands and arms swiftly to each one's individuality.

Van on the other hand seemed to have had a rather rough day and looked a little scuffed up, though he claimed he was just fine. Sphinx didn't like being lied to, but figured that he would talk better alone where his mothers couldn't hear as easily. He was left to his tutoring while Sphinx focused on her playing and planning her new mask to craft and enchant. She was currently playing a violin and having a rather good time of it, even though she was playing by ear from an old tavern song she once heard, it was still fun and spirited and most importantly she liked it. “Can't you play some thing else?” He demanded bitterly while he struggled through cautiously handling the kitchen knives to cut carefully while vainly trying to make time to reach for spoons to stir while lowering temperatures to adjust for his lack of speed and confidence.

“Any requests?” Sphinx asked as she waved off the instrument like a cloud of smoke and produced a mandolin. “Oh I know.” She stated and proceeded to play another by-ear composure of 'Whisky in the Jar'.

“You'll have to start reading sheet music eventually Sphinx.” Neco stated while still taking delight in the fact that Sphinx seemed to hold a bit of natural talent to music, just like the Grand Elder Nahul. “But for now, you're doing just fine.”

“So, what was your day like at school today?” Mave asked of Sphinx when Sphinx settled down to plucking light notes to study the range of her current instrument.

“Oh, not much happened, I'm working as a teacher's assistant teaching students how to do basic cooking and baking.” Sphinx said casually. “Mr. Jones was asleep through most of the class, so I had to take nearly full charge. Luckily enough it seems that the students have a good grasp of the very basics and just need a boost in their confidence before they'll start standing out on their own in creativity. Or the school is just mass preparing for some sort of all out national war where they're going to need all the cooks they can get.” She said with a casual shrug. “What? A military force moves on its stomach... as painful as it sounds.” She paused and sighed as she waved away the mandolin. “Other than that, I suppose it was just an ordinary school day and I'm sure it's going to be like that for a good while.” She stated with a bored tone in her voice.

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