Kailor: Dude, what song should I write this battle to the beat of?

Naruto: Hmmm...Nuriko?

Nuriko: Something bad ass.

Rikku: Porn Star Dancing?

Kailor: Hell...yes... 0.0

The mountains reverbated the sounds back a hundred times over, each one magnified and copied and repeated as she struggled to steady her mind. The sudden blast of sound had stunned her and the cold snow stuck to her cheek and slipped into her mouth, melting on her tongue. Snow crunched. People yelled. Metal clashed with metal. Arrows whistled. Someone screamed. Her senses were overwhelmed. Her vision swam for a moment. Snow flew into her eyes.

Setsuna rolled to her back, trying to block out the steady roaring of the echoes. Drawing her sword she bent her knees and flipped up onto her feet. A thick man swung a sword at her head and she ducked, spinning under his attack. He parried. She attacked, throwing her weight against the man to shove him off. His bulk shifted and she barely dodged his thick fist as it aimed for her side. Jumping back, she collided with another man, sending him face first into the snow. Haruna's surprised face appeared in her vision.

"Thanks!" The Puhvalian mage turned, her mace whirling above her head in a blur of silver.

Setsuna turned.

Konoka and Ayaka were back to back. Ayaka expertly wielded two crescent moon scythes, whipping them around her wrists and through the armor of the man she fought. Her blonde hair was matted with blood on one side. Konoka's teeth were bared as she spun her hammer and brought it slamming down on a scruffy man with a huge nose. The sharpened end stuck into him, right where his neck met his shoulder. With a cry the princess yanked her weapon free. Blood spurted from his neck and he clutched at the wound, falling back. Konoka met her gaze over the fallen foe. Her grin was quick and then another man fell on her, sword raised. Setsuna spun to the slaves.

The line of them had pushed back to the mountain. Two of them along the line lay still, downed in the crossfire. She cursed, turning to the nearest fight. Kaede was on the ground wrestling one of the slave traders. Setsuna leapt into the fray, pulling the man off by his hair. He turned on her and she lost her sword in the confusion as he swatted at her. His fist landed a glancing blow on the side of her head and she tasted blood. Fiercely, she threw punches, forcing him to take the defensive. Someone bumped her back, shoving her into him and she and her enemy went down. He grunted, winded by the hard fall. She took the opportunity and slammed her stiff fingers into his shoulder, numbing him for a moment. Kaede landed on him and her knife danced across his neck, slicing through his oily beard and into his throat. Setsuna pushed away, frantically searching for her sword.

A foot connected with her ribs. Someone had her shoulder and was flipping her over. Errik was on her, stradling her. His thick body shoved her down into the snow. Something flashed in his hand. Desperately she fought to throw him off. A knife slashed at her, nicking her nose. She grabbed his wrist, rolling him over. His foot caught her under the ribs and she was suddenly airborn, flipping over Errik's head. The ice caught her none too gently. She slid a few feet and ran into Heart's leg. His large head butted against her and she grabbed his mane. The stallion's head lifted, pulling her to her feet. Bodies writhed against each other all around her. Swords sang as they ripped into flesh. The mountains repeated the tune, singing in time.

She lifted a hand to her lips and pushed her forefinger and thumb into the edges of her mouth. Above the din her whistle rang loud and shrill and rang again and again.

A roar sounded.

Killik was suddenly there, Asuna perched on his shoulder. The dragon slithered past, his tail taking out as many people as his claws. His eyes swirled with color and short bursts of dragonfire leapt from his teeth and crawled along the ice, pushing back the slave traders.

Heart neighed urgently. She grabbed the buckle on his saddle and loosed it, letting the gear and her bags fall to the ice. Her things scattered and Heart galloped into the fight, kicking and stomping with reckless abandon.

"Hello, Beautiful." Errik appeared from the swirling snow, mace raised high. She back pedeled. The strap of her bag caught her heel and she went down hard on her backside. The caravan's leader advanced on her, swinging his mace. She scrambled backwards. The ground suddenly disappeared from under her left arm and she gasped, clutching for something to hold onto. Glancing back she saw the chasm between the mountains yawning wide and dark. A foot landed on her hand. Crying out, she yanked it free and found Errik above her. His dark eyes glittered as he raised his mace again. This time she had nowhere to run. Her breath stopped. Her hand closed around something metal.

A large chunk of rock suddenly connected with the large man's head and he stumbled dropping the mace. Confused she looked past him. Asakura was loading another chunk of rock into her sling.

Errik overbalanced and fell forward. She pressed against the ice as his weight slid over her and off the ice bridge. His hand caught her tunic. The ice bridge slid away from her. She tumbled head first into the abyss. Just before her legs vacated the bridge she tried to release her wings, shoving them out hard to rip through her tunic.

But the padding of her armor was too thick. Her wings were halted halfway out and her heart seemed to jump into her throat as the realization hit her. She couldn't get her wings out. She was falling.

The metal in her hand scrapped against the edge of the bridge and she automatically clutched it tighter, scrambling for something else to hold onto. The ice ripped into her hands, taking off skin. Her shoulder bounced off a protruding chunk of ice and she flipped over, gasping with pain. She was falling.

Then the metal in her hand caught something and her body yanked to a halt. Her shoulder screamed in protest but she held tight to the object. Her hands immediately sought hold and she managed to find an alcove to slide her aching fingers into. One of her feet found bracing below and she hugged the cliff face tight. She closed her eyes, letting her breathing return to normal before she looked down. Just a foot below her the edge of the bridge ended and the air opened below her. Quickly she snapped her eyes back closed. The ice against her cheek hurt but she dared not lean out. Somewhere above her she heard Asuna's voice. The sounds had died down and she knew the battle must be over. The princess's words echoed around her.

"Well, that was fun. I missed most of the battle! I'm so complaining to our lovely leader. Where the hell is she?"

"Setsuna?" Kiona's voice sounded scared. Setsuna carefully glanced up, opening her mouth to call out.

She stopped when she saw what had stopped her fall.

A slave collar was clutched tightly in her gauntleted hand. A thick chunk of ice had slid through it, catching it as she fell past. Dimly she realized it was probably the chunk her shoulder had smashed into. Just next to her thumb was a nick in the collar. A nick where a little girl had fallen out of a tree...

I won't always be there to save you.

The voice echoing in her head did not come from the mountains. She stared up at Collie's collar, remembering her friend's smiling brown eyes. Her tears froze on her cheeks.

"Setsuna?"

She looked past her hand. Asakura was leaned out over the edge of the bridge, her white face staring down. "She's here! Everyone, she's here!" The Ahrimani spun to call the others over, her red hair whipping across her face. Setsuna felt a little dizzy looking up like that so she put her forehead against the ice and focused on breathing steadily. Something slapped her arm and she felt coarse fibers brush her cheek. They had dropped her a rope with a loop tied into the end. Carefully she slid her arm through then ducked her head into it.

"You in?" Asuna called.

"Yeah," she managed. She leaned back, testing her weight against the rope. It held. With trembling legs, she removed Collie's collar from the ice shelf it had caught and pulled it close to her chest, grabbing the rope with her other hand. Slowly she was lifted back to the bridge. "That better not be Rakan's ass hauling me up," she yelled. Asakura's wild laugh bounced around her and she felt a small smile creep onto her frozen face. Finally hands gripped her shoulders and she was tugged up onto the bridge. Chisame and Chao dragged her a few feet away from the edge, laying her down beside her saddle and bags. Collapsing on her back she took deep breaths, letting her heart rate return to normal. Kiona knelt over her, checking her over for major wounds. She lay limp letting the old woman tend to her.

"You'll live. Just a bunch of bruises and a pretty little cut on your nose." Kiona patted Setsuna's stomach and stood to continue her work on the rest of the company.

Setsuna jumped as someone jerked on her tunic. Konoka yanked her into a deep, fierce kiss. Taken completely by surprise, Setsuna's arms floundered for a better hold on the ground. Cat calls and whistles rang around them, laughter following. Just as suddenly as it began, the kiss ended. Konoka dropped her tunic. Setsuna landed back in the snow, dazed but smiling. The princess suddenly turned red and laughed, dropping her gaze. She peered back up at Setsuna through her lashes, looking all too adorable. Setsuna cocked her head to the side.

"Get over here, little lady. Let me see that side." Kiona pulled Konoka away, sitting her down and making her lift her tunic. The princess's right side was split open and bleeding profusely. Setsuna scrambled to her knees and watched as Kiona pulled a drawstring bag from her pocket and pulled out a glob of nasty green paste that she spread over Konoka's wound. Konoka winced. She caught Setsuna's eye.

"Not bad for my first time, I think."

"Not bad at all," Setsuna sighed, shaking her head. She turned and looked around.

Asakura was sitting alone, swinging her sling in careless circles. Chisame was making her way through the bodies laying around, gathering her spears. Vaiden was doing the same for his arrows. Magden had a large gash in his cheek and Chao was holding a spare shirt to it. Akashi was stripping off his armor. Ashlyn was wrapping a bandage around Ayaka's head.

Asuna looked up from her place beside Ayaka and yelled to Rakan. "Hey, old man. Get over here and give us a little help cleaning up!"

He stood on top of a pile of men, his war ax buried in the snow beside him. "Hell no! I'm not moving until someone counts my slain. I beat you this time Haruna!"

"You dream, you old pervert!" Haruna yelled from atop her own pile.

"Why do we keep returning to the 'old' thing?"

Eva was rolling bodies toward the edge of the bridge. Kotaro was moving down the line of slaves with a key he'd obviously taken off one of their foes. Each slave was freed, even the two fallen. Akira lay on her side not far away, Kaede and Negi bent over her. The Shark's tunic was ripped open and her blood was soaking into the snow, painting it crimson. Setsuna rushed over, slipping a few times on the ice.

"Is she ok?"

Kaede's forehead was beaded with sweat. Her hands were covered in blood. She held the wound closed, focusing. Akira's breathing was ragged and soft. The ninja opened one fox-like eye. "No. The wound is right on top of a chi point. Negi thinks he can heal the flesh but if that chi point is too damaged then she may lose the use of this side of her body."

"What can I do?" Setsuna knelt. For a moment Kaede just shook her head then she stopped and opened both eyes, looking at the swordsman.

"Do you remember when I showed you my chi?" Her voice was suddenly warbling, nervously excited.

"Yes, when we were training."

"Try to do that again, but on Akira. Focus hard."

Setsuna nodded and set to it. At first all she could see was the blood. Then soft blue light filled the wound, dancing along it's torn edges and deeper into Akira's body. "I see it."

"Focus harder. Can you see a point inside her that glows brighter?"

She bit her lip, staring harder. The blue light that led into Akira's wound suddenly encompassed her vision. The ice bridge disappeared and she saw darkness surrounded by blue light. The light moved and shifted and coiled before her. It all seemed to be moving in one direction. Her eyes followed it. A small point in the light glowed dimly, pulsating and flickering.

As if from far away she heard her own voice. "I see it."

"Focus," Kaede's voice seemed even farther away. "Can you see my chi?"

Setsuna blinked. There was a green light shimmering along the edges of the blue light. It glimmered like green fire on water and she found a point in it that shone brighter than the rest. "I do."

"Focus your chi into that point. That's all you need to do."

Setsuna took a deep breath and strained her mind, feeling her chi rise in her stomach. She forced it down into her hands and out into Akira. As soon as her chi entered the Shark's body she saw it. The red light flared to life, shooting down the blue chi lines, racing the green, twining with it, dancing beside it. When it hit the chi point she held it there. Somewhere in the distance Akira moaned.

"Hold steady. Here it comes."

Pain shot through her side and Setsuna hissed between her teeth. The red chi line faltered.

"Hold, Setsuna. Help me."

She held, holding her chi steady on the pulsing blue speck of light. Kaede's chi wrapped around it, running through it, pushing it. The pain grew worse and ebbed then repeated. Akira moaned again. Her hands felt warm. Her legs quivered.

Come on, Akira... She silently prayed to Keiran and Sora. She'd never been much of a believer but she felt they needed all the help they could get.

"Ow," Akira said.

The world appeared again around Setsuna and she rocked back onto her heels, blinking in the brightness of the day. Kaede had fallen back on her rear, her head bent between her knees. Negi's sweat glistened on his skin and with a shaky hand he removed his glasses, wiping them off. Setsuna looked down at Akira. The Shark's wound was closed and scarred lightly. Her eyes were open. She lifted her arm and flexed her fingers, grinning. Setsuna gave her a tired smile and flopped back into the snow.

Asakura dropped to sit beside her. "Well, my hero, do you still think my skill with a sling should be questioned?"

"Definitely not, Master Slinger." Setsuna laughed, placing a shaking hand on Asakura's knee. The redhead suddenly looked at the hand, her smile half fading.

"So you and the princess?"

Setsuna shrugged. "I haven't a clue what to say about that." She chuckled. "What about the slaves? Are they safe?"

Asakura was watching Konoka. "Yeah, they're safe." She sighed.

Setsuna frowned at her. Why did she look so sad?