Waking From The Fire (Shin/Lunar Knights/Aya)

[Kato Shin]

"Mules," he replied. "Mules are stubborn."

"I'm not a mule," I growled. "And even if I wanted to go - which I don't - you're still forgetting that little factor I talked about however long ago it was that I was last awake."

Gods dammit, why was I even still talking to these people?

[Rin Tezuka]

I grin lightly, recalling my "run-in" with Shin's father. "I don't think you need to worry about that, Shinny... That little 'factor' probably wouldn't interfere now..." It sounded just as dark as I'd wanted it to. I didn't kill him. But I'd always wanted to hit Shinny's dad. I got the chance. And next time, I'd do it again.

[Zhen Anguo]

"Nah, I'd say you're more like a newly saddled horse..." 'Guo said, walking into the room with his trademark grin on his face and his hands behind his head.

"You're strong, ready and raring to go, but you're just a little skittish!"

Ironically, 'Guo had never ridden a horse... Or seen one...

[Aya Dauzi Invargas]

"Mules may be stubborn but they're also labor intensive and are bound toward serving the race- in other words, they are useful," now the King stepped into the room, as he folded his arms, "I will say this to you, Mr. Shinobu- Should you not like to give something outside this city a chance, you have a forge and a father who won't hesitate to strike you with his own hand."

Aya shrugged and turned around, "If he doesn't want to accept his gift and he wants to live his life as is, let him burn another town down on his own conscience."

He started to walk out, folding his arms.

[Kato Shin]

My jaw dropped.

THe king had just personally walked in and told me off.

Sorry, but other words of encouragement or verbal slaps just didn't register.

"..........S-sire?"

I slowly turned to the white-haired man; he seemed to have his finger on the pulse around here.

"................Mr. Horo," I said slowly. "What, exactly, happened when I lost it?"

[Kurai Horo]

Kurai Horo had never been a man for lying, nor spreading out the truth, he had a reputation for being blunt and honest. Giving a shrug, he spoke.

"You set the inn alight and burnt it to the ground, you almost took most of the city down with it, thankfully, a bit of enchanted water on you and all was well..."

He missed out the part where he'd burnt both Vash and Rin.

[Kato Shin]

I buried my face in my hand. "I nearly burnt down a metal city..."

"Magic fire," said the blonde man. I couldn't remember his name; Rin had never called him anything but Blondie. "Luckily, it didn't do too much structural damage, and as far as we know, no one was killed."

Then he paused a moment.

"What 'factor' were you and Rin speaking of?" he asked, puzzled.

"My father," I said darkly. "The King was right - the minute I get home, I'm probably going to be beaten or worse. He's forbidden me from ever touching the power I have; he calls it Hellious' own flame..."

It felt as though the room went more silent than silent. I saw 'Blondie's' fist clench, and for a brief, brief second, I could feel the spark that had set off my 'episode' burst up. Flames lit inside my chest; my brand felt like it was on fire as I could feel a sort of energy flush through the room, anger, pure and simply.

THen, after the briefest of seconds, he squeezed shut his eyes and cut it off. That brief, terible glimpse beneath the surface was gone; the mask was back in place.

Was that the fury of a Lunar Knight?

"Excuse me," he said shortly, turned around, and hastily left the room.

[Vash, the Angel's Moon]

If there is one thing that I simply do not do, it is lose control. I may get angry, I may get upset, but losing my temper can be deadly. But in that moment, I had almost done the unthinkable, and lost it, right there.

Forbidding a Lunar Knight the use of his powers isn't just wrong, it's flat-out dangerous. Their powers build over time, increasing and increasing until they boil over in moments of extreme emotion or when exposed to unexpected circumstances. It was a feature of their power that made them incredibly effective berserkers, but it also made them dangerous when improperly trained.

What's more, cutting a Lunar Knight off from their power was like cutting them off from a piece of themselves. We share our souls with our Knights, and in return, their soul becomes bound to the element they represent. Keeping all of that power, all of that connection, bottled up has been known to drive them mad.

I closed my eyes, breathed deeply, slid down the wall outside the room until I sat on the ground, head resting on my knees, suddenly glad that I limited myself so severely. If I hadn't, that pulse of Lunar would probably have overwhelmed all of the Knights in the room, leaving no doubt as to my identity and possibly driving Shin to another episode.

And if I had really and truly lost control of my temper, I wasn't sure that even my limiters would have helped.

[Aya Dauzi Invargas]

Aya watched the man rush out as he finished penning one last letter- he closed his own eyes, and focused on the every movement of Vash's body; from stress to disbelief to anger- he reached out, but did not get him. Instead, he clenched his own fist and leaned back against the wall.

He walked inside to see Kato resting on the bed, and the others in their appropriate places, as he spoke, "..I've written up the new document."

Aya's hand went to Kato's, a piece of paper that decreed that Kato was free of his heritage and his family line, and was now recognized as an adult capable of his own decisions- if anyone should interfere with those decisions in Chalybs or anywhere else that recognizes this decree as such, they will be cast down and dealt with accordingly, with punishment ranging from imprisonment to death."

And then Aya knelt down, "Probably best if we all go get him.."

Aya walked to Rin and nodded to her, "Ready to go? Once we find him, the next voyage leaves in..."

He looked at the sun outside.

"Two hours."

[Vash, the Angel's Moon]

((Maybe I should've made it more clear, but Vash is the one who left the room, not Shin))

[Aya Dauzi Invargas]

((Small edits make a sensible post without full rewrites. ^^))

[Kato Shin]

((Cool.))

I opened the paper in my hand, my eyes widening as I read its contents.

"But, this is..."

Free. Free to go where I would, make my own choices.

"...why?"

It was the only word I had for the situation.

[Aya Dauzi Invargas]

Aya looked at Kato as he folded his own arms, "Because violence against someone for no good reason, even revenge against an unfair father, is never an answer- it leads to those you care about getting killed. I have a feeling if you make your own choice, you'll be able to best see your power, and go where you feel is best. You may like working the fire but its all you know; you deserve a chance to go around unchecked, and if you decide the lunar order isn't for you..so be it."

He put his hands behind his own head, "But don't turn them down if it means controlling what could hurt people. I've signed you out of adolescent slavery into a free life...make the right choices with it."

His yellow eyes looked to Rin as he folded his arms again, placing the tickets for the next boat next to her.

"And I expect Rin to take care of you, especially because I'll need bodyguards for the long journey ahead, and Kurai and Vash seem to be willing as I've got a goal that coincides with theirs."

He shrugged.

"More simply, because you remind me of a younger me."

[Kurai Horo]

"Oh joy." Kurai said with a chuckle. "Protecting Royals again! It's just like home!" He gave a small laugh as he remembered his past as being a bodyguard and assassin for the Ariadelventian royal family. It wasn't exactly a history that he was proud of, not at least, the assassin part, he looked back on being a bodyguard with a fond smile, it had been a pretty easy, well paid job. After the Lunar Incident though, he'd dedicated his life to reforming the order alongside Vash, much to the royal families distaste.

"Still, he's right. You have the opportunity to go wherever you choose now, Shin. I suggest you choose wisely and come with us. Rin and 'Guo may know the basics, but you'll all pretty much be learning alongside one another, by the end of it you'll all have a bond stronger than that of blood. You'll be brothers and sister, united by the moons that you regulate. Believe me, Shin, you'll never find friends like your fellow Lunar Knights."

He nodded slowly before heading for the door, intending to check on Vash.

Stepping outside, he held his book in his hand and took a seat, cross-legged, opposite Vash on the floor.

"His father made an incredibly dangerous choice. We'd be best to get the boy away from here as soon as possible, get his mind off of all this, get him talking to Valerian as soon as possible. He needs to know how important he is..." His one eye glided across to Vash.

"You okay?"

[Kato Shin]

Every kept saying that....

"I'll need to put some things in order... I have a few swords I need to return to their owners... I need to get my stuff together..."

I didn't want to go home, even to get my stuff. It would lead to an argument I just didn't want to have. And if I really didn't ever have to see my father again...

When did I start hating him so much? He was only trying to protect me, to protect everyone.

No, said part of my mind, he was only trying to protect himself.

But that was another argument I didn't want to have, because arguing with yourself is pointless.