Aphmau POV:

   Damn. This is drama at it's finest. I don't even know what to say. I see a power couple, but I also see how easily they can break each other under the wrong circumstances. Y/n discreetly made mention that it's dangerous for her to be near Laurence, since he is in love with her and can't really control his emotions. He could end up hurting himself after decimating everyone else.

   "I-I don't know, weirdo. Right now might not be the best time to talk about this... I honestly don't know you guys anymore than you know me. That's one of the issues I'm having with everything... it's been a while and lots of stuff happened, but you just..." my heart softened with a swirl of guilt.

   "...weren't there? I know. You mentioned this before and I cannot express how sorry I am to have left. But here's what I propose. We get Garroth out of the Irene Dimension... we find... SOMEWAY to do it. Once we do... I tell him that I'm not holding back from you anymore, if he doesn't make you his first then I will. I can at least grant him that. That is of course you want to be with either of us..."

   I was at the edge of my seat. There was a feeling of anticipation in the air as we waited for Y/n's answer. She frantically shook her head with red ears turning ahead. "KATELYN WHERE ARE YOU?!" She walked away from the two of us, looking around. Laurence breathed a laugh with a defeated smile on his face. I patted his shoulder for support. "Hey, Y/n's much more easily flustered than you thought. That's okay, she can't avoid you forever..."

   He nodded before a serious expression came over. "Shush, do you hear that...? There is something in the bushes over there..." Laurence started sneaking around a quarter of the lake. I whisper-yelled Y/n's name who was just wandering behind me. She turned around, confused, after I motioned for her to follow us. Laurence had gotten closer to the bush before the thump of face-to-fist contact was heard.

   "What the-- Laurence!" I ran up to see what was happening. We were all unarmed but that didn't mean I couldn't find a good stick. "TAKE THAT YOU PERVERT! HOW DARE YOU CHAT UP BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADIES IN THE FOREST AT NIGHT?! I KNOW EVERY TRICK IN THE BOOK!" It was a voice all too familiar coming from a person I all but recognized. "NICE MOONLIGHT NEXT TO A LAKE WHILE YOU SPOUT OUT YOUR DADDY ISSUES ISNT GONNA FOOL ME!"

   Their figure was covered in the trees shadows but I could tell they were female and had red hair. "...Huh? Oh darn it, I knocked him out cold... huh? Why does he look so familiar?" A fury of f/c and tattered white zoomed and launched itself on the girl. "Oh my god, Nicole!! I'm so happy to see you!" N-Nicole?

   That was her alright. Mature looking along with more muscular arms, much like Y/n has been. Nicole's hair had gotten longer, and she still had those same goggles on top of her head. "Y/n?! Irene, if I knew that was you I would have let you done the beating-- CHRIST WHAT HAPPENED?! You look gorgeously terrible!!" My feet were planted as I stayed awe-struck, as our lost friend had grown so much.

   "Aha, we can talk about that later. But.." Y/n pointed at me as Nicole turned her attention. "...Please tell me this is a dream... I just realized you all have cat ears, this has to be a dream..." I pinched her arm with a huge grin taking over my face. "As real as it gets." Nicole started screaming and jumping around with joy and excitement. Realizing that guy she hit was Laurence only made her laugh and shriek harder.

   "You have no idea... my heart just... EXPLODED when I realized it was you... Unfortunately, I have to cut this short. I need to save a comrade who issued out a distress call." She was talking about Abby. Y/n made light to the fact that that was in fact who we made mention of. Shortly explaining that she was with us and got out, but suddenly ran off with Katelyn following her.

   Nicole was in fact looking forward to that rescue mission but glad Abby was safe. She needed to call off some of her stationed guards and load up the unconscious Laurence so we could go to Scaleswind. "I'm sure you have a good excuse for just vanishing all of a sudden... let me get my.. Wait-- do you hear that?" Her and Y/n both faced the same direction, having noticed the same thing. I stood clueless, never having to really listen that closely before.

   "Someone is watching us..." Nicole quietly went forward, much like Laurence did. "Wai--" another body hitting the ground was heard. Katelyn somehow had her gauntlet and hit her with it. "Uh.........This is Nicole Van Ronsenburg." I groaned, realizing we now had to carry her and Laurence back to the mentioned wagon. "Uggghhh, I'm gonna go get some water."

~oOo~

   Scaleswind. It was breathtaking. Ginormous town surrounded by mighty walls. The roofs were all a red color, close together but spread far enough for breathing space. Nicole briefly complained over the headache from her minor knockout, before debriefing the rooms. The one we were in now was mine, while everyone else had been situated. We were allowed to stay as long as we liked. "Breakfast will be ready soon so--"

   Nicole was cut off by an annoyed voice barging into the room. "STOP HIM!" A little boy with blue hair had Katelyn's gauntlet in his had as she chasing him around. She looked about ready to attack him. "THIS BRAT TOOK MY WEAPONS!" She growled at him while he glared back with his tongue out. "THEY'RE NOT YOURS DUMB LADY, THEY'RE MY MOM'S!"

   Kathy seemed more pissed that he called her dumb before the kid was jabbed in the back of his neck, falling down and letting go of the gauntlet. "So sorry Katelyn, Dmitri here does not have a sense of respect yet. Hence why I have to knock some sense into him every now and then." Dmitri argued that he was only getting his mom's stuff back before he was ordered to apologize.

   The punishment for doing it with an attitude was to run 10 laps. "BUT MOM!!" Nicole's voice raised as well. "NOW!" Dmitri grumbled and shot a look at Katelyn again before doing what he was told. A lightning fast blur went by the door frame after the kid. "DMITRI WAIT UP!" It sounded like another child. Not sure who it was though. "Ugh, I'm sorry about Dmitri. He's a little firecracker. Then again my father said I was like that too so... maybe there's hope for him. Haha!"

   "H-he's your son?!" Nicole smiled back at me, much calmer than the other responses I've gotten. "Yeah, he is." I squealed for a second before cheerfully asking who the father was, thinking in the back of my mind how much he reminded me of Dante. "......he died, before Dmitri was born..... I, uh.... don't want to talk about it." I quieted down with an apology, feeling a little guilty at my bluntness and lack of empathy beforehand. She said it was okay before saying we should sit down and talk about what happened before leaving to go make breakfast.

    Y/n had peaked in soon after, scanning around for something. "Are you okay?" She nodded before turning to me. "You seen two little gremlins running around here?" I tilted my head, not familiar with the term. She sighed stepping out. "Nevermind, I'll keep looking."

'Strange.'

1319 words.