A/T: Onto the chapter, people!

Disclaimer: Don't own Hetalia, but the story and the OCs are mine.

Chapter 29

Alfred woke up, but didn't open his eyes. He just continued to rest in the dark, but his senses attuned themselves to his surroundings.

Nothing was out of place. Everything was the way it was supposed to be.

He opened his eyes, and smiled at the presence beside him, fast asleep.

Tendrils escaped from Natalya's loose braid, and fell over her cheek - she braided her hair before she slept because it was too long to leave open. Her mouth was slightly open, and she breathed softly - she didn't snore, thank God. Neither did Alfred, unless he was really tired. But then again, he was always really tired, given how Ivan was working him to the bone.

Alfred felt a new found appreciation for his powers and abilities under Ivan's highly rigorous and extremely disciplined regime. Ivan was an extremely good teacher, and had quickly understood how much theory and practical Alfred required to make him learn. And Alfred could see the change in himself, by leaps and bounds.

Usually, Ivan gave him four hours of sleep during the night, and an additional four hours during the day. But yesterday, Ivan had left early, saying that he had some work to do. So Alfred decided he'd surprise Natalya by joining her to sleep, as opposed to slipping into bed after she'd fallen asleep.

Both of them had come to realise they slept peacefully when they slept with each other - they didn't question why, but Alfred had a feeling it was because of mutual trust, and their need for comfort. It had started when Natalya had woken up because of a nightmare, frightened, and Alfred had hugged her until they both fell asleep. Every time after that, she would slip into his bed whenever she had nightmares, and he would join her when he wasn't able to sleep. Eventually, they decided to make it routine, and no one else had questioned them about it.

Natalya was curled up against his chest, using one arm as a pillow. With his other hand, Alfred gently brushed away the loose curls from her face, and just looked at her.

She had really smooth skin - she and Shree both did, he'd noticed. Her eyes were small, almond shaped, and her brows slightly thick and drawn together. He liked her nose - it wasn't completely straight, with a slight crook a little after the bridge of her nose. But it had character, like his nanny used to say.

What he liked most was her mouth. It was small, with a perfect cupid's bow and a full lower lip. They had a tendency to bleed easily, especially during a fight or in dry weather. But regardless, he liked her mouth the most.

Said mouth moved to say, "You're staring, Alfred."

Alfred blinked. He had been staring. "Didn't mean to wake you up."

Nat exhaled heavily, the breath leaving her at a slow pace. "What time is it?" she murmured.

"Just before 5."

Nat hummed, and looked up at him, her eyes open.

Alfred honestly didn't know what it meant to love a woman.

He loved his family - he'd loved mom, and he loved Matt. But when it was time for him to explore his hormones, he'd been chained to a wall, with a demon roaring inside his skull. And his boy crushes were of no help in that subject matter.

Still, he looked at Matt, and observed his brother whenever he was around Shree. Did he feel the way his brother felt around Shree, when he was with Nat? Probably not. Shree and Matt had all sorts of intelligent conversations. All he and Nat did was spar. And squabble like little kids. And sleep in the same bed.

Well, they did other things, too. But what he felt for Nat wasn't the same as what his brother felt for Shree.

But looking at her, feeling her gaze at him, Alfred felt such peace that he felt that he could probably stay that way for a long time, without any complaints.

"What?" she asked simply.

Alfred tilted his head towards her. "Nothing. Just looking."

Nat rolled off his arm, and Alfred lifted it, feeling his blood circulating to his fingers again. Damn, it tingled. Nat settled her head on the pillow, and Alfred thought she'd turn to the other side and continue to sleep, but she didn't. She turned towards him, and continued to look at him.

"How do you feel about tomorrow?" Nat asked him.

Alfred frowned. "Excited? I don't know. I just want her to help me." He turned to Nat. "I really don't care about what her deal is with Ivan, because I don't think I'll understand. I didn't know Ivan back then, and I don't know this woman." Alfred got up, the sheet falling off his bare torso. "I haven't lived much of a life, Nat, but I know I don't want to die like this."

He heard Nat rise, and her arms came around his waist. He felt her press against his back, and he covered her hands with his own. She didn't say anything, and Alfred didn't need her to say anything - he took comfort in her presence, in her warmth. When she did start speaking, Alfred took comfort in the sound of her voice.

"When we first started with this…I didn't think we would go through any of this. We haven't found many answers, just more questions. But if Chun Yan has the answers, then I'm going to make sure we get them."

"How?" Alfred whispered.

"I don't know. But we need to get her to help us, and it's not just your responsibility. It's ours, too."

What she said next surprised him.

"I don't want you to die, Alfred."

It wasn't what she said as much as how she said it. She buried her head into his neck, and her fingers intertwined with his.

"Natalya…" he whispered, a strange pain filling his chest. He loosened her grip on his waist, and turned in the circle of her arms, until he faced her. He held her face in his hands, and tried to grin. "I won't die. I'm the hero, remember?"

He couldn't see her eyes in the dark, but he felt the intensity of her gaze. Feeling his smile crack, he sighed, and pressed his forehead against hers. "I'll try not to die, Nat," he whispered, and felt her hands leave his waist, and find his hands against her face.

He was scared. He had never felt this kind of fear, but, at the same time, in her presence, he didn't feel it was wrong to be scared. Because she understood. Because she cared.

When she lifted his face, and pressed her lips against his, he submitted himself to her without a second thought.

He didn't want to die. He wanted to live. But he'd only started living from when she'd walked into his life.

He didn't know what love meant, but he couldn't imagine what his life would be like without her.

And right now, with her, he felt alive.

"Aaaand, tadaaa!" Shree singsonged, gesturing dramatically at the object in Alfred's hand. "What do you think?"

"I just hope it doesn't break," Alfred said wryly.

"I have a feeling it won't," Matt said, but everyone there knew it was less of a 'feeling' and more of 'hope'.

Alfred sighed. Tony…?

Yes, Alfred.

Let's see if this one…let's see what happens.

The almost giddy feeling that filled his chest every time Tony's energy entered his body never seemed to get old. He felt an icy-cold, followed by a mellow warmth, fill his veins as his body burst into a blaze of yellow-red. His vision grew layers within itself, and with a thought, he could change his vision to see a person, or their energy, or the movement of life within them. He could visualise each working, living cell in the bodies before him, diving, growing and dying.

He felt his nose pick up a thousand new scents - chemicals, hormones, secretions from the living systems before him. His hearing, his sense of touch, his smell, his vision - all of his senses were heightened, discovering the world around him in newer ways than before.

He heard Shree gasp, and it snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked at them, and they were all staring at him hand in utter shock.

He looked down, and his eyes widened. "Woah."

The staff they had made was five and a half feet long, made of the same light metal core that made Shree's daijin, with an overlay of wood. They had managed to inscribe every bit of the metal and wood with the mantras Ivan had found in the scriptures, as well as the symbols on Alfred's back. The staff was smooth to touch, and thrummed with the flow of energy, almost like a pulsating vein.

And, most importantly, it didn't break.

Alfred felt the weight of the staff in his hand, and took a few test spins. It wasn't too heavy on his wrist, and it balanced out beautifully. "It's perfect."

Shree lept out a whoop of happiness, and Matt fell back into a nearby bench, his face awash with relief. Nat awkwardly returned Shree's hug, who had launched herself at Nat and was jumping with joy, getting Nat off her feet as well.

"Oh my God I'm so happy!" Shree squealed in excitement, clapping her hands. "We did it, Matt!" she yelled, turning towards him.

Matt wasn't feeling the excitement, only the relief. He nodded, and grinned at her. "Yes, we did. We did well."

"Ah, but we still have work to do!" Shree said, clapping her hands twice, and turned to Alfred, who had powered down. "You need a crash course on how to use a staff!" she said. "Otherwise, you're going to break your wrist tomorrow."

"Well, if one day is enough to" -

"It's not enough to learn how to use the staff," Shree said, "but Chun Yan is at a disadvantage as well. Staff isn't her strongest weapon."

"No, that would be the whip," Nat said, and Shree nodded. "Exactly. Which uses different hand movements than what Chun Yan is used to. So we're going to use that to our advantage."

Alfred mused for a while, then shrugged. "Well, I guess we can make good use of today. Ivan isn't here" -

"Where is Ivan?" Shree asked, frowning. "Didn't you train together in the morning?"

Alfred shook his head. "He didn't show. So me and Nat warmed up, and practised for some time. She taught me some movements using the staff."

Matt just looked at the three of them standing together. Alfred was already rotating the staff using his fingers and wrist unconsciously while talking to them, while Shree and Nat were coming up with a plan to teach Alfred how to use the staff well enough to enhance his offence and defence, as opposed to using it as a weapon, the way Shree used her daijin.

Under Shree, Nat and Ivan, Alfred was training every second of the day, being worked to the ground. Ivan taught him to utilise his demonic energy, Nat taught him how to use spiritually enhanced firearms, and Shree taught him how to use most other weapons, being a weapons expert herself. Alfred had far surpassed Nat and Shree in terms of physical strength, but, like they'd impressed it upon him, it wasn't so much the use of physical strength as it was the technique one made use of. And Nat and Shree had enough technique to be able to defeat Alfred.

The three of them seemed to reach a conclusion. Nat walked to where Matt was sitting, and sat down next to him. The two of them watched as Shree and Alfred walked to the middle of the dojo. Shree went to the large wooden chest at the other end of the dojo which held most of their weapons, and got herself a staff as large as Alfred's.

"Good job," Nat told Matt as they watched Shree running Alfred through the basics. "Hopefully, this will work."

Mat nodded, then realised she wasn't looking at him. "Yeah, me too. At least we have a weapon ready, which Alfred can use." He suddenly had an idea, and looked at her. "Do you think you could make keshi, but with these mantras that we used?"

Nat frowned thoughtfully. "I actually don't know. The keshi is a combination of fire power and the power of the inscriptions on it. I don't know how powerful these inscriptions are - they can channel Alfred's energy, but are they powerful?" She paused, but before Matt could answer, she continued, "I'll have to do a lot of research into it. It'll be a challenge, but it'll be something to keep me busy."

Matt smiled at her, and she smiled back. They were both thinking the same thing - how Alfred needed to win this match, and how they needed to distract themselves from the thought of what might happen if Chun Yan didn't help them. But they had each other, and those around them. Armed with the confidence that they would figure out something when the time came to it, they persevered and pushed on.

"Where's Ivan?" Matt asked as the thought flashed to him.

Nat's eyes grew distant, almost sad, and she turned back to Shree and Alfred. "He's put off some things that he's had to do for a long time. He's making up for lost time."

"Come to correct past wrongs, have you, boy?"

Ivan didn't look up. The smoke of incense filled the room, even though there were no incense sticks burning.

The smoke emerged from Wang Yu Min's body, an expression of the spiritual energy that her body possessed. It was natural - within her spiritual harmony, her body extruded particles, which occupied the air around her, working similar to a colloid, and filled the space with a holy, incense-like smell. In a heightened state of spirituality, the smoke followed her bidding - it could give life to the one breathing it in, or suffocate and choke them within seconds.

Apart from her extraordinary powers, Yu Min was one of the greatest fighters in her batch of priestesses and priests, specialising in long distance and weapons combat, her favourite being the usage of ribbon blades, flexible steel with deadly-sharp edges that could shred flesh in minutes. She'd designed swords, staffs, spears, even crescent discs using ribbon blades, and no one had mastered their use the way Yu Min had.

While Ivan admired the woman greatly, he didn't like her one little bit. Which was fine, because she didn't like him very much, either. But seniority and experience demanded he show her respect, and he did.

"I've come to ask you for your forgiveness."

Yu Min's face, for all its delicate features, didn't betray her emotions. "The apology was done years ago, Braginsky. What is that you want now, aru?"

"Your forgiveness." When she didn't say anything, he continued. "The House of Grass has forgiven me, but not its people. The Head Priestess may have forgiven me, but Wang Chun Yan's mother is yet to forgive me."

Yu Min made a sound which sounded very akin to a scoff. "So you recognise me as a mother now, aru?" she said, her voice soft, her tone deadly.

"I was wrong to have said all those things to you. I was wrong to have done the things I did. And I ask you for your forgiveness."

Ivan lowered himself to the floor, but the minute one knee touched the ground, Yu Min said, "Rise. A man of your position must never lower himself. Not even for an apology, no matter how overdue it is, aru."

Ivan rose, and looked up at Yu Min.

"It's my daughter's forgiveness you must be asking, aru. And your teacher's, who had to clean up the mess you'd left behind, aru." When Ivan lowered his eyes, Yu Min continued, "Seeing everything you've done for the past two years as a Head Priest, he would be proud of you, aru."

Ivan didn't need her to tell him this - he knew his teacher much better than the old hag ever would. Still, he accepted it gracefully.

"And if my daughter is willing to forgive you, then that is enough for me, aru. The people of the House of Grass are another matter…but they don't bother you, now, do they, aru?"

Ivan's lips drew into a thin line, but it wasn't out of displeasure, but in an attempt to hide a wry smile. "The apology was done years ago, Wang."

Yu Min's eyes narrowed at the use of her words back at her, but she had to concede defeat. "Just my daughter, then."

They stayed silent for a while, and finally, Yu Min spoke. "All of this to help that boy…Alfred?" Ivan looked up, and she continued, "He must have left quite an impression on you, aru."

"They are a different kind of people," Ivan said, by way of explanation. "They didn't have to go through this. They didn't have a choice in the matter. But still…they face everything with the optimism that something good will come out of this."

Yu Min looked at him. Ivan hadn't been given a choice when his father had decided to pit him against the world, but his approach to the world was different from his current companions. But he recognised their approach, even appreciated it, maybe even envied it.

"But this is an apology long overdue, like you said," he said. "And I've been a coward for too long. And no student of Leo Mikhailov can be called a coward. I owe him that much, if not an apology."

Yu Min knew Ivan too well to be able to read between the lines of his words. "Convince my daughter to listen to you, aru" Yu Min said, rising, which signalled the end of their conversation. "And hope that she considers your attempt to apologise."

Ivan bowed, and Yu Min waved her hand in a gesture to rise. "You'll find her to be different from how she had been before" -

Not that different, Ivan thought, but didn't let it show on his face.

- "But, then again, you've changed as well."

It seemed she hadn't, however, since she always had liked to have the last word -

"For good, I hope."

Chun Yan looked at herself in the mirror.

Her hair had been drawn back, braided into two tight braids, which fell over her shoulders. She had considered tucking them into two buns on the side of her head, then decided against it. Her face was unpainted, and she was wearing ordinary warrior priest garbs - a loose, full sleeved shirt whose sleeves could be tied up at the shoulders, and comfortable, loose slacks. She'd decided against her usual colours - turquoise and red - and gone with tan, a colour she almost never wore except while travelling.

She didn't know how she felt about the match. The gossip vine - every temple had one - was abuzz with rumours of the boy's powers, and how many of them were true, she didn't know. Assuming that there was some truth in all of them, she decided against over confidence, and went with caution instead.

Besides, if Ivan had taken him up as a student and hadn't complained about him , even offhandedly, then it was better to be cautious than sorry.

Ivan.

Her face fell, and her chest restricted. She'd expected less of a reaction from her side, considering how long it had been. But she had never expected…this. Him. His behaviour.

None of it made sense to her. The way he spoke to her, him seeking out an audience with Yu Min, the way he interacted with his companions…this wasn't the Ivan she knew. This wasn't the Ivan she had spent the last three years hating and then burying her emotions towards. This Ivan was a stranger to her mental and emotional self.

She shook her head, and tapped her cheeks lightly with her palms. Steady now. With a sharp exhale, she turned away from the mirror, and picked up the staff at the foot of her bed.

She was ready.

She walked out of her room, and moved towards the grounds that they'd picked, far away from the main temple complex, far enough to ensure nobody got hurt. But from the corridor of the third floor of the housing complex, which was open to the outside on one side, she could see that a crowd had already formed near where their match was supposed to be, and a steady stream of people were still making their way to the ground.

Chun Yan sighed. Aiyaa. She'd purposely decided to keep the match early, for two reasons - to ensure that they didn't spar in the hot weather after the sun was well in the sky, and because all the priests would be busy with the morning prayers.

By the looks of it, Yu Min had given everyone a holiday, or everyone had decided to finish their work early and take their place as spectators.

She decided to take a diversion, one that would ensure she avoided talking to people. She put a hand on the railing, and looked down.

Everyone was taking the direct route to the ground - no one seemed to be going through the cover of trees that encircled the periphery of the clearing.

A few minutes later, Chun Yan found herself surrounded by trees.

She walked, her staff sheathed in a leather pouch made just for the staff which was secure against her back. She wasn't very comfortable with a staff - she didn't enjoy the volatility and the flexibility that her whip gave her with a staff - but she'd come to know that the boy's staff had been readied just the day before. It made her wonder why Natalya and Shree had been so quick to suggest using a staff.

Her mind went to her two previous Academy mates. She hadn't seen much of Nat over the past three years, and none of Shree at all. Chun Yan herself had been travelling for a good part of two years, and when she'd come back, she'd met Nat a few times during certain official meetings. And after he passed away…after the funeral, Chun Yan hadn't seen or heard of Nat, until Yu Min mentioned a letter than the Om had sent to all the heads of Houses.

They had never been very close - both of them were of the same age, and younger than her, so they were together more than with her. Still, they were the part of the same batch, and given Nat's filial connection to Ivan and her tendency to instigate trouble, they had all spent a lot of time together. Chun Yan wasn't never good at making friends, but did have a few friends there of her age. But it was Ivan she spent most of her time with, and she was fond of the two girls - now women.

Chun Yan brushed a branch aside, and neared the edge of the clearing. They hadn't let anyone into the clearing - everyone was kept at the mouth, just in case of an emergency where they would be made to leave immediately. The only people inside the clearing was Yu Min, a few of the elder priests and priestesses, and the boy's group, but they were on the farther side of the clearing.

She knew she had to join them, but she couldn't will her feet to move just yet. She stayed within the cover of the tree trunks, observing.

The elders were discussing something, and occasionally asking Yu Min's opinion. She would respond, then go back to observing the group on the other side of the ground.

Chun Yan scanned the ground. Alfred, Ivan and Shree weren't there yet - probably they were giving the boy last minute pointers. The rest of them were there - Natalya, the boy's brother, and his two advisers - the short tempered woman and her loud companion, who were being short tempered and loud at the moment. Natalya and the boy's brother were talking to each other, their eyes scanning the ground.

So both sides were sizing each other up, and both their fighters hadn't yet arrived.

"It's been a while since anyone here saw such action, hasn't it?"

Chun Yan nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned around, and saw Shree standing there. Chun Yan took a breath to calm herself, and nodded at Shree. "We're a peaceful lot, aru. Not much excitement here regularly, unless two patrons get into a fight."

Shree chuckled, and walked towards Chun Yan, her arms crossed at her middle. "Ivan and I were prepping Alfred. He'll be here in a few minutes."

Ivan or Alfred? Chun Yan wanted to ask, but wisely kept her mouth shut.

Shree held out her hand. "All the best, Chun Yan. Give it your best!" Shree said, smiling cheerfully.

Chun Yan's lips curved into a smile, and she accepted Shree's hand. "I will. Thank you, Shree," she said, and they shook on it.

Shree grinned her megawatt grin. "Don't stress. See ya!" Shree said, and with a bounce in her step, made her way into the ground, waving at her group.

Chun Yan sighed. She wasn't stressing, but she wasn't sure why she had butterflies in her stomach all of a sudden. Tentatively, she looked down and touched her belly.

"Anticipation?"

Chun Yan's head shot up, and she turned around. Here eyes landed on his purple irises, and the world around her seemed to melt away.

With a mental growl, she got a hold of herself. "I'm not nervous, so it must be anticipation, aru," Chun Yan replied. "What did you tell your student, aru?"

"Alfred?" Ivan asked. "Just that he needs to impress you. The rest will fall into place."

Chun Yan's thoughts flashed to old memories, but she willed them away. "You didn't ask him to win, aru?"

Ivan chuckled. "I don't need to. His thirst for victory is unquenchable. Annoying, really, but that's how he is." He stepped forward. "I don't need to tell you anything, either. Give it your best."

He didn't extend his hand, like Shree had. Chun Yan was glad, because she wasn't sure how she'd react to an offer to shake his hand. She gave him a nod. "Thank you."

With a nod in response, he walked past her, and Chun Yan just hoped that he hadn't been able to hear her heart thundering in her throat.

She calmed herself down, and in some time, her mind had resumed its previously calm state. She turned around, and walked out of the clearing herself, making her way to Yu Min.

Yu Min acknowledged her presence with a smile. "Quite a gathering we have here, aru," she commented, as Chun Yan removed her overcoat and pulled out her staff from its leather sheath.

Chun Yan shrugged. "They're refraining from their duties, aru."

"Most people finished their work yesterday, aru, or earlier today morning."

Chun Yan blinked. "Earlier than now? It's barely dawn, aru."

"Well, they wouldn't miss this. Could you?"

Chun Yan had to accept her mother's words. Without a word to anyone else, she moved to the side, and began her warm up.

Half way through, one of the priests came to her and said, "We will start in five minutes." Chun Yan nodded her agreement, and the priest gestured to the group standing further away. They gestured back their consent.

Chun Yan watched the exchange as she warmed up, the butterflies in her stomach morphing into elephants.

Anticipation.

.

"Where is this idiot?" Nat muttered, beginning to pace. She turned to Ivan. "We don't know where he is, and you agreed to send him in five minutes?"

"Relax, Nat. He'll be here," Shree said, but Nat wouldn't stop pacing.

Matt looked at Ivan. "How's he doing?"

Ivan shrugged. "He'll do well, comrade."

That wasn't the answer to his question, but Matt didn't press.

They were all nervous, to different degrees. Shree and Ivan were the least nervous, but that wasn't to say they weren't nervous at all. Amongst the other four, Gilbert seemed to be the most stressed - he just wouldn't shut up.

"I mean, look at all these people! And look at all those old people! What if something happens to all of them? What if the match drags on for so long that we all get hungry? Who's going to cook food? The awesome me cannot stay hungry! What if" -

"Eliza," Nat said, irritation giving an edge to her tone. Eliza nodded solemnly, and promptly brought down her fist on Gilbert's head.

At Gilbert's howl, Shree clicked her tongue. "Two minutes up," she said to herself, and looked at Chun Yan, who was warming up on the other side of the field. She watched Matt walk up to her. "Do you think they'll make us stand over there along with them?" Matt asked her.

Shree shrugged. "It would make sense," she said. "But I don't know how they'd like us standing by them and being…us."

Matt chuckled, and looked at Gilbert, who had gone back to blabbering, and Eliza, who looked like she was ready to use her fist again. "Well, I'll take Gilbert for a walk, before Eliza kills him," he said, and with a nod to Shree, went away to rescue Gilbert.

"We're not standing with them," Ivan told Nat as she paced. "They will bring down our morale. And they are old, like comrade Gilbert said."

"We won't have any morale if Alf"- Nat caught herself, and forced herself to take deep breaths. "I'm getting worked up," she muttered.

Ivan tilted his head. "It isn't like you, but given the circumstances…"

Nat nodded, and forced herself to stop pacing, and stand next to Ivan.

Ivan sighed, and put an arm around her in a half hug. "It's okay, Natalya," he said, rubbing her arm as he held her to his side. "Alfred will do well."

Nat grumbled inaudibly, and Ivan just smiled.

A priest walked to the middle of the ground, and faced the crowd. He began announcing something in a language the crowd understood and appreciated, and they responded with great enthusiasm.

"What language is that?" Matt asked. Around him, everyone else was just as clueless.

"That would be their native tongue, comrade," Ivan replied. "The priest is telling them about the match and asking them to…boost their Deputy priestess's morale, so to speak."

"You recognise this language?" Gilbert asked loudly. "But ho - OUCH!" Gilbert screamed when Eliza hit him on the head, this time with her hand. "What the hell-?"

Shree winced, but understood why Eliza hit him. "Sensitive topic, Gilbert," she whispered into his ear as Gilbert rubbed his sore head. Gilbert blinked a few times, and his mouth opened in a big 'O'.

The priest paused for a few seconds, and made an elaborate gesture towards where Chun Yan was standing. The crowd when berserk as she walked towards where the priest was standing, but she barely noticed any of them.

Ivan couldn't take his eyes off her, but the more he looked at her, the more he remembered of everything that had passed between them, to have got them to…this. He heard Shree walk behind him, and when he turned to his side, Shree was standing on his other side.

"...she is the only person who you respected enough to work with."

"I respect you and Natalya, too" -

"Yeah, like little sisters. Chun Yan was always your equal."

At that moment, thought, with Shree on one side and Natalya on the other, Ivan couldn't begin to describe the feeling of gratitude that welled within him for having two extremely powerful, independent women by his side who accepted his love towards them as filial, and were willing to care for him and support him through everything. He put his other hand on Shree's shoulder and squeezed, and caught Shree's smile from the corner of his eye.

I've earned their love, Ivan thought, watching Chun Yan bow to the priest. I'll earn hers, too.

The priest bowed back, and made another announcement, and made an elaborate gesture towards where the group of them were standing, but when he turned to look in their direction, his speech faltered on noticing Alfred's absence.

"I guess they mistook Matt for Alfred this entire time," Shree deduced. "Maybe that's why they didn't come earlier and ask us where he was."

Ivan pursed his lips, and nodded. "That may be true," he mused.

The priest signalled to one of the other priests standing near Yu Min, and the man ran towards Natalya and Ivan. "Where is your friend?" he asked, his words coming out in short bursts as he caught his breath.

"He'll be here in a few minutes" -

"It should start now," the priest interrupted Matt. "Otherwise, it will become too hot to d"-

"He will be here in a few minutes," Ivan spoke, his expression blank, and the priest gulped audibly. With a nod, he wisely left the spot, running towards the priest in the middle. The priest announced something, at the end of which Chun Yan looked up in surprise, and turned to shoot Ivan and Shree a puzzled glance.

"What did he say?" Matt asked Ivan.

"If Alfred doesn't join them in the next minute, they're calling the match off, and no rematch will be held," Ivan said, his voice low.

"That would mean we'll have to return without" -

"Da," Ivan said, cutting Eliza off.

"Where was Alfred when you guys left him?" Matt asked.

"Still in the dojo," Shree replied. "He said he wanted to try some things on his own, and that he'd finish them and come. It didn't sound like he was going to take this long."

"Should one of us go and get him?" Eliza asked, her voice and face revealing her anxiety.

Shree turned to Eliza. "By the time one of us finds him, and goes to get him, it"-

"He's here."

Ivan and Nat both said it at the same time, their eyes turned to the sky.

And sure enough, there he was.

A burst of golden orange zoomed towards them, and Alfred landed before the priests and Chun Yan, his one knee touching the ground, his staff held behind him horizontally by his outstretched arm. He slowly rose from his crouching position, and brought his staff to his side.

Even after so long, the sheer strength in his posture was enough to give Nat goosebumps. And by the look on their faces, the priests and priestesses gathered there were feeling the enormity of Alfred's power, his energy coming off him in waves, his confidence unbreakable.

Nat felt her anxiety drain out of her, to be replaced by a new emotion -

Anticipation.

.

"You are late, aru" Chun Yan said, but she couldn't stifle the smile that curled her lips.

"Fashionably late, babe," Alfred said as the yellow-orange glow died out, and he took his normal form before her. "It's a hero thing," he said, grinning.

"I'm sure, aru," Chun Yan said. His grin was infectious, and the look in his eyes magnetic. He didn't look even remotely tense - in fact, he looked excited, like he couldn't wait to start their fight.

Chun Yan didn't know for how long she and Alfred held their eye contact, smiling belligerently at each other, but they broke it as the sound of someone clearing their throat.

She'd completely forgot that there were two priests along with her, and she bowed in apology. The priest cleared his throat again, and began talking.

"Sorry, bro. I don't understand what you're saying," Alfred said apologetically, rubbing the back of his head.

The man looked from Alfred to Chun Yan, who spoke something to him. The man nodded, and spoke to the priest next to him, who served as a translator.

"This match will have an upper time limit of one hour. The person left standing at the end of one hour will be declared the winner. You may use only your staff as a weapon - no other weapons will be allowed. Try not to hurt anyone else. No external help can be taken, either physically or in the form of advice. The time begins as soon as you trade the first blows. Any questions?"

Chun Yan shook her head. Alfred shook his head.

"Please wait until we move to the side." With that, the priests spoke words of encouragement to Chun Yan and left.

Alfred turned, and looked at his crew standing to the side. He sighed. Everyone else was so dignified, so quiet, and they…with a smile, he acknowledged that they were them - a noisy group of seeming misfits who'd come to care for him, whether they realised it or not.

He looked at Nat, then Ivan and Shree. His eyes went back to his brother, and then Eliza and Gilbert. Nat's expression was shut off, Ivan and Shree looked fairly confident, Matt looked tense, Eliza looked worried, and Gilbert looked like he'd been hit one too many times on the head.

His eyes met Ivan's, and their gazes locked.

Ivan smiled at him - not his usual cocky smile, or his occasional 'bedroom face' smile, but a genuine smile, one that wished him good luck.

Alfred grinned back at him - back at all of them - and turned to Chun Yan. "You ready?"

Chun Yan smiled. "Whenever you are, boy."

Alfred shook his head. "Call me Alfred." With that, he turned around, and walked a few paces away from her before turning around.

The two of them bowed to each other, and got into their fighting stance.

"Whenever you are ready!" the priest called out.

Alfred grinned.

"Begin!"

This was going to be so much fun.

A/T: And that's it for this chapter!

I had two weeks of holidays, and I binge watched episodes of Naruto Shippuden until I was sick. And when I started browsing through the fanfiction, I found myself liking a non canon paring - Kakashi and Sakura. And I'm just sitting there like...why didn't they happen? In canon, I mean.

So yeah. Bingeing on a lot of Kakasaku now. That pairing appeals to me a lot, and I'm yet to figure out why.

College has started, and it's hectic af. Which is why I wasn't able to upload on time. I will do my best to upload every Sunday, but to be honest, it'll be a once in two weeks affair, at the most. I'll try my best for once in a week.

Guys, please read reviews if you're reading this! Reviews make me happy!

All my love,

R. K. Iris.