Luca's birthday! Bit late but I had fun writing this one.
âHappy birthday, Luca!â Coral popped out from behind the sofa, hoping to catch the birthday boy off-guard with her surprise.Â
âThank you, Coral.â Unfortunately, he was not shocked at all.Â
With disappointment, she sat down next to him. âCome, letâs get off of campus. Weâre going to a festival!â Luca blinked, not understanding for a moment. âKaitoâs already at the train station, come on!â She was tugging on his sleeve, trying to pull him off the couch. It was then that he understood that she wanted to celebrate his birthday.Â
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Coral had insisted that the three of them should wear costumes from feudal times. That was how she ended up in a jĆ«nihitoe in blue and silver. They found Kaito pulling at his kimono and hakama. But what seemed to bother him the most was his kote that he was wearing. But the feudal archerâs outfit seemed to suit him very well and he looked even handsome in it. He looked up when he saw his two friends coming his way as he stood on the Galaxy Express platform. âWow, are you going to be okay in all of that?â
Luca had the worst of it all. A classic samuraiâs outfit, in full metal armor. Though Coral had it custom made so that it would be much lighter than normal metal. And not as effective as protecting someone. âIâll be fine. Are you sure that this samurai outfit suits me?â
Coralâs blue eyes practically shone as she looked up at him. His dark skin complimented the silver metal perfectly. âYou look perfect.â
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The banners of the early spring festival snapped brightly in the wind, painted in golds and crimson that shimmered like fire in the afternoon sun. Music drifted through the streets - flutes, drums, laughter - blending into a kind of joyful chaos that seemed to swallow all of Mejiro. Castle Tintagel served as the perfect backdrop.Â
Coralâs eyes glittered from the sight of it all. She might have been enjoying this a bit more than the birthday boy. Luca stood straight as a spear. He looked like he had stepped out of a tapestry - every inch the ideal knight, from the careful set of his jaw to the earnest concern in his eyes. âYou can relax, you know?â She suggested. âYouâre not actually a knight.â
âI thought that this was what you wanted.â
Kaito nearly dropped his bow. âWhoa - sorry - sorry,â he said quickly, fumbling to catch it before it clattered to the ground. âI swear it usually doesnât - well, okay, it does, but not like--â
She didnât look at him, her shoulders slumping. Luca turned to look at him out of the corner of his eye. âYour weaponâs meant to be an extension of yourself. If this is how youâre like with your fake bow, how are you supposed to use your real one in missions? Perhaps we should work on your coordination when we get back.â
âW-Well, itâs because itâs a fake bow that my coordination is so bad!!â
Coral cleared her throat gently. âLetâs focus. Weâre here to enjoy the festival!â But she didnât forget what Jin and Tohma told her before she left. The reason they could technically come here wasnât because she got an R&R permit. No, her captains let her go out to this festival on a mission. But she didnât want to tell Luca, he would be way too focused on it. And if she told Kaito, he would accidentally slip up and tell Luca. No, it was best that she kept this a secret from them both.Â
There had been many strange sightings. People were getting into fights uncharacteristically. Several injuries had been reported not only from brawls, but also one witness described a sudden transformation. Ordinary people started to behave like seasoned warriors. It sounded cool, but someone might die at this festival. It was lucky that hadnât happened yet.Â
A cheer erupted from the center of the square. A makeshift arena had formed, with two men circling each other. At first glance, it looked like a festival sport - friendly sparring. Then one of them lunged way too fast. Steel rang against steel, and the crowd roared. But Luca stiffened. âThatâs not just a friendly match.â
Coral was already moving. âFollow me.â
They pushed through the crowd just as one man - thin and unassuming - suddenly shifted his stance. His posture straightened, his movements became precise, deadly. He disarmed his opponent with a twist so elegant it looked practiced a thousand times over. Then he drove him to the ground hard.Â
The fallen man didnât rise. The cheering faltered. Luca stepped forward immediately. âWhatâs going on here?â
The standing man turned. For a moment, his eyes werenât his own. They burned with something ancient. But maybe Luca and Kaito wouldnât notice. âAnother challenger?â the man said, but the voice carried weight - deeper, older than his body should allow.Â
Kaito leaned toward Coral. âThatâs⊠not normal, right?â
She bit her lip, knowing she wouldnât be able to keep this a secret. The man moved again - this time toward Luca. He met him, his twin swords drawn and raised, movements controlled and defensive. He did not strike to harm, only subdue. But the possessed man fought like a veteran knight, every motion efficient and merciless.Â
Kaito pulled out his real bow, a little out of character. But then, he panicked, realizing what he had just done was completely out of character. âWait - hold on--âÂ
Coral put a hand on his shoulder. âCome on, Kaito, itâs just as we practiced.â
He scrambled, drew back the string, and released it. The arrow flew. Past Luca. Past the possessed man. And sliced cleanly through a hanging banner, which collapsed onto a group of startled festival-goers. Kaito froze. âThis is why I never use this thing!!â
âItâs okay, you didnât hit a bystander,â Coral tried to comfort him.Â
âThatâs barely the bare minimumâŠâ
Coral stepped forward, eyes narrowing. âMnemiara.â She could see all. The fight seemed to slow down before her, turning into something akin to a chessboard. âLuca! Donât focus on his body. Observe the patterns!â
Luca trusted her instantly. He shifted his stance, watching more carefully. Between movements, like heat above a flame, the man staggered suddenly, just for a heartbeat. Luca struck, knocking the weapon from his hand and forcing him to the ground. The fire in his eyes vanished. The man collapsed, unconscious.Â
The crowd stood silent. Luca suddenly realized what was going on. Coral rushed to his side. âDid everyone enjoy the show?! We hope that youâve had an amazing festival experience so far! Please, take care!â She waved them off, trying to pretend that this was a part of the experience.Â
The crowd seemed to buy as they muttered to one another and dispersed. âSo this is an anomaly?â She turned sharply to Luca.Â
âI didnât know, Luca,â she tried to cover up the truth. But his amethyst eyes pierced through her. He would know either way. âOkay, but I didnât want to disrupt your birthday--âÂ
He put a hand on her shoulder. âItâs okay. I get why you did it. Weâll take on this anomaly quickly.â
âI knew his aura seemed off,â Kaito muttered.Â
âOh, Kaito! You can see the anomalyâs aura?â Coral asked.Â
âYeah, it was a strange gray color.â
âIt must be a ghost thatâs possessing people. Perhaps a knight from the past, a spirit bound to combat.â
âCanât we just ask it to leave?â Kaito complained. Coral gave him a look. âRight, weâll destroy it. FineâŠâ
âI wonder if it gets stronger the more fights it gets into.â She started pacing at this point, speculating what the ghost could be after.Â
Lucaâs hand tightened on his swords. âThen we have to end this quickly.â They had plenty of training on how to break out ghosts from their hosts.Â
A scream cut through the air. They turned. Another fight had broken out - but this time, multiple people were involved. And one of them moved with that same unnatural precision. The ghost had found a new host.Â
Three fighters, with one possessed. Luca engaged directly, drawing the spiritâs focus. Kaito drew his bow and pinned down one of the other combatants with a surprisingly well-placed arrow through a sleeve. âI meant to do that,â he said with confidence and a proud expression.Â
âThere!â Kaito pointed. For just an instant, as the possessed fighter shifted targets, the air shimmered again - the faint outline of a spectral figure, overlapping the body. He drew his bow and shot wildly, striking the space just above his shoulder. For a heartbeat, nothing happened.Â
Then, a sound like steel screaming. The figure staggered, the ghost peeling away from the host in a flicker of pale light. Luca drove forward, blade cutting through the space where the spirit flickered. The ghost let out a silent cry. And then it was gone.Â
It wasnât long until the injured were tended to. The trio moved away, knowing that Institute agents would be there soon. They didnât have enough Mesmer Matches for the entire festival. Kaito stared at his bow. âI⊠hit it.â
âYou did!â Coral wrapped her arms around Kaito. âIâm so proud of you.â
He looked like he could melt in that moment. Luca sheathed his sword, relief softening his features. âIt was a great shot.â
âReally? Even youâre complimenting me, Luca?âÂ
Luca nodded. âI mean it.â
Kaito grinned. âI meant to do that.â
Coral rolled her eyes. They stood together for a moment, watching as the festival slowly began to breathe again. The banners were lifted. The music returned. The sun had set now, and moonlight shone down on them, glinting off of Luca's silver armor. He had a far away look in his eyes. âIâm sure somewhere out there someone is celebrating for my brother too.â
The three of them remained silent.
âWell, we can still enjoy the festival a little longer, canât we? Come on, letâs get some food!â Kaito didnât wait for them, already moving to get something to eat. On the way, he tripped over a crate and nearly took Luca down with him.Â
Luca caught him, steady as ever. Coral sighed, following behind. âFor someone who just helped save the festival, you remain remarkably incompetent.â
Kaitoâs jaw dropped, he could feel his heart shattering into a million pieces. Coral paused and smiled over her shoulder. âLetâs agree to never change, shall we? No matter how many birthdays pass us by.â