Hollow Victory [Closed]

A soft wind ruffled Hosa’s feathers as clouds drifted lazily in the blue sky above, but Hosa noticed none of this as she curled herself into a tighter ball. She was lying in the middle of a clearing in the form of a griffon, curled up into a ball like a cat would only one of her wings laid outstretched, covering her head as her eyes flickered dimly in the shadow it casted over her. It had been only a few days since the tournament had wrapped up and her victory. But yet it was bitter to her all the while.

The last two fights left her feeling uncertain of herself, both leaving her unhappy. She was the victor - and many times had been congratulated by other students but each time it made her feel worse. She hadn’t wanted those fights to go down like it had. Kayla...She knew the Autumn didn’t like her, but then again Kayla didn’t like anybody. She had wanted her victory to be swift and painless, but it had been the opposite of that. She didn’t like causing harm, hurting others...It made her feel like the bullies that had tormented her so long ago.

Then the fight against Magic. The last moment was something she remembered so clearly - Magic...Mason screaming at himself to move before screaming in pain...Then silence just as the illusion shattered as she stuck the killing blow. The whole thing just sent a shiver down her spine as she attempted to curl up even more. She had thought a few times of trying to go find Magic since that fight but every time she had uncertainly had filled her. Would he even want to talk to her after that? She wasn’t sure.

Everything about her victory just felt...Hollow to Hosa. She knew she should be happy - she had won this time instead of second place but even her golden trophy now sitting on a shelf next to her silver one made her feel uncertain every time she saw it. Half the time she was tempted to throw it in a drawer just so that she didn’t have to look at it. The only thing she had to look forward to was her graduation and her upcoming training courtesy of the Headmaster herself.

While everybody knew about the fact she was graduation and almost everybody was sure she was going to be a guardian - which was true - but nobody was aware of her training as she had decided to kept it in the dark from others. The fact that the Headmaster had taken special note of her was nice in all but...She didn’t want others to know of that fact...Not like she had anyone to share it to anyways.

Her lion tail flickered as she raised a talon and ran it down her beak under the shadow of her wing as she sighed, before she closed her eyes and just let her head drop to the ground. She was happy she had found this place in the forest as she felt like she just needed some alone time. Her dorm itself could of worked, but her trophy was there...She just wanted to get away from everything related to the tournament and just take some time to herself. She need to straighten herself out and figure out how she exactly felt about...Well, everything.

Magic found himself going into the forest. Ever since the end of the tournament he had been avoiding people, and his own dormmate even though they never really talked much. He hadn't even seen Lamia in a while. When he got the chance, and the winter hallways were clear he snuck out of the dorm area, and out to the forest for some peace and quiet. He hadn't really even placed the trophy in the proper place it just sat on his room floor, like most of the other things.

As he trudge through the forest, he thought back to the tournament. He didn't even care that he didn't win, or care that he came in second overall. Heck he was even in the hall of fame now, but he didn't care. What he cared about is that people saw how he truly was. Honestly he expected people to be somewhat scared of him now, or something of the sort. He brother had come by and left a note to him about the tournament, and brought him some food after the whole thing was over showing that Vincent did in fact care.

He had shown so much of what he used to be like, and what he kind of is still like in that battle. The joy of fighting others, and ah... there was so much that he liked, but also hated. He mind was so feed up in his thoughts. What even happened back at the last battle? He didn't really even know himself. He just wouldn't move.. A sigh escaped the boy. After that battle his power hadn't been exactly cooperative, but then again it liked to act on it's own anyway.

Finally Mason had reached a small clearing. He didn't know that Hosa was near by, in another clearing. He couldn't exactly hear the best at the moment. His good hearing was going in and out. He had been used to hearing so well for so long it felt like he was going deaf when his good hearing went away. After finding a sturdy tree to lean against, he sat down and rested against the tree. He closed his eyes, listening to the peaceful sounds that filled the forest. Another loud audible sigh escaped him.

A faint sound caused Hosa to shift, lifting her wing slightly as she peaked out from under her wing. Her eyes scanned the clearing, before she slowly forced herself onto all four legs and slowly trotted forward toward the sound. Weaving between trees, she soon stumbled across another small clearing to see Magic leaning against a tree with closed eyes.

Her fur prickled as she came to a stop, one of her talons half raised as she stared at him before slowly lowering her foreleg as she swallowed as she shuffled her feathers. It didn't seem that Magic had noticed her, which she noted as weird as she was sure he would of heard her but she accepted her luck as she took a few steps backwards to hide from sight.

A deep breath escaped her as she let herself shift back to her normal form, before standing all the way up as she brushed her hands together to remove what little dirt decided to cling to it. Leaning on the tree next to her, she peaked back into the clearing to look at Magic as she weighed her choices in her mind. She could just leave; he hadn't noticed her and she wasn't sure if he wanted to talk to her or...

No. She had to face him. She couldn't keep running and what better time did she have other than now to try? So, with a sigh, she forced herself to step into the clearing as she brushed her hand against the truck of the tree as she past. "Magic?" she called out softly, stopping a good way into the clearing as she turned to face him.

Her blue eyes were dim in the little light that the branches let into the forest floor, and it was clear that she was down about something. If Magic could figure out that she was bothered by how the tournament went was left unknown to her, but she would soon find out.

A new voice caused Magic to jump slightly. He flung his eyes open, and scanned the person who now stood in front of him. It took him second for his eyes to finally see who it was. "Oh it's you.." He said in a soft tone. He didn't really want to talk to anyone at the moment. He came out here for peace and quiet and this is what he got? Magic stood up from his spot, and dusted off his clothes. "I'm gonna be going now.." He said before he started to walk away from the clearing.

"Magic wait!" Hosa suddenly spoke up as the Winter attempted to leave, but her voice was more of a plead then anything as her gaze dropped to the ground. One of her hands raised to rub her other shoulder as she shifted her weight from foot to foot in a nervous fashion that she was sure few would ever see her have. "Can...Can we please talk?"

Magic froze in his spot at the edge of clearing. The dark haired boy didn't bother to turn around, and face the older student. Instead he just kind of looked over his shoulder for a moment. Then looked back to the the trees. "You have a couple minutes. Talk." He stated in a cold tone. He picked up a cold demeanor showing that he didn't really want to be here at the moment, but he was going to let her talk anyway.

A happy sigh of relief ran though Hosa when she saw Magic stop, before pausing as she attempted to come up with words. "I...I'm sorry," were the few first words to leave her mouth, her blue eyes flicking. "I didn't want to win that way against you - you were suddenly helpless and...If I could of stopped myself I would of. I just realized it all to late..." She shuttered as she thought back to that moment. His scream of pain...She wished she could forget it, but even thought it had all been an illusion it felt so real to her still. Her arm still hurt every once in a while from Kayla's final blow after all. Never did she even think that the reason that Magic didn't want to talk was because of the fact he had reverted back to his old self for that match - she was simply worried that he would feel less for what she felt was a cheap blow.

Could have? There was plenty of time for her to stop herself. Mason remained silent. He didn't feel like saying anything at the moment. He clenched his fist keeping himself from saying anything harmful to the autumn student. Magic remained tense at the situation. He really wanted to leave.

Hosa knocked the tenseness washing over Magic and frowned as her eyes dropped, squeezing her arms as she hugged herself. Why was she even bothering, she doubted Magic cared for what she was saying. She just... "Please, Magic, I can't lose you as as a friend," she whispered softly, but loud enough for him to hear even with his enchanted hearing fainting in and out. Here she was, the top student at the academy and soon to be guardian begging not to lose Magic as a friend, and it was easy to tell that she was worried that she might really lose him.

Magic relaxed a little when Hosa mentioned him as a friend. "That was never my intention." With a sigh, he turned around a little. "I'm not mad about your victory..." Mason said. Even though he was kind of salty. He kept his fist clenched, still trying to keep himself from saying something mean like he wanted to at the moment. He hadn't been able to shed his old mind set yet. It always takes him a couple days for him to do so.

"You're not...?" Hosa breathed, relief flooding over her face as she gave Magic a small smile. "That's a relief...Its been eating at me since the tournament; I've just felt like my victory has been hollow..." Her eyes flickered however as her smile turned to a frown as she focused on Magic before titled her head slightly. "Wait, you aren't mad about that...What's bothering you? Cause I can see that there is something."

Mason tensed up again at her question. Why did she have to ask? She probably already knew or could guess what was going on with him. The other day with Vincent and how tense he was, and during the battle with how he changed from the friendliest person he could be to something so.. yeah.. A sigh escaped him, and he looked from the shapeshifter. He didn't really want to talk about it too much. "It's nothing."

"It isn't 'nothing,'" Hosa retorted, putting her hands on her hips as she shoved back the worry she had felt a few moments ago for herself, now filled with worry for Magic. "Something is wrong, that is easy enough to see. You didn't want to talk to me for a reason but...If you don't want to talk about it...Fine, but keeping things inside only makes them worse as times go on."

Magic looked back at Hosa, and walked a little closer. He clenched his teeth a bit, and kept his fists curled. "Trust me you do not want to know." Mason growled at the older student. Magic kind of wanted to admit it. By it I mean what he had done, but if he did he feared Hosa wouldn't look at him the same way again.

Hosa raised an eyebrow, before she let out a soft laugh. "There are things we all don't want to know, Magic; all truths we don't want to know but they are apart of life," her eye suddenly flashed slightly of pain as a memory of her own flashed in her head, bringing silence for a few moments before she removed the traces of sadness of pain in her eyes as she locked eyes with Magic. "But even if you don't think I want to know; I do. Because I want to be able to help you in whatever way I can, Magic...Because we are friends I want nothing to change that." She grew silent for a few more moments. What exactly could Magic not want to be known so badly? Then it hit her as the pieces fell into place as her eyes widen, her mind drifting back to when she met Vincent before she let out a small 'ohhh' sound. Magic had hit his brother for even mentioning the past or at least came close...It was clear that he didn't want that brought up and after the change that had happened in the final round...Yeah, she had a pretty good idea of what Magic wanted to keep quiet. "It has to deal with the past, doesn't it? The violent side that your brother mentioned when he first arrived...That showed up back in the tournament."