(Disclaim, Disclam, Disclaim. Konami owns it all. So don't sue me.)

-One-

They were on thier way back from the whole fiasco reguarding Neclord. Riou wouldn't use the Blinking Mirror just yet, wanting to walk back through the villages along the way to check on the people within. Zombies running around made it difficult to offer reassurance; for even though Neclord had been dealt with... how could you be so sure of 'killing' something like that? Anyone unable to see the final blow would have doubts.

The necessary people in the party were alright with walking back. Viktor need the time to cool off, Flik and Nanami agreed they should assure the villagers in Drakemouth and Tigermouth their zombie worries were over. Sierra just tittered about it with a faint smile, seeming she wouldn't mind walking in close proximity to the Blue Lightning. Luc shrugged wordlessly, as usual.

So conversations struck up as they walked the mountain path, in no great hurry this time.

Sierra sauntered over to Flik, eyes gleaming mischievously. "So, how's your new little lady-friend. What's her name, oh... Niii-naaa?" Her teasing, sing-song tone made Flik blank. "Oh. You... heard about that, did you?" The vampiress chuckled. "It's pretty common gossip now, you know. I didn't have to listen very hard."

Viktor was in one of those quiet, moody drop-offs of his, which made Flik worry. Though occupied as he was, he cast a concerned glance to the young Lord, then to his best friend. Riou took the hint, poking the man-bear gently with an elbow. A sardonic grin crossed the Bright Shield bearer's face and he said quietly "Viktor, you're beginning to scare me, acting like 'blustery' back there. What's on your mind?"

Snapping-to, Viktor plastered a toothy grin on his face. "AHAHA, nothin' you need to really worry about." He used a less boisterous tone. "Just thinkin' about old times. 'Bout this sword, Neclord. People he took." The grin crept back on. "Nice to finally have some revenge, you know?"

Riou blinked. He wasn't the wrathful type, but he tried to sympathize. "It must take a lot off your shoulders." Viktor nodded. "Now what to do with this nagging old SWORD!"

Seeing as how everyone else was engaged in conversation, Nanami looked over her options. She could go listen in on Viktor and her brother... Glancing at Flik and Sierra, she already knew she didn't want to try that route. If it was making the blue-clad swordsman blush so furiously, she probably didn't want to know. She glanced at the other party member, who was lagging slightly behind the group, just staring off into the valley below them. She had no idea how to start a conversation with Luc. Looking back to her brother, they seemed to be talking important things. It wasn't a good idea to interrupt when Viktor looked that serious. Nanami sighed. She wanted someone to talk to. She resigned herself to whatever grim fate was about to befall her with her best smile, dropping back to match the mage's pace.

"Ummm... so..." Nanami struggled with something to start on. Luc wasn't paying attention. "Why didn't you just, you know, 'port back to the castle?"

Luc finally turned his forest-hued gaze toward her. "Huh?" He shrugged. "To do what, stand in the noisy foyer, guarding the Tablet of Promise? The scenery, despite the company, is rather refreshing."

Nanami gave an agreeing shrug. He did have a valid point, though she caught the slight on her trying to talk to him. It didn't faze her.

"You like going for walks outside. So, why don't you more often? Northwind actually has a lot of pretty scenery, if you haven't noticed." There, have that attitude back.

The apprentice quirked a brow at her. "That's not what I was sent for, was it? Unlike most of you, I don't get to just lay around and party between major battles..." He looked off into the distance again. Nanami rocked her head back and forth, sticking her tongue out like a child mocking at the turned back of a parent. "So, why do you have to stand there? It's not like someone's going to pick up a big stone slab and just walk off with it. I'm sure you could go do things, if you wanted to."

The mage, still looking off somewhere else, shrugged. "Maybe I don't want to."

Nanami rolled her eyes. Now he was being contradicting. She could remember when Jowy got that way sometimes. Riou was too gentle to ever set him straight; that always fell on Nanami.

She pursed her lips, up to the challenge.

"SO. You are walking with us WHY?"

The mage cast her a glare, raising his hand slightly as if about to use his rune. Though it wasn't what he used to teleport, it was for added effect. "I could always fix that, and teleport back; since it seems to bother you so much."

Nanami shrugged, adopting a scolding tone. Jowy would try this too, acting like he was going to walk away from the correction. She would act like she didn't care, and he would fall right into the palm of her hand.

"You certainly can. I'm just saying the reason you gave for staying along on this walk doesn't seem like the truth, since you evedently don't like doing anything other than standing with your back against an unmoving stone like it's going to slide out the door." Oooh, that sounded good.

Luc furrowed his brows at her. "What do you care?" He never would understand people... "It's not as if I'm in your way, while y-"

"HEY. Some help here would be nice!" Viktor shouted.

Unbeknown to the two, a pack of Killer Dogs had approached the rest of the party.

"Problems of my own, thanks!" Nanami retorted, making a motion at the other beasts coming up behind them. She stood in her peculiar ready-stance. Luc's rune flashed to life, he mouthed the words of a spell.

"I'll get rid of these. You take the ones on the other side." The mage directed toward the bunch behind them. Nanami turned to give a beating to the ones attacking Riou from the side. The two were nearly standing with their backs against each others'.

"Wind!" The familiar roar of Luc's tornado filled thier ears. The air attack successfully sent most of the monsters careening off the edge of the ridge where they walked, off into the valley.

Nanami was busy knocking the others around, dealing out bone-crushing damage.

One managed to evade being swiped off the mountain by Luc's wind magic, and rushed forward to attack. The mage readied another spell, bracing for what he knew was coming.

The creature nailed him head-on in the chest, raking a claw across as it knocked him down and used the momentum in reverse to bounce away a step, assessing its next move. Luc pulled himself to a knee, letting go of the fully charged attack spell, and catching his breath, as the Dog loosed its last.

Nanami was tiring out, now beaten and bleeding in a few places herself. She jumped back a bit, standing where she and the mage had started. "Luc. A healing spell?" She felt a cold sweat roll down the back of her neck as the creature she had just attacked charged at her to exact its revenge. "Now?!"

Too late. It jumped through the air, using its head as a battering ram. An array of colors flashed in Nanami's eyes. Crushing pain seared in her head as she felt herself falling...

and falling... Her eyes snapped open. Rocky earth rushed by her. She looked down. The valley was far below, yet rushing up quickly to meet her. She would have cried. This was the end. Nobody could survive this long of a fall...

"Nanamiii!" A voice just above her yelled. She saw Luc, trying to grab her as he too plummeted through the air. Thrusting an arm out, she managed to lock a hand around his wrist.

The feeling of the air being forced from her lungs by the complete, smothering darkness around them made her wonder for an instant if she had died. Though that instant was all she had to consider. Light returned to everything, and color splashed once more inside her head as she landed hard on her back... not nearly as hard as she had expected.

Her eyes fluttered open. She was alive! A noise from nearby made her move her head, which hurt fiercely and set little sparkles of light off in her vision. Luc lay just beside her, face down, moving slowly to rise.

"Ohhhh." She groaned, trying to sit up. Not quite yet. "We made it. How? It looked like a death-drop." Nanami mused aloud. She didn't expect the strained answer.

"It- it was teleportation.. It's all I could do... that quickly." He drew in a hissing breath "but, it looks like... it stopped us before terminal velocity."

Nanami didn't know the words, but she got the idea. He'd teleported them through some of the drop, so they didn't actually fall the whole distance. Wow.

She felt minimally better, and sat up, holding her head. "That's pretty good thinking."

Glancing at the mage, she noticed he was sitting too, though slumped over and holding an arm around his middle. "What's wrong?"

He looked up, moving his arm aside to show the large gash from the attacking beast. A weak chuckle came as he held his arm back over it, applying pressure to slow the loss of blood. "Didn't get them all." He remarked, wincing at the effort of speaking.

Nanami's face showed concern. "Can't you heal it?" She felt a slight pang of guilt, even though the mage had told her to turn her back on him. She knew he wasn't very durable.

"I'm afriad if I did... I wouldn't have the strength for much else." He remarked, "You seem to be in need as well." He nodded to her wounds, though none of them were as serious, they were more numerous.

"Well... what about 'porting us back? Or to a town?" She suggested, slumping as Luc shook his head in reply. "Hmmm.. Then I guess we stay here, until you can. At least, you should make that stop bleeding, or you'll never recover any." She nodded to the arm pressed against his torso, the sleeve of which was becoming red-soaked. "I'll keep a look out, while you rest. Deal?" Even though she felt so tired, and wanted to just hide her head and sink into comfortable darkness...

"I don't know.." the mage said horsely. "You may have a concussion. Someone will have to make sure... you stay awake. I'll be fine... if I can just be still for a little while."

So stubborn... "Fine. If that will work. But I don't think I have a... cussing, or whatever."

(Heh. Cussing. Hopefully no one will want to be doing any of that after reading. But tell me what you think so far, reguardless. I'd appreciate it; and thanks for reading. -CP-)