Shu sat down on his bed, cross legged as he watched the others enter the room after their training sessions one by one. It had been two days since the circus incidents and it turned out that their teamwork was worse than they both expected. One time, Shu almost burned Lui alive and the other time Lui froze Shu into an iceberg. The opposition of their powers always worked negatively in their attacks which made the duo frustrated so easily that they both would end up arguing the rest of the day. The other teams steadily improved their teamwork, even Wakiya and Honcho was doing a good job putting aside their odds and arguments when they're training. The headmaster only shook his head to himself as he watched the trouble duo arguing while the others trained concentrating on polishing their moves. Lui came into the room scowling at the albino which Shu gladly returned. "You two have to step up your game" Free warned, sitting down on his own bed as he leaned against the headboard. "Or that wiping the ground with us is going to be just talk"

"Why you little-" Lui growled walking toward Free. But before he could Shu intervened standing in front of him.

"You sounds like an old grumpy shark going all out on others just because you can't do anything"

"Oh," Xander said, crossing his arms as Lui instantly grew red from fury. This is not at all going to end up good he thought as Lui lunged at Shu pinning him to the bed.

"I'll make you regret those words," He said icing his hand just as Shu kicked him away. Taking the kick by surprise Lui stumbled a few steps back, falling off the bed. Shu jumped out racing to the door. Lui chased behind him and grabbed his leg tugging on it making the albino fall over with a grunt.

"Ow" Shu complained, holding onto his arm. "I think you broke it"

Lui raised his brow. "Drama queen, you almost burned me today!"

"You iced my whole torso! I still have frost bites"

"Oh well" Zac shrugged, wiping his face from a towel. "This is not going to end well"

"It certainly won't" Valt confirmed, yawning. He and Free were the two who were stepping up their game in a massive manner. Their sword plays are almost in sync and the strategies they used to tore down the enemies required a massive and solid trust in each other which they already had. Shu sat down on the floor looking at Valt.

"Not fair, you all got humans as partners while I'm stuck with this monster"

Xander burst out in laughter. "In my defense" Lui walked to his bed and sat down glaring at Shu. "You're just a chicken"

"You guys are hopeless" Valt grumbled closing his eyes to sleep. Zac leaned against his headboard making a thoughtful face.

"We're having a festival tonight in the capital city. Sad we're not allowed out after curfew to enjoy it"

Shu perked up suddenly, forgetting his fight with Lui. "What festival?"

"We worship the God of Sky, Zeus. He is the patron of the lightning and brings people fortune. And there is another goddess we worship. She's the patron of the night, Nyx. And as the legends go on her power is strongest when a Lunar eclipse happens. And as our overseers said, one will happen today. The Nyx festival will commence in the capital"

Shu looked at him as if he was hypnotized by his words. His crimson eyes shining with pure curiosity and excitement just like a child, who just received his christmas gift. "That sounds so amazing. Have you ever seen a Lunar eclipse?"

"Do you know what happens in a Lunar eclipse?" Lui suddenly asked, taking Shu's attention. He moved toward albino with a dramatical silence. "That happens when..." Lui stopped right in front of Shu, the boy was curious, and it was clear to all the others in the room. "A large chicken eats the moon" He suddenly said. Free snorted turning to his side trying to suppress his laughter. "Then, since the moon is too big for it, it throws it back up to the sky. People call it a Lunar eclipse. But truthfully it's just a chicken throwing up the moon"

Around them, everyone was trying hard to contain their laughter. Shu gave Lui a completely disgusted look. "If you're making up a story, at least make it believable. I know how the Lunar Eclipse happens. I haven't seen it. That's all"

Lui shrugged. "I was telling the truth"

"Try me" Shu hissed about to attack the white tyrant again when Zac called him. The blonde patted the spot next to him signalling the albino to sit down beside him.

"C'mon. I'll tell you how it looks like"

Shu nodded with a smile as he sat down beside Zac. Looking at him hopefully like a child waiting for his bedtime story. Lui snorted walking to his own bed. The whole room was silent. Most of the Princes was asleep including Valt who was snoring rather loudly which was the only edible sound except for the voice of Zac who started explaining Shu about the Lunar eclipse. "A Lunar eclipse happens when the moon moves into earth's shadow. Most eclipses are half ones, and once in many years comes a total Lunar eclipse. As many legends say this is when Nyx's power is the strongest. She gives her blessings for the earthlings who sacrifice in this very night when she has the most influence. This festival is a very rare one. Last time, it was five years ago. Almost everyone came to it, including that hothead right there"

"I heard that" Lui called from his bed where he was polishing his blade. Shu hummed, his smile falling into a slight frown. He had missed a lot of things in his life and this festival looked like one of the best things he had missed. It didn't take a genius to figure out the crestfallen face of the boy in front of him.

"You know," Zac said, lowering his voice. "If we sneak out, we can go and enjoy the festival"

Shu blinked, once, twice. He knew that it was possible. But getting others in danger because of his own selfish thoughts were not something he would really do. "I'll come with you two," Xander suggested, making Shu look up at the boy.

"Why?" Shu asked from both of them. "You guys might fall in trouble because of me"

Xander ruffled his white locks. "As long as we don't get caught, everything will be fine"

Shu blinked, thrilled by the idea. "Really? I mean can we go?"

Lui crossed his arms narrowing his eyes. "Are you three crazy? You all would be kicked out of the school"

Zac smiled, "Make that a 'we', because you're going with us"

There was a stunning silence for a second before Lui went: "Ehhhhh?"

"Yeah," Zac said, getting down from the bed. "It's in the name of team bonding. You two might find a way to get along"

Shu looked in between Zac and Lui. All he wanted right now was to go out and see the festival. The excitement was already giving him butterflies. Lui finally agreed, threatening them that if they got caught it was all their fault. Xander looked at Free who was watching the gang quietly. "You coming?"

Free yawned laying back on his bed. "I'll pass. I need to sleep"

The others nodded as they walked outside of the dorms. The last rays of sun were almost invisible as the thick black night covered the sky in complete black. Zac led them through the silent corridors. Only guards walking along here and there looking for any intruders. Zac skillfully guided them to one of the walls that divided the school grounds from the rest of the city. "We can't use the gates. We'll just jump from here instead," He whispered.

"Geez" Lui grumbled. "I don't know why I had to hangout with you people from everyone"

Shu clicked his tongue turning away from the boy. Xander helped all the three of them to jump from the wall and easily did so himself. The years of training helped him to do anything he wanted. The four walked silently to the capitals which lay just a few meters away. It was not a long walk, but they walked slowly, completely vigilant about their surroundings to see whether they caught any sight of danger. Thankfully for Shu the night was not cold, it was rather warm. The sound of music and people's chattering caught their ears as they unconsciously increased their space and at last they arrived at the capital and Shu just stopped. His feet frozen to the ground as he just stared at the scenery in front of him in awe. It was a magnificent sight. The main street was decorated with yellow and blue lanterns which lit up the area even in the pitch black night. Vendors sell snacks, clothes and many other materials as they exclaim their low prices to the passing by customers who stopped to take a look. The sweet aroma of freshly baked bread and fried fish caught his nose as he looked around. His crimson eyes lighted up with excitement and pure joy. It was a celebration! With people talking with each other and some playing various games. He didn't even realize the fact that he was standing in the middle of the entrance without taking a step forward to the festival. Xander smiled at him. "Akarui kingdom is the best when it comes to festivals. People from all around the world comes to them to see this magnificent celebrations"

Shu hummed. The moment would've been beautiful unless Lui's big mouth startled them. "Oi! We have to get back quick. The hell are you doing standing there?"

Shu narrowed his eyes following the other three. His gaze wandered along the street, landing on many things that he hadn't seen before. Unconsciously he grabbed into Lui's hand who was walking beside him. The other male raised his brow and turned around to yell at the albino but stopped realizing that Shu didn't even know the fact that he was holding onto his arm. Shu's focus was on the other things. Like the vendors selling things and people playing various games around. Suddenly, his eyes stopped at an old lady sitting in the corner of the street with some weird looking beaded assecories with her. Shu walked to her, dragging Lui with him. "Oi '' Lui yelled, taking his hand off his grasp.

Shu turned to him. "Lui, what're those?"

Lui moved his eyes to where he was pointing. It was lucky charms, he thought, looking back at Shu who crouched down beside the mat looking at them with curiosity. "Those are lucky charms'' Lui stated crouching beside him as he inspected them himself. "Quite well made, I'll say"

The old lady smiled at both of them. The way her eyes seemed to be unfocused glancing at somewhere between them made the duo realize that the woman was blind. Her grayed hair combed neatly to a bun in the back of her head. But it seemed like she could sense the presence of the two princes in front of her. "My dear" He called her hand moving along the charms. "You can choose whatever you want"

Shu smiled. "Of course grandma. There are many things to choose from" He ran his hand through several of them and stopped at one. It was a red beaded charm with the symbol of a dragon carved to each marble. In each one there was a different pose for the dragon. Shu closely inspected it in his hands looking back to Lui.

"What do you think, Lui?"

"Do you know the dragon in that one?" He asked, raising his brow.

"Luinor, isn't it?"

Lui sighed, "You knew that and still chose to buy that one?"

Shu smiled, "I like it." He said, turning back to the old lady. "Grandma, I'll take this one"

The lady reached her hand to touch the beaded charm. A smile played in her lips as she recognized that one certain charm. "That's a special charm you've picked. It represent the collide of fire and ice. Red colour for the Moeru kingdom and the dragon for Hyoketsu. It is indeed special"

Shu let out a soft gasp looking through the beads again. "But aren't those two countries enemies?"

Her face turned into a rather melancholic one as Shu questioned her. "But we still have hope that the peace will last longer. Moeru and Hyoketsu would be stronger when they are working together"

Lui averted his gaze, clicking his tongue in annoyance at the mere idea of joining force with that hated kingdom. But Shu took her hands with a smile. "I hope so too! One day we'll be able to walk through each and every kingdom without any fear left in our minds"

The woman smiled tracing her finger along Shu's knuckles. A genuine happiness on her clouded eyes. "You're such a kind young woman"

Lui choked, laugh bubbling through his throat but he failed to suppress it any longer as he burst out laughing. Shu flushed bright red. "W-Woman?"

The lady smiled. "Such delicate skin and hands. Of course"

"I'm gonna pay for another charm Grandma," Lui suddenly exclaimed, taking out a bunch of coins. "You made my whole day"

The old lady looked confused for a moment but accepted his money. Lui settled with a light blue bracelet that he secured in his pouch hoping to give it to Yuki, when they meet again. He took still dazed Shu's wrist and walk along. That one smug smirks never leaving his lips. "She thought you're a woman" He said smirking.

Shu huffed. "In my defense, she can't see"

"That makes it even more hilarious," Lui laughed.

Shu stomped his foot against the ground in total annoyance. This jerk is humiliating him so freely at every occasion he can and Shu was sick of it. "Here you two are" A voice said, cutting out the tension building up in between them. Shu turned to see Zac with Xander.

"We thought we lost you two in the crowd. Don't go alone anywhere Shu! You don't know much about these kinds of situations." Zac advised him with a firm look.

Shu nodded, inching closer to Lui. "Okay!"

"I'm not your protector dumbo" Lui muttered following Zac and Xander. The four of them walked toward the shrine of the Goddess Nyx which stood next to the mighty shrine of Lord Zeus, the god of lightning. Shu stared at the architecture in awe, it was gigantic and massive. The firm white pillars standing in the four corners of the Zeus shrine. But they passed that shrine to the Nyx one which was decorated in deep blue. It was smaller compared to the shrine of Zeus. But the shrine had rich architecture. Stories of Nyx carved to the walls as they walked toward the entrance. The floor was tiled and the pillars were decorated with gold and silver. People rushed around the shrine with incense sticks which were scented with different aromas of flowers. Shu walked inside, making sure not to get lost among the crowd. Unconsciously, Lui found himself glancing at the boy beside him several times. He gazed at the albino who was watching everything with a surprised face. Pure joy dancing in his eyes. Lui had to tug several times on his hand to get him to move. "Lui" Shu whispered as they stepped into the main room of the shrine. People buzzing along the room clasping their hands together wishing for good fortune. "Can I make a wish too?"

Lui nodded. "Of course. It's your mind you are wishing from"

"Would it come true?" Shu asked again.

Lui shrugged. "First do the wish and then see whether it's coming true or not. Take one thing at a time"

Shu stared at him for a while and nodded. The two reached the main shrine where a gigantic statue of the goddess Nyx stood in front of them. Each and every feature carved perfectly into the ebony wood and coloured black. Two sapphires shone as her eyes as Shu looked up at her face. It was lively, the statue felt as if it was almost alive and was watching them. The sapphire eyes reflected the lights decorating the shrine, her clothes were embedded with rubies outlined with gold lining. Lui guided Shu through the crowd to the 'wishing gem'. A black Onyx, perfectly polished stood in front of them, two guards guarding the gem from the thieves and the looters. Shu and Lui waited in the line till they got the chance to reach the gem, after several minutes they were standing in front of the palely transparent and rare gem which was invaluable. Shu clasped his hands together and closed his eyes. Lui followed his actions, but instead closing his eyes he looked at the albino standing beside him. The truth was, Lui did not believe in wishes. He'd rather work toward his goal rather than to wish and pray for gods. But seeing the albino beside him, wishing with all his heart, made Lui change his prolonged habit. A curiosity sprung up from his heart, was Shu wishing for their success? Or maybe to become a healthy person, Lui thought absentmindedly. His posture was calm, his pale face shining against the lamp lights in front of them. Lui turned his face back to the gem stone. After years he closed his eyes for a wish, for them to find a new way to solve this matter. To find a way to get along and fight, to combine their powers without hurting each other. After several minutes they walked back to Xander and Zac who were waiting for them by the exit.

"Now!" Zac cheered. "Let's go and join the Sky Lantern Wave"

Shu tilted his head, his crimson eyes shining again. That pure innocence and curiosity mixed with joy. "I watched them back in Moeru! I always wanted to see them up close"

The three others, even Lui looked at the boy. A tiny piece of their heart gleaming with happiness that they took the risk and came to the festival. His excitement, joy filling their hearts. Zac walked to him and took his hand, smiling as he did. "What are we waiting for? Let's go"

Shu nodded, as he walked beside Zac. They all entered another street. This one was crowded with more people, and instead of the games and clothes the shops are filled with paper lanterns and candles. Shu wandered through the shops aimlessly again. The four of them stopped at one of the shops which was not as crowded as the others. Xander and Zac went through different kinds of lanterns while Shu just stared at all of them. Lui traced his hand on one of the lanterns which was made with light red paper. "Let's go with this one" He motioned, paying the coins they needed. Shu nodded enthusiastically as he followed Lui to another place. It stood away from the shops. It was like a long opened shrine with no walls. Four pillars at the four corners holding the massive roof above them. In the middle of the open shrine stood a long table with ink and paint brushes. Kids and adults stood there writing on their paper lanterns; their wishes, their motifs and the want of luck and fortune. Shu tilted his head, giving Lui a questioning gaze.

"When you float a paper lantern like this, first you write a wish on the paper. They say it comes true. I don't really believe in those"

"What are we going to wish?" Shu suddenly asked from him, taking the white tyrant off guard. Lui scoffed, just who he thinks he is, his guardian angel or something. When he got no answers from Lui, Shu talked again. "Let's wish something together, both of us are going to float this into the sky."

Lui hummed, he watched as Shu took the brush in his hand and dipped it in the ink bottle just beside it. His hand moving skillfully as he straightened the paper with his left hand. He totally mastered the art of writing after all Lui thought watching. His hand gracefully danced across the pages as he wrote the characters one by one. Each and every line perfectly clear and easy to recognize. His writing was clear and beautiful, each and every brush mark on the right amount of thickness. Not to leaner or too thick. Shu placed the brush carefully beside the paper once he finished. Lui ran his eyes on his wish, his breath catching on his throat. He knew, Shu always admired peace between kingdoms but the rivalry between the royal families was bigger than the enmity of the two kingdoms. He looked at the words painted in the paper, wishing health and good fortune to both Kurenai and Shirosagi blood line and Shu standing beside him peering to his face.

"Lui, you in there?" He snapped his fingers in front of his face making the other blink.

"Ah yeah" Lui answered, taking the paper lantern in his hands. He didn't comment about the wish. Shu followed him as they walked to the river bank where people were standing with their families and their loved once. They walked to Zac who had found Akira among the crowd. Judging by the looks Akira was giving him, he's obviously scolding the blonde for sneaking out.

"Here you two are," Zac said, cheerfully breaking the lecture of the pink haired male.

Shu nodded, "I'm so excited"

Akira sighed, "There's no use of lecturing you all now. Enjoy the night I guess"

The sound of a horn blown echoed inside their ears. Everyone set their lanterns, ready to float them away. Lui guided Shu through the course of setting it up. Soon, they were standing at each side of the lantern which was lit up in front of them. The yellowish light mixed with a pale red. Shu felt his fingers brushing against Lui's long and firm ones. A warmth ran through his heart, a foreign feeling. Much like electricity dancing over his blood. Shu frowned almost instantly, drawing his fingers away to the edge of the lantern. It was something he didn't experience before. He shook his head slightly, dismissing the feeling almost instantly thinking that he was too caught up in the moment.

Lui stared at the white haired boy in front of him. His perfect crimson eyes reflecting all the lanterns ready to take their course across the sky. Zac and Xander did not comment on the wish either, because they had a similar wish like them. And both of them knew, questioning it would only bring confused feelings for all of them. On the next cue, all of them released the lanterns. Lui moved his fingers as Shu mimicked the other releasing his own grasp from the paper lantern in his hands. Shu's eyes instantly moved to the sky as thousands of lanterns floated across it driving a magnificent beauty out of them. Kind of like fireflies glowing at the night giving out their greenish light for the world to see. It was more stunning up close Shu thought, taking everything to his mind. Stamping the picture of lanterns floating to the far away unknown lands turning into a little dot of yellow as they disappear in the horizons. "Shu" Lui called gaining the attention of the other. He leaned against Shu's ear. "Do you know why we light up lanterns and float them?"

"Why?" Shu asked, curious.

"Because that chicken will eat that instead of the moon"

There was a silence and then a grunt. Shu scowled, elbowing the ice prince at his side. "Stop teasing my with the chicken stuff"

Lui gave him a mock smile. "I'm telling the truth"

"As if I believe"

Lui shoved his hand to his pocket and took out a beaded stone, polished and coloured in complete black that it shone in the glowing light around them. "Here"

Shu turned around. "What's that?"

"It's a wishing rock. And no, I'm not lying. The Nyx shrine gave them away and I took one. Since" Lui faltered. "Since you look like the type who believe in this stuff"

Shu gave him a surprised look. He reached his hand to the stone. The black stone cold against his warm fingertips. He stared at it for a second, brushing his thumb across the soft polished material. "Thank you"

Lui's lips turned upward into a small smile, it was only there for seconds as it dropped back to his normal frown. But Shu could see the sincerity of his eyes. They stared at each other, crimson meeting violet. Both of them holding thousands of emotions inside the eyes. It was rather hypnotizing, that none of them noticed that they were staring, for a few long minutes. Suddenly, the people around them started to chatter louder. The two broke their gaze clearing their throat in an awkward manner. Shu moved his head back to the sky where the moon stood. Instead of the healthy white glow it was glowing in a reddish orange. A simple gasp escaped from his lips. Lui turned his eyes to the albino and back to the moon as he inched closer to Shu. "Maybe" He said. "When the chicken throw it back up the blood must've caught in that"

A smile perked up from Shu's lips. "Totally"

After staring at the moon for a while, the crowd started to recoil from the river bank. Going on their own ways: some going home, some reaching the shops to get a late night shot while some stuck around to play games and eat the delicious snacks. They lost Zac and Xander in the crowd again, but Shu didn't really mind it. As long as at least one of their squad members is with him, he'll survive. They walked in silence, the chattering around them, a cacophony to ears but at the same time, it hid an everlasting feeling of liveliness. Lui's eyes wandered toward a curious looking game. The restaurant was fairly big compared to the others in the area. The people inside were cheering while some sat alone in pairs engaged in some kind of a game. Their faces were red and the men were chugging down water and alcohol both equally. "What's going on?" Lui asked from a woman, who was coming outside of the restaurant.

She stopped and turned to both of them. A tender smile on her lips, the symbol of the Akarui kingdom, their easy going friendly smile equal for both strangers and family. "It's an enduring game using spicy food. If you go inside you can try with someone"

Lui grinned, he liked it. Behind him Shu tilted his head in a confused manner. Lui turned to Shu and smirked. "Let's go and try some spice. The winner gets to command the other for the whole day tomorrow"

Shu's eyes widened comically. The outcome was obvious. He was no good handling spice, he'd rather drown himself than shove down some spicy food down his throat. "No" Shu said, rejecting the offer right off the bat when Lui smirked.

"Chicken indeed"

Shu huffed, crossing his arms. He didn't want to back down from a challenge, especially if Lui Shirosagi was the challenger. Shu bit his own tongue, he knew he was going to regret this but he looked straight at Lui. "I accept"

Lui grinned, taking the lead to the restaurant. They sat down away from the crowd, not wanting to draw much attention to them while they're at it. If someone recognized that they are the princes from the school, things were not going to be so pretty. One of the waiters came with two bowls of noodles. Both of them were steaming as he placed the two bowls in front of them. Shu blinked, the smell. The smell burned his nostrils and the spice was incredible that it could tear someone up just through the steam. Shu averted his gaze, blinking wildly trying to ignore the sting in his eyes. Lords, please save me. He begged for himself and looked at the opposite side of the table to see the reaction of the other. Lui Shirosagi was just nonchalantly looking at his bowl, as if the spice didn't affect him at all. Shu gulped, he's not human. Lui looked at him, "Ready?"

"Yeah" Shu replied, taking his chopsticks. Lui was the first to take a bite. He hummed, thoughtfully swallowing. "Spicy" He hummed, "But can handle"

Shu blinked. "Can handle...." He echoed biting his lip. Shu wrapped the noodles around the chopsticks and sighed heavily. He took the first bite. It was just as he expected, the spice was incredible. But it was just the first bite, Shu thought grimly swallowing it wincing. Because of all the spice burning his tongue, the delicious taste of the noodles was overpowered. Lui just calmly slurped into his noodles, just as if he was enjoying the dish. After the first few bites, Shu realized that this dish is not for him. He chugged down his tenth glass of water staring at Lui. "How are you even eating this?" His words came out as a whisper. Shu was trying hard not to cry at the moment.

Lui leaned against the table. "Aww, can't handle this spice"

"You're a monster" Shu groaned, looking around for another glass of water. There were no waiters nearby. All of them were engaged in taking glasses of water in between the tables. It was even spicy for most of the adults and Lui Shirosagi was just sitting in front of him finishing his last frigging bite. Shu stood up, startling the other.

Lui raised his brow. 'You give up?"

Shu shook his head looking around when he spotted a glass of milk on the counter. "I'll chug down that milk and come back" He stumbled his way to the counter, the spice making him teary eyed as well as dizzy. Lui turned around to see the glass of milk when his eyes widened.

"Shu wait!" He cried out, trying to warn the other. "That's not-"

Shu took the last gulp and blinked. "This tastes weird"

"Milk...." Lui concluded, Zac was going to kill him. Shu placed the glass back on the counter. He was looking clearly different from he was before. "Shu?" Lui asked, gaining the attention of the other.

Shu blinked hazily looking at it. "That drink made me feel like mush," Shu squealed, blinking like an idiot.

"Gosh" Lui slapped his forehead. "Great, just great" He muttered grabbing the wrist of the other and leading him out of the restaurant, dumping a handful of coins to the counter with a loud clunk.

Shu pouted, looking over his shoulder. "Aww, the dish"

Lui dragged him toward an empty bench which was near the river. "Okay" He said, crouching down to meet his eyes. "What's the number?" He asked, showing two fingers from his hand.

Shu hummed, his face settling into a deep frown. At this rate, even Lui didn't know whether he was pretending or serious. "Those are fingers," Shu answered, nodding along.

"That's not-" Lui stopped himself, narrowing his eyes. "What's your name?"

Shu blinked, tilting his head. Lui groaned, he was thinking to answer the question with his name. Gosh, this is ridiculous. "Chicken?" Lui did a double take.

"W-what?"

Shu placed his index finger over his lips biting to it's nail. Lui placed both of his arms on Shu's shoulder, shaking the latter. "You accidentally drank a glass of alcohol and lost the memory of your name? How much of a lightweight are you?"

"I don't weigh much," Shu answered, as if he was delighted by the knowledge of the other.

"Shu" Lui suddenly said. "You're an idiot, you know that right?" If the other was drunk and he was going to get scolded by Zac for sure, what's the point of holding back and having no fun? Lui thought for himself smirking.

"Am I?" Shu asked.

Lui sat down beside him. "Of course. You lived in the medical wing of the castle because your brain functioned the wrong way."

Shu stuck out his bottom lip. Almost, as if, he's lamenting his own situation. But Lui's joy was short-lived as Zac and Xander caught up with them. Zac looked clearly exhausted and Xander kept looking around them.

"We gotta leave," Zac said. "My dad is here. We were dodging and running from the streets like criminals"

"What?" Lui yelled. His eyes turned to Shu, who was sitting there watching them silently. "There's another problem"

Xander crossed his arms. His gaze focused upon Shu who had a dreamy look inside his eyes. His cheeks flushed with a soft pink colour. "Is he drunk or something?"

Lui snapped his fingers. "Bingo!"

The two stopped dead on their feet. Zac crouched down in front of Shu, snapping his fingers in front of his face. "Shu, you in there?"

"Yeah, I thinking about fleeing from the kingdom"

"Eh?" Xander raised his brow, looking at Lui for an explanation.

"He's a lightweight. Staying here is dangerous. Let's go" Lui gripped Shu's wrist dragging the other male to his feet. Shu stumbled a few steps from the sudden force. "You listen to me" Shu nodded, like an obedient child. The other two did not ask anything else as they sprinted behind Lui. The white tyrant did not lose the grip on Shu's hand. The sprinting footsteps behind him kept him assured that Zac and Xander were closely. Squeezing through the crowds was the hardest part. Some of the streets were still swarming with people and vendors. It was past midnight for sure, Lui guessed when a sudden cry rang out. The crowd divided into two parts making a clear path in between them.

"It's the king," Lui whispered, turning around.

"There" Zac pointed at the small opening which led them to the patch of trees nearby. Clearly, their only choice was to hide behind the trees until they king passed by. The squad took cover behind the trees. The eclipse was over. Moonlight filtering through the weave of leaves made shadows dance across the dim light around them. They inspected closely as the king passed by, talking with his fellow countrymen. They were dead quiet, all of them were fully aware that they were breaking the rules by sneaking into the festival without permission. Well, everyone except for one person was aware.

"Handsome," Shu suddenly said, taking their attention. He had been quiet for the most part which made them almost forget that the boy is not in his senses. "He is so handsome" Shu muttered, he was sitting on the grass with his back against a tree. He was looking at the woods sighing as he placed his chin on his hands.

Xander turned to the boy, "Who?"

Shu stood up walking to it. "Him"

Zac bit his lip to prevent from laughing. "So strong and amazing" Shu sighed again, dreamily. "No one can beat that strength of his"

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but that's a tree" Lui pointed out boldly.

Shu shrugged. "Who cares? I'm gonna marry him one day"

The sudden declaration of the albino made everyone burst out from laughter. But they all had to keep it under control. The king of the Akarui kingdom was still in the front street, talking with a pack of people. "Dad will hear us" Zac wheezed.

Shu perked up at the word Dad. He turned around to see the king dressed in royal robes made from the finest silk in the kingdom. "Dad" He whispered to himself, standing frozen for a while. "Dad" He yelled, taking the others off guard as he raced away from their hiding spot to the street.

"Oh shit" Zac cursed trying to get a hold of the albino, at least grip from his hand before he raced to the street. But sadly, he was too late. The king turned his head and looked at their side, the three stood on their spots freezing as the crowd fell into a stunning silence. The only one who looked like he had no care in the world was Shu.

"Hi dad," Shu suddenly said.

The king broke the gaze away from Zac to Shu who was standing in front of him. His hair messed up, his cheeks flushed. Something was obviously wrong, King Kurogane thought, dismissing the crowd. He placed a hand on his milky white locks turning to the other three. "Let's find somewhere quiet, shall we?"

Soon enough they were sitting inside one of the private areas of a fancy restaurant. The walls surrounding them were only covered halfway through giving them a clear view of the streets and the river that lies several feet away. The whole room was quiet except for the occasional hiccups of the albino. The king crossed his arms. "You guys are supposed to stay inside the school today"

Lui, Xander and Zac were sitting across from the king while Shu claimed the seat beside him. The three males were staring at the table as if it was the most appealing thing in the world. "I'm not from the school," Shu answered, leaning against his hand. "I'm from a hospital, they said my brain function wrong"

Lui bit the inside of his cheeks to prevent from laughing. The King gave the others a confused look. "You taught him that," Zac stated, turning to Lui.

"He believed that" Lui clasped his hands together with a smug grin. "That's the best part"

"How did he get drunk?"

"I drank milk" Again, Shu was the one who answered the question. "That milk is not good I guess. It tastes weird" He stuck out his bottom lip hiccuping again. "Maybe, it's gone bad"

"Did you enjoy the festival?" The older asked, smiling at the albino.

Shu beamed, "There were a lot of things to see" He messed around his pocket pulling out the lucky charm he bought earlier. "See! I found this too"

The King smiled, "How's the lessons going on?"

"It's going on great," Zac answered. "At least for most of us. Lui and Shu always ends up messing up"

Lui shot a glare at the blonde. "Our powers do not go well together. That's the reason"

The King hummed thoughtfully. "When pairing up with someone else for a battle, the best way to work in sync is not just understanding. There needs to be a strong sense of trust between you two" The two boys reminded him of his own two friends. They always fought and argued with each other, none of them believed that they would be able to fight together but when one certain incident occurred, their synchronization impressed the whole audience. He indeed missed those times when all of them were friends. Their only hope of peace was the two boys sitting with him. If not, as the headmaster said, the world will end up in chaos.

Shu suddenly stood up, startling all of them. "I'm going to trust Lui"

Lui raised his brow, "Oh yeah?"

Shu nodded vigorously, "Yeah"

"If I said that, just from this building and you'll still live, would you do it?"

The king smiled, Prince Shirosagi indeed resembled his father. The sassy and bold personality was surely a gift from his father. Everyone thought Shu would reject the request, but the albino confidently walked toward the wall that was only half way up. It would've been more confident, if he didn't hiccup on and on or stumbled a few steps. "I'm jumping" He announced placing a leg on the wooden bar.

Lui jumped from his seat racing to the albino, pulling him back. "Are you crazy?"

Shu yawned. "Hmm?"

The king laughed, "I think you all better head back to the school before the headmaster finds this out. I'll let you all slip just this time"

"Thanks dad!" Zac cheered, standing up as he beckoned the others to leave. Shu grinned at the king repeating Zac. Lui groaned, rather loudly as he dragged the albino to the exit. Shu pouted, looking over his shoulder, yelling out.

"Love you, dad"

The king smiled. "Take care"

Zac stayed frozen for a few seconds, looking back and forth between his father and Shu. Xander patted his back sympathetically. "I guess you just lost your dad buddy"

Zac sighed, walking to the other two. "I guess so too"

The king tilted his head, looking at Shu. He had been kept away from the world for many years and after being suddenly introduced to the outer world it's normal that it would overwhelm him. He just hoped that the others would recognize the insecurities the boy held at his heart and help him to walk through them. Because as he knew, Shu Kurenai had a lot of secrets for himself and it seemed like Lui would be able to break down those walls. If things go right.

Shu was yawning rather loudly that Xander had to pick him up if they wanted to move quickly. When they reached the school, everything was dead quiet. The quiet snores coming from the premises made them realize that even some of the guards were sleeping. Xander jumped first, balancing Shu on his back. The latter still fast asleep. Zac and Lui landed quietly like cats. Everything was quiet, there was nothing to be afraid of the squad thought tiptoeing to the dorms when someone cleared his throat behind them. Zac bit back a yelp, turning around to see none other than their headmaster. Welp, he thought. Shit.

Lui sighed, "Today is not at all a lucky day to us"

They all followed him to the main office. Lui clicked his tongue, it hadn't even been a month and he already visited this room two times. They are going to be the problem children of the school. Because of all the voices around him, Shu woke up. He yawned to the back of his hand. He slipped out from Xander's back and stood beside Lui, squinting at the Headmaster in a weird manner. Zac took the responsibility to explain the whole situation while the others stayed quiet. After listening to his explanation the headmaster finally talked. "Rules are rules. I'm not going to let any of you slip away with this"

Shu hiccupped. "Don't let anyone slip away. Right!"

Lui elbowed the other. "Shut up"

"Ow" The albino complained, rubbing his side. The headmaster crouched down in front of Shu, "Did he-"

"Everyone was asking about that milk" Shu frowned, "It tasted weird but milk helps you to grow" Shu started with a dead serious face. He looked like he was about to give them a whole lecture about drinking milk. But thankfully before he could the headmaster dismissed them announcing that he'll decide on the punishment tomorrow. Shu stuck out his bottom lip,

"I wanna go to bed"

"Let's go" Zac smiled.

Everyone was about to exit when Shu ran back to their Headmaster. The next thing he does make their jaw dropped. Lui choked on thin air while Zac stumbled few steps back. The good great Kurenai Shu kissed their headmaster's cheek. Shu smiled without a care in the world giving a small salute to the man. "Good night!"

The headmaster looked the most surprised. He just stared at his student, watching him leave the room dragging the others with him, whining about wanting to sleep. The headmaster stood up, placing his hands on his hips. Prince Shu indeed had his own charms even when he's drunk. The only thing that followed after the incident was horrifying silence. They slipped into the dorm quietly. Shu immediately slumped on his bed falling asleep. Free turned around, opening his eyes. "You guys did take your precious time there"

"We got caught," Zac said, laying down on his bed.

Free raised his brow. "I knew that would happen. Well, good luck with the punishments tomorrow whatever it is"

Lui wasn't listening to anything. The white tyrant grinned to himself, thinking about thousands of ways to blackmail the albino the next day. This was a chance of a lifetime after all. 

Not gonna say anything :/