Author's note: Yahoo! I'm seeing Harry Potter 3 tomorrow, Hooray! Anyway, I better write this now, cause my head will be full of Harry Potter later, I thank all my reviewers now! And… on with the show, Yippee!

Paths of the heart

Chapter XII- A Sad Goodbye

Erma looked stunned.

Steve looked flabbergasted.

Even Nina looked a little suprised.

"Calm down Erma, calm down. You're only riding a dragon that has just escaped from an exploding building… Ahhhhhhhhhh!" Erma said to herself, or rather screamed to herself, noticing the rather large drop before her.

Ryu let out a large growl welcoming them to get off, as he flew gracefully to the ground. Erma, voice hoarse from screaming, and body shaking, quickly jumped off landing in heap on the floor, while Nina and Steve did so a bit more carefully, managing to not slip.

In a large flash of light, Ryu found himself back in human form panting (Erma gave another little shriek) and clutching his leg. (Where he injured it)

Steve stood there; mouth almost touching the floor, with lopsided eyebrows, pointing at Ryu in a humorous way, Nina had to laugh.

"Wha… eh?… uh?" was all his tongue could pronounce. Nina clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"You'll learn when you're older." She said in a uncanny imitation of someone's mother.

Ryu shook his head, leaning on one knee to support himself, "…No, they… deserve to know…" He said taking deep breaths in the middle of his sentences, Nina frowned.

"Let me heal you first then, Ryu. You look bad…" She said slowly.

Ryu nodded weakly, carefully sitting down, wincing slightly. Nina smiled.

"OK, huh… where's my staff?" She asked, her frown wilting.

Steve spoke up. "You mean this thingy? I found it on the top floor." He said holding up her staff.

Nina's smile bloomed again (making Ryu's face feel rather hot) as she took her staff and lifted it into the air, a white light collecting all around her…

"VIGOR!" She bellowed, as the white light swirled round Ryu, making Ryu's leg heal itself, as he clambered to his feet, gratefully thanking Nina, she smiled.

"That's better…" He muttered, coming to face Erma and Steve, "Well… you want to know what's going on don't you… very well, I will explain.

Nina and me… we aren't from this world," gasped issued from around, Erma made to speak, but Ryu interrupted.

"Let me finish first Erma. Where shall I begin… Well I surpose the best place to begin, is the beginning.

300 years ago, in the world me and Nina come from, a god was summoned, His name: Fou-Lu.

X

"You mean… we have to find Fou-Lu? But he disappeared right after he warped Ryu and Nina." Cray said anxiously.

Deis nodded, "Unfortunately, yes." Cray scratched his head.

"But… how are we gonna find him?" He asked.

"Use a tracking spell of course." Deis said, as if it was the simplest thing to do in the world.

Ursula scoffed, "But none of us know a tracking spell."

Deis rolled her eyes. " I DO know some spells you know, I'm not completely useless."

Ursula folded her armed and let out a "humph" sound.

X

"-And so we were warped here." Ryu said ending his tale, Erma and Steve were flabbergasted.

"OK…. I am officially freaked out now." Erma said.

Ryu shrugged, "It's the truth."

"Except the part about him single handily taking on a three-headed dog." Nina added.

Ryu blushed, "Well… you know… uh."

Erma giggled, then looked at her watch, "Oh my! I was surposed to have been at my mother's half an hour ago!" She shrieked.

"Ya, and I got to catch up on my life, do they still make that shampoo I like Erma?" said Steve getting no answer.

"Looks like this is goodbye then, eh?" Ryu said sadly.

Erma sighed "Looks like it… it's been really nice meeting you Ryu, Nina, I'll never forget you and our adventure, but it looks like it's time to take our leave…"

"Me too, I'll miss ya, thanks for rescuing me, I owe you one governor. But… maybe, we'll see you again, but until then… well I'm no good at these corny good-byes, but you know what I mean." Steve said giving them a wave and walking off with Erma into the now moonlight lit street.

"So… do they?"

"Do they what?"

"Make that shampoo I like?"

"How the heck should I know?"

"Well you should."

"No I shouldn't."

"Oh, shut up."

"You started it."

Ryu shook his head, as their voices slowly faded as they walked…

"So… what are we going to do now Ryu?" Nina asked from behind him. Ryu shrugged shivering from the cold,

"We should find some place to rest." He suggested after a long while.

"… But we can't go to an inn now you're secret is out, loads of people must have seen you as a dragon, they'll be looking for you soon, I know what people in this world are like…"

Ryu once more shrugged dropping down to the floor, suddenly he sprang to his feet again. Nina blinked. "What's wrong, Ryu?" She listened carefully, hearing a rustling in the bushes around them, "What's that?" She whispered.

Strange mad laughter erupted around them and a man (or rather a boy) jumped out of the bushes. This boy had raven black hair and round glasses and looked strangely familiar… Egad! It was Harry Potter!

"I expect you're thinking I'm Harry Potter aren't you?" he said in a mocking voice.

"Uh, no. Who's Harry Potter?" Ryu said eyebrows in the air.

The boy didn't even seem to hear him. "Well actually I'm not Harry Potter… I'm Michael Hill, the best mugger in the world!" he shouted, erupting into a fit of mad laughter once again.

"He's nuts." Nina whispered into Ryu's ear.

Once again Michael didn't seem to hear and said, "Well enough talk… Pie-chopping-action!" he said, and the last thing Ryu saw was a metal pipe smashing down on his head…

"Owwww…" Ryu muttered feeling a large bump that was growing on his head; it appeared that he had been knocked out for quite some while as now sunlight was now pouring in.

He leaned over to speak to Nina, but she was no where to be seen, "Nina?" he asked.

He got no response, "Nina!" he was getting a bit worried now. "NINA?" He bellowed.

"I'm over here Ryu." Muttered a small voice from behind the bush, Ryu sighed in relief.

"Come out then." He said.

"I can't…."

Ryu blinked wondering why, suddenly a cool blast of wind went by, chilling Ryu, he looked down…

Only to discover he was only wearing his underpants, he blushed.

He then got why Nina was hiding, this 'Michael' had stole almost everything they had, and when I say almost I mean ALMOST.

Nina then walked slowly out of the bush, only wearing… well… the bush.

Ryu turned away, blushing.

'This place gets seriously weirder every day…" He thought.

Author's note: I know this chapter is smaller but whatever my eyes are tired…