[Yuroshi]

.

[dzo]

zZz
Hali and Kephas both want to please their adoptive daughter, Laney, for her birthday. They help her throw an amazing outdoor party, which turns out great because of the summer weather. However, since Laney stopped them from one upping each other while planning and setting up the party, they instead have a silent battle over who can get Laney the better and more favored birthday present. Kephas is worried that Hali’s gift is better because his box is bigger. Hali, like always, tries to show he is confident, but secretly worries that Kephas has the more expensive gift.

Every Summer, Peaches’ human family has a small contest over who can pick the most strawberries within two hours. This year the pairings are: Father & the oldest son, Mother & youngest son, and the middle child, their daughter with Peaches. Peaches was really excited to be on a team with her favorite human, and her human was excited to be on a team with her favorite viscet- also because Peaches was a good help: she moved fast and didn’t tire easily.

zZz
Despite the fact that Tamar constantly discourages spending too much money on things they absolutely don’t need, Raziel can’t just *not* buy a bunch of flowers for their home. Raziel always makes their home the prettiest on the block, but when a new neighbor moved in, the neighborhood had a new flower fashionista in town. Raziel had to top their garden, but as soon as she did, she saw more flowers appear in the neighbor’s yard. Tamar now watches in horror as Raziel and their neighbor have a costly battle of who will have the better garden this year.

A battle of fuzzy paws vs a candy bar with no tear strip. After a long summer day or yard work, Shay also struggles to rip open his snickers bar.

Alec looked to the clouds above. When the flashes illuminated the sky they shone against the struggling seagulls being tossed about. Harsh water pounded against his ship, rocking it back and forth. It tilted heavily, everything not tied down slid across the deck. Despite his attempts to grab things, a few objects flew overboard at a speed he could not combat. Alec was being thrown all over, he held onto the slippery railing with all his strength, though it was getting exhausting holding on so tight for so long whilst being thrown against the railing and flung away from it.

[Strudel]

Viscets Used;
Thelonius | Ambrose | Adelaide (courtesy of Mint Chip)

Thelonius would never be a rockstar, or a concert pianist. He would never play a violin or belt notes out to a crowd of millions of people. He was born into music-- quite literally born from and for it. But he would never grace a stage.

He was more extraordinary than that.

Thelonius was a musician, yes, but he was a magician as well. His mother liked to dub him a "music mage" and he supposed that it suited well.

From the first time young Thelonius picked up an instrument, he could feel the pulse of magic under his skin. From the first time he strummed the strings of the ukelele his mother let him handle, magic would happen. Not because he was a musical prodigy-- but because real magic would happen when he played. At first it was wild, raw magic. What he desired would be born from the notes.
Was he hungry? A snack would appear.
Did he lose his favorite toy? It would float to him.
Did he miss his mother? She would get the urge to check on him all of a sudden.

But as he grew in his talent, the magic was less instinctual, more purpose.

There was no one to teach him this craft, unique as it was. He had to teach himself.

He thought it was enough for him. But as wonderful, beautiful, and unique as his ability was, there was a part of him that just wanted to be able to play with all his heart without performing magic, and to have better control in general. He wanted a real teacher.

Eventually that part of him grew stronger, and he found himself in his early teens leaving his mother's home to find that teacher.

He chose to set out in the late spring, though he might have left sooner if he had but known just how hot and humid that summer would be.

Young Thelonius traveled in the very heat of the summer, finding adventure on the way but never finding a teacher. At least not until he met young Ambrose.

Ambrose was around his age, but a talented mage all his own. With his flashy sense of style, earthy tones, and bright yellow accents he seemed opposite of Thelonius-- who's plain clothing and gray color-scheme were so vastly different from the other young man's. But, as fate would have it, the two boys hit it off well, and Ambrose introduced Thelonius to his eldest sister-- who while not a "music mage" certainly knew enough about magic to teach both boys.

And both boys did enjoy learning, even if it was a little more awkward for Adelaide to teach two different types of mages at once-- and one being so vastly different from the other. Adelaide wouldn't admit it per-say, but she enjoyed the challenge.
At least she enjoyed the challenge until the boys decided it was time to test their skills one warm, summer evening.

The air was hot and thick, and sticky sweat clung to both boys. They were miserable and bored of their repetitive lesson. Sure, they needed to learn precision and control, and while they could both usually appreciate that, it was far too hot for them to concentrate. Even as the sun began to set the heat of the day still beat upon their backs.

Ambrose finally stopped trying and stood to his feet. He fiddled with his paws for a few moments before tapping the charm on his arm-- the conduit for his magic when he washed to perform spells. Suddenly, Thelonius was covered in water, and Ambrose was cackling in laughter.

"What was that for!" Thelonius sputtered as he shook the water from his coat and quickly wiped off his ukelele with a spare bit of cloth to the side "You know you can damage my instruments, right?

Ambrose only laughed and performed another spell to get him again, but this time Thelonius was prepared. He moved to the side, setting the ukelele on the table and grabbing his kalimba from the table before running off in another direction.

"If you want to play like that!" Thelonius shouted "Then bring it!" he placed the kalimba in his pack, and pulled his flute out of the homemade holster he had designed for it. Both the kalimba and the flute were his instruments of choice for fast and loose spells. He dodged another attack from Ambrose as he put the flute to his lips.

Thelonius played a small section of Peter and the Wolf-- one of the faster sections of the song to give his spell some serious punch with just a touch of mischief. He lowered the flute and grinned as water from the pond rose up behind Ambrose silently-- falling on him in cascades. He laughed as Ambrose shook out his fur.

Thelonius just chuckled and holstered his flute again to pull out the kalimba. He ran from
"Oh, you'll pay for that one, Thel!"

While Ambrose prepared for another attack, Thelonius ducked behind on of the few trees on the property and began playing the kalimba. He used a soft, soothing melody. He chuckled as he head Ambrose fall to the ground with an "Ouch!" after having tripped on the vines that Thelonius had coaxed to his feet.

"That's playing Dirty, Thelonius! Just you wait!"

Thelonius shrieked as a tree branch crashed downward at him, dodging it narrowly and hitting the ground with a thud as he lost his own footing.

"Way to go, Thelonius, you really managed to sound like a witchling there!" Ambrose howled to him between laughs. "Could that scream have been any less manly?" he started to laugh again, until he head that cursed kalimba again and immediately jumped away, knowing something was coming. Unfortunately he jumped right into the pile of mud that Thelonius conjured beside him "Thelonius! Now you're really playing dirty! Nice cheap trick!" he cast his own spell to fling some of the mud Thelonius's way, smacking the gray viscet straight int he face.

"Dang it, Ambrose! I won't be able to play my flute now! Cheater!"

Ambrose snorted "Yeah, well, that's good for me. Less magic you can do then!" he flung another spell, this time throwing water at Thelonius's face "Better? Now it's washed of."

"No it's not!" Thelonius growled "Now it's just less thick!" he played a couple of notes on the kalimba,the notes were more somber than before.

Ambrose groaned "You made the mud solid? How am I supposed to get out now!" he blushed "Oh, right..." he mumbled as he cast another spell to blow the dirt away from his feet."And now my outfit is dirty."

Thelonius chuckled as he raced at Ambrose, still playing the kalimba. His speed was increasing, it was fairly obvious he was using the magic to boost his own speed. He crashed into a surprised Ambrose, who quickly cast a spell on the ground to grown moss to land on more safely. He grinned as they rolled, and he grabbed the kalimba during the tussle, chucking at away from them just as Thelonius grabbed his armlet and threw it away.

For a moment the two of them just looked at each other, blinking rapidly, before bursting into laughter.

"Oh man, that was so fun!" Ambrose laughed "But it's still so hot!"

Thelonius wiped the mud from his face and pressed the flute to his lips. Water fall down on them like a rain shower as he played Medelssohn's Spring Song.

Ambrose foudn himself laughing again "Well, at least the rain is nice and cool. I'd love to learn that trick."

Thelonius stopped playing, but the rain continued for a time "Maybe next time we have a magic battle I'll be more prepared to show off some tricks like this." he responded "Maybe I'll even learn to make a personal rain cloud or something."

Ambrose sat up and looked to Thelonius "Yeah, we should probably both practice and do this again... next week?"

"Yeah, next week would be great!"

And this was the first of many battles of their ensuing summer war.

A summer war that would probably drive poor Adelaide crazy, but would give both boys a much needed boost in their morale and magic.

[1380/2500]

[Tordier]

◤xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx◥
Featuring: Ljos and Fractal
Word Count: 716 Total
◣xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx◢

Ljos' Summer Battle

It had only been three days, but it felt like three years. Ljos had, thus far, failed to find anyone willing to be her new tennis partner. This was not so much due to the fact that no one was interested, but moreso because Ljos had not actually spoken to anyone yet. She had gotten close a few times, but her hesitation and awkwardness always won out, leaving her to hover in the background, unnoticed. It was very discouraging to see her goal so close, and yet be unable to reach out and grab it, but Ljos was not going to give up tennis so easily. So, on the fourth day of searching, she set out as she had been and searched for one of her tribesmates to approach.
To her mild surprise, the first viscet Ljos ran into was not one of her tribesmates at all. Instead, she was greeted by someone she instantly identified as a kindred spirit. The viscet in question was one Ljos had never seen before, but the shy glances towards the ground as the stranger hung around timidly were all too familiar. Perhaps Ljos would have more luck trying to talk to someone that was a little more like herself. Of course, there was added challenge of unfamiliarity, but at this point, Ljos was willing to try anything. She took a deep breath and padded up to the snowy-white female, who shuffled her feet as her eyes darted briefly up at Ljos, and then away again. Ljos stopped a short distance away, staring at the stranger. Everything inside of her felt like it was frozen. Behind her blank expression was a fierce internal struggle. She felt like a captive in her own body, struggling, screaming at her unresponsive flesh to move, speak, do something. It was happening again.

"Um... Hi.", the stranger said softly.
She seemed confused, and rightfully so. Someone she did not know had just walked up to her and started staring straight through her. It was sort of creepy.

Ljos felt her lips part slightly, and her clenched jaw loosened just enough to allow her to respond with a flat-toned, "Hi.", in return.

The newcomer waited for a moment, expecting the tribe viscet to explain why she had approached. Instead, she was met with more, almost robotic behavior. She felt more confused by the second, and a nagging thought whispered at the back of her mind that this viscet might be making fun of her. Hoping to get more answers, she decided to volunteer some information.
"I'm... Uh, I'm Fractal."

Fractal was such an unusual name, but it was somehow fitting. Ljos felt her heart beat a little faster. This was the farthest she had gotten in the past four days, and she was afraid of messing it up. She was starting to get a little more control of her frozen mind and body, and was able to say something a little more complex.
"Tennis."
"Huh?"
"Do you play tennis?", Ljos asked again, hoping she was more clear this time.

What tennis had to do with anything, Fractal did not know, but she felt like she was getting to the bottom of why this extremely strange viscet was talking to her. The curiosity she felt helped overpower her shyness, so she decided to play along and see where this odd interaction led her.
"Not- Not exactly...", Fractal began. "I mean, I've played before, but it's been awhile... Why?"

Ljos' eyes widened. She felt her tail tip begin to quiver with excitement. Fractal seemed to notice, because she raised an eyebrow at Ljos' reaction. Before Fractal had a chance to leave, Ljos blurted her final question out and stood as still as a statue, praying to hear a "yes".
"Do you want to play with me?"
"Well, I guess..."
"Three o'clock."
"Three...?"
"Three o'clock. Tomorrow. Tennis court. I'll bring a spare racket."

Fractal never got a chance to respond further, or even properly agree to the arrangements thrust upon her. Ljos turned on a dime and sprinted back to her home as quickly as she could. Her heart was pounding, her head was full of doubt, but what really mattered was the faint smile that was barely visible at the corners of her lips.
Finally. She did it.

[ultimate writer.]

ⓄⒸⒺⒶⓃⒾⒸ ⒶⒷⓎⓈⓈ

[~Teya~]

The comforting scent of the fresh saltwater breeze filled his nostrils, followed by the loud calls of the seagulls as they began to hurriedly flap their wings, soaring into the air and stared down curiously at the one who had set his paws into the pale sand.
Rosado smiled to himself, making his way towards the clear, turquoise-colored ocean and gulping in another breath of warm, summer air.
Once close enough to the water to feel the cool, wet sand beneath his feet, he waited in childish anticipation until a wave crashed on to his ankles, soaking part of his coral-pink fur; reveling in the sensation that came with it.
Without a second thought, he dove into the invigorating water, holding his breath as he re-opened his eyes under the surface; to see a bright orange fish swim swiftly away. Following the graceful creature further into the ocean’s deep and ignoring the increasing pressure in his lungs, he eagerly caught up to the fish, staring at its shiny scales that reflected off of the sun’s rays; causing them to look like a hypnotic burst of golden fire underwater.
The viscling suddenly coughed, only now realizing how far down he had gone. Flailing his arms about and using his tail to propel himself upwards in a panic, he watched in alarm as the inviting light from the sun reflecting off of the surface appeared to grow dark; his vision blurring with black dots starting to consume all of his sight.
Unable to stop himself, he began choking on the strongly salt-tasting water as he struggled not to swallow too much of it.
Quickly making his way to the sand, he coughed a few more times to get rid of the salty water he had accidentally swallowed. Rosado laid his head against the beach; thanking the sky above him that he was alright.
“Rosado, lunch!” A familiar female voice cooed, her words like that of a song gracing his ears. Turning to face is mom, he grinned.
“Be right there.” The viscling responded, jumping to his feet and trying to disregard the lightheadedness that came over him.
Something green caught his eye; pausing, he knelt to investigate. His once completely pink tail was now turning a stunning emerald green at the tip, and in small patches elsewhere.

* * *

Rosado awoke with an abrupt jolt, hearing faint voices somewhere outside his bedroom door. Slowly getting up from the comforts of his blankets, he tiptoed to the door; picking up snippets of speech.
“Can’t be true . . .” — “what are we going to do . . . I’m scared for him . . .”
“Oh God—Mateo, our child is going to be taken away from us!” A low voice exclaimed shakily, that of his mom.
“Rosie, c’mon honey, please—everything is going to be just fine.” The gentle murmur of Rosado’s dad reassured her, sighing tiredly.
“It’s all our fault, we should have realized! The way we found him as an egg was just too good to be true . . .” her voice trailed off as it began to crack. “We can’t hide him from his true identity. It’ll come out sooner or later, and I want him to find out from us.”
Rosado held his breath, ear now pressed to the wooden door to the point of hurting.
“Alright, we’ll tell him in the morning. It’s late.”
Footsteps walked quietly past his door, as the viscling flew his paws up to his mouth to hush his sudden hyperventilating and pounding heartbeat.
After a few tormenting minutes, he managed to slightly calm his breathing and the violent shivers that coursed through his entire body. Mind racing, he got back into bed, hugging his pillow close.
“Found” . . . they found him? He may be only twelve years old, but he knew enough to know what that meant.
He was adopted.
Swallowing hard, a needle-like sensation pressed into the back of his eyes, but still he refused to give in to the overwhelming need to cry.

* * *

Rosado sturred, opening his eyes. For a brief moment, he forgot why he felt so tense and horrible. But alas, that only lasted a moment. Getting up from his bed, tingles ran down his spine and tail as he stared at the door handle leading out of his bedroom.
Looking down at the floor nervously, his eyes once again spotted the new green in his tail. Only this time, his tail was almost completely green.
A moment later the viscling swung open the door, only for his face to turn pale as a sheet under his pink fur, peering at his parents with their back facing him in the kitchen straight across from his room.
His mom turned, seeing the look on his face. Giving him a warm, pitying smile, she motioned for him to come over.
He felt like his heart was somehow lodged in his throat, making him unable to speak. The only thing he could do was move at a snail’s pace towards the kitchen, his legs now the equivalent to noodles.
“Good morning, son,” his father began hesitantly, placing a paw on his mate’s shoulder and mimicking the expression she had.
He said nothing. Not because he didn’t want to, but because he truly couldn’t without risk of bursting into tears.
His mom glanced up worriedly at her husband for a moment, before setting her eyes on her son once more.
“Rosado . . . I take it, you know we have something to tell you?” His mom questioned in a gentle, understanding tone.
He nodded.
She paused, holding her husband’s paw noticeably tighter.
“I suppose we should start from the beginning, in order for you to understand,” his mom remarked in an unsure voice, continuing. “The truth is—I can’t have children.” Scanning him closely to gauge his response, he was stone cold. “After me and your dad found this out, we were distraught. The day after this, we decided to go down to the river, the one connected to the ocean . . .” her voice trailed off, gaze falling to the ground. “Anyways, when we were there, I saw something in the water; a pink speckled egg, to be exact.” She smiled a little, her eyes reconnecting with Rosado’s. “Of course—we didn’t realize this at first. But once we did, you were making your way dangerously close to the rapids. Thankfully though, your dad managed to catch you—”
“So . . .” Rosado began shakily, shifting from foot to foot. “I’m not your son?”
Rosie’s features immediately changed as she quickly knelt down to Rosado’s level and laid both her paws firmly on his shoulders.
“No, no! Of course not—don’t you ever say that.” She scolded, eyes solemn.
“Not being our biological son changes nothing,” Rosado’s dad chimed in with a soft smile, kneeling as well.
Rosado returned the smile, giving into the sudden, uncontrollable urge to hug both his parents, feeling their loving warmth as they embraced.
But there was still one thing bugging him, causing him to release the hug prematurely.
“Why would I be taken away?” He asked, his eyes locked on both his parents and tone void of anything but an intense seriousness.
“They won’t if I can hel—” his dad began, but was cut of by his mate.
“It’s wrong not to tell them,” Rosie insisted sternly, turning to her husband for a moment; his expression taken aback. “They deserve to be with their son—we’ve had him for twelve wonderful years, Mateo, it’s time they had a chance for that too.”
“Who are you talking about?!” Rosado exclaimed in exasperation, waving his hands at them to grab their attention.
Both parents paused.
“Escarlata Orgulloso Sirena and Belleza Sirena.” His mom blurted, expression grave.
“But—” Rosado choked, eyes widened in disbelief. “They’re the King and Queen!”
They said nothing, waiting a moment for him to process what this meant.
“How is that even possible?” He gasped in awe.
“Your tail, Rosado . . . only those of royal blood bare the Royal Green tail. And the King and Queen lost their son twelve years ago.”
“I’m royalty?” He mused half mindedly, not completely sold on the idea. ‘What if I don’t want to be royalty, what if I want to stay here—with my real family?’ He thought nervously. “I know,” he said hastily, getting to his feet and sifting through the kitchen drawers. “I—I can just—cut off my green fur,” he remarked hopefully, scissors now in hand.
“Rosado no!” His mom screeched in fright, quickly ripping the scissors from the child’s grasp.
“But mom! It’d solve everything . . .” His voice trailed off, low and shameful, “wouldn’t it?” He questioned, now consumed with guilt.
Rosie closed her eyes for a moment, shaking her head. “It’s not right—”
“But no one would ever know!” He pleaded, staring up at his mom as he balled part of her dress in his hands and tugged desperately.
She sighed. “I’d know, Rosado, and so would your dad . . . and you.”
“But—but,” Rosado stuttered, his legs giving way, only to feel the arms of his mom wrap around him. “What if I never get to see you again, what if I don’t like them?” He murmured, petrified.
‘What if their embraces are cold?’

* * *

“Hold still,” his mom ordered, combing Rosado’s mane. “You need to look your best for your parents,”
“They’re not my parents.” He muttered under his breath, slitting his eyes as he looked at his reflection in the mirror.
“Rosado,” she snapped sternly, glaring at him through the mirror. “Think about what they have already been through; losing a son, never having another child, and then finding out he’s alive twelve years later? That’s a lot for anyone.” She added, going back to her work.
“How do you lose your son, anyway?” He retorted, rolling his eyes.
She paused, tone even more somber than before. “A spy attempted to kidnap you, Rosado. When they were cornered on one of the palace balconies overlooking the ocean, they threw you in.”
Sucking in a partial breath, he was sorry to have asked.
Before long, he was ready. His parents had sent word to Ciudad Amarilla, where his “real” parents lived yesterday afternoon, and were expecting a Royal Guard to come over very soon to take him away.
“You look great, Rosado,” his mom smiled proudly, giving him a little kiss on the cheek.
“Maybe the King and Queen really aren’t my parents and will send me to the slammer for getting their hopes up? Oh well—guess I can’t go!” He suggested with a nervous laugh, peering out the window.
“You’ll be fine, I promise.” His mom remarked hopefully, now all three of them waiting impatiently for a car to appear.
The viscling’s heart sank the moment he saw it, half wishing it would have never come.
“I can’t do this,” he murmured frantically, vision beginning to blur.
His mom looked down at him, sympathetic. “Yes you can, and you’ll be glad you did in the end,” her words were cheerful and reassuring. Walking over to the door and gesturing for the viscling to follow, she turned the knob.
The seconds felt like days, and he wished they really were days.
Feet dragging across the floor, he eventually stood next his mom and dad as a scarlet red vehicle pulled up to their driveway, a single viscet stepping out in a clean cut uniform.
“Are you Mr. and Mrs. Cortez?” The male asked, taking off his cap as he approached.
“That is correct,” Mateo responded steadily, shaking the viscet’s outstretched paw.
“I’ll be frank about this, Mr. Cortez. We’ve gotten almost thirty other viscets saying they found the Prince, but none of them had the evidence to prove it. So . . .?” The viscet’s voice trailed off, staring down at Rosado.
He swallowed. Glancing up at his mom and gripping onto her arm, Rosado felt a paw push him forward a little, horror consuming him.
The unfamiliar viscet knelt to his eye level. “Hello Rosado, you don’t have to be scared.” He promised with a compassionate smile, gazing at the visclings tail.
Plucking one of the green hairs from Rosado’s tail, the male walked back to his vehicle to perform some sort of test.
Rosado’s heartbeat mimicked a ticking clock as they waited; the longer he listened to it, the more uneasy he felt.
The viscet emerged from the car once more, his face clearly shocked.
“It’s true—my God,” he uttered in surprise, walking back over to them.
Both parents smiled down at Rosado, accepting his coming fate.
Rosado bit his lip, breathing shallow. There was no turning back.
“Go,” his mom said simply, placing her paw on his cheek for a moment before releasing.
‘Don’t cry, don’t cry,’ his mind told him over and over again as he headed for the vehicle, escorted by the male.
Before he could even blink, the car had started up its engine and was on its way, leaving his adopted parents far behind.

* * *

“You’ve been real quiet, kid; you OK?” the viscet beside him broke the silence, glancing towards him briefly.
“I’m fine.” Rosado responded faintly, focusing his attention on the large bridge they were now driving across that overlooked the ocean.
“One thing you should know, Rosado—your real name isn’t Rosado. So don’t be confused if they call you Arathorn.”
His ears perked up. “Arathorn,” he murmured under his breath; somehow, that name sounded familiar. He liked it.
The viscling’s eyes widened as they neared the end of the bridge, for on the other side was a palace colored gold, that shone in the light of the sun like that of the fish he had swam after.
Torturously long minutes past and soon the car had pulled up to the palace gates, and proceeded to stop next to the stairs of the palace doors.
He froze.
Two viscets, adorned in lavish, colorful garments and worried looks on their faces stood just yards away from the car he sat in.
His small paw made a move to open the door handle, only to have the viscet who had previously been sitting beside him open it for him. Glancing up at the adult viscet for support, he smiled down at him, motioning for him to leave the comforting safety of the vehicle.
Slowly and hesitantly, his feet hit the ground. The viscling’s neck turned to peer at the two viscets as he took a few staggering steps in their direction.
The restless male had a tail like his, and the female possessed similar pink markings he had. And her eyes—so soft and gentle, they were like his mom’s eyes.
He couldn’t hold it in any longer.
His eyes welled up with tears and he let them fall, realizing for the first time it really was true; they were his parents.

Word count: 2,499

[Vixen Luo]

3 days left ^^'

[QueenAxolotl]

Cooling off with a couple of friends on the beach, Viola pulls out a couple of water guns and started a beach battle!

"Go growlithe!" Rai yelled as he threw his pokeball. "You too, sylveon!" Roared a hangry Gloe. The battle between mates and their pokemon was going to be fierce under the hot summer sun as they battle for the last slice of watermelon, which little did they know, that Gloe's oshawott had already ate it when no one was looking.

Leo's heart was beating heavily and loudly in his chest as he looks all around him. The crowd was huge and roaring, excitingly screaming as Leo and his band was about to start their song for this summer's Battle of the Bands. Nervously tapping, Leo took a deep breath, and sang his heart out

[Hail.]

Viscets Featured

Azula, Puakai, Akiko, Gi, Soma, Allaster, Edrea, Agni, Libra

The peaceful waters swayed, rocking Puakai as she floated, her eyes on the sky above, seeking that familiar shadow.

Four years. Four years ago was the last time they had talked. After she had fallen in love and left, they were distant friends, unable to communicate. However, after word spread among sailors that she had returned to visit, Puakai knew that she would travel this path.

As sure as the sun, that shadow came. Puakai launched herself to the surface, leaping from the water in an arc and startling her friend.

Azula's wings spread wide and she came to a sudden halt before hovering just above the water, a massive grin on her face.

Puakai turned herself in the water again to look up at her friend. Her heart suddenly ached: she had truly missed her. However, as much as she wanted to talk and catch up now, she knew that hovering was no easy task. They would have to go to her island to talk, but who says they couldn't have a little bit of friendly competition on the way?

Puakai twisted in the water, her tail moving above the surface and splashing her friend. A moment later, she took off in the water. Azula took the hint instantly, and within a few moments her shadow was floating just above Puakai. The race was on.

It was something they did often; a type of battle between the sky and the sea, a test of speed and endurance. The island was five miles off, and slowing down or growing tired was a guaranteed loss.

Both viscets fought hard; Puakai's tail providing powerful strokes to boost her forward as she avoided currents. Above, Azula glided, her wings pumping in the air only occasionally to save energy.

They remained neck and neck for some time before Azula began to fall behind. Puakai grinned and swam faster, her tail pumping harder in the water as she rocketed by, shooting past the marker and jumping from the water in a triumphant arc. Azula, however, perched on the rock which stood from the water, acting as their marker, and gave a sad smile to her friend.

Puakai frowned and swam towards her, resting her forepaws on the rock and looking up at Azula with concern in her eyes. "What's wrong? I'm sure you'll win next time, you just got a little tired from the journey."

Azula smiled softly and nodded. After a moment, her smile fell. "Puakai. . do you know what's going on in the main land?"

Puakai's brows furrowed. "No, I'm not in contact with them. Why do you ask?"

Azula glanced back, her eyes resting on the large continent which was now several miles back. She lingered for a moment, then shook her head and took off from the rock. "Nevermind that, let's catch up. I haven't seen you in years!"

[478]

Gi stopped, his ear tilted back as the sound echoed to him once more. The feathers on his hackles rose and he released a steady breath, knowing what this all meant.

Ahead of him, Akiko stopped and looked back, tilting her head. "Gi? Are you okay?"

Gi met her eyes and his mind roared. He needed to keep her calm, that was the priority here. Akuro had warned and trained him for a time such as this, and it was now time that those lessons took action. "Akiko. I am going to be honest, but I need you to do me a favor. Focus on your breathing, keep it steady. If you get scared, watch the lilies. And most importantly," he smiled broadly at her, "remember that I love you."

Time was up after that sentence. The threat lunged from the trees, aimed straight for him, as expected. Gi turned swiftly, striking it across the face with his tail and staring hard at it. Akiko's curse meant that the weather reflected her emotions; it was due to this that the East was destroyed all those years ago. Now, with the war between the West and East arising, it was clear to Gi that viscets would come and try to harm or kill him, all to make Akiko grow unstable and destroy the land, ending the war in favor of the West.

The threat steadied itself and Gi got a good look at it - a female viscet, her coat white with red and gold patterns and oddly colored feather markings. Most notable of all, however, were her vibrant violet eyes.

Soma.

Behind him, he could hear Akiko's breathing grow strained and his heart panicked for only a moment. "Akiko, count for me. Start from zero."

She hesitated and Gi risked a glance at her. His gaze and expression were calm and confident and his courage radiated to her. Akiko hesitantly began counting, turning the cracked orb of her scarf in her paw.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5. . .

Soma rushed him again, a chilling and confident grin on her face. Gi braced himself to block her attack, but she changed at the last moment. Her tail struck his side and he lurched before catching his balance. His toes clenched in the mud a moment before the threw himself forward and smashed into her, throwing her to the ground.

17, 18, 19, 20, 21. . .

Gi pressed his paws against Soma's neck and struggled to keep her down. Killing her was not an option; not in front of Akiko, at least. He could, however, drive her to surrender or unconsciousness.

30, 31, 32, 33, 34. . .

Soma thrashed in his grasp, trying to break his grip. Her tail swept up and smacked the back of his head. Gi lurched forward and lost his grip for the sake of catching his balance. Soma seized the opportunity and threw him from her, slashing his cheek with her claws as she did.

40, 41, 42, 43, 44.

Akiko stopped counting as Soma lunged, colliding with Gi and biting down on his muzzle. She forced his head down and shook her own, yanking Gi side to side before throwing him to the ground.

Gi's legs kicked as he struggled to get a grip. His muzzle hurt, but he showed no pain. "Akiko, 45. Keep counting, okay?"

Slowly, she started again.

45, 46, 47, 48, 49. . .

Soma rushed him again and Gi lurched back, letting her pass before moving forward and clamping his jaws onto her tail. With no hesitance, she jerked her body to the side, driving her fangs into his shoulder. He bit down harder, choking the cry which wanted to escape his throat.

Soma, still biting his shoulder, jerked back and Gi's leg gave out again. He fell to the ground, catching himself with a forepaw before smacking the ground. Her jaws released from his shoulder, then bit down again on the back of his neck. Gi struggled, his mind racing in circles as he tried every move he knew to attempt to break free.

Behind him, Akiko had stopped counting. He could faintly hear her voice over his own panic, the sob which she struggled to keep back hammering on her throat. He closed his eyes and fought to find calmness, trying to radiate confidence to her once more, but Soma interrupted him.

She shook her head, forcing him side to side before slamming him to the ground. She released and pressed a hindpaw against his stomach, holding him on the ground as she reared her head back and flashed, ensuring Akiko could see them. As Soma's head rushed forward, angled for his throat, Gi's eyes widened. He had failed, not only his country, but his mate as well. As he braced himself for impact, a flash of lightning erupted beside him, nearly striking Soma.

The female jumped back, moving away from the charred patch of land with wide eyes, before turning her focus to Akiko. Gi slowly pulled himself from the ground, his eyes on his mate as she breathed heavily, holding the orb tightly in her paws.

"I. . . I said stop."

[857]

Allaster's eyes cracked open and his body hissed in protest. A violent pounding echoed in his skull, beating against his eyes and teeth like a sledge hammer. As the world came into focus, however, that pain suddenly seemed infinitesimal.

The world was burned, ashes and cinders hovering in the air and the distant cracks of small fires which remained from the great war filling the air, accompanied with a symphony of moans and groans painted with agony.

The air smelt of burnt copper, a thick and sourly-sweet smell which burned his nostrils and beckoned a gag from his stomach. Ahead, the source of such a smell was clear: several hundred fallen soldiers lay, many lifeless, few injured, and none untouched.

None, including him.

As Allaster slowly began to rise, his leg buckled beneath him and he fell to the ground with a hiss of pain. A quick look revealed the cause: a large gash which seemed to drive to the bone, directly over his thigh.

He clenched his teeth and settled with using his forearms to hold him up so he could look around. The battle field was one sided, very few of the foes from the West laying on the ground with hundreds of warriors from the East laying in the ash.

Allaster's heart throbbed in his chest and he dropped his head, facing the ground with clenched jaw and eyes as tears battled against him, slipping down his muzzle and dripping to the ash below.

"What a scene. . . is this all we will amount to? Is defeat and loss our only result?"

Allaster's head shot up at the familiar voice and he turned to look behind him and gaze at the female he knew since she was young. Just a few feet off, Edrea stood - unharmed. Allaster smiled and releif flooded his chest, but suddenly it grew heavy and thick like tar.

Edrea stood unscathed, her eyes on the distant storm of black magic, but something was off. Her body did not hold the opacity it 'ought to, and through her white and black pelt he could see the tiny village of the East.

"E-Edrea?" The name was choked, a strain to break from his mouth. Slowly, she turned to him and smiled sadly.

"Allaster. . ."

Tears began to flood from his eyes as the realization of what he was staring at hit him. "I'm sorry. . . I'm so sorry, I couldn't protect you. . . I couldn't protect anyone. . ."

Edrea gazed at him for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "That may be so."

"This battle will be fruitless, and I am no leader. I have lead my people to death and ruin!" Allaster smacked his paw against the ash, sending flecks of it through the air.

"That may be true." Her tone did not change.

"What am I to do? Surly, I cannot show my face to them. . . I should have died on this field."

"Allaster." Her voice had a sudden firmness, one which came from the roar of thunder. "You failed, yes. But, not one soul here died with a regret other than the families they left behind. All of us put our lives on the line - willingly. You gave speeches of great endings, you gave us the courage to fight, but every soul in your army knew well the possibility of defeat. So do not sob and say you should have joined them. Stand and make our deaths worth something! Prove to our spirits that we did not die for our family and loved one's to join the cruelty of Libra."

Allaster stared at her, his mind in shock. Voices drifted towards him, but they were muffled. He could only see her as she slowly faded away. Then, behind her, the memory of them. Alessandre. . . Alexstrasza. . . Keristrasza. . . Tears rolled down his cheeks again as the rescue team rushed towards him, though a new emotion drove them, one which fed his determination once more.

[656]
(Alessandre, Alexstrasza, Keristrasza - Allaster's mate and family - owned by james.)

Agni stood on the mountain peak, his eyes resting firmly on the back of the traitor which gazed over the cliff at the ruin below. Hatred hummed in his veins and his vision steadily grew white.

"You betrayed me."

"You gave me information about them freely and I used it. There was no betrayal.

"You sickening liar. . . I'll kill you, Monster! I'll stain the ash below with your blood!"

He let out a calm sigh, his gaze never moving from the ruin below. "After all we've been through. . . I thought we were friends, Agni."

"I was just starting to like you too. Then I realized, you don't feel emotions. You just fake them for your own gain. You pretended to be my friend, when you don't even know the meaning of the word!"

Slowly, Libra turned to face him, his expression empty. "So, now what? You're going to stain the ash with my blood, are you?"

Agni roared and lunged. Before he could grab Libra, however, the male twisted his body, latching onto Agni's chest feathers with a paw and sweeping him over, dangling him above the steep drop of the mountain peak, his expression unchanging.

Agni snarled, clinging to Libra's arms, then glowered at him and released, spreading is arms to the side. "Go ahead. You've already killed so many, so what's one more? Beside, haven't you used me up? Got nothin left to gain from me, right?"

Libra gazed at him with a bored expression for a moment, then nodded. "You're right."

His paw released and Agni fell, his heart skipping a beat as the world lurched into slow motion. As he descended through the air, the ash and smoke below rising upward towards Libra as he turned away and left, the hatred in his veins exploded into fire. He released a roar of wrath, swearing his vengeance to the sky, a sound that was cut off by the ground.

[322]

Total: 2,313

[Placebo]

Continuation from here

"Is that a viscet?!"

"Oh, stars, what's wrong with him?"

"He's gone unstable trying to battle back the effects of turning too early."

"Oh, crap."

Viscets Used: (Mrs.) Nubia and her student, Jamil

+ Osiris, the viscet-turned totem!