So I'm back, just started playing the game again. Started from scratch. Forgot most of the sequence. Still aware of the end partially, but none the less I want to try to finish this because well. I do like the paring. So I'll make the most of it. Anyways hope you enjoy. (I was thinking about doing a re-write. maybe sometime in the future...Anyways the show must go on...)

XXX

Road to Gallopolis - II

XXX

It felt like hours.

Maybe just because Serena was in heaven but they didn't seem to be making an progress.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Serena heard Erik question. She could see from over his shoulder that he was now glancing down at Veronica. The mage in question now had the responsibility of being map coordinator with Serena being out of commission.

Veronica grumbled, grabbing the map tied to her belt satchel and unraveled it for what might have been the twentieth time.

"..From what I can see...Yes." The young mage squinted. "It's just so hard to see."

"Let me have a look." The thief demanded and her sister's cheeks instantly puffed up defiantly as she pulled away, distancing herself from the group.

"I-it say's so right here!" Veronica exclaimed. Pressing right index finger to map. "It's just a few more yalms..Yes of course...A few more yalms." While her voice seemed confident the shimmer of her eyes displayed a clear nervousness on the matter.

A sight that which did not go unnoticed to the perceptive thief as he trudged forward to catch up to the runt.

"You have no idea where were going do you?" He stated plainly. Veronica gapped up at him like a fish out of water.

"Wha-"

"Even holding the map upside down." Trunk's voice appeared. He had been standing overhead on Veronica's left side, observing the map. Veronica sputtered, squeaking an apology as she immediately flipped it around to it's correct side. Trunks nodded approvingly and peered a bit closer. "Were actually on the other side of where we need to be now. We should have turned right at the fork."

"Some help you turned out to be." Erik chided in annoyance. Veronica swirled back towards the thief, eyes glowing brilliantly as she gripped map in hand. Trunks tried to wave her down, worried she might accidently set their only map ablaze.

"Well it's not like its my fault that its so dark outside! Whose brilliantly idiotic idea was it to travel so late anyways?"

"Not mine clearly!" Erik snapped back as the two began to bicker once again.

Serena immediately felt a stab of guilt in the back of her brain.

After all it had been her decision to traverse like this.

If she hadn't gotten injured perhaps they could have waited until morning. Instead they were left with the choice of crusading it in the darkness. Trunks as dispatcher of monsters, Veronica as map wielder, and Erik as her own personal pack mule.

"S-sorry." She breathed out softly. However her voice continued to go unnoticed between the twos constant yelling match. Serena's brow knitted at being ignored. A common practice of the current party dynamic. Serena groaned, head dropping disappointingly as she burying herself into Erik's shoulder once more.

She wondered if Erik was getting tired of carrying her on his back like this. At first she had been in heaven. Drinking up the way his cheeks glowed whenever she reached out to heal Trunks. She was positively sure she had heard him comment about the closeness of her breasts that pressed against him whenever the motion was made. Serena could only laugh and apologize profusely. Erik on the other hand would simply just grumble and never once made motion to drop her. So Serena figured she must have not been as heavy as her sister perceived earlier.

Nonetheless Serena decided to give him a break, and tried to squirm one of her legs free whilst he was busy combating her sister. Shockingly almost immediately he stopped and quickly glanced back to check up on her.

"You alright?"

Now it was her turn to sputter as a flush of red dashed across her face.

Good thing it was so dark! Her heart almost leapt out of chest.

"A-are y-you?" She managed weakly.

Erik blinked almost owlishly.

"Well yeah. I haven't been fighting so I'm not really injured or anything."

"Ugh, your stupidity is aggravating." Veronica glowered. "Serena's just asking if she's too heavy. You dummy."

"D-dummy?!" Erik exclaimed.

"Now now." Trunks began, a bit louder and more in control of the situation. "Now's not the time to be dallying about. The longer we linger. We'll surely be-"

"Duck!" Serena cried out but Trunks was a bit slow to react and was knocked in the head by a charging chimarea. The Luminary face planted into the sand and was seemingly out of commission. "Oh no, Erik quickly let me down!"

"Shit, not a chance." Erik cursed. "Besides there's more of them." Behind the proud Chimaera two skull riders slowly approached. "If I set you down. You'll be an easy target."

"Worry not you two." Veronica cut in as she finished tying the map back to her side. "For your savior is here." Serena watched as her sister gathered her mana, before casting a Frizz spell on the beast and dispatching it it instantly. "Give me a moment and I'll handle the other two as well."

"Erik now." Serena demanded hurriedly when one of the skull riders darted towards her big sister and nearly slashed her with its flame blade. Luckily only the heat from the blade burned the tip of her red hood. "Please while they are distracted."

The thief seemed reluctant but eventually Erik agreed to set her down especially when Veronica screamed. The mage had just barely survived a wide slash from the second skull rider's attack by hiding behind rock. It's steel blade being bounced back at it's self and causing damage mistakenly.

Veronica took the momentary squander as a pivot chance to release a sizzle upon both riders. The one who hurt itself disintegrated quickly into mere rubble. The other however jumped up into the air, dodged its would be timely demise.

None of them expected to be met with a blast of sand that came forth from the beast swinging down its tail. The blow made all three grimace in discomfort. In fact it slowly became their unfathomable source of distress and there was really not much any of them could do about it.

After all Veronica couldn't make out the monster through the burning sensation in her eyes and because of that, Erik too soon found himself overwhelmed. Especially so when the rider took a turn to aim another sweep of the leg directly at him.

Serena could barely make out the flecks of blood in the wind as Erik gasped out in pain. He had now fallen to one leg beside her. His hands now gripping at his left leg in agony.

Unfortunately Serena was unable to distinguish just how extensive the damage done was. All she knew was that the situation was now seriously grave because Erik had not made one attempt to counter. Instead she could hear a string of curses under his breath, clearly not happy with his current situation. He must have felt like dead weight, a feeling she was most familiar with.

And all of it was her fault too.

Serena took a deep breath and slowly managed to balance herself upright. It was strange to feel cool sand brush against her exposed toes. It was nothing like the snow in Arboria. Back then she couldn't feel anything at all. Her feet were so numb to the cold that it didn't feel like anything special. This environment however was different. Serena could feel the warmth to a degree and she liked it. It was very nice despite the awkward feeling of a few flecks mingling against her wiggling toes.

"The hell do you think your doing!" Erik roared. "Stay back and let your sister handle this! Your in no condition to be-"

"Shut up!" Serena snapped back after feeling agitated upon being reminded that she was partially dead weight. "I'm quite fine. I don't need to be babied." She chided, finding her voice through the whipping sandstorm around them. "It's you Erik, who is in no condition to fight!" Serena slid into stance, and pulled her mace from side. "Leave this to me!"

It was odd of her to expel mana as an attack, but she knew that sometimes you must put yourself into an awkward situation in order to resolve it. So she had no choice but to summon her mana and gather it to push out. "Woosh!"

Her magic, while not as strong as her sister to deliver a one-hit blow, was somewhat effective to a degree. The Sandstorm illusion around them broke away and with the air now cleared, sight was restored for the most part. "There-There it is!" Serena called out as she pointed to the now exposed skull rider. "Now Veronica, turn it to ash!"

"I-I can't." Veronica responded wearily making Serena's brow raise as she shot her sister a confused look. There she saw her older sister desperately trying to rub her eyes. "I think something is stuck... I think I'm going to go blind." There was a panic in Veronica's voice that made Serena's heart twinge. She had never heard Veronica so fearful. It made her want to run up to her sister and give her a comforting hug, but right now it would have to wait.

They were still, after all, engaged in battle.

If only the Luminary would stir.

Things would surely have been easier. For now all she could hope was that the skull rider continue to focus on her. But unfortunately it's gaze once more shifted towards Veronica's sobbing.

"Stop!" Serena cried out loudly trying to draw attention. She wasn't as loud as the others, but with panicked resolve, Serena wouldn't let her voice hold her back. Instead, she glanced at her mace cunningly and then with a quick-witted determination she threw it out right - hitting the monster in the face. Knocking it right out off from it's mount.

"Nice!" Erik commented, giving her a solid thumbs up. Serena glanced back to give him a wide smile. That was the first monster she had ever felled on her own since they became a team. It was nice to receive some recognition.

Serena wondered if it dropped anything useful, but found herself freezing in place when she heard a chattering cry. Glancing back, she realized the skull rider had only been temporarily disabled. Now however, it had gradually recovered turning attention to her, the now, very unarmed healer.

Erik's voice caught her attention. She looked back at him. He was up on his feet again, and made small attempt to move forward. He however fell back onto the ground with a 'tsk.' His balled up right hand connecting to the ground with clear irritation. He needed to be healed. He just couldn't move otherwise.

The beads of sweat forming from forehead made his wound appear more dire than anticipated. In fact it could have been poisonous too. "It's fine. I'm alright." He weakly told her as if catching her gaze upon his leg. "Just come over here and heal me." His right hand now was outstretched towards her. "You know how fast I can be. Just trust me...I won't let it harm either of you."

Serena felt her own hand ball up. Had she still had her mace, she could have healed from Erik from a father distance but now it was gone and her mana wasn't strong enough to preform such tasks. She need to at least practice and meditate some more before having the power to exert herself more freely. This meant she needed to turn her back on the monster leaving herself exposed. She couldn't do that it was much too dangerous. "Serena please. Please trust me. Now's not the time to be hesitating!"

She should trust him.

Erik had been carrying her all this way, it was the least thing she could do.

Erik was strong.

Perhaps even stronger than Veronica at the moment given the circumstances but still...Still Serena didn't want to give up on her sister.

If she did - Veronica would surely waver and question her abilities and Serena just couldn't allow that to happen. She needed to become the sister that could be relied upon.

"She needs me. I want to be stronger. For her." Serena replied so lowly that she wasn't sure if Erik heard her or anyone for the matter. She just was so darn determined to be more than just the healer. Serena just couldn't shake the resolve of wanting to be the voice to guide them when they were lost. "V-Veronica!" Serena called out loudly. "Focus on my voice!"

"I-I'm trying! I swear!" Veronica snapped back. "But I-I just can't seem to open my eyes. I don't know what's wrong!"

"Then quit trying to open them! Just aim towards my voice instead!"

"Are you two insane?!" Erik bellowed, "Serena, why is this so hard to understand? Just come here and heal me! Darn it!"

However Serena just wouldn't budge. She just couldn't and wouldn't risk the slight chance of being exposed for an attack completely. At least like this she could push the lone skull rider away for a bit longer.

Again she chose to shift her weight and ignore the begging thief. "Veronica, steady your breathing. You can do this, can't you?"

"J-just...Say the word."

Both sisters nodded in union and in that moment the skull rider proceeded to lunge towards Serena.

"Serena!" Erik called out in worry, but Serena would not falter.

"Veronica - now!"

"Frizzle!"

Serena felt the burn of skin from flesh recoiling, but it was only for a moment and then it was gone.

Along with the enemy. "Is it dead?" Veronica asked uncertain if she had managed to help or hurt the situation.

Serena calmed her quickened heart with a deep breath.

"Dead." She responded with a sigh of relief.

Somehow they survived.

"Oh thank goodness." Veronica commented as she plopped down on her bottom. "My eyes are killing me! Can we please stop some where and get some water. I need to rinse my eyes out! I can't take it anymore! It feels like I'm dying, I tell you, dying. I hate being here!"

Serena rolled her eyes at her sisters antics and finally made her way back over to the thief. He looked positively annoyed. She didn't blame him either, considering she basically outright said to his face that she didn't trust him.

"Sorry." She managed as dropped to her knees to prepare to heal him. "It was for Veronica's-"

"Just. Heal. Me." He responded cutting her off, again refusing to look directly at her. Serena sighed, this was not what she had intended. They were finally getting along again after Hotto and now she had gone and done something irresponsible. She never meant to hurt Erik, she just wanted her sister to be more confident.

With furrowed brow, she gathered her mana into her right hand and placed it over his left leg. She heard him wince, and grit his teeth but tried her best not to get overly emotional about it. Once the cut had vanished, Erik rose back on his feet. Though he did not offer a hand to help her back up rather simply thanked her, and that alone would be enough for now.

At least it was something.

Serena managed a small smile.

Something was better than nothing.

XXX

Sorry for any errors. I'll try to be better at catching them!