Raharu, who was later identified as Haruko, had taken Suki to the beach, which was a bit far from Naharu. She stood at the very edge where the water, her shoes off. She just stood there, staring as the sun began to set. Suki stood from the vespa and walked beside her, her hands behind her back.

"Haruko? What are we doing here? Why did you bring me here?" She questioned.

Haruko smirked. "I thought you would like the beach...Kana-bun always did..."

"Who's Kana?"

Haruko shook her head. "No one you know..."

"Look, I don't mean to be rude or anything since you did offer me a ride and everything, but if you're gonna waste my time and possibly kidnap me, I'd rather walk."

"You teens are so whiney, you know that?"

"I don't know how you could criticize me when you yourself are only nineteen."

Haruko rolled her eyes. "You might be right. But at least I don't hide behind my smile..."

Suki stayed silent. Haruko smirked.

"Just as I thought..." Haruko turned around to face Suki. "Look, I won't waste your time anymore. I just brought here to make you an offer you could not possibly refuse."

Suki rose an eyebrow. "What kind of offer?"

"You're reaching an important age in your life. Seventeen is a big deal and it won't wait forever. You're gonna have to make some pretty big choices that could change your very being. And you can't keep going through life the way you are now. You need to live! You need to stand in the streets and shout out all that teenage angst you bottle up!"

"...is there a point to this?"

"Tomorrow, I'll be waiting for you from the back of the school. If you show up, I'll teach you everything I know and maybe you can teach me a few things. If you don't, then I'll take my leave. But you definitely won't be getting anymore rides!"

Suki thought about it for a moment.

She had just followed this crazy woman out to the beach and she's offering to teach her god knows what at the back of the school where no one will be.

"....I'll think on it. Now, take me home."

Haruko sighed, still smiling. "Teenagers...so moody."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kimi: alright men. Suki's birthday is on the 21st. We don't have that much time to plan so let's get started now.

Kimi: we can't!it's too important! Suki is working herself to the bone with this shit! She needs this!

Jumin: but what about Anzu?

Kimi: we have time, Jumin. This is our leader, we're talking about! She needs this more than anyone.

Jumin: yeah, sorry. You can go back to sleep now.

Yasahiro: i can't.

Jumin: why not?

Isas:.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Isas threw his phone down on the bed and dashed Yasahiro's room, throwing open the door to see Yasahiro standing in the middle of his room with a thankfully harmless garden snake on his hand, just hanging there.

"Yasahiro, is everything okay?!" Isas asked, stumbling towards him and prying the snake off his hand.

Yasahiro winced. "I-I'm okay now..."

Isas took the snake by the neck and quickly opened the window, throwing it out.

Yasahiro's hand was still bleeding and he was starting to cry a little. Isas took Yasahiro's other hand and led him to the bathroom, sitting him down on the edge of the bathtub and getting out the first aid kit.

"I-I'm sorry..." Yasahiro mumbled.

Isas shook his head, patting Yasahiro on the head. "Don't apologize. Just next time...tell me sooner when there is a reptile stuck to your hand."

Yasahiro smiled and nodded.

"Anyhow, I needed to replace your dressings anyway. You seem to be healing nicely."

Yasahiro smiled, giggling. "Yeah! Most of my wounds went away and they don't hurt as much anymore!"

"That's wonderful, Yasahiro!"

Yasahiro grinned wider, but then it faded.

"W-what about you? How are you, Isa-kun?"

"Hm? Oh, I'm....better, so to see. I've gotten used to having only one slightly good eye. I stumble and fall a few times but it's nothing too concerning."

"Anything else?"

"Hmmm...I'm more tired than usual. Why do you-?"

Yasahiro suddenly took Isas' head and pressed it against his. He seemed to be concentrating very hard on something.

"Yasahiro...?"

"It's not working..."

"What?"

Yasahiro pulled away. "I thought I could heal you...I thought I could help you see again..."

Isas sighed. "Yasahiro...you don't have to do that."

"Yes I do."

"No you don't. Yasahiro, I know this may sound strange but....this fairly the best thing that has ever happened to me. It is something I deserve and frankly, it has given me a brand new perspective on everything. Even on who I am...and I don't want you to burden yourself with my ailments...."

Yasahiro smiled, hugging on Isas and nuzzling against him before falling asleep.

Isas chuckled as he picked up Yasahiro and carried him over to his bedroom, tucking him in and placing his small panda plushie beside him.

"Goodnight younger brother...."

He left his room, closing the door quietly behind him and finally retiring to his room for the night.

But, what he did not notice was Chiyoko, who had listening and watching them the entire time.

Something was definitely a miss.

First, it was Isas falling dangerously ill to the point of dying and then he recovered quickly, and now he's taking care of this mysterious stranger he is suddenly 'brother' about?

Something was off and she was going to find out what.

Even if it was past her bed time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

March 16th, 20XX

Anzu's circus

Anzu was quite shaken from the encounter she had the previous conversation they had together. She had stayed in the dressing trailer and rarely made any sort of conversation with her.

She really freaked her out and just wanted to leave. But how?

The door swung open and it was shadow Anzu, with her scary white grin and top hat.

"Mornin' darling!" Shadow Anzu said cheerfully.

"I-it's morning...?" Anzu asked, confused.

Shadow Anzu nodded. "Yup! Normally, we'd be getting up to go find

So, it's Saturday. But...how does she know that-oh, right. The whole internal clock thing.

"Where are we going?"

Shadow Anzu walked over to Anzu, untying her.

Shadow Anzu led her normal counterpart to the fairgrounds where a large pile of what look like miniature train tracks.

"You're gonna help me put this together for the big show."

"O-okay..."

Anzu knelt down and reached for the toolbox beside her as her shadow went over to pull one of the rails from the pile.

Guests...? Wait a minute!! That girl! Suki-San!

Anzu wanted to run. She wanted to run and stop herself because she did not want someone's death to be on her conscious. But she couldn't.

In fact, if her shadow knew what she was thinking....something bad was definitely going to happen.

"You guessed correct my dear...."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It may have only been Saturday but Suki kept her promise and actually decided to meet Haruko at the back of the school.

And sure enough, there she was there, waiting for her on her yellow vespa, blowing a big bubblegum bubble.

"I'm here." Suki announced, getting closer to Haruko.

Haruko's bubble popped, a mischievous grin crossing her face. She sat up, revving up her vespa.

"Get on."

Here we go again....

"I am thou,

Thou art I....

Thou has created a new vow....

Thou has birthed new life

And blossomed forth the vow of the Tower Arcana..."

Tower Arcana: Rank 1

Reluctantly, Suki got on the back her vespa and within the blink of an eye, they dangerously sped off.

Suki held on for dear life as they barreled down the streets. "W-where are we going?!" Suki yelled.

"We are going to see the Narukamis to see if we can toughen you up, you little white marshmallow!"

"Wait, how do you know-"

"The wife tried to kick my ass in Jack-In-The-Box parking lot."

"What's a Jack-in-the-box?"

"You don't know what a jack-in-the-box is?! I can't believe-!'

"HARUKO! LOOK OUT!"

Haruko's eyes widened as she swerved to the side and almost crashed into a nearby shop. She looked up to see the pedestrian she almost hit and she was less than happy.

It was a young woman with freckles and seemingly dead blue eyes. She looked up at Haruko in astonishment, almost if she recognized her.

Haruko was glaring daggers at this girl until she adjusted the vespa and took off, this time more carefully.

How strange...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Haruko and Suki pulled up to Jumin's house, heading around back to where Yu and Grey were waiting for her.

Suki went in first since Grey was not on best terms with Haruko at the moment.

"Hi Mr. And Mrs. Narukami. I'm here for my training session."

"Well at least you're awake. Jumin decided to pull another all nighter and is still asleep." Grey explained.

"But...it's one in the afternoon."

"We know." They both said in unison.

Suki chuckled nervously. Oh Jumin....

Yu sighed. "I'll try to wake him again...you two can get started without me."

"Don't be afraid to-"

"I'm not using the hose on our son!"

"It was just a suggestion!"

Yu rolled his eyes as he entered the house. Grey chuckled as she turned back, her smile contorting into a snarl as she witnessed Haruko trying to climb over their fence.

Haruko looked up and devilishly smirked, giving Grey a small wave.

"Oh HELL NO! YOU BETTER GET THE FUCK OFF MY PROPERTY YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

Suki sweat nervously as Grey took Yu's sword and charged at Haruko. Oh boy...this was not a good idea...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

March 17, 20XX

After the training session that was mainly Jumin asleep and his mother attempting to murder Haruko, Suki was very much looking forward to this new guest and possibly new confidant that Akiniko was bring over.

That morning she had slept in until eleven, crawled her way to the shower, and was about ready to head out and meet this person, until Suki found Akiniko in the kitchen....with a woman.

A...woman...?

Suki had never seen this woman on the streets before, and she wasn't a teacher from school.....

Was this woman...the guest he was taking about? Did he bring her here to....replace her mother?

Akiniko caught glimpse of Suki. He smiled, waving her over. Suki hesitantly walked over to them. The woman at the table stood up.

"Suki, I would like you to meet an old friend of your mother's and I, "

Kagami sweetly smiled as she bent down a little to shake Suki's hand. "It's so nice to meet you, Suki! Wow, you look just like your mother! It's unbelievable!"

"Uh...thanks..." Suki replied, her hand a dead fish in Kagami's.

"You know, I wish I could've stayed longer to chat but I have work in a few minutes. But here!"

Kagami reached in her bag and pulled out a big wooden box. "These are just some things I thought you might want to have."

Suki took the box out of her hands, staring at it. Kagami looked up Akiniko, smiling and waving him goodbye before heading out the door.

Akiniko smiled, standing up and placing his hand on Suki's shoulder. "So, what'd ya-"

Without warning, Suki throwing down the box in anger and watching it break.

"...did you do this just to hurt me..?"

"W-what?!"

"YOU DID THIS TO HURT ME! YOU BROUGHT HER HERE BECAUSE-BECAUSE YOU'RE REPLACING MOM!"

"What?! I would never-!"

"LIAR! YOU LIE, AND YOU LIE, AND YOU LIE!"

Suki stormed out, throwing the door open, unknowingly smacking Kimi, who was waiting outside the door. Akiniko came out, pulling Kimi to her feet as she held her bleeding nose.

"S-So...I'm guessing we're canceling the party?" Kimi asked.

Akiniko sighed. "Yeah....yeah, that's a good idea...."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~