"Reluctantly Prepared"

___

"Tori, up!"

"But, Kazumi, I have to go to lesson soon!"

"Tori, up!" He happily squealed, ignoring what she said.

The little girl sighed as she got down on all fours, waiting for the stubborn boy to wrap his arms around her neck and legs around her waist. Kazumi happily squealed, as he couldn't stop bouncing up and down. The girl smiled a little bit, "Ready?"

He screamed, "Ready, ready! I'm ready, ready, ready!"

"I don't think you are. Three... Two... One... Go!"

Tori's arms morphed into bird's wings, the same colour as her navy blue hair. She jumped into the air and flapped her wings, successfully riding the wind and soaring through the sky. The little boy shrieked and clung to her neck, so hard that he was strangling her slightly, but she let him.

She flapped her wings higher and higher as if she was trying to run away. As if she was trying to escape and never look back. Shaking her head, she tried to get rid of all those thoughts. She hovered, "Kazu, do you want me to dive down? Really, really fast?"

He beamed, "Really?! Can you!"

"Duh!"

She dove. Not so much that Kazumi would get swung off her back, but just enough so that they would both feel the thrill. All of a sudden, he lost his grip of her waist and was flung forward. Tori's feet morphed into claws, and she carried him down, neither of them making a big deal about it as they were laughing the whole way.

As she landed, she was swamped and bombarded with little children, most of them half her height. This is bad, she thought, I'm going to be late. Still, she didn't have it in her to crush their enthusiasm.

"Tori, what are you doing?"

She looked up and was met with forest green eyes and silky black hair that was just barely tickling her face. She beamed, "Yuzu!"

He grinned and held his hand out to her, and pulled her up. She smiled at him and waved at the kids, "Sorry, guys, I have to go to lesson now."

The older boy smirked, "Why can't you just tell them no sometimes? I can't come and save you all the time."

"What? Yes, you can."

"You don't know that." He grumbled.

She smirked, "Yes I do."

~~~

The blue-haired girl was in pain. So much pain. She was walking along a straight line. If she stepped off it, she would get hit. She had books on her head. If they fell off, she would get hit. She had her arms out parallel to each other and perpendicular to her body while gripping weights in her hand. She if she dropped the weights or let her arms droop, she would get hit. All while being bombarded with question after question from a teacher she didn't think was human.

"You are on a mission. A teammate is injured and has, therefore, become a liability and will jeopardise the mission and may potentially blow your cover. What do you do?"

She gulped, her throat feeling dry, "Abandon them."

"Why?"

"This mission takes priority over everything. Whether it be your own comrades or your life. Whether it be lost limbs or additional homicide." She recited, as if she had said the same thing over and over.

She heard the scratching of pencil on paper. It was worrying. It made her want to throw up. Still, she kept going. The teacher smacked her forearms with a cane. Tori silently watched as her arms were beginning to turn more and more purple after every hit, "Do not falter. Answer confidently."

"U-Understood."

"Do not stutter! What must you remember at all times?"

She panted, keeping her eyes on the horizon, "To be prepared."

"Why?"

"To have no unnecessary surprises so I can always be level headed and calm to make decisions. I can successfully adapt to any situation without worry."

More scratches. They seemed to be getting louder and louder.

"Who are you?"

She took a deep breath, "Whoever I have to be. I can be no one. I can be someone. I can your family. I can be a friend. Tori doesn't matter. She is disposable."

She clenched her teeth, and the teacher smacked her calves. She didn't react despite the pain. The teacher yelled, "Keep your pace. Don't slow down!"

"Understood," She gritted her teeth.

"What is your role?"

"Whatever I have to be," Tori matched her volume with the teacher.

Scratch. The sound of someone clearing their throat, "Last question."

This is it, Tori thought.

"Would you ever betray us for your own ideals?"

What?

Tori began to panic. There's never been a question like this before. She was used to all the other questions, she made it so she answered the same thing every time, but this was new. Why is this happened? This hasn't happened before. She froze. She wasn't prepared. No, she had to say something. If she didn't, maybe it'll be the end. Despite her panic, she managed to answer with a clear voice, "No. I don't matter, therefore my options, and ideals don't matter. I do what needs to be done."

"I see."

She began to panic. Her heart beating out her chest while her stomach churned and twisted. What did that mean? Was she safe? Are there more questions? Why was everything being written down? Was she going to be disposed of? What's going to happen now? Can she let do of the weights? Can she sit down? Can she relax?

Was she safe?

She collapsed onto all fours, taking deep breaths as her muscles ached and trembled from the prolonged pressure.

How long was this going to go on for?

~~~

"Kana? Kaaaaaaaana. Kana? Kanade!"

"I'm right here! Do you want to get caught?"

"Oops," she grinned. "I'm sorry, I was excited."

He sighed as he lay down in the old treehouse, staring at the badly built ceiling, "I got here before you."

"You're good at hiding!"

He smirked, "Or maybe you just suck at seeking."

Giggling, she crawled a little further into the treehouse to try and find him. Her eyes lit up when she saw him. He was lying on his back with his eyes closed. As her eyes began to slowly adjust, she took a few seconds to just stare at him. His soft, silky black fair fanned out underneath him. He was wearing a plain black t-shirt paired with white trousers. Even though he wasn't doing or wearing anything special, she thought he was really pretty.

"Why are you just staring at me like that?"

She laughed and scratched her head, "I was just thinking that you're really pretty!"

He shot up and stared at her, and that's when she realised he had a black eye. Her face morphed into disgust and worry, and he rolled his eyes when he realised why, "It's not that big of a deal. Do you still think I'm pretty looking like this?"

She slowly stood up, not wanting to make and sudden movements. After making sure the night was silent, she turned her gaze towards the boy in question. He widened his big green eyes and shook his head, but she ignored him, "I'm going to do it."

"No. Please, don't. Don't-"

She jumped her him, landing on his lap with a thud. She waiting for any kind of reaction, a grunt in pain, anything, but there was nothing. She looked up at him and he smiled that sly smile of his. She wasn't convinced, "Did that not hurt."

"It didn't hurt. I told you, it's nothing. Besides, all the beatings make me stronger." He smiled, he smiled like he was happy. She knew it was a lie.

She grumbled, all of a sudden annoyed, "Then I'll get beat with you! So I can get strong and protect you!"

"Wait, what?" He scoffed, "No way, that's not happening."

"Why not? If you get to be strong, then I want to be strong so I can beat up everyone who hurts us!"

He rolled his eyes, "That makes sense, yes, but-"

He was interrupted when Tori let out a huge gasp, as if she had an epiphany. She rolled off his lap and sat next to him, trying to push him down, "Why are you so tall! Sit a bit lower."

He listened to her without questioning it.

"A bit lower... okay! That's perfect."

"This is hurting my back. I'm going to get in a lot of trouble if my posture isn't perfect."

She laughed, "You're overreacting, you big baby."

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and neck, cuddling him close as she began to stroke his hair. He was leaning on her shoulder and she rested her cheek on the top of his head. For a few seconds, he was in shock, not knowing what to do. Then he regained his senses and scowled as he began to blush out of embarrassment, "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to comfort you," She was a little worried. "Is it not working?"

The words got stuck in his throat. He wanted to say that he liked it, but his pride was getting in the way. He looked up at her huge purple eyes and sighed, "No, it's working. I like it."

"Yay!" She squeezed him a little tighter and started rubbing her cheek, "Your hair is so fluffy and soft."

He grumbled a little, "Should I cut it? It's getting long..."

"NO! Don't you dare cut it! Your hair is my treasure!"

"Treasure? Come on, it's not that big of a-"

"It is!" She insisted, "Don't cut your hair please, please, please, it's so pretty like this... I'll be very sad!"

He snickered at how desperate she sounded, "Okay."

"Really?"

"Yeah!" He grinned, "I'll keep it like this just for you."

They stayed like that for a while. Tori patting his hair as Kana was slowly falling asleep. It was peaceful and they felt like they were in isolation, like there was no one else but them. Like nothing could hurt them, because they were safe in their little treehouse. Like this was all they needed.

"Are you sure nothing else hurts?" Tori questioned, feeling her eyes getting heavier as they began to droop shut.

"I'm sure," He insisted, "But I have a huge bruise on my side, and my leg is turning purple."

"But you said-"

"It doesn't hurt. So, technically, I didn't lie."

And there they stayed, in the fake little world they had built around them where they were safe. Where there were no demon teachers who would force ideologies into their heads, no disgusting parents who would forget their child existed, no repulsive tasks to hone unnecessary skills.

Just two little children who would take comfort from being in each others arms.

It was them against the world.