Kayi and Carlos blinked in the sunlight.

"Hmm, it takess you three longer than a handicapped bangaa to get down to here," Starkin said. He leaned on only one staff, his favorite, a plain staff divided into sections and had a crystal orb on top of it like a grapefruit on a pole.

"Starkin! How-" Kayi was just saying. "Did you find out about the Love-"

Starkin had a new addition-the old bangaa had two leg braces."I know many thingss," he answered cryptically.

"Well, Starkin, do you remember our glory days as part of the Crystal Bane Clan?" Bruno asked.

Starkin didn't reply. The glazed-over, wistful, and extremely regretful and sorrowful expression was all Kayi needed to tell that the "glory days" were the highlight of her bodyguard's life.

"Well," the nu mou said. "Well, Starkin, our Dragoon, our Crystal Bane Clan is back." Bruno motioned towards the trees.

Sixcreatures stepped out. The first to appear was a Thief. He was just as young as ancient Bruno was old.

"And who is this?" Starkin asked. "Sstrange, you look familiar."

Bruno smiled, his face wrinkling. "This, Starkin, this is Layfette, son of our comrade Willy the Ninja."

Layfette raced forward to greet Starkin with the eagerness of a young boy. "Sir Starkin! My father told me all about you-"

"Hush, boy, we'll all explain when everyone comes out."

A new figure appeared. A viera Red Mage stepped out, holding her rapier proudly.

"Starkin, Maria, daughter of Sonya, who cannot be with us today due to her illness."

The third figure to appear was a middle-aged Defender bangaa. Or at least he seemed middle-aged until he approached and was seen to be only a tad bit younger than Starkin.

"Desssmon!" Starkin exclaimed. They embraced. "I thought you were dead."

"Not dead, just living peacefully. But that can be the same thing," the old Defender said. Starkin may have shed tears at his old comrade's arrival, but Kayi wouldn't have seen.

The fourth was a moogle, a Gunner. He was young and as fluffy as a dust bunny.

"Lief, Peter's son," Bruno said.

The final sixth warrior came forth in a very dignified manner, which, despite her old age, seemed easy to keep up. An Assassin a little bit younger than Starkin came out of the trees.

"Layla," Starkin said softly. The Assassin kissed him softly and embraced him. "Many yearsss."

Now Kayi saw that the Glory Days weren't the only highlight of her old mentor's life. Layla was just as equal to the days, it seemed, when he still fought in Dragoon armor.

The Assassin seemed very sorrowful to see the braces and the lack of spears on Starkin. Layla held him for a while, then became self-conscious and back away.

"I believe that I've made our little reunion very clear. This, by the way, Sir Carlos the Juggler, and Lady Morgana's daughter, Kayi," Bruno said.

Three ancient gazes and three young ones pierced Kayi's mind. "Umm... Hello?" Kayi said softly. "Hi!"

Bruno broke the silence with a huge grin, the only genuine smile that Kayi had ever seen from the decrpyt old nu mou. "Anyone going to frog out?" he asked.

It was clearly an old insider joke, for the origanal members started laughing, until Starkin started to wheeze and cough.

"Starkin, you're getting old," Desmon commented.

Starkin wheezed a last time and pointed to his leg braces. Kayi looked over at the older Assassin. Sorrow at Starkin's present condition prevailed on Layla's features.

"But you'll be coming, right?" Carlos asked. "You'll be coming with us, okay?"

Starkin nodded. "I hurried to finish my leg bracesjust for this. I'm not going let the metal burns go to waste."

"Excellent! We're all good!" Bruno exclaimed. The old Alchemist looked happier than Kayi had ever thought possible. "Yes, we're old, we got all sorts of diesieses, but Crystal Bane Clan's going to come back."

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A/N: Er, I'm starting to lose track of names. If anyone reading this can leave a name, specie, and job in a review, it'll be great. Thanks!

-MakoStreak