I helped Inego pick up his books where they'd been scattered on the floor.
"That's how you cast a spell?" I asked.
He drew his lips tightly and nodded. "It's how you perform a spell. I told you, you have to persuade the universe to listen to you. But just who are you that the universe should listen? That's why you need to put on a damn performance."
He huffed as he stood up. "Do you think I take music appreciation because it's a do-nothing class? Don't you feel something when you see people doing choreography? Hell, even mathematics ties directly to music."
He sighed. "And you want to know if it'll help get you closer to a tunnel. That's not what magic is for, Ryu. That's what your own legs are for. And if they can't get you any closer to a tunnel… then how the hell am I supposed to magic you there?"
Then, he smiled at me. "You have to live with her? Well, you've got my condolences. I've got to get to my next class. And, Ryu?"
I braced myself, not knowing whether he was going to lecture me or depart with some mind-bending wisdom. "Yeah?"
"Don't even think I'm not going to come by sometime with my guitar."
The bastard winked at me again and turned to leave for his class. He didn't even care that he'd lost to Hibana.
Then I realized Inego didn't care. It wasn't about whether or not he won or lost. He'd been trying to get me to understand that no matter what, nothing comes for free. It didn't matter whether I wanted to beat Ken or escape Crescent Moon Academy.
No matter what I wanted to do, I'd have to do it on my own. And it would take time and patience.
I'd have to learn everything all over again.
At least I was in a school.
"I don't want to say I told you so," Yuki said.
The thing that hurt the most was that she wasn't even teasing me about it. At least that would've been playful. Instead, I could tell she was genuinely hurt that I hadn't taken her advice.
And she was right.
I looked at her floating beside me. She'd been there most of the day, ready to help whenever I needed her or just wanted someone to talk to.
"You're right, Yuki. I should've just sucked it up and asked Hibana. You even said I could've asked her and Inego."
I sighed. "Instead, I just went to my friend and expected him to solve everything for me. Inego said 'That's not how magic works.' He's right… but that's not how friendships work either."
I felt a chill at my side as Yuki floated closer.
"It sounds like he's lucky to have a friend like you," she said.
I grinned. "Really? Thanks… but we've got to go help Shion now, Yuki."
She frowned, but she agreed. "That means no computer class, then."
True. I was skipping my next class, computers, so that I could look for Shion.
I saw Yuki spin around.
"Ryu, Azuki's coming."
A moment later, I saw her bouncing up the hallway from behind.
"Oh, there you are, Ryu-sama! I've been looking for you everywhere!"
Her glasses slipped off her face for a moment, and I watched as her entire body pixelated before she scooted them back.
"I wanted to apologize again for what happened at lunch," she looked away, embarrassed.
"It's okay, Azuki," I started to say.
She sighed. "But is it? Shion's going to school here to keep her humanity, but I never had any to begin with, Ryu-sama. Surely a mighty dragon like yourself can understand, yes? But… you're so good at fitting in among the humans."
She smiled at me, her golden eyes growing in admiration. "So if I could just learn how to talk more like a… a human does… then I can just tell the lumberjacks 'Hey, you guys can't just chop down this tree. It's sacred!' And they wouldn't dare, right? Because you'll be there too."
I wanted to tell Azuki that she had nothing to worry about. I hadn't forgotten my promise to help with her sacred tree, but I felt like I was barely keeping my own body from falling apart.
"Azuki, the other day, when you said you saw me," I started. "What did you see?"
She snickered. "Oh yeah! That! Sorry if that bothered you at all. I just meant that I could see the real you, you know. The one that we're not supposed to show the humans."
Azuki had the most impish, mischievous look on her face, as though we were secretly passing candy back and forth in the back of a church.
She leaned closer. "And I saw you! The dragon you! With your black wings, Ryu. Can't you feel them? You must be, like, so proud of them! I mean, if I had wings… I can change my shape, but to actually have them…"
I felt my breath catch in the back of my throat.
I have wings?
Then I imagined what Shion would say if I told her what Azuki said to me. But at least she was acting like her old self again.
"Azuki, could you please do me a favor?" I asked.
She squeaked. "Yes! I sure can. What do you need?"
I stopped by the side entrance to Withers Hall. "I'm going to go look for Shion. I think I might know where she is, and I'll be happy to tell her that you're sorry. Even a vampire has to listen to the dragon of the windy mountain."
I saw her eyes turn at least three different shades. "You'd do that for me?"
"Of course, Azuki. But I need you to find Murasaki Kagehime for me. Do you know her?"
As soon as I asked, Azuki's cheerful demeanor darkened. "The succubus? What do you want her for, Ryu-sama?"
I grinned. "Oh, nothing like that, Azuki. I want you to tell her that you saw me getting ready because I have a date this evening. With Hibana Asuka. Tell her that you heard Hibana and I are getting close to each other. I might even start training with her."
Azuki looked confused. "Murasaki's after Inego, right?"
I shifted a little. "She was until this morning when she moved her seat behind me."
Azuki nodded. "Then... if I tell her you've got a date with Hibana she'd start…" Azuki's mouth dropped open. "Oh, Ryu-sama, that's… that's… I'll do it!"
I stood outside the door of Shion's dorm room thinking of yesterday, how she'd been standing like this outside of my room at the onsen. Yuki floated beside me. Her glowing blue eyes holding equal parts sadness and concern.
"Would you believe me if I told you I was worried about her too?" Yuki asked.
I nodded.
I didn't want to admit that if Yuki told me it was snowing in the middle of July that I wouldn't laugh it off. I'd check the window.
Somehow, I knew she'd ignore me if I knocked. That screamed typical Shion.
So, I didn't.
I checked the doorknob instead.
Unlocked.
I guessed that was her way of saying "Come in," and hopefully not "Come in, if you dare."
Shion's room was small. There was barely any room to breathe, but that didn't surprise me.
She didn't need to.
Her cramped room had just enough space to put a bed (she'd already torn the mattress to shreds—not that she needed it) and a desk.
But no Shion.
"Shion?" I asked her empty room.
Then. Under her desk. Something moved. Barely.
I knew it was her. And she never moved; she never fidgeted. She only moved when she wanted to.
I stepped inside her room and shut the door behind me. I almost turned on the light but stopped myself.
It didn't feel right to cast any light into Shion's room.
Then I carefully got down on all fours beside her desk and crawled into the darkness below..
And there she was, sitting on the floor. Her chair lay on its side and her sleek hair strewn about as though she'd been in a tornado.
I never knew what to say to her when she wasn't a mess.
I opened my mouth, and her green eyes met mine.
"Shut up and hold me," she whispered.
For the first time that day, I felt tears well in my own eyes as I crawled underneath that ancient wooden desk, ignoring the cobwebs and the soft scent of mold.
I put my back against the grey, stone wall and put my arms around Shion and gently pulled her into my embrace.
I felt her, and it wasn't her icy fingers, wrapped like a shackle around my wrist as she drank my blood. This was different.
She felt stiff and awkward. She was smaller than I was, and she moved unnaturally, too smoothly, like a robot mimicking a girl trying to cuddle, but set at the wrong speed. She leaned against me, her skin reminding me of unpolished leather. Cold. Slightly rough.
And I knew it was still Shion.
She put her head against my shoulder, and I held her against me, feeling her cold skin stealing my warmth.
Then, I felt her wriggling her arm around my chest, holding herself closer.
I felt a tingling sensation against my ear as she drew a breath.
"Don't say anything stupid," she muttered, cradling her head against my shoulder. "Just… please… let me pretend, okay? Just let me pretend I'm a girl who's having a bad day. Don't let me go right now."
I took my other arm, put it around her head, and I held her against me.
"I don't want to be alone right now. Even if that means being with you. Especially if that means being with you, dummy."