Naota trudged through the dark woods lining the immediate exterior of the hotel, silently wishing he bought a pair of sneakers to spare his feet the clammy sensation of mud seeping through his sandals. The earth had a gentle incline to it, and the fox could just make out the scent of tiger fur amidst the constant pitter-patter of rain and grumbling thunder. “Damn, why’d he have to wander off way out here?” The runty vulpine groaned to himself, his arms tucked into his sweater. Wherever Vergil wandered to, he left a trail of prominent tracks that clearly stood out in the wet soil, often circling some kind of bizarre marble effigy located on the grounds, as if he had been observing them. “Trippy décor out here, I wonder if they’re relics.” It became increasingly difficult to see and smell as the minutes of searching wore on, but Naota swore he could hear water nearby. Not a river or an ocean, but a still body of water creating a chorus of chimes from the beating of the falling rain; perhaps a pool? Whatever the case, the fox was quickly growing impatient, silently fuming as he stepped up his pace to a jog. “For Christ sake Vergil, where the hell are you? I’m not gonna get skinned just because you decided to take a hike.”
*****************************************

“Oii, it’s getting late! Let’s wrap it up, ok?” Natsumi called from the bleachers, noting the not-so-favorable sporting conditions of the environment. The muddy playground was now dotted with upturned skid-marks and puddles, the forte-ball itself was dirty and worn to the point of rupturing, and a number of the younger spectators had been taken home by their parents, many shooting Dante disapproving looks at the idea of an adult wolf playing with grade-school children. “You hear me? Next point wins, ok!” Nattie shouted before retreating underneath the bleachers for shelter, feeling a bit annoyed that she wasn’t acknowledged by the players. Both sides were getting a bit too involved with the simple sport, and tensions were running high. The two teams were battling (relatively) fiercely, each player using every trick they could think of, until the score came to 9-9. It was shortly past Six now and it was freezing. If the game was to continue, this had to be the final round.


“Well, I told them to hurry up and finish. Not sure if they heard me though.” Natsumi told Momo as she crawled underneath the bleachers to meet her, who was doing everything in her power to prevent her hair from getting wet. “They better get this over with,” Momo grimaced, “At first, it was fun, but we’ve been out here too long. This ‘fro’s my pride and joy, ya know.” “And people talk about my hair. So, when do you intend to pay me back?” “Say what now?” “Don’t play dumb. It was because of you I got fired at my old museum job. Picked the place clean of all its old weapons, which knowing you, you probably just pawned off.” She exclaimed with a stern tone of voice. “Then you think you can just show up, use a hitomi(eye) flea, real tacky by the way, to track me from a restaurant because you just happened to recognize me, and expect me to act peachy with you? No pun intended.” Momo shrugged and knelt onto the moist grass, using her red coat to protect her head from stray raindrops. “Shoot, you’re seriously gonna tell me you’re not happier as a teacher? Besides, I never forget a face, and I don’t hold grudges. That’s why I came to visit you.” “Yeah right. Next, you’ll want to stay at my inn.” The two women glanced at each other for a moment; Momo wearing a sly grin Nattie would recognize anywhere. “Absolutely not!” The master thief threw both hands in the air, “I didn’t say anything. It’s a kind offer, though.” She remarked with a playful inflection. “So you can rob me blind, too? I don’t think so.” “Girl, stop trippin’” She quipped, stifling a chuckle. Momo enjoyed toying with her, and she wasn’t the least bit shy about it. “I swear you’re going to be the death of me.”

************************************************

A dim light shone faintly from the creaked door in the hotel’s west hallway, affording the scarlet carpeting and matching wall paper a sleepy, debonair atmosphere. The corridor was largely silent, the sound of heavy rainfall outside failing to register through the thick walls. The only noise that could be heard in the empty wall was a pair of voices echoing from Baitang and Yoshi’s room, and Patti’s cautiously muffled breath. She stood but a few feet from the door, hardly moving a muscle as she held her hand fast to her lips, preventing herself from uttering even the slightest noise. Part of her was surprised they hadn’t noticed her presence, considering their superior senses. Nevertheless, she remained silent in the shadows, transfixed on the occupant’s conversation.

“So, assuming we’ll be able to eek out a living in this ghost town hotel,” Yoshi grumbled, stretching his bulky arms over his shoulders, relieving himself of the kinks his day of relative inactivity burdened him with. “What do you think the others will do? I mean, we were lucky to get out when we did, but they…” The shiba inu trailed off mid-stretch, his fuzzy maw stretching in a yawn, only to yelp in shock at the shrill sensation of a frozen water bottle pressed to the nape of his neck. “AHHH, damn. Why’d you do that?” His panda roommate slumped over to his bed, laying the bottle on a nearby dresser. “To snap you out of your funk. You think too much. We should at least adjust to our current situation before worrying about them.” Baitang answered sheepishly as he reclined over his bed, holding the icy bottle firmly to his forehead. Yoshi got up and reached for his suitcase, retrieving a toothbrush before making his way to the bathroom. “I’ll never understand how you can be so nonchalant all the time. You’re seriously not worried about them?” The dog inquired with sincerity, waving his brush as he paced in circles. “I mean, we only got off scott free because we basically deserted. But our squad mates could have been court-martialed or even worse for all we know. Worse, we had to bring those here with us.” Yoshi bantered on, giving a slight glimpse at the large bags they had stuffed into the closet. “If the woman who runs this place finds out we brought that stuff onto the premises, we’ll be in some pretty deep shit.” “You’re panicking again.” The bear muttered from his bed, both eyes shut tight underneath the frigid bottle. “Am I?” Yoshi shot back, his anxiety growing more and more prominent as he squirmed in place. “I mean, I guess Sienna should be doing fine, considering she was discharged pretty early. But Roy, Gene, and Axel were all still members. What if they’re being punished for all this? And Tetsuko…” “DON’T!” The dog zulian almost jumped in surprise at his roommate’s sudden outburst, the panda’s brown eyes shooting him an icy glare that sent a shiver up his spine, a mortifying gaze the likes of which Yoshi had only seen once before, and it was an occasion he wished to forget. “Don’t bring her up. I can’t bear it, not now.” Baitang’s voice was clear and deep, dripping with contempt at the subject. Yoshi stood silent, trembling for a moment before willing the courage to speak again. “It’s hard for me too, ya know. But that’s precisely why I can’t let it go. I mean, she was the youngest of all of us, and we just…” “I said, drop it.” “NO!” The shiba inu finally snapped, his voice quivering with panic, his tone of voice showing no regard for possible eavesdroppers. “How can you be so damn cavalier about this!? She looked up to you! You were her mentor! And we just…” “ENOUGH!”

A loud thud shook the hallway, the creaking of floorboards and panicked breathing being all the signals Patti felt she needed. She couldn’t take just listening any more, not if it was this intense. She exhaled quickly and dashed for the room, throwing the door open with fright.

“STOP IT!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, only to freeze herself at the doorway. What she saw and what she expected to intervene couldn’t have been more different. Baitang held Yoshi tight in both arms, the black fur around his eyes matted and damp as tears streamed along his muzzle, doing everything he felt he could to comfort his friend, trembling under the weight of his panic attack. Or at least they were embracing, the two zulians now staring Patti down in utter befuddlement. Her heart sank down into what felt like a bottomless pit, her eyes growing dark and unfocused, her trembling hand creeping up back up to her chin. The almost ambient lighting obscured her reaction to the panda and dog, waiting for some kind of break in the tension she created. Finally, she took another deep breath. “I-I’m….so sorry.” The words seemed to crumple apart under her ragged breath, and she ducked out the door, ambling towards the lobby with tired, weeping eyes. Time slowed down for the portly woman, her mind circling one thought over and over. *How could I let myself do it again?*

“Wasn’t that…?” Yoshi couldn’t believe what just happened, his mind snapping to a grim realization. “Oh shit….Did she….just hear all of that?” The trembling dog zu abruptly pushed himself away from his friend, his ears drooping to the back of his head. “Oh shit, this is bad…..incredibly, UNBELIEVABLY bad.” Yoshi was well on his way to completely losing his composure as his panic attack reappeared; He began to pace about the room frantically, scratching, picking, and fidgeting at himself at random while muttering incoherently. The panda found himself in an incredibly uncomfortable situation; Whether he should consol his friend at the brink of a nervous breakdown, or try and apprehend the eavesdropper he only barely remembered from that morning. The choice seemed obvious: both.

“Hey. Snap out of it! Stay with me!” Baitang grabbed the dog by the shoulders and shook him with enough force to wake him up while still being gentle towards his friend. “Come on, you can beat this. Relax!” The panda yelled, his voice changing from the stern demeanor he adapted not long before to a concerned, almost frightened resonance, as he shook him, trying to get Yoshi’s constantly darting eyes to meet with his. Yoshi’s amber pupils finally returned his gaze, and almost like on cue, his spasming body slowly relaxed, his breathing growing steadier, until he could bring himself to speak clearly. “*gasp* Alright, thanks. I think….I’ll be ok.” Baitang gave Yoshi a cautious look-over before breathing a sigh of relief and gently releasing his grip on the dog’s arms, his eyes wearing a heavy expression of fatherly compassion. Upon being released, the shiba inu’s left arm jerked to his muzzle instantaneously, and he began to chew on his claws vigorously. “But…that woman, what if she tells somebody? If anyone finds out…” “She won’t tell anyone.” The panda ruffled at his black head fur with both hands, trying to think of a way to reassure his friend. “I’ll try to stop her and talk to her. She seemed nice enough this morning; maybe….she’ll keep it a secret.” Bai’s eyebrows drooped a bit, still unsure if she would listen. Yoshi pulled his claw from his mouth and whimpered, “But what if she doesn’t listen?” “I’ll WORK SOMETHING OUT, OK!” Bai outbursted, his sudden rise in pitch catching his friend by surprise, the dog dropping his ears and edging himself backwards, his muscular body beginning to shiver uncontrollably again. Baitang wanted to bite his own tongue, gently patting his friend on the shoulder. “It’ll be ok.” He spoke with an apologetic undertone, his eyes still red from crying. “We’ll talk about this later. We can get through this, yeah?” He pulled him into his huge arms for one last embrace, slowly stepped away from Yoshi, and with a soft smile, took off out the door, leaving the soft echoes of plodding footsteps on carpet to soothe Yoshi’s troubled nerves.

*********************************************


“So it’s agreed. Next point wins, ok?” Meru Meru Kazaki stated to both teams on the field, the six players hunched into a group. Kazaki had an air of impatience and contempt about him, seeming to stare straight at the ground, only thinking about how much he simply wanted to go home and put this stupid bet behind him. Inversely, Dante and Tei were geared up for the final round; the wolf bobbing his head up and down in a rhythm, muscles flexing like steel cables as she shifted about in place, hackles standing straight up, a low growl emitting from his lips all the while. Tei was a bit more anxious, his hair matted down by the freezing rain, clutching himself with both arms to keep warm. The playing conditions were less than favorable, but he made a promise for Wesly’s honor. No matter what, he intended to keep it.

Kako was shivering like crazy, the visible breath streaming from his quaking lips flowing upwards to steam up his thick glasses. Timothy and Renton were both looking very much like they no longer cared if the game went either way, apathetic expressions and all, but they wouldn’t dare say anything for fear of upsetting their leader. (Renton, however, couldn’t resist uttering a shaky “Coo” under his breath as he shuddered every three seconds.)

“Fine by me.” Dante smirked and licked his lips. “It’s been a pretty good game, but I don’t wanna hear any whining when you lose. Got me, redhead?” The black wolf challenged Kazaki, his ears perked as he looked the much smaller and younger player directly in the eyes, his white fangs gleaming underneath a confident grin. Kazaki snickered under his breath, wiping the rain from his freckled face. “Just you wait and see. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. You just worry about not letting all that useless bulk go to your head.”  

The wolf snorted at his opponent’s gall, his ebony fur stiffening as he prepared to cut loose and give it his all. “Ok, whatever you say. I just hope you’re ready to eat those words, kid.” “C-Can we p-please just get started? My mom’s gonna kill me for being out this late.” Kako pleaded, vigorously rubbing his hands together to keep warm. “I’ll say. Let’s justth do it. It’s almostth dinner time, and it’s Mac and Cheeseth night.” Timothy babbled, his voice muffled from the three or four gumballs stuffed into his maw. “Good. You ready, Tei?” Tei’s auburn eyes met with those of his bully, Kazaki’s emerald pupils staring at him with an underlying conveyance of competitive respect. They only met for a moment, and the young human replied in a low voice, “Yeah. I’m ready.”  A confident smile creeped along Kazaki’s face, he looked over his shoulders to his two teammates, who acknowledged him with smiles and shrugs, and grabbed the worn volleyball in his palm, brushing off the limp blades of grass and smeared mud to uncover the rudimentary star rune, the marker ink already starting to smear and wash off. Giving one last glance at his opponent’s, Kazaki exclaimed with a tired chuckle, “In that case, let’s start!” And with that, he threw the leather bound sphere high into the air, his underhand toss giving the ball a light curve as it soared through the falling rain. The ink circle emitted it’s eerie violet glow once again. It had begun.

“Let’s get it on!” Dante howled with exuberance, his wild heart content to finally play one of his favorite sports after what seemed like an eternity, and he turned around to dash at the ball, its incandescent aura serving as his target. *This could REALLY be it. Come on Tei, let’s give it your all. The exhausted yet determined nine year old followed close behind, slinging his hydraulic yo-yo in rapid circles around his finger. “Renton, run up ahead.” Kazaki ordered to the lanky canary zu without even having to look, who silently took off for the ball’s estimated impact point, before turning to his portly friend. “Tim, you should hang back in case something happens. Stay close to the goal.” “Gotcha’.” Tim replied with a hearty smack to the chest, and spun back to make for their own goal post. Kazaki smirked, brushing the sleet from his freckled face as he gazed at the players running ahead frantically, before breaking into a sprint himself. *You better play like you mean it, shrimp. And you better not  let that wolf get in the way.

“Hey, Mr. Wolf.” Tei called towards Dante as they ran side by side, keeping a close watch on the slowly plummeting ball, it’s gravity apparently at it’s lowest point. “Call me Dante, little guy.” “Umm…whatever. Let me go after it first, ok?” The wolf’s dripping ears perked up for a moment in surprise. “Sure, go ahead. I’ve got your back.” Dante screeched to a halt, creating a large skid in the mud, before calling back, “Need a lift?” The wolf clapped his hands together, bending his knees and holding his muscle bound arms out wide as if ready to grab something. Tei stopped and  stared for a moment, hastily nodded at his teammate, and ran directly into the zulian’s arms. “Alley oop!” Dante grabbed the small child with careful consideration, reared his back in preparation,  and easily hefted Tei upwards with a low, guttural grunt. Renton saw the two from close behind and bent his legs, bringing himself closer to the ground as he sprinted, his mangy, goldenrod wings spreading themselves wide from the shoulders. “Coo, so that’s your first move, huh? Geez, now I gotta fly again?” The canary’s wings suddenly picked up the frigid wind, and with one jump, he was airborne, wings flapping erratically to keep his body weight suspended in the sky. “Hey Tei, look out! He’s coming from behind.” The bespectacled Kako bellowed, grabbing his friend’s attention as he rocketed straight up. “Huh? Wha..Damn. Gotta get there.” Tei let a curse slip as he glanced his approaching adversary, turning back towards the feather-weight sphere he was aiming for, floating just a few feet up. *I don’t have a choice. “AIR STROLL!” The boy recited and kicked his leg downwards in midair, as if climbing a step. Almost on cue, a small burst of air pressure released from his foot, propelling him further up by a short distance. Over and over, he “stepped” through the air, bursts of energy pushing him higher and higher each time. However, this ability was taking its toll on the boy’s body; with every boost, Tei felt like oxygen was being forced out of his lungs, growing dizzy and lightheaded as he ascended through the freezing rain battering down on him.

“This is in the bag, coo.” Renton’s flapping wings carried him upwards towards the ball, approaching at a faster rate than Tei had predicted. He continued to bounce further and further till the volleyball’s azure gleam was just above him. Tei threw his right arm backwards in midair, his yo-yo unfurling in a wide arc behind him. Using all of his remaining strength, he spun his body around, and threw his arm forward, the string pulling the sphere at the end in a looping curve. “Atom Split” The yo-yo struck the ball with a sharp crack, sending it careening towards Renton like a cannon. “What the..” Was all the canary could mutter before the ball beaned him straight on the forehead, bouncing back up towards Kaziki’s goal as Renton was left to plummet in a daze to the clammy lawn below, his dingy feathers scattering about in the wind and rain.

“Renton!” Timothy shouted back from his position at the goal post, but to no avail. The hapless zu lay motionless in the mud, just barely conscious, his eyes spinning all around in an unfocused stupor. Kazaki bit his lip, frowning as he made a mad dash for the ball. “Geez, useless bird.” He dug into his pocket as he ran, never taking his eye off his target.

Tei fell towards the earth and landed in Dante’s massive arms. He gasped for breath as the huge wolf let him go, his eyes focused on the boy he had just knocked for a loop as he wound his yo-yo cord. “Yikes, I didn’t see that coming. Hope he’s ok.” Dante placed an enormous paw on his shoulder as he leaned down to Tei’s eye level and flashed him a toothy smile. “Don’t sweat it. One less guy to worry about.” Tei’s eyes narrowed at him as he started to inch away from him uncomfortably. “I’m REALLY worried you’re taking this too seriously.” Dante chuckled and ruffled the boy’s hair before he took off running. “It was your bet, kid. You should see it through no matter what.” “Hey, wait up!”

    Timothy stared, bug-eyed, back and forth between Renton and the ball descending towards him. “N-no way, Renton’s down. Is it really up to me?” He looked around for Kazaki, but he was too far ahead in the field. Swallowing his gumball in a panic, he knelt down slightly and braced himself, eyes firmly on target.

*ok, I can do this, no problem.* He thought to himself, inhaling deeply as he slowly pulled his right hand back, holding his palm wide open.  He waited for the indigo hue shining from the ball to drop to his level, a distinctive beacon in the heavy rainfall, and with a booming shout, he struck it with full force. “Tsukedachi!”

The ball met his strike with more resistance than Tim anticipated and sprang back into the air. Dante, Tei, Kako and Kazaki froze in their tracks, their glares ever focused on the target, while Tim collapsed to his knees, wincing in pain. A thin smoke rose from the palm of his right hand, his thick, husky fingers twitching uncontrollably.

*I didn’t know it’d hurt so much. Ms. S was right.* The portly boy clutched his wrist tightly, legs and pants caked in mud and grass stains, eyes straining to hold back tears from the aching pain that shot from his hand and into his chest.

Kazaki halted in his rush to keep with the others and looked back, seeing his friend hunched into a ball on the damp grass.
“Hey, Tim.” Tim simply sat there in silence.
“Oi, Tim! Keep up!” Again, he didn’t respond. Frowning, Kazaki cursed under his breath and ran to him.

“Hey, it’s comin’ back!” Dante shouted. “I-I’ve got it!” Kako called back, aiming his toy box into the air. “Roulette Jack!” With a loud pop, a long, beige spring rocketed straight upwards, intercepting the ball’s flight with what looked like a red, plaid pincushion affixed to the end. “…Sand Worm?”  “Geez kid, how does this weird thing work, anywho?” Asked the hulk of a wolf as he kneeled to his eye level and poked the box absent-mindedly, ears twitching wildly. “Well, it’s mostly random.” “Who cares? It worked, didn’t it?” Tei said. *We can REALLY win this thing.* The young boy stepped forward, nodded at his teammates, and made a mad dash towards his enemies’ goal without another word, following the ball’s trajectory with unwavering focus. Dante and Kako exchanged glances, shrugged, and soon followed behind.

**********************************************


The falling rain, the damp soil, the scent and sounds of wildlife. All of it was nothing more but a vague fog to the tiger zulian who stood transfixed among the countless trees, statues, and pools that had been carved of milky white stone all about him. All his senses dimmed and grew weak as he remained motionless, his gaze never wandering from the ghostly sight before him.

The image of a tall, slender woman, ethereal in form and ghastly in appearance, ambled towards him at an achingly slow pace, stumbling slightly with each step. Her body appeared to be riddled with scars and gashes, her left leg twisted in a grotesque manner. A draping curtain of midnight hair obscured her entire face, yet she stumbled towards the hulking tiger before her without wavering, yet he still would not move. His verdant eyes grew wide with terror as she extended a pathetic-looking arm towards him as the apparition grew closer still, the very earth distorting and quivering underfoot with each step she took. Finally, the phantom was mere inches from the feline’s broad chest and Vergil could still not bring himself to move even an inch. It was as if he felt compelled to remain in place by the otherworldly aura that emanated from her every pore, distorting all light and making everything around her take on a monochrome hue. Or perhaps he was held there by some form of spell or sinister force?

“Please…” She said, her voice warped and muffled, as she reached to him, her fingers flinching painfully as she brought her hand to his muzzle.
“Please….be my anchor.” Vergil flinched as her hand reached his whiskers, but the moment her finger touched him, a vicious spark of green energy shot out and ran down the length of her arm and irradiated her entire body. She reeled back suddenly and started spasming violently, her bloodcurdling shrieks piercing the very air. With a look of utter horror, Vergil reached for her to help, but a second snap of energy quickly brought him to his knees. A sensory overload overtook his every nerve, sinew and sense, and he clutched himself tightly with both powerful arms. Looking up, he watched the apparition flail about uncontrollably, her very image fluctuating erratically, her features blurring and fading from view until with one last horrible screech, she disappeared completely, leaving behind nothing but a faint mist as her monochrome aura dimmed and quickly faded.

Vergil however, still lay in a crumpled heap on the forest floor, tremendous muscles bulging as he struggled to fight the surge that raced throughout his body. But, the sensation that overwhelmed him was not of pain, but of a searingly intense sensual pleasure. His body tingled inside and out with a cascading rush of warmth and positive energy, completely blocking out all other forms of sensual information, as if all he knew at this moment was pure bliss. He curled up into a fetal position, his vision blurring, entire body flexing and straining uncontrollably as sparks of emerald energy danced and crackled across every crevice and bulge of sinew on his impressive frame. Yet, despite this, the tiger couldn’t help but grin madly, tears streaming down his already damp and matted fur. He’d gladly allow himself to laugh with glee if he could open his mouth, sharp teeth gnashing together to the point where his gums bled. And then…

“There you are! What the hell are you…” Naota hollered, emerging from the darkness of the forest, soaked to the bone and wearing a look of annoyance. He caught himself when he noticed the tiger slumped upon the ground.
“Hey, what’s wrong with you?” Naota asked, approaching Vergil cautiously. “Oi, Vergil!” The fox reached down to touch him, but a burst of energy shocked his hand, making him flinch in surprise. “What the hell was that? Ver..” Naota’s voice trailed off as Vergil slowly rose to his feet, his fiery orange fur bristling with that same green energy. The tiger turned towards Naota and looked straight down at him, his eyes beaming with an intense emerald glow. Naota froze in place, Vergil’s intimidating frame casting  a shadow over him like he was one of the forest trees.  
“Could this be yours…?”

******************************************

Patti stumbled her way down the hotel’s front stairway, nearly slipping on the slick marble steps. The rain beat down on her mercilessly, mixing with her tears.
“Miss, wait! Please come back.” Baitang called, the large panda chasing after her down the steps. “M’am, please wait! I can explain.”
“It’s ok.” She called, halting the panda’s frantic advance. She stood with her back to him, smiling weakly to herself. “It’s alright, dear. Don’t worry.”
“But, m’am…” Patti turned to face him with an apologetic smile. “It’s ok, dearie. I was just looking for a phone, was all. I guess my nosiness got the best of me again.”
Baitang stood in silence before extending an arm. “Please miss. Come back inside, I insist.” Patti shook her head. “I’ll be fine by myself, dearie. It’s only a short jog out of here to the nearest bus stop, and besides…” She looked up at the panda, staring him straight in the eye, her tears masked by the rainfall. “I promise not to tell.”

***********************************************


“Sorry, boss. I guess I wasn’t ready for that move after all.” Timothy said, clutching his wrist tightly as Kazaki kneeled before him, completely silent. The boy put a hand on his teammates’ shoulder. “Didn’t I tell you not to call me that?” Was all the young bully said to him before standing up, looking behind him at his other friend, lying in a daze. Tei, Dante, and Kako were following the airborne volleyball for the final strike. The redheaded child scowled and wiped the rain from his freckled face.
“Goddammit!” Kazaki threw his green baseball cap off, revealing what appeared to be a turtle shell, albeit abnormally spherical in shape and peppered with holes, certainly more than a turtle has legs. “Well, little friend, time to make our move.” He brandished his slingshot and loaded the shell into the band.
“Meru Kame Shot!” With a snap, the shell was sent flying, tearing through the air like a bullet, and struck the ball head-on, sending it in the other direction yet again. “Yeah!”
Tei and Kako screeched to a halt as the ball zoomed past overhead. “Crap, it’s too fast.” Tei said, scrambling to follow it before a large, black-furred blocked his path. “Leave it to me, kiddo.” Dante said with a confident wink, bending his knees slightly as he tensed and flexed every muscle in his body, hackles rising, muzzle pursing as he growled intensely. Kako’ eyes widened and he quickly inched away from the hulking wolf. “Hey, are you ok?” Tei asked, reaching out to touch his bulging shoulder. The moment his hand touched him, a searing heat shot right through him, and he jumped back in pain. “Ow! What the?” Tei cried, failing to notice the steady layer of billowing steam rising from the wolf’s body, each drop of rain evaporating as soon as it touched him.  
“Storm!” Suddenly, Dante disappeared with a tremendous boom, leaving an explosion of hot, displaced air that knocked the two kids for a loop. Kazaki stared ahead in disbelief, eyes darting all about the field. “What the hell just happened?” The entire field shook as numerous craters appeared in the grass and mud, each time marked with a resounding thud. The last crater appeared directly below Tei’s goal, mere moments before the ball floated past, and in a great burst of steam, the wolf reappeared in the sky, the perfect position to strike it. Kazaki grimaced as Dante’s two teammates cheered him on from below. “Yeah, go for it!” “No, don’t! You can’t!” Kazaki screamed, but it was too late.
Grinning like a madman, the wolf bent backwards in mid-air, letting the ball sail just over his mountainous chest before head-butting it with tremendous force, more than enough to shoot it straight through Kazaki’s goal post, the velocity of its flight tearing off large strips of the dingy leather binding it. Tei and Kako gawked, dumbfounded, in total silence, their soaked faces slowly beaming with excitement until they couldn’t hold it anymore.
“YEAH, we did it! We REALLY won! I can’t believe it!” “Y-yeah, we did, didn’t we?” The boy’s ecstatic cheering was briefly interrupted by a ground-shaking thud as Dante fell back to earth.  “That’s right! Didn’t I tell ya to count on me?” The great wolf let forth a proud victory howl, scooping the kids’ in his arms and onto his shoulders and ran a victory lap in triumph, much to Tei’s elation and Kako’s discomfort.

“Well, that’s finally over.” Said Natsumi, peering out through the space between the bleachers. “They sure are making a big deal out of it, aren’t they?” Momo replied, idly combing over her bronze afro with a green hair pick. “That last move didn’t really seem fair.” “Meh, I guess I’d better break it up. The whole afternoon’s wasted, I’m soaked to the bone, and I definitely don’t wanna stick around when the brat’s parents show up and start bitching about how they’ll catch pneumonia.” Natsumi briefly spied Kazaki out on the field, standing motionless with his head held down, alone in the rain. The boy looked utterly defeated. After a moment, he started walking towards where the canary zu, Renton, was lying, exhausted. She sighed and started to walk out from under the bleachers when a shirtless rat zulian blocked the way out.
“Looks like it’s over. We gonna go now?” He asked to Momo. “Yeah, K.P. Just…” Her voice trailed off as she stared at his powerfully built upper body, not from attraction, but due to trace amounts of bubbles and soap suds that clung to his frame. Momo snickered. “…You didn’t?” She said, feigning disbelief. “Well…yeah.” K.P. reached into his pocket and brandished a small, pink bottle that, judging by the logo, must have been tick shampoo. Momo clutched her sides and burst into hysterical laughter at the very sight of it. “What? No one was around to see, and the little bastards were bugging me all day, so why not?” Natsumi grimaced with disgust. “Too much info, Ratfink. Outta the way.” She squeezed past him and started towards the field when a triplet of voices screamed out in pain, stopping her cold. In the distance, Tei and Kako were rolling in the damp grass, wincing from their sudden fall, while Dante stumbled about in some kind of stupor, clutching his head with both paws and groaning loudly. An alien, blue energy crackled across his body like electricity, his moans growing loader and more disconcerting before dropping to his knees.
“Ow! Why’d you drop us?” Tei barked, rubbing his head. Kako sifted about the grass frantically, searching for his glasses. Finding them, albeit slightly bent, he put them on and turned towards Dante’s wails. “Mr. Wolf?” Both boys shivered at what they saw, the hulking black wolf they had played with a moment ago sitting motionless, looking straight up towards the overcast sky, tears streaming from the blinding azure beacons of ethereal light emanating from his eyes, the energy crackling about him with terrifying intensity.

“T-tei?” Kako’s voice trembled as he began to inch away from the wolf, the boy hyperventilating from sheer fear. Tei couldn’t bring himself to budge, literally frozen with terror, his gaze never venturing from Dante.
Momo rushed to Natsumi’s side. “Hey, what’s going on?” Even she was mesmerized at what has happening out on the field, staring intently until she suddenly went pale, as if making a startling realization.
“Hey! Get away from him, now!” Nastumi screamed, snapping the hapless boys’ back to attention.

Dante inhaled deeply and smiled softly, uttering, “Tempo…Barghest”, and as if because of those words, the cerulean wave of energy around him erupted with a deafening roar, and an enormous wall of suffocating darkness, as black as night itself shot forth, swallowing both children as it billowed outwards in all directions.
“Boss!” Timothy called to Kazaki, the boy lugging Renton over his shoulder when he looked back, eyes widening in surprise as the curtain of gloom overcame and consumed all three of them.
Natsumi, Momo, and K.P. fell to the same fate as the darkness expanded without end, soon ballooning upwards and forming a huge, impenetrable dome of darkness that now covered Kaledo Gate Park, a shining white emblem resembling a g-clef imprinted at the dome’s apex.

**************************************************


Vergil’s muzzle curled into an unsettlingly innocent smile, jagged teeth glinting down at the miniscule fox below. “Tempo…Schroedinger.” Was all the great tiger said his voice unusually quite and plaintive, and his towering frame began to glow an intense, brilliant white. Before Naota could so much as speak, he disappeared under a tremendous wave of blinding light that stretched throughout the surrounding wood and enveloping bits of the nearby resort with ease. In seconds, a dome of unyielding light erected itself menacingly, threatening to swallow anything it touched.

Bossa Continuo