•Cerise•

Azure and I sat in silence for a moment- both of us watching after Blaine as he rushed out of the cafe.

We couldn't let him just get away. He was the Fifth Crystal, holder of the Yellow Crystal, and sole objective of our missions. Blaine needed to realize the severity of the situation and of his greater purpose. Leaving Earth was the right thing. Whether he wanted to accept it or not- Blaine didn't belong here.

"Let's go," I muttered to Azure. "We have to convince him." I began to get up but his hand reached out to grab my arm, stopping me in my tracks.

"Wait don't," he said calmly.

I looked at him bewildered, "What do you mean don't? We aren't just going to let him waltz back into his earthly life!"

"No we aren't," he met my confused amber eyes with calculating blue ones.

"His crystal is awakened now," he continued. "Blaine is going to start enduring changes. He'll realize that he doesn't belong on Earth. Better for him to come to the conclusion himself, rather than us forcing it. We just have to give him some time."

Time.

That meant we had to wait. On Earth.

The idea didn't sit well with me. I hated this place and waiting wasn't really my style. I was much better at forcing time ahead for my agenda. Waiting felt like wasting time.

I ripped my arm away from Azure, but instead of ignoring his request I slumped back into the booth chair.

Unfortunately, I couldn't do this assignment like I usually would. I had to get Blaine to trust me- to understand why the Solar side was dangerous, and want to fight for the Lunar side instead. I was already at a disadvantage.

"Cerise, what about you and me?"

I turned my head to the right to see Azure watching me carefully. His bright eyes were examining and it gave me the urge to shift or put a barrier between us. Being here with Azure and not fighting was weird. I felt like I was giving him opportunities to scope out my weaknesses.

We'd never been in the same place and not fought, but for now we kinda had to coexist. It didn't make sense for us to fight, and I was nothing if not logical...for tactical advantage of course.

"What?" I asked, not understanding his question.

He gave me a pointed look.

Oh.

It seemed both of us assumed that after this meeting we would go back to being enemies. We were to compete for Blaine's allegiance by advocating for our respective sides of the war, then resort back to trying to defeat each other.

But now...it didn't seem like the right move. Blaine's allegiance was yet to be won.

My first instinct was to fight Azure, but my head was telling me that wasn't rational. There was another voice, that sounded alot like Onyx, telling me to kill Azure- but I pushed it aside. Blaine would never align with me if he suspected I murdered Azure.

"What do you want to do?" He posed.

My focus went back to him. I knew he didn't want to fight me, being the noble peacemaker and all, but I also knew he would fight back if I pushed him to. He was leaving the decision to me.

Azure was too polite for his own good. Even in something as simple as this he still managed to play the respectful do-gooder. It was irritating.

"I suppose," I paused swallowing the burning desire to fight him. "I suppose it doesn't make sense for us to fight."

Azure's expression seemed to relax in satisfaction. He nodded in agreement. "I think so too. We might need each other to convince him of...well everything."

"So the temporary truce is extended."

"Temporary truce is extended," he affirmed.

"And now what's the plan?"

Truthfully I wanted to find Blaine, restrain him, and make him see why this life was not his future. However, I had a feeling Azure would oppose that. And as much as I hated to admit it, he did have a point about Blaine reaching the conclusion himself.

"I say..." Azure took a moment to think. I could practically see the gears turning in his head. "We make ourselves available to Blaine, but don't push. Become a constant, without invading."

Don't push, no invading...interesting.

"Hm," I hummed, "So we'll serve as constant reminders of his destiny, while also being ready to help him when he inevitably needs us."

"Exactly."

I nodded slowly, my brain mapping out the strategy in theory.

It wasn't a bad plan. Of course my natural inclination was to handle things with a little more force. However, I recognized that Azure was more accustomed to earning trust. I wasn't above letting him take the lead and then striking when the opportunity presented itself.

"Alright. Let's do it."

"Great, it's settled then."

"But," I added, "There is something else we need to discuss."

I had wanted to avoid this topic, really I hoped our mission would be over resulting in not having to deal with the issue. But as it stood the issue only had potential to grow now.

"Umbra."

The deadly creatures, that were suspiciously absent, needed to be discussed if Azure and I were planning to stay together and bide more time on Earth. This was an unpredictable variable that neither one of us could exactly plan for.

Azure nodded, sighing as he cast his gaze aside. "You're right we should have a discussion about it."

I crossed my arms and turned forward so that I wasn't facing him any longer.

There were two options in dealing with this Umbra situation- or really the result of a current lack of the monsters. Assuming they would eventually attack, and with great force, we could combine our resources and fight them off together. This would involve more in depth team work and some semblance of trust, which was not going to happen.

This truce thing was barely working, forget actually having to function cohesively. Umbra were a serious danger to Azure and I- it wasn't something to take a gamble on. I was not going to risk my skin for him.

"I'm letting you know now as a courtesy," I sat straight keeping my tone professional, "That when they do attack, I will leave you to fend for yourself. You should in no way expect my help."

Azure snorted, before shaking his head in amusement, "Your generosity is astounding my sweet."

"And your sarcasm is mournful," I quipped. "I didn't have to keep you informed. I could've let you find out you were on your own when fighting the horrid creatures."

And wouldn't that have been entertaining...

It was a nice thought.

Azure's lips parted to retort, when he paused suddenly. His sapphire irises shifted to me, a considering glint in his orbs.

"I suppose you could have," he muttered. He cocked his head, still carrying that thoughtful expression.

I narrowed my eyes, feeling slightly  uncomfortable. I always knew how to argue with the insufferable Solar next to me, but these somewhat agreeable conversations were foreign.

"Anyway," I began, "That's my position on the matter."

"Duly noted."

"What you do with it is up to you." I grabbed my water in front of me and took a long sip. The whole Umbra thing was a matter that had me agitated. I didn't like mysteries.

"We could do some recon on the Umbra."

I glanced back at him, raising a brow, "We?"

Azure's mouth quirked up as a teasing mirth swirled in his eyes, "As in you and me."

"Yea I gathered that," I scowled, "I meant you think we should collaborate further?"

It sounded like an accident waiting to happen to me.

"I mean yea," he shrugged, "We should probably let Blaine be for the rest of the day, we're still temporarily aligned, and there's a current threat to all of us out there."

The idea of actually working with Azure was strange. It was one thing to enable a truce, where we simply had to tolerate one another's presence peacefully. It was an entire other thing to actively team up on something as dangerous as Umbra.

"It's not like we'd be fighting against them as a unit or anything," he supplied. "We'd both be simply scouting for any sign of the creatures at the same time and keeping each other informed."

I pursed my lips at the thought.

It didn't sound as bad when he put it like that. Going into battle with someone required trust of an incredibly high level. This was miles below that.

Besides I was itching to figure out why the Umbra hadn't attacked. Another set of eyes couldn't hurt. The lethal monsters were constantly in the back of my mind no matter what I was doing. There had to be some sort of essence trail near that pointed to where they've been. If they weren't going to attack, great, but I wanted to know the whereabouts of my enemies.

"Fine," I accepted, "Let's figure out where those bastards have been."

•••

The sun had just sunk below the horizon taking away its golden rays. All that was left was a sheen of blue- rich and dark.

My eyes trailed the buildings around that were now illuminated against a navy sky. With the natural light gone, Umbra should be more active although harder to spot. However, the monsters were incompetent against man made creations. They were unfamiliar with buildings, cars, and anything large enough to pose as an obstacle in their path.

This active part of town with lit up bars and restaurants made for an ideal place to spot any Umbra. Considering their unlikely absence from this mission, I was eager to find them. Normally I wouldn't be so insistent on finding the lethal creatures, but knowing your enemy's dealings was vital to survival.

"Anything on your end sweetness?"

Speaking of...

I winced slightly at the shaky nature of the sound connection we'd established. It was evident through the use of our abilities that neither one of us trusted the other despite the truce.

"Nope," I responded.

I walked past another bar entrance, sliding past a group of people entering. The constant chatter and activity of the night life made it easy to make myself scarce.

As I walked past the building, I glanced in the small alleyway for any sign of the Umbra. It was empty.

How could there be nothing to find?

I was sure I would at least pick up on a faint trace, but nothing indicated that they were present in the area at all.

"Same over here," Azure's voice reached me. "No traces either. Should we meet back up?"

My lips pulled down into a frown. I was more unsettled than when we began this search. Leaving empty handed was the worst outcome. I had no new information and nothing further to go on.

"Cerise?"

I wasn't ready to resign just yet, "Let's do one more sweep of the area."

"You know we're gonna need sleep soon."

"Yes I am aware," I sighed. Why couldn't he just be agreeable?

"Neither of us have rested since I got here."

"We'll rest after."

The concept of resting with my enemy around was an oxymoron of sorts. I didn't even want to contemplate the solution we'd have to create for that.

There was a small pause before Azure spoke again. I could almost feel him contemplating how to handle this disagreement.

"Look we've combed every inch of this area. If we haven't found anything now, I don't think-"

"If you want to rest, fine," I interrupted. I didn't exactly need Azure's help. If he felt so strongly about getting rest, then by all means rest. "Do what you want. I'm gonna do another sweep."

Another pause. This time I could feel him mentally sigh in defeat. Ever the noble soldier, I knew what his response would be before he said it.

"I'll let you know when I'm done with my side."

So predictable. It was almost amusing how he couldn't do anything in bad taste. There was also the fact however, that I knew Azure wanted to keep tabs on me. He could paint it as heroic selflessness all he wanted, but he was getting something out of it too.

My focus went back to my surroundings as I rounded a corner, stepping over a small puddle that had formed on the sidewalk. I scanned every shadowed corner I passed as I made my way down the strip of bars. With the lights from the buildings and cars there were many pockets of darkness sprinkled by and near.

The consistent hum of people's voices was distracting, but I was able to push it aside as I listened for dark movement.

It was disheartening to find nothing.

I closed my eyes for a moment trying to narrow my hearing to the slightest of sound waves-

"Hey!" Crash!

My eyes jolted open as I brought a hand to my ear. The high volume was so close it disrupted my search.

I looked to the source of the sound to see a small, old man sprawled on the sidewalk a few feet before me. His cane had clattered to the ground beside him, his gray hair was disheveled, and his pale eyes were creased in shock. I followed his line of sight. Further down the adjacent street, three boys in sweatshirts were sprinting away and in one of their hands a small black wallet was clutched tightly.

I felt my chest constrict at such insolence as the boys faded into the far shadows, an unreasonable desire for retribution began to stir in me- but this wasn't my business and I really shouldn't care. I didn't even know this old man.

I needed to keep moving.

Facing away from the chaos, I began to continue forward on the sidewalk.

"Sir are you ok?"

"Here let me help you up."

I found myself nodding in approval at hearing some of the bystanders help the old man. There, he was getting assistance. Now it was time for me to focus back o-

My feet came to an abrupt halt as a grey newsboy hat rolled in front of me. I felt a strange pulling at my chest. I hadn't seen one of those hats in a long while, but there was a time where I saw one everyday. It felt like forever ago now, but the memory was clear.

Almost on instinct, I knelt down and picked up the charcoal flat cap. I dusted off the surface with a pat before turning it over in my hands.

"Oh no," the old man's frail voice spoke in defeat. "Did they get my hat too?"

"It's right here."

It took a moment for me to realize I had spoken. So much for not interacting with the locals.

With no other option, I turned back in the direction of the old man and walked over to his small form- the newsboy hat in hand.

"Um, I believe this belongs to you," I stated when I reached him. I held out the cap feeling oddly out of place. I didn't have a clue as to why.

The old man's wrinkled hand reached out and took the hat. Before I could pull my hand away, he clasped my hand gently and gave it a pat.

My eyes darted up to his pale ones. They were kind and riddled with gratitude.

"Thank you very much," he gave me a small smile. It was then I noticed the cut adorning his forehead. The thin skin there had broke, resulting in smeared blood on his face. The image made me sick, realizing those boys took advantage of this man's helpless state. It reminded me too much of something akin.

That desire for retribution was suddenly burning once again in my chest.

"No problem," I gave him a nod.

The old man then turned toward the street, placing his hat on his head. One of the bar goers met him to help him to his car. As I watched him hobble away with his cane, I felt my blood begin to seethe.

My feet seemed to begin moving on their own accord. I began walking away from the bar and in the direction those bastards went. Someone needed to show them that there were consequences to their actions.

I moved quietly along the sidewalk, sticking to the shadows and extending my hearing for the three idiots that caused this.

I was surprised to find that they didn't wander very far or perhaps they circled back. From the sound of it, they were going to attempt another robbery.

Picking up the pace, I quickly moved to their location on the other side of the block. I spotted them in the shadowed alleyway, huddled together and whispering as they looked out from behind the wall. They were likely scoping out their next target.

Now was my chance...

I readied my crystal shards, flexing my hand as I began to step forward- and then I felt wind rushing past me.

Blue.

I registered strong hands on my waist as I felt myself moving fast and away from my targets.

It all happened in seconds and then suddenly I was in a different alleyway with my back pressed against the wall. Azure was staring down at me, his striking blue eyes were narrowed in question.

"What are you doing?"

I felt irritation burst in my chest. How dare he stop me! I wasn't some soldier serving in his ranks. He wasn't in charge of me!

"None of your business," I sneered before shoving at his chest, "Get off me."

Azure complied and stepped back, but remained close enough to restrain me if he deemed it necessary. I felt like a wild animal or something. It made my annoyance grow.

"Cerise what were you planning to do to those boys?"

"None of your business," I hissed again.

"You know you can't go around killing people."

"I wasn't going to kill them!" I retorted, "I was just going to..."

Give them a taste of their own medicine. Serve justice. Or maybe just bash their heads in a few times.

I really wasn't planning on ending anyone's life.

"I wasn't going to kill them," I huffed crossing my arms.

"Ok," Azure nodded slowly, "But you can't go around beating people up either."

I rolled my eyes, "You don't dictate what I do and do not do."

"Alright fine. But it goes both ways. Stepping in is what I have to do. I'm not gonna let you beat random people."

"They would've deserved it!" I uncrossed my arms, clenching my fists as I turned to the infuriating Solar. "And you know what, I don't give a damn about your morals and I never asked for your input. Stop telling me what to do."

"Stop attacking innocent people and I won't have to," he shot back.

"They weren't innocent."

"Doesn't matter," Azure stated, "We're not in our world. We aren't judge and jury."

"I don't need to be a judge to know those boys are an imprudent menace."

Azure closed his eyes and sighed, "And what would beating them up have done? How would that have helped?"

"Don't lecture me," I sneered, stepping towards him. He was making me sick with his righteous demeanor.

"I'm just asking a question," he defended.

"You're treating me like a child."

"You're acting like one."

"You're insufferable."

"And you're reckless."

"I hate you."

"I hate you too."

I was so close to summoning my red blades and starting a fight. That would mean that I broke the truce though and I couldn't afford that with Blaine's allegiance hanging in the balance.

I was fighting my very instincts to keep this battle verbal.

Azure knew it too. I could see it in his sapphire orbs. The silent challenge to break our agreement. The knowing glint that said he knew I was tempted to throw it all away.

But I wasn't going to. The greatest win I could gain over him was winning the war. This was a long game and I was playing for a long victory.

I wretched my gaze away from him and immediately turned on my heel, stalking out of the back alley we were occupying. I needed to be away from his presence. The Solar made me mad beyond belief.

I wondered if I should've killed him when I had the chance right before we met with Blaine at the cafe. I easily could have. Watching him be so vulnerable under that tree was like a blatant call to take him out. I heard Onyx's order in my head to kill Azure, but for some reason I couldn't pull the trigger.

At the end of the day he was my best chance at winning Blaine's allegiance. I knew it. Still, the relief in attacking him was hard to pass up.

I pondered how much longer I could make it work. Something told me the timeline was short.

•••

Author's note today,

I'm slowly getting the rest of the editing process done for this book. There's a few more hills I need to get over, but after the next few weeks it should be smooth sailing which means regular updating!

Thanks again to all those reading and voting. It truly means a lot!

As ever, Berly