Yugo's POV
The day after I got the letter and my parents dropped the bombshell on me, I went back to the dojo same as usual. Went up the same steps, walked past the same trees, walked past the same people - I paid it all no heed.

Because everything was not the same. Not anymore.

In one night, my entire world had been turned on its head. Suddenly, reality was the fact that my parents had been lying to me my whole life and my family had more history than I had ever imagined. Now I was expected to forgo everything I knew about the world and of martial arts and push a magical button to transport me to God-knew-where to train under God-knew-who.

Who just so happened to be a robot, if her name was any indication.

PIXAL.

Normally, I wouldn't do anything that my heart wasn't invested in, but my father had played the family card. He knows better than anyone that a Nansui never backs down from family. It was an ironclad reason to do anything amongst my family members.

It stung that my father would stoop so low just to get me to do something, but it wasn't like I could say anything against him. He was my father after all.

The emotions that tumbled and rang around my head like temari balls must have resonated on my face, because everyone practically dove out of my way as I walked up to the dojo. I'd never exactly been socially popular among the students, but the kids seemed to be especially scared of me. Even the other instructors went out of their way to make sure their paths never crossed with mine.

Just as well. I'd probably break down into a growling, biting wreck if someone tried talking to me.

"Hey, Yugo."

WHAT DID I LITERALLY JUST SAY?

My head whipped around, ready to chew out whoever it was who had dared speak to me on a bad day. To my surprise and a little relief, I saw it was none other than Quon. The mixed feelings turned into one unanimous emotion of relief when I remembered that he had also gotten a letter, so he would understand my plight. I turned fully to face him. "Quon. I take it you talked to your parents as well?"

The skater nodded gravely. "Yeah. Apparently my dad was the almighty Master of Poison, and now I'm supposed to follow in his footsteps. My parents practically guilted me into saying I'd attend the meeting." He shut his eyes tight and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just when I thought that they wouldn't be those parents."

His headache was nothing compared to mine. "Same here, except my old man was the almighty Master of Nature. According to my mom, he could snap his fingers and make a tree grow." The memory of her sugary-sweet tone made me sick. "I could hear her swooning over the phone."

Quon grimaced in what I guessed was for my sake, then fixed me with a level stare. "So - are we really doing this?"

My father playing the family card rang through my head again and I scrunched my face into my own grimace. "I don't think we have much of a choice," I replied, running a hand down my face.

"I personally don't know WHY you two are complaining," An annoyingly familiar voice cut between us and sent my teeth grinding. Only one person's voice could set me on edge like that. Digging my nails into my palms to keep me from hissing back a retort, me and Quon turned to face the last member of our little group.

Ukyo walked over to us with his usual annoying swagger, though it looked especially exaggerated for some reason. "I personally think that this PIXAL person just handed us a grand opportunity!" He boasted, not even bothering to keep his voice down.

Seeing the odd looks the other students shot us, I hissed at him to keep quiet, then fixed him with a glare. "And just what makes you say that?"

The Shadow Walker shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm just saying, this sounds like a chance to get out of Japan and discover our roots - maybe even meet some new faces! Honestly, that's what I'm most excited about." He shot the other students a scornful look. "I don't know about you, but some of these faces are getting boring."

The dude literally had no mute mode. "So let me get this straight," I said lowly, trying not to let myself get too annoyed - I was quickly losing. "You're excited for this sudden, abrupt, total out of the blue life change...just for the change in scenery?"

"Yes," Ukyo told me with an infuriating smile. "Yes I am."

For a second, we stood there in silence at Ukyo's reveal. Then Quon, ever the flexible one, shrugged. "I mean, he has a point. And it's not like I'm one to argue against scenery change."

I just stared at him in complete and utter shock. Ukyo just told us a entirely selfish reason - not even a reason, come to think about it - to go along with this whole mind-boggling situation...and Quon agrees with him? "You're serious?"

Quon looked at me meaningfully. "Would you rather go just because your parents told you to?" He asked flatly.

I had no argument against that. "Fine - we'll go for the scenery change," I grumbled.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Ukyo asked smugly.

"Oh, I'm sorry - JUST HOW LOUD DO YOU WANT ME TO YELL?!" I roared at his stupid face.

Ukyo started, then an even wider smirk spread across his face. "Well, well...look who's causing a ruckus now," He muttered gleefully. To my horror, it ended up being my shouting that brought the attention of the entire courtyard instead of Ukyo's insensitivity. Mortified to the point that I couldn't form a proper argument, I simply sent him another scalding glare and then proceeded to stomp inside the dojo.

My outburst must have really done it in, because no one even came near me for the rest of the day except for Quon. Even Ukyo refused to come out from the shadows and toy with me. That bugged me more than usual, because while Quon and I had shared what had gone down with the confrontation between our parents while Ukyo had failed to share. Instead, he had shared his completely ludicrous reason for going to this meeting, which still made me grind my teeth.

Figures, I thought ruefully as I tried and failed to discern Ukyo from the many dark places in and around the dojo. The one time we actually want him to come out, and he chooses to stay hidden.

Call me crazy, but I thought that I'd seen something in his cyan eyes when he boasted about wanting to go simply to be around new people.

That glimmer of something else made me think that Ukyo was only telling a partial truth when he said he only wanted a change in environment.

And maybe...ONLY maybe...I worried for him.

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1196 words.

I AM SORRY THAT THIS IS SO LATE AND SO SHORT AND PROBABLY NOT VERY GOOD!!

BUT AGAIN, IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE I'D UPDATED THIS BOOK AND I WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS SOMETHING NEW!!

LIKE IF YOU WANT!!

I'M WORKING ON A NEW CHAPTER IN "FIRST REALM AND BEYOND", I SWEAR!!