+ IF I GAVE YOU EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING
IS WHAT I BOUGHT; I CAN TAKE IT ALL BACK, I NEVER
CARED BOUT' WHAT YOU THOUGHT. [ lil nas x - rodeo ]

"Ah, Thorn." Ice stops in his tracks, making the said boy follow him too, blinking innocently. "The other day, about Blaze and Solar, I didn't expect your brother to be in the same condition as mines."

The Sixth Wonder scrunches up the side of his face, nodding. "Although they come from two different families, it's possible. They're not the only humans with it. Might just be a coincidence."

"You mean there are others who have it too?"

Thorn merely shrugs, "Most likely. There's a possibility of mutated humans, afterall. Solar and Blaze are just the mild types. For the extreme ones, I've never heard of."

Ice hums, dropping his tensed shoulders and walks alongside the skipping boy. "Is there a way to seperate them? It's leeching off their life source, correct?"

"Yep." The green-eyed apparition agrees, taking Ice's steel-cold hands in his. "Don't worry, though. They won't die. As long as Thunder's there, then.." His voice trails off, and he grins. "They'll be alright."

"Hope so." With a monotone voice, Ice replies, dark blue eyes swimming with minimal concern. Blaze's lifespan has always been a mystery to him, ever since he met the boy on the side of the road. "I don't think I can stall the time of his death anymore. It gets harder everytime."

Thorn throws his head back with glee, "Time for him to die, eh?" He snorts at Ice's glare, "I meant his human form, you idiot. You worry too much!"

Worry? The Third Wonder raises a hand.

Do I really? He wanted to ask. But the question never left.

Two hands clasps on his shoulder, as Thorn's green orbs peered into his with interest and trickery, "Come on, we're going to be late! Last time it happened, I got electrocuted from head to toe by that pikachu wannabe!"

Feeling a little motivated by the spirit's constant energetic babbling, Ice's lips curved upwards a little, genuinely. "Right." He breathes, "Let's go."

His worry about Blaze would have to wait.

Meanwhile, the fiery teenager was permitted back to school, along with Solar. He's currently having the blast of his life by screaming at a lecturer, getting suspended for another two days, and forced to hear the latter's angered speech.

"Blaze," Solar sighs in exasperation, massaging the side of his temples. He's been positioned by his teachers to be Blaze's helper, for literally everything. "How many times must I repeat this?"

"B-But!" Blaze retorts, slamming his palms on the desk, earning stares from people around them.

Solar felt like he wanted to melt to a puddle.

"This is the library, you idiot!" He lightly smacks the boy on the head with his rolled-up magazine, using his other free hand to shield his face. "Shut up!"

He exhales slowly again, tapping his fingers on the side of his face as he watches Blaze grumbling underneath his breath. At the very least, he had protection. Blaze was to trail after him like a dog, everywhere he'd go.

Even to the bathroom. This raised suspicion amongst their peers, but what can they do? After all, they were under Thorn's orders too. It's not like they could reject.

"I don't get it." Blaze whines, complaining as he points at the written book in front of him, filled with Solar's notes. "What does mathematics have to do with fighting?"

"Prediction and accuration?" Solar raises a brow, crossing his arms. "If you can't aim well, then the power coming from your weapon wouldn't be used to the maximum. You'll have to learn how to control it."

"Gah! This is so boring, why can't we just practice right away?! I hate physics, you know that, Sunny!"

"And you're noisy." An irk mark gently appears on the surface of the other guy's temples. "Get to work. I'm not telling Ice that you failed your exams again. Even if I did, it wouldn't benefit you."

Blaze resorts to endless retorts again, as he flips through Solar's detailed writing regarding the art of defense. Ice asked the younger human to aid him in refining Blaze's machinery, as it would always fall apart in the end.

Body without a brain, Ice told him, That's Blaze.

Solar couldn't agree more with that. He spent last night figuring out a way to train Blaze, from his mental side. The post-exorcist already had immense brute strength, not to mention his dirty tricks in combat. However, he lacks the tactics and would often dive into a fight without a plan.

Drumming his fingers on the wooden table, all Solar could think of was his brother Thorn, as well as what happened to him a few days before.

Kidnapped by Blaze's family, who threw him out.

For what? His eyebrows furrowed, as he looks straight at his friend, disoriented and out of focus. Though the boy may be lacking alot of things, he's as capable as any soul hunter out there. His mouth turns down into a frown.

"Oi," Solar snaps out of his daydream and blinks at Blaze, who's wagging a finger in front of his face. "I'm tired. My brain's fried like potato sticks. Let's go and get some ice chocolate?"

"Oh. Uh, yeah, sure." He stutters and stands up.

Orange irises narrowed at him, "You don't look good, Sunny." He bumps his shoulder at Solar, who fixes his visors, "Are you okay? Did you finally get a remedial?"

Solar almost choked, "R-Remedial? And yeah, I'm fine."

"Don't lie to me." Blaze scowls, jabbing a finger at the boy's chest as they come to a stop. "I've known you for like, what? 3 years? You have a habit of daydreaming when you're stressed about something. So what are you thinking?"

Seeing how the boy continues to pursue him, Solar sighs, shifting the books to another arm. "It's about you and your uh," He gulps, "Family."

Blaze's face turned pale slightly. "Oh." He says.

"Oh." Solar replies back, awkwardly. They continue to strut at the same pace, exciting the public library, just by the sidewalk. "Sorry if tha-"

"What about my family?" He asks, voice small.

Taken aback, the Third Wonder's living yorishiro swallowed his saliva, feeling a little clammy. He ought to be careful.

"I don't know. Being there made me realize a few things. They treated me like a dog, you know? In that cage, there wasn't a single bed. It's just the stone cold floor. There's spiders and dust everywhere."

"Don't talk to me about spiders, please."

"Right. But anyway, as I was saying," Blaze slings the backpack over his shoulder, paying attention, "Cyclone told me a few things about the place when we escaped. Like how it's a labyrinth in there instead of an actual family stronghold. Do you know anything about it?"

"If you're trying to find out things about my family, then forget it." He shakes his head, sadly, and Solar's eyes softened at that. "I don't remember a single thing about them. All I have now is Ice, and you guys."

Solar carefully pries more, "Not even your parents?"

"To hell with them." Blaze holds the earring by his right ear, out of habit. "I don't care who they are. It's in the past."

"But you seem like you recall something about them. Listen, I'm sorry if I sound like I'm overly obssessed with finding out the secret about your past and things. As a friend, though, I feel like I'm a stranger. Sometimes."

Droplets of rain fell onto their skin. More specifically, Solar's. All evidence of the trickling liquid evaporates once in contact with Blaze's, who looks up into the sky, raising a hand to shield himself.

"It's easier to hide about the past, than to face the present that tries to drown you along." Blaze says, dropping his arms. "Sorry, Solar. But I don't want to talk about it. My parents aren't people that I respect."

"You don't have to respect everyone. Respect is given to those who deserve it, and those who strive and want it."

"Why do you want to know so bad, huh?"

Something in the other boy's eyes flashed. A mix of anger. Disappointment, maybe. But the next words pierced deep into Solar's heart, similar to a knife slicing wounds into his body. It was at this moment, he knew.

He messed up real bad.

"Is it because of my past? Because I used to be an exorcist, and is now living with the supernaturals? Because I'm a failure, and all I can do is zip up my mouth pretending that I'm not an 100 year-old living human?"

Orange eyes danced with anger, but also sadness. He searched Solar's eyes for something, or some kind of answer, coming up with nothing.

"Or is it because I'm a mystery, someone you can't trust?"

Solar stood there, stunned, unable to utter any more words, as the back of his former best friend was turned against him, taking steps that are farther away.

"You've lost my respect, Solar." Blaze smiles at him, painfully, as if nothing had happened between them. "You've broke the only bond we had together."

"I-I'm sorry." He mumbles, realizing the loss.

The words came out as a mere whisper, a small pleading for hope. But that was never answered, as the space between them elongated, a distance that they've closed together before. A sorry wouldn't cut it.

Solar lets the rain wash over him, as his gray orbs watch Blaze's back grow smaller, disappearing into the horizon.

They were back to being strangers again.

i needed some spice so here yall go woohoo :)
it was intended to be more dramatic but eh nvm