Disclaimer; I don't own Dragon Knights, or anything accociated with it. We only own Liozu.

Ahh. Here you are, another of my sis and I's AU of Nadil's past as the Wind Knight. This one's (hopefully) funnier than the last. A mission to Memphis!

Warnings; um.... crossdressing.... (What? Did I mention crossdressing? Hehehe.)

A Most Unusual Adventure

"I'm bored."

Three little words, and Nadil's blood turned to ice. It wasn't that Liozu always was with him and never did anything else, but rather the fact that, when Liozu got bored, he was dangerous.

"Bored. Boredboredbored. Booorrreddd...." Sing-songed, and a muscle began to twitch in the Secretary of Security's temple. This was bad. Nadil was just about slap the Earth Knight over the head with something, like his book for example, when disaster struck.

"Since you're so bored Liozu, why don't you and Nadil go on a little excursion? I'll leave the particulars of this mission to you, but we need information on what's happening in Memphis. Something is brewing there, but they're not telling us what it is. We need to know so we can be prepared if it boils over and into Dragoon." Red eyes flashed warningly at them and Nadil fumed silently in his mind. Why did he have to go with the idiot?!

Well, it wasn't so strange really. Asimplausible as it sounded, if Liozu wasn't around, however peripherally, Nadil quickly became impossible for anyone to be near, and they did work well together. So it was a tactical decision as well as to try and save the sanity of everybody in the castle.

The loud and surprisingly on-key singing rose in the air, winging upwards like a bird in the bright sunlight, followed by teasing laughter as a protest was growled. Liozu sniggered behind a hand, before clasping them both behind his head and looking up at the sky while he walked.

"You'll stumble if you don't look where you're going." Came the cool reproach from his companion, who immediately fell silent, lips pressed together, at that show of something that could be taken for concern.

Widening his eyes theatrically Liozu clasped his hands above his heart and swooned.

"Aww, I knew you cared!" He said in a breathless voice, mimicking a love-struck young girl.

A nerve in Nadil's temple twitched before he calmed down, like water off a duck. Shaking his head, Liozu walked closer to his fellow Knight, laying a hand on one arm, which was promptly stared away.

"Relax, Nadil. It was beginning to get stuffy in the castle anyway. Fresh air and exercise is good for you!"

Rolling hooded ruby eyes, Nadil lengthened his steps a little, forcing Liozu to catch up.

"Exercise and air can be had if we train outside. No need to be saddled with a mission to some town in another country just because you felt the need to stretch your legs." Nadil said coolly, not in the least impressed with this little "excursion". "Besides which, I have no wish to further the dragons' cause and help them survive, neither politically nor physically."

Liozu shrugged, and then looked at the Wind Knight out of the corner of one eye shrewdly.

"Why are you here then? Or, rather, why are you still here? You haven't done anything to make missions we've gone on fail, or sabotaged anything in Draqueen. Why did you come here at all? Accepting being the Wind Knight? If you hadn't you wouldn't have to stand us at all." Liozu's questions were spot on for many things, and Nadil frowned fiercely at the Earth Knight, who now had gone back to look at the sky with his hands behind his head, pretending not to care about the answer, or even looking at him. It was so easy to forget that Liozu wasn't stupid, that he actually paid very close attention to everything and everyone around him.

"You wouldn't know if I had sabotaged anything." Nadil pointed out, and the brown-haired Knight only shrugged, waiting for the rest.

"... I wanted to see for myself who you all were, how you work. Second-hand information is never anything to trust. Accepting to be the Dragon Knight of Wind was an excellent opportunity."

Liozu nodded, lavender eyes shadowed by the bangs falling over his forehead.

"Know your enemy... Anyway, what will we do when we get to Memphis? We need some kind of plan..."

"They didn't give us much to go on, I'm afraid we will have to wait until we get there and are able to see for ourselves what the situation is. But why are we here? You weren't that bored." Dark purple hair moved slightly in the breeze, brushing along Nadil's back as he looked suspiciously at Liozu, red eyes narrowed.

"You were going to explode soon, Nadil. Had to give you some space to breathe and let the castle calm down. You wear on each other like a pair of badly oiled gears." Liozu's expression was negligent, and his voice light, trying to wave away his insight and machinations.
"Say, you think they will have something worth eating up there? I want to try something new!"

Nadil shook his head, and let Liozu change the subject in his usual exuberant way. Even if they both knew he was doing it, and that Nadil was letting him. Some things were just left alone between them. Otherwise their strange friendship would never work.

The city of Memphis rose in all its sunlit glory in front of them, and the youkai couldn't help just a tiny sigh of relief. In, find out whatever was going on, out and ho-back. Back, nothing else. Turning his head to tell Liozu they were going in, he blinked and stared at the empty spot beside him where the dragon had been only seconds ago.

What the..?

The seconds ticked by, and he was starting to get angry at Liozu's carelessness, anything could have happened if he just had wandered in there! The mission could be compromised, and then all this would have been in vain. He hadn't gone all the way to Memphis just to have to rescue the Earth Knight's scrawny ass and drag him home, without having achieved what they came here for.

"Hey!"

"Ah!" The startled gasp slipped out of him quicker than he could suppress it and he turned with murderous intent wrapped in icy delivery at the red-brown haired dragon that suddenly had popped up beside him again.

"H-ehehe... calm down, Nadil! I was just checking the city out!" Holding up warding hands, Liozu fell down on his butt, grinning nervously. Gritting his teeth for a moment more, Nadil frowned and cocked his head.

"And?"

"They're not letting any official what-so-ever types from Dragoon into the city. As if that isn't suspicious."

Rolling his eyes Nadil snorted.

"Are you sure that's what they said? As you said, it would be too suspicious of them to have such a restriction."

"Oh, they didn't put it exactly like that, but that was the gist if it. If we'd gone in there as Dragon Knights, which they know who we are by the way, we wouldn't have gotten any work done at all!" Liozu said with a shrug, apparently not very concerned. "But what will we do now? We need to get in..."

"Great to think of this after you exposed us as being here." The youkai said exasperatedly, absently wishing Liozu would think more before he did something.

"Oh, no problem! I said we were only on our way through, and just wanted supplies. We nip in, buy whatever stuff we need, and leave. Then we come back sufficiently disguised!" The dragon said enthusiastically, a finger pointed triumphantly towards the sky and a bright smile on his face. Well. Seemed like Liozu had thought this out after all.

"That's a sound plan. Why didn't you tell me that before you left to talk with the nice guards?" Nadil asked with a raised eyebrow, just a touch accusingly.

"Ah... ehehe... I came up with it just now..."

Groaning, the Wind Knight buried his face in his hands. Why did he have to be saddled with the impulsive enthusiast as a friend and the only one he really could stand?

He felt uneasy. Yes, definitely uneasy. Nothing up until now had ever made him feel uneasy. Angry, yes. Fear spurring on determination to succeed, yes. Anxiousness at whether his plans were going to work or not, yes. But uneasy?

Not until now.

The triumphant and sneaky grin that was plastered all over Liozu's face told it all, and since the dragon had refused to let him see what their disguises would be, he was completely in the dark. Which could have been to forestall any possible protests...

"No. Whatever it is. No." Nadil said with cool determination and denial. He would not agree to whatever ridiculous disguise Liozu had come up with. Melting lavender eyes turned towards him, large and shimmering in entreaty. He felt something strange twist in his stomach, but that only steeled his resolve. Everything had been so much easier before he met this dragon. He would not let this... this creature change him!

"Come on. You don't even know what it is! Besides, this is the best idea, no one would expect this!" The Earth Knight wheedled as he sat down on his haunches, rifling through the bundle of cloth. Picking something out, he smiled brightly up at the youkai.

"Now, go strip and put this on. Let's see how it looks!"

Nadil stared from the cloth in his hands, which was a suspicious flowery and pastel-colored piece, to the smiling and wide-eyed dragon. Shit. Manipulation worthy of a youkai. Narrowing his eyes, he stalked away behind some bushes.

"I am NOT wearing this!" Scowling furiously, eyes narrowed to dangerous ruby slits, he glared at Liozu, fists shaking in suppressed anger. While there was nothing wrong with what the youkai was wearing, indeed, it was a very pretty outfit, for a dress.

Pale sky blue, with a large flower pattern, the dress ended at the middle of Nadil's shins, flaring out slightly. Liozu coughed, ears turning red as he tried to keep in his laughter. Turning watering eyes to his furious friend, Liozu nodded.

"You're right, you can't wear that. It doesn't fit."

"So you're giving up on this idiotic idea?" While one couldn't hear the relief in his voice, Nadil allowed himself to relax slightly. And realized why his father had pounded in the lesson of "never relax at any time, even in the presence of any possible, however unlikely, friends". Because Liozu just smiled brightly and held up another piece of garishly colored cloth.

"Nope. That means you try this on!"

In the end the Wind Knight ended up in a very dark crimson dress with a high neck that followed his body, and somehow yet gave the illusion of curves. It had slits up the sides, with slightly lighter material in the skirt under the dress, and a short jacket in the same color as the skirt that was visible between the slits.

"See? That's way better. Brings out the color of your eyes!" Liozu said with a teasing grin, quickly falling silent at the "drop-dead-NOW-you-insufferable-dragon" glare that was directed at him. With a cough, he danced around the twitching youkai to catch his hair up in a ribbon at the base of his neck. Poor Liozu narrowly avoided getting future scars on his face by ducking the claws that were intent on hitting their target and doling out some severe pain.

"And NOW?" Nadil grated out, avoiding a blush because he had too much self-control, and he. did. not. blush!

"Now it's my turn!" Liozu said happily and disappeared behind the same bushes Nadil had used. /He didn't have to sound so happy about it. And I will not... damn. It is a good idea. Who would think to look after two Dragon Knights here? DAMN./ Just because it possibly was a good idea, didn't mean he had to like it, or accept it. Or make anything any easier for Liozu. His friend was going to pay.

"Ta-da!" Liozu burst out from the bushes, and twirled around, the pale blue dress flaring out around him. It ended below the knees, and the loose cloth on the chest gave a nice illusion of there actually being something filling the dress out. A wide sash was wrapped around the dragon's middle, helping along the non-existent curves. A darker violet turtle-neck under the dress covered his upper body. Liozu had even somewhere managed to get some extra hair, filling out his short mop into a high ponytail, so it was falling down his back in a soft brown fall.

"And now we're ready to roll!" The Earth Knight said excitedly, grabbing the youkai's wrist and dragging him after Liozu out on the road.

Urk. Not the words Nadil had wanted to hear.

"Noooo...!" The silent and horrified (however much denied later) moan was left behind the two Knights as they walked, right, one walked, and the other was dragged towards the city gates, laughter dancing in their wake and drowning out the silent groan of protest.

In the end it had been very easy to not only get inside the city without suspicion, but also inside the castle, and now the problem was how to find what was going on.

"Truly, that you and Miss Lina dared to travel alone! Such courage. Two young ladies like yourself are not safe on the road. I hope it was not too tiring?"

"Oh, no. Not at all. Lina and I are quite used to traveling."

The courtiers flocked around the striking young lady that had come into court the day before, like flies to honey. She may not have been called "beautiful" in the conventional way, but she cut a very impressive picture. Tall and slender, with pale, unblemished skin, shining ruby eyes (that some would shudder at), and long, silky purple strands.

Her friend was harder to catch, flittering like a butterfly from one gathering to the next, giving the very darling impression of an innocent, sweet girl, full of good humor, but not many thoughts. He wanted to kill them all. Slowly, torturously, and messily. Feeling his fingers twitch in longing for his sword, Nadil smiled tightly at the courtiers gathered around him, summoning all of his training to keep from eradicating Memphis' whole court. A soft touch on his arm and he was led away for a few, blessed moments.

"Calm down Nada. A lady of fine breeding doesn't kill when she becomes agitated by moronic courtiers... well, maybe a youkai lady would, but not a human or dragon one. Seen anything?" Liozu kept his voice low, giving an impression of two girls sharing confidences as they bowed their heads together.

"No, nothing concrete. But the King is not the one with the real power. His head advisor is the one pulling the strings. And he's been staring at us a lot. I think he knows we're not entirely what we are giving ourselves out to be."

"Or he's just hot on younger girls, Nada. But you're right. If there's anyone behind whatever it is, it'll be the head advisor. So I'm going to go and keep him company! Have fun, Nada!" Liozu laughed, waving as he dashed into the crowd and emerged a few minutes later beside the elder head advisor, quickly charming the older man into conversation.

Nadil narrowed his eyes, then sighed and turned around. Liozu knew his way through a crowd at any rate. Then he was quickly back in his simmering anger as he had to smile and be polite (not that he couldn't do it, none of the courtiers got a whiff of his real, very murderous, thoughts), entertaining and drawing attention towards himself, as Liozu tried to ferret out whatever secrets were hiding in the castle.

Hopefully it would also be the right ones.

With a thump and 'oof' the body landed on a soft bed, bouncing a little. Rolling around until he was lying on his stomach, with his chin in his palms and leaning on his elbows, Liozu looked up at Nadil where he sat at the desk in their shared room (pretending to be visiting ladies of noble birth from the country had easily gotten them the room).

"So. A ball tomorrow, and we're both invited. I think you're right about the head advisor, he knows something at the least. I've been following him around, and there's been a lot of hints dropped when he talks with certain people. I'll shadow him tomorrow, since more or less everybody will be occupied with the ball, and that ought to give me some opportunity."

Nadil frowned and put down the book he was reading, feeling relieved to be in a dressing gown instead of a dress. Liozu had a too-large, half-way open night-shirt on and giving him a fleeting chance at modesty.

"How come you're getting anything at all? They know you're there when they're talking, don't they?"

Liozu smirked, lavender eyes glittering with naughty maliciousness.

"Oh, of course they do. But they forget it more often than not. Someone as sweet and brainless as Lina will hardly remember what she happens to overhear, and if she does, she won't understand it, or the importance of it. Lina is a darling, if rather fluff-brained girl." He drawled out, hitting the pillow behind him with one bare foot. Nadil stared, and then laughed quietly.

"And you're playing it for all it's worth."

"Of course I am. What else is she good for, except for being underestimated?"

The two smirked at each other, before a realization struck the tall youkai.

"No... the ball..." he would never admit it, but the horror in his voice bled out under the iron doors of control, staining him. Liozu cackled helplessly, not stopping before his face was made acquaintance with the book Nadil had previously been reading.

The ball was a splendid thing, light and colors blending together in strangely organized chaos. Candles spread a fluttering golden glow over everything, deepening colors and casting shadows in corners. The gas lamps had been laid away for this evening to conjure the more magical feeling that actually was present.

Nadil smirked down at a scowling Liozu, who seemed less than pleased at his dress. It was a voluminous, but very fetching, thing in creamy white and pearls, a thicker train of cloth falling down the back of the dress' lower part. Not that Liozu was standing out; the dresses of the ladies were in so different styles, that there was no worry for that.

But he simply didn't like it.

With a chuckle, and Liozu's lavender glare in his back, he sauntered off to create distraction. All eyes would have to be on him, or at least not at the head advisor or Liozu. When they had confessed to not having any fitting dresses for the ball, the ladies and maids at the castle had almost fallen over themselves to find something fitting.

And, Nadil had to admit privately, as the courtiers all exclaimed over how "stunning" he, eh, "she" was, and how well the dress fit her, they had succeeded. Nadil's dress was an Empire style dress in deep purple, showing off his shoulders and neck and had long sleeves and followed his body's lines. It was, if these men and women were to be believed, "absolutely stunning". With a glance to the side he saw Liozu standing with the head advisor, playing his part to the full in hopes that his efforts would bear fruit.

"And I said I couldn't believe her... I mean, goodness..."

"Yes, yes, the audacity! If they don't know their place, they should well not..."

Letting the inane chatter of the court wash over him, smiling and nodding at appropriate places. This was all getting very frustrating, not to talk about headache inducing. Letting his eyes flicker over the decorated hall again, Nadil nearly missed Liozu disappearing with the head advisor through a side door that was half covered by a cloth draped over the wall.

He tensed, eyes narrowing.

Now, the question was, had they been found out, or was this the break they had been waiting for?

If they had been found out, every second counted since his friend could be in danger, but had they not, and this was the head advisor being careless, he needed to stay back as long as possible, to give Liozu time.

The question was, which was it? The seconds ticked by, becoming minutes, and the longer he waited, the more uneasy he felt. There was something not entirely right with this...

Making a quick decision, he turned around and headed for the door, ignoring the inquisitive calls behind him. It didn't matter if he was behaving strangely, since this could well be the last night they were here. Bursting through the door leaved him in a silent hallway, shadowed and dark due to the few and far in-between lamps on the wall.

Walking quickly down the hall and wondering which door Liozu and the head advisor could be behind, he stopped when a vague sound reached his ears. Backtracking two doors back, he listened at the door; faint sounds of what could be a struggle coming through the thick oak. Of course, it could also be two people engaging in something else entirely. Deciding to take the chance, Nadil slammed the door open, relieved when it opened.

It hadn't been locked.

The scene he met could have been worse, but also better. As it was he froze for a few, precious moments, giving the older man warning. Not that it mattered.

The head advisor was leaning over Liozu, who was bent over the table in the room, two heavy chairs having been pushed to the floor in the struggle. For anyone who had just peeked in, it would have looked as if the head advisor was just getting a little pleasure from someone who was maybe a little too young for him.

But their position hid the fact that one of the man's hands were around Liozu's pale neck, strangling him, and the other in the air between their bodies, holding a knife and trying to use it.

Liozu's sword lay on the floor a few feet away from the struggling men, probably having been kicked there. Nadil snarled when he realized that Liozu had apparently not been quick enough to anticipate the attack; his lips were slightly blue, and his face paler than it should be. The man had clearly been trying to strangle him, and when Liozu's sword had appeared, had gone for a more direct route.

Not bothering with telling the man to stop "or else", he just lunged at him, the advisor turning around in the last possible moment, throwing Liozu away from him so he could defend himself. Not that a dagger is much defense against a sword, particularly against an angry Dragon Knight, or an angry youkai for that matter, and a thrust and feint later, Nadil kicked the man on one knee, then cleanly sank the sword into his chest.

Letting the man drop where he may and not caring, he knelt beside Liozu who had sat up, the elegant curls his fake longer hair had been styled in clinging to his sweaty neck and coughing weakly as he rubbed his throat.

"You okay?" Nadil muttered, helping Liozu stand.

"A-as well as. Let's get out of here. We can leave." The brown-haired dragon wheezed hoarsely, and Nadil didn't protest. He wanted out of the dresses, and away from Memphis. He could ask what the plot had been later.

The sun rose above them, sending heat-waves dancing on the road in front of the two Knights, and a light breeze playing with their hair. The sky was almost painfully blue with only wisps of clouds on the horizon, the sounds of nature all around them. Nadil was actually thankful for Liozu's still-hoarse from near strangulation, throat, as it was as blessedly silent as it could be when one was out in the open.

"So, was he responsible for whatever had our dear officers and Lord upset?" Nadil asked, not wanting to hold off his questions any longer. Liozu nodded and swallowed to help him.

"Yeah. Apparently the old fool wanted to become the new King of Dusis, and he figured he would eventually have to kill the Dragon Lord to help that cause. There were a lot of small things involved in it, of course, but that is the gist of it." Liozu shrugged and frowned at his weak voice, turning to look at Nadil with wide lavender pools and a pout. Nadil snorted and looked away, then shook his head and laughed, stretching out an arm and laying it across Liozu's shoulders.

"We'll take the long way home, okay?"

The Earth Knight grinned and laughed soundlessly, not wanting to aggravate his throat further, eyes glittering in the sunlight. They were young after all, and away from all influence of their authorities. Better to have some fun when they could. Sooner rather than later they would have to grow up. But not yet.