You and Raja were partners in every sense.

You were partners in crime, always together. You covered his lack of magical powers when he got too ahead of himself in a fight or got too distracted within your world of endless possibilities and unique and mighty creatures, while he could leap onto the side of a tree, use it to launch himself and cover your back when you were whispering incantations.

And relationship wise, the two of you have never seen a day without on another. Obviously, you weren't immediately born into the relationship, but you've known him since such a young age, it almost felt that way.

So it was literal torture when he was incapacitated.

It all happened so fast. You're surprised you were even able to recite it to the healers through tears and out of breath huffs with him in your lower class healing bubble.

You weren't naturally a healing mage, so it was difficult for you to muster up a spell such as a basic one like this.

The two of you—renowned for your line of work—were attacked, ambushed by well trained assassins. And for a while, both of you held your own against them. But then he got too in over his head again, was too playful, his teasing remarks biting him in the end.

“I'm afraid that.. when he awaken, he will not remember.”

“Me..?”

“Everything. The world to him will be completely foreign to him.”

It's been about three months since they informed you, three months since you first brought him here, unconscious. You weren't knowledgeable of when he was set to awaken, as not even the healers were entirely sure.

And then one fateful day..

...

Twitch

Twitch, twitch.

As the moonlit sky danced through the windows, illuminating certain areas of the room, Raja found himself in a place unknown. His upper body springing upwards into an immediate sitting motion, tiger ears subconsciously twitching on occasion.

His tail slowly swayed from left to right as he tried to assess his whereabouts, head turning from left to right in a rather quick manner.

Where.. am I? He thought, blinking at the foreign bottles and bandages, looking at them as if they were the most interesting thing he's ever seen.

What is that..? And that? And that. And that!

But then one—much to his surprise—stared back!

“What are you looking at, boy?” One potion bottle exclaimed, no eyes, no mouth, but twisted like it was alive and furious.

Raja jerked his head back in surprise, eyes wide. Unsure if he was perhaps just hearing voices in his head.

“Oh dear! He has awakened! Alert Madam Ceraline at once!” Another bottle chirped.

His lips parted to speak, only to pause. A gentle warm pressure against his hand causing him to divert his attention away from the voices he could not seem to pinpoint.

Yellow eyes and slittle pupils fell, settling upon a figure in a heap of a blanket and some hair peeking out, sitting in what seemed to be a rather uncomfortable position and chair.

Eh?

His tail flicked behind him, eyes narrowing suspiciously as he jerked his hand away, orange painted nails vibrant in the moonlight beam as he stared down at this.. foreign creature with a look of both curiosity and caution.

The tension was thick between the fabric wearing beast and Raja, his nails sharpening into claws against his will, responding to the mere feeling alone rhat he was readying to fight.

Until–

BANG!

Barreling in came two people, their faces overwhelmed with shock as one held the previously closed door wide open while the other peeked in behind the first one.

Startling and awakening the–

..person beside him.

He breathed a sigh of relief, only that was short lived as he was instantly overwhelmed by the two women who had surrounded him, grabbing at his arms and forcing one of his eyes further open, then one pressed an ear to his chest, and that was just about when his curious and baffled stupor vanished.

He hissed, thick fangs bared, eyebrows furrowed angrily and tail thrashing behind him.