Skills

While Melvin and Anna were busy prepping for the continued journey, Hanzo took a minute to look for Tsuki, pulling her aside, face filled with both wonder and something else.

‘’I gotta know. How did you make that big wolf thing appear earlier?’’ He asked with a anxious tone, almost envious.

Tsuki looked confused for a moment. Then her eyes darkened and broke into a wicked look, slightly unsettling him.

‘’ Black magic.’’ She hissed

Hanzo’s eyes widened. Backing up slightly

‘’Really?’’ He asked nervously

‘’Of course not.’’ Tsuki laughed

Hanzo exhaled with relief, though slightly annoyed at her dark sense of humor.

‘’It wasn’t like I could just make it appear out of nowhere.’’ She began, turning around looking at the distance. ‘’I just felt like you were all in trouble and visualized what I thought would be the best thing to solve the problem. At first I thought that it was just in my head, but when I checked my skill card, it was much easier to visualize the illusion that I wanted.’’

‘’What skill card?’’

Tsuki turned to him, confusion written on her face.

‘’The thing that emerged when I tapped the little animal crest on my stomach. The one that shows you your skills, classes, and weaknesses.’’

Hanzo looked down at his stomach, and sure enough, in the white patch of the tiger onesie’s stomach sat a black crest, seemingly woven into the fabric like it was meant to be there. Hanzo shook his head in disbelief at having never seen it on himself or the others.

‘’I wonder if only the person wearing the onesie can see their own crest.’’ Hanzo thought.

When he glanced at where the crest would be on Tsuki, it was bare. Looking back to his, it was prominent, he looked back at Tsuki, who now looked confused. Hanzo looked back one last time at his own crest, taking a deep breath, he tapped it. Glowing slightly, a massive orange card appeared right in front of him. Jumping back in surprise, he looked at the list in front of him, luckily it seems to be like a hub for a kind of game character and followed his movement.

‘’You weren’t’ kidding.’’ Hanzo said in awe.

Tsuki looked at him with a look of confusion. Clearly having not seen the card or the crest. But that look quickly gave way to understanding.

‘’So, it only shows itself to the person who has it. I thought it was weird that only I had one.’’ Tsuki remarked. ‘’What does it say?’’

Hanzo shook his head. Tapping his stomach again.

‘’We should talk about this together.’’

Tsuki nodded, frowning slightly for needing to wait.

With the cart loaded up, everyone piled onto the back, Melvin insisting that they rest on the trip. Hanzo sat at the edge, ensuring that he could hear anything that came their way. The rest piled in without too much issue, although Ren tried to protest that they could walk, Hanzo’s hand on his shoulder and look of urgency quickly silenced him.

After some time passed, Hanzo and Tsuki explained what they have learned, with them all collectively looking down in confusion then surprise at the new detail on their already interesting attire.

‘’How have we never noticed this?’’ Sora questioned.

‘’Looks like they only show up for the person wearing them and are the same as the clothes they have on.’’ Hanzo answered.

‘’Wait, you said that when we tap our crest, a card appears with our stats right?’’ Enji asked excitedly.

‘’Looks like it.’’ Hanzo replied.

Enji let out an excited laugh, all but bouncing at the news.

‘’Then it’s just like a video game right? In that case, I’m going first!’’ Enji declared.

Tapping his stomach, his eyes widened, looking down slightly. Though the others couldn’t see it, the joy in his eyes all but confirmed its existence.

‘’What does it say?’’ Sora inquired.

Enji looked down at the glowing green card in front of him, hurryingly reading and giving them what they wanted to hear.

‘’ Looks like it has three different groups. For skills, it says ‘’flight, durability, magic and battle claws. For classes, it says ‘’Brawler and wizard.’’ And weaknesses, which says ‘’ Silver, magic, and patience.’’ What do they mean by that?!’’

‘’Means you’re bad at thinking.’’ Ren mocked.

‘’Yeah?! Well let’s see yours then. Though I doubt being a smug jerk and glitter counts as a skill.’’ Enji countered.

Ren scoffed, pressed his stomach and read from the white card that appeared.

‘’For skills, it says ‘’Healing, purifying, combat, and leadership.’’ Classes are ‘’Holy knight, healer, and hero.’’ Weaknesses ‘’Durability, anger and pride.’’

Hanzo pressed his next.

‘’Mine says ‘’Senses, strength and spirit.’’ Class says I’m a Monk, and my weaknesses are ‘’ Fire, loud noises, endurance and solitude.’’

Sora went next, a blue card appearing before her.

‘’Interesting. For my skills it says ‘’ Durability, endurance, wisdom, and intelligence.’’ For classes, I have ‘’Tank, wizard, and historian.’’ For weaknesses, they are ‘’Fire, stubbornness, and poison.’’

Tsuki tapped without care, reading her red card once again for her siblings.

‘’And I have ‘’Creativity, strategy, illusion flames, and tail.’’

‘’Tail?’’ Ren interrupted

‘’Tail!’’ Tsuki confirmed, swishing it around to indicate.

‘’My classes.’’ Tsuki continued. ‘’Strategist, support mage, and thief.’’ My only weaknesses are. ‘’Iron, dogs, and strong emotions.’’

The group sat in silence for a bit, the reality of their situation just getting much more complicated than just a new environment. Tsuki was the first to speak up.

‘’It looks like we all were given abilities that are hidden from one another, different classes and seeming roles to fill. Almost like a party in an adventure.’’ Tsuki opened

Ren looked at his siblings with a serious tone.

‘’We need to be open with each other from now on. If you notice something different or unique about yourself, say something. We’ll need everything we have if we are going to find a way back home.’’

‘’What’s your hurry?’’ Enji interrupted. ‘’If we got sent here, then we might as well have a little fun along the way.’’

Tsuki held up her hand in agreement.

‘’Some of us have something worth doing back home.’’ Ren said angrily

‘’Like what?’’ Enji snapped. ‘’Pushing around those documents like a nameless ghoul for a company that doesn’t even know your gone? All too eager to leave everything you know behind?!’’

‘’I was going to make something real for us! Something that won’t disappear like Fushigi did!’’

‘’Don’t you dare say that he abandoned us!’’

‘’Didn’t he though?!’’

‘’Stop this!’’ Tsuki interrupted, pain written on her face. ‘’The last thing we need is to fight each other.’’

‘’Do I have to separate you two again?’’ Hanzo threatened

‘’Stay out of this!’’ Ren and Enji yelled in unison

‘’Oh for goodness sake.’’ Sora said exhausted

A sharp lurch had them flail around the cart. Looking at the drivers, Melvin turned towards the passengers.

‘’We have arrived at our destination.’’

Enji and Ren glared at one another with venom in their eyes, both thinking the same thing.

‘’We'll finish this later.’’