FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Gathering Intel

"Umm thank you, but you don't have to do all of this, ma'am." Damien said as his cheeks and the tufts of his ears burned from Isabella tending to him. He had thought that after doing this over the weekend she would stop but it seemed she wasn't done fussing over his well being.

He didn't dislike what she was doing, far from it, but more so the fact that he wasn't used to this since his parents never really cared. Not once did they go out of their way to make sure he was comfortable or consider his feelings on anything. This was a whole new experience for him.

"Mama, you're embarrassing him." Cameron commented in his native language, having already been dressed in his school uniform. He sighed softly as his mother started to groom his fur with a new brush that was bought yesterday. "He can take care of himself, you know."

"I know, but the poor boy has been through so much!" Isabella replied in kind, the expression of sorrow and pity having intensified as she stopped what she was doing to gaze at the husky before embracing him. "Honestly, people like them should never have children!" she growled out, then suddenly gasped and closed her eyes, paws clasped together.

Despite not knowing everything she was saying, it didn't take much for Damien to figure out that she was uttering a quick prayer. Seeing this as an opportunity, he quickly moved to head out of the bedroom and into the living room with Cameron behind him. "Good morning! And again, thank you for the hospitality."

Henry, who was absorbed on his phone, jumped slightly from the greeting. "Oh, good morning you two! And as I said before, it's not a problem at all. We're happy to help with anything you might need." He smiled, gesturing a paw towards the table where plates of breakfast lay, then glanced up to his wife, the brush still in her paws. "He's fine the way he is, so you can give it a rest now."

"But..." Isabella tried to protest, looking between her husband and Damien, not knowing which action to take. It didn't take long for her to decide though, as the elder cheetah's calm gaze made her sigh in defeat and take a seat. "Alright, I suppose I have done enough as it is."

With that said, everyone began to dig in, conversation sparking between everyone until it was time for the two teens to leave.

"Have a good day at school, Damien." Isabella said, a warm smile spreading her cheeks.

Henry nodded and spoke up in turn. "And remember, you're here with us, not with them any longer so come back safe and sound, kiddo."

"T-thanks, I will." Damien replied, his spirits being drastically lifted from the kindness his friend's parents are showing. With a grin, the two of them said their goodbyes and exited the house and onto the outside world. "It's so different..." he mumbled as they walked to school.

"Hmm? What was that?" Cameron inquired, prompting the husky to say it again, earning him a shrug. "Well of course it is when you've been dealing with abusive parents for a long time. Speaking of which, we should let everyone know at some point."

Panic surged through Damien, his eyes widening and mind racing at the thought of telling them so soon. He wasn't ready for that sort of drama to be revealed, not while he was trying to get himself adjusted. "No, not yet! I need time a-and--"

A paw from the cheetah clamped down on his muzzle, bringing the beginning of a protest to a halt. "I didn't mean everything dummy, so quit worrying. But we do need to let them know you're staying at my place for awhile."

After his muzzle was free, the husky nodded to himself. It made sense, all things considered, as it would complicate things if they were to keep this to themselves. "Yeah, you're right. I'll come up with something in the meantime."

"Nope, better to leave that to me." Confusion showed itself as the husky tilted his head, causing Cameron to roll his eyes in annoyance. "We've been over this mutt brain. You're a terrible liar."

"Okay, ouch...but I can't argue with you on that." Damien chuckled, then suddenly hugged his friend, tail wagging in furious speed. "Thank you. By the way, I still think your parents taking a pic of us together on the couch was a little much."

It was Friday when it happened; the day he ran away from home to be with Cameron's supportive and loving family. After the whole fiasco went down, the husky was simply exhausted and wanted very much to sleep. He didn't want to bother anyone so he went straight for the couch, letting himself be distracted as he watched the television, not even caring what was on.

Cameron joined him at some point in time, chatting just for the sake of keeping company. Eventually the two of them got tired, not even remembering who went asleep first. The very next day, his mother showed the two a picture on her phone and it was them, his head resting on his friend's shoulder.

"Don't...remind me...and if you tell a single soul of what happened, you'll never see the light of day." Cameron warned, glaring down at the husky with much intensity to have it known that it wasn't just an idle threat.

To Damien though, it was just that as he let go, his grin widening and tail never stopping. "I won't say a word, scout's honor!" He gave a salute, looking serious before cracking up with a bout of laughter.

Idle chatter flowed back and forth between them until the building came into view, students of various species heading inside from the chill that autumn brought. As the two teens joined the crowd and emerged into the halls, everyone in the group greeted them.

"How was your weekend?" Justin inquired after giving them a hug.

Damien resisted the urge to let out a whine, to show any sign of disappointment as he did his best to respect the panda's wishes on staying friends for now. He stayed true to his word, despite it hurting him a little. "It was alright for the most part."

Cameron chimed in after those amber eyes turned on him next. "Same here, though mutt brain is staying with me for awhile since his parents went away on another trip for who knows how long."

The young panda nodded, cupping his chin in thought as he narrowed his eyes. "Sounds pretty tough for them to not be home for so long, but it's good to know your friend has your back!"

"Yeah, I'm pretty lucky on that." Damien chuckled, though inwardly groaning at the irony of it all. 'Sorry I can't tell you and everyone here what really happened...just give me some time.'

"And what about you two?" the cheetah asked, already changing the subject, to which Damien silently thanked him for. "Still grounded?"

"Pffft, no!" It was Xun who answered, slapping a paw to his forehead. "And thank the gods that it ended so soon, I would have died from not just boredom, but embarrassment."

A light hearted giggle came from Justin. "Oh come on, spending time with mom and dad wasn't that bad. Although...things did get a little out of control when he bet against her for the fifteenth time and lost." He visibly shuddered at that.

Damien tilted his head in confusion, his mind drawing to a conclusion that their parents were hard core gamblers. "Uhhh...are they like this with other people around?"

"Oh yeah, big time for sure." Xun answered with a shrug and a soft sigh. "Doesn't matter if it's family or friends." He raised a brow after noticing the panicked expression taking hold of the husky. "You okay?"

"Yup! Glad to know you guys had a good time!" his mind was reeling from the answer, imagining scenario after worst case scenario. 'I don't have the heart to tell them!'

Rowen coughed, loud enough to gain the attention of everyone, all eyes upon him. "I'm happy to know you guys had a wonderful weekend, and that you two are free," he nodded to both Xun and Justin before continuing. "But does anyone here have a clue on how to proceed into getting information about Diànw? ti?nsh?? Because I've tried to gather anything I could, only to end up with nothing."

"I've tried going to the local library to see if they had anything related to that, but like you, nothing." Gwen said with a frown and shake of her head. "I thought it would at least be considered some sort of legend or something close to it."

"I also found nothing in my search, sorry." Jake chimed in, tail drooping and head hung low.

"Well, I guess it's safe to say that we also didn't find anything either." Cameron glanced to the siblings who looked pretty calm about the situation. "I get the feeling you two had some luck, so share."

Justin beamed, eyes twinkling in merriment as he nodded. "Yup, we do! My history teacher, Mr. Varner! I chose him specifically since he and my dad knew each other awhile back. Also because he's told the class many times that he does love dabbling in mythology."

Xun rubbed his head, apparently nervous as he met everyone's gaze. "I know it's not much to go on, but it's a start. Any answer we can get is better than nothing." He brought up his right wrist, staring at the bracelet before placing a paw to his chest.

"Well, we have a lead. So I'm guessing we'll all go to him after school?" Damien asked, receiving a nod in response. "Sweet! Now...where's James?" he looked around, searching for the cougar.

"Yo, Yin yang!" A familiar voice greeted from down the hall, answering the husky's question. All eyes turned to see James swaggering his way towards them with what seemed to be an entourage, as students followed him from behind while those on the sidelines gazed at him with awe.

Already giving a flat expression, Xun slowly turned his head to face the cougar who was in close distance. "Despite everything that happened a few days ago, you're still the same old popular jerk. What do you want?" he asked, ignoring the annoyed and jealous glares from the populace.

"What, I can't say hi to you now or my friends?" his eyes took on everyone in the group, including a lion with folded arms, who's venomous glare reinstated the saying 'if looks could kill'. He glanced back over his shoulder at the crowd, grinning from ear to ear as he gave a wink. "All of you can be my friend if you want."

Ignoring the cheers that just erupted and waiting for it to quiet down, Damien spoke up with a little bit of annoyance in his tone. "Might want to answer the question, we don't have all day."

James held up his paws, chuckling all the while. "Whoa, chill. I'm getting to that part." He focused his attention on the older panda. "Just letting you know there's a test today in Mr. Ferrialo's class, so hope ya studied big guy." With a smile, he turned and walked away, the crowd going with him.

Cameron rolled his eyes with a sigh of disgust. "All of that just to tell us something so minor? What an idiot."

" He's not a bad person, but from what I've gathered, he loves putting on a show and everyone eats it up, no matter what he's doing." Jake explained as he shook his head.

"And here I thought he changed for the better..." Justin sighed, then glanced up at Xun who was on the verge of panicking. "You didn't study, did you?"

"No! I thought it would be on a Wednesday! Dammit!" the panda slapped a paw to his forehead, letting out a groan of dismay. "I'm going to fail..."

'Well this is a lesson learned for me.' Damien looked towards the cheetah and young panda, then took out his phone. "We should probably go, it's almost time for classes to start. Good luck on your test!" He waved goodbye and started making his way to first period, legitimately hoping Justin's brother would do well.

"He really needs to study more," the young panda commented, a soft sigh following this. "I reminded him over the weekend countless times, but he kept brushing it off. Hmph! Serves him right for not listening."

"Speaking of which, we have our own test today in first period." Cameron said, earning a groan from the husky. "I don't know why you're making that face. We're prepared."

Damien pouted but didn't argue on that front for it was true. "Yeah, but you know how I am with stuff like this, I hate it."

Playful banter and chatter started between the three of them, all of them enjoying each other's presence as they proceeded to class. None paid attention to the crowd of furs going past them, nor the intense glare that was being aimed at Justin.

"Hmm, I didn't know you were teaching our friend here Spanish. Think you could tutor me too?" Justin inquired, his interest in learning another language evident from the wide smile on his face. "I think it would--huh?" his smile faltered as his body suddenly went forward, ready to impact on the hard, marble floor.

Reacting just in time, Damien caught him before the young panda could hit the ground. "You alright?" he got a nod in response, earning a smile before it quickly turned into a frown, eyes looking over to see a badger sneering at them. "What do you think you're doing? He didn't do anything to you."

"Freak needs to get the shit kicked out of him." The boy spat, taking a menacing step toward them, not even caring that this was beginning to draw curious stares. "He ain't normal. Why the fuck are you two hanging around him?"

"Because he's our friend, obviously. Are you blind?" Cameron scoffed, tail beginning to lash furiously. "And this was weeks ago if you hadn't noticed, move on. Besides, who are you to judge what's normal or not?"

"Exactly right." Damien moved in front of Justin, a low growl rumbling as he glared at the badger before him. "And you'll have to get through us first." He looked over his shoulder to see Justin's worried expression, thankful that he wasn't hurt anywhere.

A derisive snort was heard, followed by a snicker as the boy looked between the two, more than likely sizing them both up. "Alright, fine with me." He made his way towards them, his intimidating stature being no mere joke as he had a stocky build and the muscle that showed through his uniform told them that it wasn't just for show.

A flourish of excited and concerned murmurs swept through the gathering crowd, having formed a circle around them. All eyes were drawn to the spectacle, waiting for the first hit to be thrown.

"What's going on here?" A voice cried out, sounding authoritative enough to calm the growing cacophony of noise. Everyone fell silent as a female swan appeared, the concern in her eyes being replaced with mild anger as she took in everything. It was apparent that she was a teacher, for the badger stopped, let out a low growl and sucked in his teeth, looking elsewhere so as not to meet her eyes. "Daniel, really? Starting another fight? Straight to the principal's office, now!"

Daniel rolled his eyes and turned around, already walking away. "Fucking bullshit, man..." he mumbled, uttering other obscenities until his form was no longer in sight. Following his departure, the crowd began to disperse to their respective classes, all the while grumbling to how things ended.

The swan softly sighed and shook her head before paying attention to the three boys, looking between each of them for a sign of any injuries. "Doesn't seem like none of you are hurt...was he targeting all of you?"

"No, just me ma'am." Justin answered, having stood beside the husky now that the danger was gone. "It was all because of a, umm, rumor that happened a few weeks ago. Is he a student of yours?"

"So I've heard, and yes he is. I'm Ms. Fields, but that's far less important right now. I'll need you to head to the principal as well so you can report what happened." The panda stiffened at that, causing her eyes to gaze at him with concern returning. "Please don't worry, he wouldn't be that foolish to try anything, but if bringing one of your friends here will help, I won't object."

"Then I'll go." Cameron interjected just as the husky opened his maw, shocking him. He noticed this, but wasn't phased by the slightest as he folded his arms. "What? We'll be fine and besides, you're slow when taking tests anyways, whether you're prepared or not."

Damien sent a flat stare at his friend's direction, canine ears splayed on either side of his head from the comment, and because he was right as always. 'Not my fault I want to make sure I have all the answers correct!' He grumbled, then let out a snort. "Fine, just don't take too long."

Cameron scoffed with a roll of his eyes. "Sure," he turned to the panda and nodded, "let's go."

The two teens made their way down the hall, turning a corner and being out of sight, the sound of dress shoes hitting the floor growing faint until there was nothing more.

"Well, that takes care of that." Ms. Fields said, turning her eyes over to Damien. "You should hurry on to class now. Don't want you to miss out on your test!"

Giving only a nod in response, the husky left to make his way to class, hoping that the two would be alright by themselves.

~ ~ ~

Xun sighed with relief as he walked through the halls to second period, a heavy weight lifted off his shoulders from the test he finished taking a while ago. "Seriously Rowen, I can't thank you enough for handing me your notes so I could study before class started. You're a lifesaver."

A soft chuckle rumbled from the young lion, a smile on his lips. "Of course! But you know this means you owe me, right? I get a favor in return."

"Hmm, alright, that's fair enough. Just let me know when and I'll--" He cut himself off mid sentence as he realized what he was now saying, but it was too late, for the lion's smile turned into a wicked grin. "I can't take this back, can I?"

"Nope!" Rowen snickered from the glare he received and put up his paws in defense. "Hey, not my fault you didn't realize in time."

"Okay lovebirds, let's hurry up or we'll be late." Gwen piped up with a roll of her eyes, though a smile tugged at her lips.

As the three friends conversed, idly chatting about their subjects, the sound of rushed footsteps could be heard, five various furs rushing past them.

Rowen raised a brow. "What was that all about?"

Gwen shook her head and shrugged. "No idea, but probably a fight breaking out more than likely."

Hearing this news, Xun frowned and began to quicken his steps. He knew that it wasn't any of his business to interfere in an altercation, but it was his habit to help anyone in need, no matter who it was. "I'm gonna check it out." He went ahead, not even checking to make sure they caught up.

Ears pricked up and body prepared, the panda traveled through the halls, listening out for anything to direct him to the source. Luckily he didn't have to go far as cheers and jeers could be heard straight ahead. Curious and anxious, his steps quickened further, almost going into a full on jog as he grew near, noticing a circle had formed.

After coming upon it and pushing himself through, his eyes caught sight of an all too familiar grizzly bear holding a wolf against the lockers, his fury all too evident as he had a free paw balled into a fist, ready to strike. The canine, who seemed to have taken quite a few punches, what with his nose gushing out blood and outfit being ruffled up smirked in the face of danger, weakly chuckling.

"Say it again, punk ass bitch!" Kota growled as he roughly slammed the poor wolf against the hard metal, causing him to groan in pain. "Say it!"

All the wolf could do was cough after opening up his muzzle, his smile never leaving despite the bruises. Another chuckle came about, hollow sounding to everyone's ears and the grizzly moved his arm to hit him again.

Having had enough of watching, Xun stepped in, rushing over to grab Kota's arm before it could connect. "The hells do you think you're doing?" he growled, shocking both boys and look over, bewilderment in their eyes. "Let him go!"

The initial shock soon turned to rage as Kota jerked his arm back, full attention toward the panda but not releasing his grasp. "Naw, he fucked up! I ain't lettin 'im go!"

"Then I'll make you..." the panda knew there was no point in trying to talk, for the other bear was too dense and angry to see reason. With no hesitation, he crouched and brought his arms out, then charged head on, colliding into him and the two fell to the ground. Quickly scrambling up and straddling him so he couldn't move, he restrained his wrists. "Run!" He shouted after looking over his shoulder to glance at the wolf.

Not needing to be told twice, he quickly limped his way over and out of the circle of students who were watching with interest. If they didn't get much of a show before, they definitely had one now.

Taking this distraction as an opportunity, Kota quickly wriggled one of his wrists free and punched Xun on the left cheek hard enough to get him off and down to the floor. Soon, he was on top of him, fists bearing down on him.

Being quick to protect his face, Xun brought his arms up in an attempt to block each blow. Although he was at a clear disadvantage, what the grizzly wasn't counting on is how nimble his own paws were. Just before another strike came down, he reached up and grabbed his fist, then the other, gripping them tight. "What the hells is your problem?" he growled, staring hard into amber eyes filled with anger.

"I ain't tellin you shit." Kota growled back, his teeth exposed just like the boy beneath him, the two of them locked in what appeared to be a stalemate. "Let go!" He roughly moved one of his arms in an attempt to get himself free, but the panda held on tight.

"Heh, you really think I'm gonna do that?" Xun chuckled, a smile tugging on his lips, only to frown a second later as he felt pressure on his right arm. He didn't even need to look to know what was going on, but he pushed back all the same, despite trembling a little. 'Just need to hold out.'

Another rough jerk of his arms, the grizzly's ears perked up at the sound of a groan letting out beneath him. "You gonna let go!" Moving one of his arms again, the grip on his right became loose, allowing him to pull back and ball the paw into a fist. "Gonna fuck you up now!"

"And you will do no such thing, Kota." A deep voice called out, causing him to stop in his tracks and glare up towards a deer who met his stare with cold, calculating eyes. "Get up," he ordered.

Kota shook with anger, looking between the teacher and Xun before letting out a snort. Doing what he was told, he folded his arms, looking like he was trying his hardest to not snap as he panted.

Xun slowly got up himself, panting all the while, not even daring to move for he knew he was in trouble too but in his eyes, it was worth it.

Without even looking around, he made his announcement loud and very clear, his voice firm. "All of you, please leave or be dealt with the same consequences these two are going to be in." He had no need to repeat himself as the students acted with haste and cleared the area, leaving just the three of them. "Explain."

Xun was the first to start on relaying what he had done, quickly leading up to current events. His cheeks blushed as he nervously scratched the back of his head. "I, uhh, only did this because it felt right, sir." He audibly gulped from the intense stare after finishing his side of the story, the deer not even so much as responding.

After about a minute, he swiveled his head to Kota who was still glaring defiantly as if he were trying to be a badass rebel. "I would ask this of you, but seeing as how you are now, I'm not going to waste my breath. Both of you to the principal's office, now."

Kota was the first to leave in a storm of rage as he turned around, round ears splayed out on either side. "Fuckin' bitch ass teachers," he muttered as he went.

The panda was ready to join him, but not before straightening up his uniform to the best of his ability and bowed. "I'm sorry, sir. I'll try not to let this happen again."

"See that you don't." The deer responded in a rough tone and turned on his heels before walking away, leaving Xun to sigh and head to where he was supposed to go.

'Well, that's one way to make an impression on one of the staff members.' Xun was feeling a little regret on what he did, but it quickly became the least important thing on his mind as he caught up to the grizzly bear who was still in a bad mood. "So, are you gonna tell me what that was all about now?"

"Shaddup." Kota rumbled and kept his mouth shut, telling the other bear that this was all he was going to get out of him.

'Fine, be difficult!' with a roll of his eyes, the panda kept his distance as the two made their way down the large corridor, passing various furs along the way who were heading to class. He wasn't focused on anyone however as his mind wandered, trying to figure out why the grizzly caused such a scene to begin with. 'Maybe if I had been fast enough, I would have gotten some sort of clue.' He grumbled, quickly giving up on the reason since his source wasn't going to speak a word about it and there wasn't any point in worrying.

His train of thought was broken when he saw a dark ebony colored door ahead, a plaque to the left side of it, reading 'Principal Hawthorne'. There was a clear glass window to see through and inside, a cougar scanning through paperwork could be seen. He never looked up from what he was doing as he ushered the two inside, prompting them to do so without any hesitation.

Once the door closed, Kota took his seat and relaxed with a bored look on his face, making it obvious that he's been here quite a few times already. "Sup." He greeted, getting no response from the man.

Xun on the other hand looked around the adequately spaced office before sitting down, taking in inspirational pictures that lined the walls, then focused his eyes at a light brown desk that was almost littered with paperwork. There was a photo showcasing an average looking mountain lion who looked to be pretty young, wearing a cap and gown with a diploma in paw, smiling joyously as he stood in front of the school. 'So this is what he looked like in his younger years...huh.'

His gaze swiveled over to a second one, this time showing three cougars, all of them with wide smiles. To the left giving a thumbs up was wearing a police uniform, while on the right was wearing a business suit. In the middle between them was a much younger James in a jersey, holding a football in his paws.

"So tell me, what brings you two here in my office today?" the cougar asked as he set a piece of paper aside before clasping his paws together and leaned forward, setting his chin atop. His tone was calm, though his eyes belied mild irritation. "From the looks of things, this wasn't a friendly banter or anything of the sort."

Kota looked over to the panda for a moment, then turned his head back, staying silent and truly defiant, which didn't bother the man at all.

"Well..." Xun started to break the ice and silence around them, quickly relaying what he told the teacher earlier. As he finished, he idly scratched the back of his head.

Mr. Hawthorn blinked a few times, his expression unreadable as he gazed between the two bears. "I see...by the way, Xun, my nephew talks an awful lot about you, you know. I think you two would be great together." A small smile tugged on his lips, ignoring the uncomfortable look that crossed the panda's face as he continued. "I know that he has his...tendencies to get carried away whenever there's a crowd around, but he really is a good boy once you get around that."

Shifting in his seat and feeling very awkward about the sudden change of topic, Xun coughed and tried pushing it onto the main issue. "I, uhh...thanks for letting me know, I'll think about that. But what about our punishment?" he knew this wasn't a good idea, but it was a necessary evil to avoid talking about a guy he was not interested in whatsoever. 'Besides, I'm dating someone anyway.'

All at once, the small smile disappeared to be replaced with a frown, a heavy sigh being let out as the talk of business came into focus. "Well, as for our good friend here," he looked towards Kota, "he'll be suspended out of school for five days. As for you, I would give the same consequence, but since you haven't caused much trouble here, you get two days in school suspension."

"Da fuck?!" Kota exclaimed and shot up from his chair, almost causing it to fall from the sudden outburst. "Bull shit! Naw, you ain't bein' fair!"

"Life isn't fair, as you're fully well aware." The cougar retorted with a casual shrug, not at all impressed or phased by the action as he's dealt with countless troubled students. "If you weren't such a troublemaker, maybe then you would have been given a less harsher sentence." He set his paws down then opened a cabinet, pulling out a pen and two sticky notes, already writing on them before placing them on his desk. "Now with that out of the way, please go see the nurse."

Kota growled and snatched up his piece of paper from the desk before balling it up and throwing it in the nearby waste bin. "Fuck you." He spat and left, slamming the door shut behind him hard enough to rattle some of the items in the office.

Another heavy sigh rolled off the cougar, looking absolutely exhausted from the ordeal. "Thankfully I had enough sense to obtain shatterproof glass beforehand, otherwise the janitors would be very angry at having to come here every single time." He chuckled, then set his eyes on the panda. "A couple of months and you'll be graduating. Good luck and be safe out there."

Xun nodded and gave his thanks as he took his own slip of paper, then made his way out the door, but not before stopping at the heed of the principal calling him out. "Yeah?"

"Before you go, I almost forgot to mention that your brother was here earlier with a friend. Got himself targeted by one of the students in his grade for something that happened a week ago. Just thought I should inform you." Mr. Hawthorn smiled at the puzzled look he got and shook his head. "Don't worry, it's all taken care of."

"Alright, thanks." He nodded and left the room, sighing softly as he scratched his head, his thoughts centering around his brother, hoping that he was okay. "Has to be, don't see why not since there was no mention of a fight." Looking at the note in his paw, a brow rose out of curiosity. "Why am I even going? I feel fine. Eh, whatever, I'll go."

With that said, the panda made his way, not taking long to find the nurse's office, for it wasn't that far from the principal after turning a corner or two down the hall.

Briefly he wondered who the new staff was, as he was very used to being seen by a sweet middle aged female rabbit who, aside from her petite stature, could be very firm and strict when push came to shove. He waited there for a good minute, listening for any sign that they had anyone inside before he came along. After hearing nothing, he walked up to the door and knocked.

"Come in!" A soft voice called out, making him open it up to come face to face with a female grizzly who resembled Kota in almost every single way.

Instantly, Xun knew who this was as he waved after coming inside. "Hey, Mrs. Lawson! I didn't know you were working here. You used to babysit me and Justin when we were cubs!" He came up to her with the note in paw, smiling warmly at her. "It's good to see you again."

Evelyn stood there, mouth slightly agape as if she had seen a ghost, not registering that he was there. Her eyes watered, allowing a single tear to fall down her cheeks, causing him to ask if she was alright. This got her out of the trance, shaking her head and wiping her cheeks. "Oh goodness, I'm sorry you had to see me like that." She sniffled, letting out a small chuckle.

'Well this day is starting to get weird...first I get into a fight without knowing a thing and now I'm making my past babysitter cry for some reason, great.' He scratched his head, thinking that maybe now wasn't a good time to disturb her. "Umm, I can come back later..."

"No! No, Xun, it's quite alright, don't mind me. You just look like an old friend is all." She wiped her eyes and cheeks before shaking her head with a clap of her paws, then looked at the panda with a genuine smile. "So, what can I help you with?"

"Well...uhh..." Xun started off awkwardly and handed her the piece of paper, which she gently took and set down on a nearby desk. "I don't really know because I feel okay. Don't have any bruises on me or feel any pain." He offered with a shrug, inwardly feeling like a fool for coming here and wasting her time.

"Hmm, I see...mind sitting over there for me?" Evelyn pointed a clawed finger toward a reclined recovery couch wrapped in a single sheet of plastic that was across from them. After watching him go to it and sit down did she rummage in one of the cabinets, pulling out a first aid kit.

Xun raised a brow and reached a paw up to touch his face, only to stop himself the moment she came over with a pad to gently dab the right side of his head. A slight stinging pain coursed through, causing him to grunt and tense up. "Could have told me I was wrong or something." He grumbled, wondering how Kota managed to so much as graze him.

The grizzly giggled after throwing it away and applied a bandage, her smile beaming with radiance as she gazed at him. "And have you possibly argue with me, claiming up and down that you're fine?" She let another giggle come out from the embarrassed look that crossed his face.

"I wouldn't have done that..." Xun muttered with round ears tucking into his skull, looking elsewhere around the room, his eyes taking in the small space. All around him was a splash of white, covering the whole room, surrounded by the standard equipment fitting a job such as this. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted two picture frames sitting perfectly atop Evelyn's desk, but wasn't close enough to discern anything. "Hey, mind if I see those for a sec?" he pointed to the item with a finger.

"Hmm?" Evelyn turned her head and walked over to her desk, picking up what was requested, a smile beginning to show as she gazed back at Xun. "Ah, this...it was a fun time. Almost, anyways." She sighed softly before walking up and handing him the two photos. "And another was when there were...simpler times."

Xun gave his thanks, then turned his attention to the pictures, noticing a female grizzly and a male black bear, both smiling. In the background it appeared to be located at a beach. In his other paw was a panda, smiling as he wrapped an arm around a young grizzly bear that was brimming with joy. "Some nice photos here, Evelyn! And I got myself a good looking doppelganger too." He snickered at the little joke, guessing that the man in the second photo was Kota's father, making him half Chinese. His mood dampened a little however upon seeing the sadness upon the woman's face, more than likely having hit a sore subject without knowing. "Umm...so I'm curious, why is Kota not included in the beach photo?" He inquired, hoping this change of topic would alleviate her a little.

Hesitation showed itself in the woman's eyes, her paws clasped together and rubbing a finger nervously before answering. "Yes, well...he didn't want to be included. I've tried my hardest to persuade him, but he wouldn't budge no matter what me or my husband did." She sighed and hung her head low, the disappointment in her tone evident. "Which brings my question of what happened to you, but I already know the answer."

"Ah, well...y-yeah." He stammered and scratched the back of his head, again feeling awkward but this time from a different circumstance due to the nature of the topic. It wasn't like it was a secret either since she knew him and was aware of how often the two of them fought each other when they were young and growing up, though he still couldn't understand why. 'Ugh, I hope she doesn't blame herself...'

A heavy silence filled the small room, both parties having chosen to wander in their minds and collect their thoughts together. This lasted for a moment or two until Even cleared her throat, a returning warm smile coming back. "He'll come around soon, I'm positive about that...is what you would have told me, wouldn't it?"

Xun was taken aback by that comment, shocked even. "Just about, yeah...how'd you know?"

In response to his question, she closed her eyes and then reopened them, showing warmth and sadness. "Because you remind me of that old friend. He would have said so himself, just like you if he were still around." She softly chuckled at the puzzled expression that showed itself on the panda's face. "Don't worry about it, just keep being yourself."

"If ya say so." Xun shrugged and gave the photos back to her, not bothering to dwell on it as he turned his head over to a clock on the wall to his left, his eyes widening at the time. "Dammit, it's almost lunch! And I missed most of my next period...aaaagh!"

"Oh my, I'm sorry! I got so caught up in talking with you that I forgot the time. Really have to learn to not be such a chatterbox." The grizzly muttered to herself as she quickly went about searching for a pen and paper. "I'm sure your friends will have you covered on what you've missed. Also, please tell me about your boyfriend next time we chat! It would be so good to meet him as well."

"Huh?!" Xun exclaimed, his cheeks flushing from embarrassment. "Who told you I had a--" he stopped himself, already connecting the dots and sighed out of frustration as he realized it was his brother who spilled. "Justin, of course."

"Don't be angry with him, he felt like wanting to share with me. It brings me joy to know you found someone you like and I give my best wishes to you two carrying on in the relationship." Evelyn handed him a written note and winked before letting out a soft giggle. "Better hurry, or you'll be waiting in a long line."

Nodding his head quickly and giving thanks once more, he gave her a hug, then left the room, his steps already quickening down the hall.

~ ~ ~

"There you are! Where were you?" Justin inquired as his brother sat down and sighed in relief before eating his lunch, taking notice of the bandage atop his head. "And what happened there?"

"Kota," was all Xun responded with, then relayed everything that happened after taking a sip of his drink. His head swiveled over to the lion and ferret, flinching from the hard stare being directed at them. "And where were you two?"

"We were in class." Rowen answered, letting out a soft sigh as he scratched his head before continuing his explanation. "We were going to see what was going on, but Mr. Stone caught us before we could act."

Gwen nodded. "Yeah, he was going to stop you but you were already far ahead." She shrugged, a sheepish smile on her lips after brightening up. "But hey, even though you missed out on the whole period, we took plenty of notes so you don't have to worry about a thing!"

A sigh of relief came from the panda upon hearing this news, but his mood wasn't drastically uplifted. "Thanks for that, but I still have suspension to worry about and our parents possibly grounding me again because of this."

"I highly doubt they'll punish you for doing the right thing here," Rowen reasoned with a reassuring smile. "Besides, it's only two days so it's not that big of a deal."

Justin cupped his chin, the gears in his head turning from the conversation that took place. Although what happened was entirely bad, it made him wonder what the deal was with the grizzly. 'Guess time will tell.' He turned his head over to the cheetah who was looking elsewhere, having barely touched his food. "You okay? Never seen you space out like this before."

Cameron's ears perked up before the rest of his body registered that he was being talked to and turned to the young panda. "Hmm? Oh, yeah I'm fine." He answered and started to eat his lunch.

Damien cracked a smile as he gazed at his friend. "You sure about that? Cause it looks to me like you're interested in someone."

In response to that, the cheetah reached out to grab hold of an ear, then twisted it, earning a yelp. "Say that again and I'll make it worse mutt brain."

"Ow! Okay, okay! Let go, already!" He rubbed his now sore ear, glaring at Cameron for what he just pulled. "You're mean..."

"Have to be in order to keep you in line." Cameron retorted with his usual snark of a comeback.

Justin giggled at the two, always enjoying their banter and antics whenever he could be around them. He didn't give rise to say anything though as his eyes were more focused on what the cheetah was looking at. After following his line of sight, he spotted Kota sitting at a table with a few friends, prompting him to raise a brow. 'I guess he wants to know what happened too.'

Suddenly Jake cleared his throat, breaking the young panda from his pondering to pay attention to him. "So we're still on for getting information in regard to Xun here? And another thing, are you sure he'll be able to help?"

"Yeah, of course! Don't see why he wouldn't be able to." The young panda answered, wondering why Jake was voicing his doubts, but he cast that thought aside for he was positive that his source would give them all some insight on what's going on.

The Australian Shepherd merely nodded in response, seemingly satisfied at the answer. "Well any lead is better than nothing, after all. Where is his room exactly?"

"11-C." Justin responded after taking a bite of a sandwich, his thoughts racing a mile a minute. Once they got their answers, what would their next move be? What elements would this being have? Was it a friend or foe in the grand scheme of things?

The sound of a bell ringing broke him from his thoughts, telling him and everyone that lunch has ended. After getting up and throwing his trash away, did he go to the last period of the day. Upon arriving and sitting down to wait for class to start, he called out to the tiger.

"Hmm? Yes, Justin? What is it?" William walked up to the young panda with a raised brow. He soon chuckled at the request he had heard, nodding in approval. "Of course you can stay after class."

With that said, after all of the students arrived into the classroom, the lesson had begun. It went over fairly well, all things considered, even when the teacher had to stop a couple of times to answer a difficult question with ease or help someone who was struggling to grasp something they didn't understand.

While Justin kept up with what was being taught, the final bell rang its usual chord and everyone started to get up out of their seats to get out of the room. As the last student left, he looked towards his teacher with a small smile on his lips. "Do you mind if a couple of people come here as well?"

This earned another raised brow of curiosity from William, but his mood didn't turn sour in the slightest. "That's fine, though I might suspect what this is about." He smirked at the nervous look Justin was displaying. "I could be wrong, you never know."

As the two of them began to idly talk with one another, a knock on the door brought their attention to Xun entering the room with everyone else.

"Hey, good to see you again Mr. Varner!" Xun greeted as he came up to the man and gave him a hug, which was gladly reciprocated. "Sorry to drop in your classroom like this."

"It's not a problem, Xun." William shook his head with a hearty laugh, mirth evident in the tone and features before letting out a soft sigh and looked everyone over. "I assume this is something serious?"

"No! Well sort of...yeah." Justin scratched the back of his head, feeling a little awkward about the situation that he put everyone in, briefly wondering if this was a good idea or not. However, he pressed on after clearing his throat. "We just want to know if you have any information regarding a being called Dianwu Tianshi. You're the only person I know that would probably have some knowledge about it."

Rowen nodded, casting a worried glance at Xun, then let his eyes fall back on the teacher who's features had now grown serious and hard. "We're only asking due to some...events that have transpired recently that have left us with more questions than answers."

A moment of silence followed after that comment was audibly voiced, the man stroking his chin in thought, eyes closed. All eyes were on him, anticipation and anxiety in the air as they waited for an answer. Heaving out a soft sigh and sitting down at his desk did he speak up. "I do know of what you've mentioned, but not much detail to go off of."

"That's fine!" Xun said in an outburst, his tone suggesting he was desperate for any sort of info that would give him insight on what it is he was dealing with. He brought up his right arm, jade bracelet glimmering in the light. "Whatever you tell us, I'll be very grateful."

"Alright, I'll start off with the name as it means Tainted Angel when translated." William explained, his eyes gazing over the group before continuing on. "As the name suggests, it's a being that is a demon and angel hybrid, granting you the elements of light and darkness."

"Wait, what?! How is that even possible?" Gwen exclaimed with a furious shake of her head. "A demon and angel making love and creating this...thing that's inside a bracelet? How does that make any sense?"

A soft chuckle rumbled through the tiger as he shook his head. "Well, that wouldn't be hard to figure out but I digress. It is a rarity, believe it or not. A very powerful one too, should it ever be released into the world."

Jake narrowed his eyes at that and folded his arms. "What do you mean? Just how powerful are we talking here?"

"Enough to rival even the gods themselves, let alone the demons." William glanced over to Xun, giving him a hard stare. "If the seal that is placed on the Yu Shou Zhuo, the jade bracelet, were to ever somehow be broken, Dianwu Tianshi will be set free and lay ruin to the world."

The room became silent again as they all allowed that information to sink in, the grave looks on their faces telling Justin that this sort of news was not pleasant at all, even to his own ears. Just the very thought of that happening sent a blood curling chill down his spine.

'I had no idea...' he looked up at his brother to find him meeting his teacher's hard gaze with his own, more than likely trying to be calm about the situation. Meanwhile his thoughts were swirling, more questions popping up to answers that are probably out of his reach. 'We definitely can't involve our parents in this...it's too much!'

"How long ago was this creature sealed?" Cameron suddenly asked, bringing everyone out of their musings.

William didn't miss a beat. "Two thousand years. As for who did the deed, sadly I do not know."

Damien let out a whistle. "Wow, that's a pretty long time! To think that it was waiting in there this whole entire time. Man, I'd be bored to death!"

Xun glanced sideways and brought his right wrist toward his chest, looking pensive. "I don't suppose you know who last wore this bracelet, do you?" He asked, almost whispering with how low and soft he sounded.

"I'm afraid not, Xun. Truly sorry." The tone suggested that William was very sympathetic toward the panda, even offering up a small smile. "I hope that you do find the answer to that one day."

"Thanks..." he let out a heavy sigh and walked out of the classroom without another word, causing Rowen to go after him in a heartbeat.

'I can't imagine what he's going through. It's not fair.' Justin let out a sigh himself, his mood having dropped after seeing his sibling's hopes being crushed and dashed away in front of him. Although they had some answers, the whole thing was still a giant mystery to solve. 'I wish I could help him...'

"On that note, we'll be leaving." Jake announced and started heading to the door, then suddenly stopped and spun on his heels to face the teacher. "Before we go, you wouldn't happen to know the history of the bracelet would you?"

In answer to the inquiry, William frowned and shook his head. "Unfortunately, I don't. All of what I've told you is all I can remember during my brief stay in China a few years ago."

Damien raised a brow, his tail beginning to pick up speed. "Did you learn any cool fighting moves while you were there? Or learn any--ack!" he yelped as a paw grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled, dragging him out of the classroom.

"Thanks for the information, Mr. Varner." Cameron said while he left the room with a sulking husky, struggling to break free from his grasp.

With Justin and Gwen remaining, they made their way to exit, but just before the young panda could reach the door, his teacher called out to him, putting a halt mid-step, turning his head in the process.

William's ears were pinned to his skull, looking absolutely guilty, though Justin couldn't fathom why. "I..." he hesitated, eyes glancing from side to side and tail lashing nervously as he tried to work his mouth but nothing was coming out.

Confusion settled itself on Justin as he raised a brow, tilting his head slightly. This was the first time he saw his teacher not be so calm and collected like he usually is. "Is something wrong?" he inquired, wondering just what was eating at the man.

For a long, tense moment the tiger just sat there, his gaze now drawn to the floor. The only movement that was made were his round ears constantly flicking about until finally shaking his head and looking up at the young panda. "It's nothing, forgive me. Tell your brother to be careful for me, will you?"

"S-sure, okay. I'll see you tomorrow." Justin waved and said his goodbyes, then left the room to catch up to everyone. "Sorry about that, he wanted to make sure to remind me of a quiz that's coming up."

"It's alright, you ready to go home?" Xun asked with a smile, obvious to anyone that it didn't hold the usual brightness it once had.

The young panda nodded, choosing best to not comment about the small detail. 'Besides, it wouldn't do me any good to have him more upset. I'll just be here for him like he would always do with me.' He stayed close to his brother's side as they made their way to his brother's car after giving his farewells to everyone. As he looked up at him, his heart felt heavy at the defeated look he was seeing. Reaching out, he placed a paw on his arm and gave it a light squeeze.