"Damn! What happened to the lights!" Thatz hollered.
Rune frowned. "There must have been a blackout. The sad part is, none of us are holding anything anymore, because the authoress hasn't touched this story in so long that she forgot what was going on."
Rath sighed. "I hope she hasn't forgotten our personalities. I still like demons."
A rafter that wasn't there ten seconds ago dropped onto Rath's head. "Ow!"
Thatz and Rune spun randomly around. "What! What happened!" Rune shouted.
"Did you get hit by a flying scone?" Thatz asked eagerly.
"In case you can't see us, we're deadpanning you." Rune informed him.
"What the heck is that sappy music?" Thatz wondered.
The authoress promptly whacked him on the head. "That's Gerard Butler. Now shut up about my new obsession and get back to what little plot there is left!" She stomped out very loudly so the boys could hear her leave.
"It's a tad ironic that Jer Ard what's-his-face is singing about night while we're stuck in it." Rath mused.
Rune snorted.
Thatz whimpered. "Guys"
"Demon?" Rath responded.
"This might be a bad time to let you know, butI'm afraid of the dark." Thatz said nervously.
Rune groaned. "Oh, Dragon Lord. I'm stuck in a hospital at two in the morning with a therapy case and a bad cook who's afraid of the dark! With no electricity!"
"I guess that means we can't phone my mommy and have her tell me nice happy stories about ponies?" Thatz said mournfully.
"Demon ponies?" Rath said eagerly.
"COULD WE CUT IT OUT WITH THE BLOODY MUSIC!" Rune hollered, unexpectedly snapping at the innocent show tunes.
"Demon music?" Rath asked.
"Oh shut up!" Rune snapped. "If we only had a little fire..WAIT A DARN SECOND!" Rune slowly spun around and poked Rath. "You are Rath, aren't you?"
"Demon Rath!"
"Yes, yes." Rune said impatiently. "Summon Fire, for cripes sake!"
Rath blinked. "Um, Fire, they want to see you?"
There was a long silence. "Fire, I can't see your signs. Could you please make it a little lighter?"
There was a cracking sound, and suddenly the three boys could see each other and Fire.
"DRAGGY!" Thatz shouted and hugged Fire.
---HELP!--- Fire held up his sign frantically. "Get your own dragon!" Rath snapped.
Earth flew out and floated irritably above Thatz. Thatz promptly let go of Fire and grabbed Earth. "Earthy! Good draggy, good draggy."
Rune moaned and smacked his forehead. "I think Thatz has reverted back to childhood. Now I'm stuck with two therapy cases, and no Cesia in sight." Rune glared fiercely at the ceiling and waved his fist at it. "DAMN YOU KITCHEL!"
"I know just how you feel." Thatz said sadly. "She stole my chocolate sundae."
After a good deal of stumbling around and banging around into walls, the three finally acknowledged that they were tired, and needed sleep. Unfortunately, they couldn't find beds, so they were forced to settle for a broom closet.
"Thatz," Rune said desperately, for the love of Kitchel, could you PLEASE be normal for five seconds and sleep the same way as the rest of us? Your feet are right under my nose, and they REALLY smell.
I don't wanna! Thatz whined, pulling the sheet up to his chin, and snuggling the near-faint Earth dragon under his chin.
Rath yelped as the blanket they were all sharing ostensibly shot down two inches. THATZ! You're not the only one in the bloody closet! STOP HOGGING THE COVERS!
A loud series of snores alerted the demonic boy that the cook was not all there.
Rath sulkily kicked a random mop. Stupid Thatz...wish he was a demon so I could kill him.
Hey, you try sleeping with his feet under your nose! Rune said indignantly, shoving the unconcious human's feet at Rath.
Rath rolled his eyes. They're probably not that bad.
One whiff and he was out for the count.
Rune sighed, bunching himself uncomfortably under what remained of the covers. Well, might as well take advantage of the silence while it lasts.
Just as the doctor was about to go to sleep, a loud foghorn blasted, jolting him and the other two out of the closet.
Rath blinked, and rubbed his eyes. Hey, the lights are on!
Thatz snored, and muttered something into Earth's back.
Rune stood up and walked over to the now visible desk. There was a small piece of paper folded in the shape of a crane sitting there- with the words OPEN HERE' printed neatly on one wing.
As the doctor unfolded the origami, Rath walked over to him. What is it?
Rune read the note silently, and then crumpled it up, throwing it over his shoulder and slamming his fist down on Delte's already-much-abused-table. It's a ransom note.
Rath picked up the note and read it out loud.
To whom it may concern- or, rather, Dr. Minamo Rune, Chef' Kurosaki Thatz-
I resent having my profession referred to with little quotes around it! Thatz said indignantly, having woken up.
- and Ryu Rath,
While you idiots were running around your fool hospital like- well, like idiots, I have taken the opportunity to steal some things I believe you will miss very much. You will find that Miss Kinomoto Tintlett, Miss Kaitou Kitchel, and Miss Urameshi Cesia are, well, you won't find them, if you get my drift.
Should you wish to get them back, you will, individually, go to the towers of Water, Earth, and Wind, where they are hidden, respectfully. Garfacky says that this is giving you too much information, but I disagree.
I will tell you what I require when you have fufilled this condition.
And now- for my evil laugh.
Ahem.
Ahahahahaha! Ahahahahaha! AhahahAAAA!
- The Demon Alchemist Rath finished. Well, there's a therapy case just waiting to happen. I mean, who sits down and writes an evil laugh (1)?
That nutter gave us way too much info. Thatz said dryly. It sounds like he wants us to rescue them or something.
Then let's get a bloody move-on! Rune growled. Are you two coming or what?
Rath shrugged. Cesia can take care of herself.
Thatz shrugged. Kitchel too.
This time Rune didn't stop to think. He tore the desk off of the floor, and literally hurled it through the window. FINE! WELL I'M GOING TO RESCUE TINTLET, AND THE OTHERS IF NEED BE! He stormed through the door.
Rath and Thatz gaped at him.
Thatz said finally. There's a guy with a load of pent up agression.
Totally another Cesia patient. Rath commented. Besides, he overreacted. I never said I wasn't going, just that it wasn't to rescue Cesia. I mean, a DEMON Alchemist!
Grinning wildly, the slightly psychotic boy hopped on his dragon and flew away, in a different direction than Rune.
Thatz said flatly. Just keep telling yourself that. In the meantime, I think I'll go on a little quest for myself. After all- he added, walking out, Kitchel'll kill me if I don't at least try.

A/N: And so we leave our rather nutty heros going a-questing for their loves- who may or may not like it where they are.
In further news, look a plot! This has like three chapters left- one for Thatz, one for Rath, and one for Rune, though not nessecarily in that order. Then I may put in an epilouge. In fact, I insist on one.
Now for some delightful hinting at what lies ahead, to keep you interested (and hopefully I will never be this long again, considering school's now out).
THATZ- Has got a dance sequence coming up! Because I felt bad about chickening out with Roxanne, this time it's set.
RATH- Is going to be smart, and contact the one person very likely to help- if she feels like it. Hmm, Cesia doesn't like towers...
RUNE- Has got a fight scene coming up! Because we all know that he'd never let a guy get away with hurting Tintlet, now would he? No, he wouldn't.
(1) A direct quote from Terry Pratchett's Maskerade.
Well, review responses:
Terra89: Thank you. I personally love Tintlet and Rune, but these days Tintlet is my favorite character. Firstly, she's so pretty! Secondly, I love how devoted she is to Rune. It's really sweet. My love of her rose even more when, in book 18 she helped Rune make Lim Kanna a faerie. When others asked her why she wasn't jealous, she replied that she loved Rune so much that she trusted him implicitly, and was sure that he was right. I think this proves she's a wonderful person- and no, I'm not anti-feminist.
ShadowDown: Yes, perhaps our dear Tintlet isn't quite as innocent as she seems...
bananaluvie-rc: Bling! Correct!
aquajogger: (sweatdrops) Okay, so it kinda shows, doesn't it? I got really pissed at 19, though. Is it just me, or is the series going down in quality?
SpinningAvia: Hooray for Lim Kanna bashers! You didn't update...although maybe last night? Or sometime this summer, anyway...well, now you may never update because of the FMA obsession...
loser with a llama: At the end of the year, my school got into a cult obsession with llamas...pardon my randomness.
The Shadowess: (hands you a chocolate liqor spiked candy-cane) Enjoy. I have been trying to spike this candy-cane, but it came out all wrong...
brianna: Thank you! Sorry about the wait- DK has been going down in quality, in my opinion- and this Phantom of the Opera obsession is driving me insaaaaaane...
lena: Yay for Rune fans!
Old Fiat: Me loveses Yu Yu Hakusho. Me is obsessed with Kurama. So. Damn. Cool! (is hit on the head by InuYasha) Fine, I won't go on again about Kurama...