Visas made her way towards the usual meeting spot. With how chaotic everything had been after Haku recently, she was glad that some things still stayed the same. Her training sessions with Queen Margo were something that brought her a sense of normalcy. She jumped down the rocky hillside, spotting Margo waiting at the bottom of it already.

Unsurprisingly, Margo heard her coming despite her trying to keep her steps quiet. She looked over her shoulder and then smiled when she saw the girl. "Visas. I was a little worried that maybe you wouldn't show up today." Given everything that was going on with her she wouldn't have blamed her for skipping a training session or two.

Visas laughed. "Are you kidding? Training is my favorite part of the day! I wouldn't miss this for anything!" she said happily.

Margo hummed. "You seem like you're in a chipper mood."

Visas shrugged. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Margo could think of quite a few reasons if she was being honest. "Hey… before we get started, you want to sit and have a quick chat?" she asked.

Visas looked confused. "About what."

"Anything."

She was quiet for a few moments, but then sat down beside the Queen. "Um… so, did you have a topic in mind or…?"

"I did, but I've bet you've been asked about it a lot lately. I know you probably already had a very long conversation with your mother about what happened, but you don't have to pretend nothing is bothering you. It was a big deal after all."

The girl sighed. "My dad, right?"

"I won't force you to talk about it if you don't want to. But I know at least for me talking helps get things off my chest."

Visas looked down, and then shrugged. "I mean, yeah. The whole thing was crazy. But I can't let it get to me forever right? At least I got a pretty cool scar out of it," she said. She could practically feel the wound her father had left on her back. "He literally stabbed me in the back. Funny right?" she said with a chuckle.

Margo winced. She was glad the girl was trying to get past it, but it was still clearly weighing on her rather heavily. Usually she would have told her a scar like that was something she could wear with pride. But given who gave it to her she wasn't sure if that was the right thing to say.

"Visas… if it's any consolation, you should be proud you managed to stop him at all. Back in the day me, Sarasim, and your mother had a hard enough time bringing him down as he was. So you managing to find a way to stop him as powered up as he was is pretty impressive."

"Well, I did have help…"

"That doesn't make it any less impressive. We all need a little help sometimes. You think any of us would have lived to get as strong as we are without someone else watching our backs? I could always count on your mother, Sarasim, and Star," she said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Be proud Visas. You did good."

Visas offered a small smile in return, but still seemed a tad down. "I just wish… things could have turned out differently," she muttered.

"I know dear," she said, patting her on the shoulder. "Maybe instead of sparring today we do something a little different. You haven't done ballet in a while, have you?"

"No."

"I think that might help clear your head a little more than just us sparring. And I haven't gotten to see one of your performances in a while."

Visas blushed slightly. Margo and the others who knew her always acted like her ballet routines were some kind of show. But she didn't think she was

good. Still, it wasn't like she didn't agree with her. "Yeah, that sounds okay," she said, standing up to her feet. She walked forward towards the clearing they usually sparred at, and then took a starting position.

Then she began moving. She took a few steps forward, and then twirled around, striking a pose that took an impressive amount of balance. Margo smiled as she continued to watch her. Her movements were delicate and graceful. Coordinated and skillful. She could tell that she had probably been practicing in her free time before everything with Haku had happened.

She remembered just how confused Visas had been when she had told her to start doing ballet. She couldn't find the connection between dancing and combat training. But she had found out just how helpful being able to move so quickly and smoothly could translate to her fighting skills could be.

Visas smiled as she continued to dance. She always had a fun and exciting time sparring, but there was something about her doing ballet that helped her clear her mind and focus in a way that combat just couldn't. As she continued to move about, she was unaware that another person was approaching them.

Scab frowned as he carried the struggling prince of the Underworld in his arms. While babysitting could be pretty freaking annoying, it usually wasn't too much of a hassle. You let the kid have something a little sharp and he wasn't much trouble. But sometimes he got fussy. Like, too fussy for him to handle.

The only one who could was Margo.

He couldn't find her around the castle, but he knew that every now and then she would go off to some spot around here to spar with that student of hers. He heard some of the guards talking about her. What was it that she was called? The Death Walker or something like that?

Well, it didn't really matter. He had followed her a few times before, and while he hadn't quite pinned down the location he knew it had to be somewhere around here.

Isaac whined and tried to wiggle his way free, and Scab sighed. "Knock it off. Just… wait a little bit. We'll find her soon… I think," he said, looking around.

He spotted two figures below, one of them he quickly recognized as Margo. He smiled and began making his way down towards her. Once Isaac spotted her as well, he smiled and began flailing his arms. Margo heard his all too familiar cries, and then looked up towards them.

"Scab? Isaac? What are you two doing out here?" she asked.

"Ending a hissy fit," Scab said, looking rather annoyed. "He's been whining for a while now. I'm pretty sure he wants you." He held the little prince out towards her, and Margo reached out and took him.

Isaac giggled, and Margo smiled. "Aw, did you miss mommy? She's sorry. She had to spend a little time with… uh…" Visas probably didn't want Scab seeing her dance ballet like this. "How did you find us out here?" she asked, trying to change the subject and distract him.

Scab opened his mouth to explain, but then took notice of the second figure again. He narrowed his eyes as he saw the girl prancing around. "Who the heck is she?"

Margo clicked her tongue. "That, Scab, is one of my best and brightest students. Visas Lapkus. She's-"

"She's the deathwalker?" Scab asked, eyes going wide. "She's the one all the staff was talking about? The one who walked across the Underworld by herself?"

"That'd be her," Margo said.

A smile made its way across his face, and he couldn't hold back a chuckle. "You're kidding me? Did she dance her way across it?" he asked. "Everyone made her sound like such a badass."

Margo raised an eyebrow. "And she can't be a badass because she does ballet?"

Scab crossed his arms. "C'mon, you can't tell me if this was the first time you saw her that you'd guess she was some kind of badass warrior?"

Visas, who had been too caught up into the dancing to pay attention, finally took notice of the new voice. She looked over and saw Scab standing next to Margo, and her eyes went wide in shock. "W-what's he doing here?!"

Margo frowned. "He was just dropping off Isaac. No need to-"

"Hey, twinkle toes. That's a nice dance of death you have there," Scab said, letting out another chuckle. "When Astro talked about how skilled you were I thought he meant as a fighter, not a dancer."

Margo was about to say something to try and diffuse the situation before it got out of hand, but before she could Visas let out a shout. Margo, Isaac, and Scab all looked confused as she began charging towards them. "What the…?"

Visas rushed in front of him, and when he raised his arm out of reflex she grabbed it and then kicked out, knocking his feet from under him before throwing him over her shoulder. Margo and Isaac watched as he flew through the air and then crashed onto the ground with a grunt.

There was a long awkward silence, and then Scab sat up and glared at her. "Why you little…" He got back up and charged towards her, and Visas got into a fighting stance.

He swung at Visas, who easily moved out of the way of his fists. She raised her hands and knocked his blows aside, with the same manner of grace and skills she'd used when dancing. "I hope you're a better swordsman than you are a brawl," Visas said, managing to grab one of his arms and then swinging him away.

He stumbled forward, but managed to balance himself. "You're about to find out," he said, drawing both of his swords. "Arm yourself."

Visas pulled out her staff and then spun it around before pointing it at him. "Bring it."

Margo thought about stepping in, but decided to let it play out for now. This might help Visas blow off a little stress, and they could both use the experience fighting such a different type of opponent. If things got out of hand then she would call it off.

Scab rushed at Visas once more, swinging both of his blades at the girl. She learned back to avoid them before spinning around swinging her staff back at him. Scab raised his sword and knocked it away. "This is a battlefield, not a dance floor," he said, lunging at her again. He swung both of his blades, and Visas leaned back, just narrowly avoiding them.

She almost lost her balance, but brought the staff back to balance herself and then kicked upwards at him. Scab raised his arm to block it, and then jumped back as Visas got back up to her feet. "Too bad for you I'd kick your butt in both…" she said, smirking at him.

They moved in towards one another again, swinging their weapons at one another. They parried and dodged each strike, and Margo watched them closely. They had both clearly improved quite a bit in a pretty short amount of time. Isaac clapped his hands and laughed as she watched them go back and forth.

"Oh, you enjoying the spar sweetie?" she asked, patting his head gently. "So am I."

Scab growled as he leapt over Visas, swinging his blade down at her. She knelt down and raised her staff to block it, but then Scab landed he turned and kicked her in the back. She fell forward as he chuckled and rushed at her. "Having trouble staying on your feet?" he asked. "Guess those dance lessons aren't as reliable as you thought."

Visas placed her hands on the ground, kicking her foot back and hitting him in the gut. The air was knocked out of him, and he slid back. She smirked up at him. "Reliable enough to help me keep up with you. But that's a pretty low bar I'm guessing," she said.

Scab smirked back at her. "Bring it overworlder…"

Scab moved in again, but Visas got up and used her staff to knock up a cloud of dirty into the air. Scab stopped, not able to spot where she was at. Then suddenly something shot out towards him. Visas had extended the staff, and Scab just narrowly moved his head to the side before it clocked him in the face.

When he turned back, he saw that Visas was already in front of him. She shrunk the staff back and then swung at them again. Scab blocked it, and the two both tried to push one another back. They remained locked in place, trying to overpower one another. "You're pretty strong for a dancer…" Scab said.

"And you're pretty strong for a scrawny demon kid," Visas shot back. She managed to push him back a bit, and used the opening to take another swipe at him. Scab ducked and then swung back, aiming at her feet. Visas stepped back as he continued aiming the swords at her feet, trying to knock her off balance.

She flipped back, getting some distance from him, and then made her way towards the side of the hill nearby and began running upwards. Scab chased after her, a determined look in his eyes. Visas stopped halfway up and changed direction, running alongside it. Scab continued to follow her, and Visas began spinning her staff again and began knocking rocks and debris back at him.

Scab knocked them away with his swords, an annoyed look on his face. "So, we're just throwing stuff at each other now?! I thought this was a fight?!" he shouted.

Visas glared back at him. "You know you should have been paying more attention to master Margo's lessons! Using your environment is just as important as anything else in battle," she said, turning around and sending another rock his way.

Scab sliced right through it, and then the two met again. He thrust his blade at her, and Visas moved her head to the side, the blade moving close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off of it. Scab quickly pulled it back and then attacked again, sending a storm of slashes at her.

Visas stepped backwards, narrowly avoiding each attack as she looked for an opening for her own. Scab did his best not to give her one, keeping up the onslaught of attacks.

"You really think you got a chance to beat me with that fancy stick?" he asked, jumping forward and bringing both blades down.

Visas blocked it, and then moved to the side, slinging the blades away from her direction and then taking another swing at him. Scab ducked slightly and moved his head to the side, the end of the staff just brushing past his hair. Visas smirked at him. "I guess it's gonna be really embarrassing for you when you get knocked in the head and lose because of a 'fancy stick', huh?" she asked.

Scab chuckled before moving in again. Visas went back to blocking and dodging, but right as she spotted another opening, Scab suddenly swung one of his swords up. He had faked an opening, baiting her into letting her guards down so he could disarm her. He knocked her staff from her hand, and then knocked it away with his other sword.

Then he pointed his sword at her chest. "Alright, time for you to-"

Visas slipped past the blade, grabbing him by the wrist and then turning around and flinging him forward. He landed on the ground, but rolled right back up to his feet. Then he looked at her in disbelief. "Are you serious?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "You can't fight me without a weapon."

"Says who?" Visas asked, getting into a fighting stance. "Don't tell me you're afraid to fight an unarmed opponent? Especially a dancer like me. Should be easy, right?"

Scab smirked towards her. "Alright, if that's how you want it. But don't complain if you end up getting cut," she said, raising his swords again.

"That's only

you can cut me at all."

They both moved at the same time, and to Scab's surprise Visas actually moved towards him rather than away. She shortened the distance between them, moving past the edges of his blades. Scab tried to back up and get his weapons between them again, but Visas hit his wrists, knocking his hands away before striking him in the chest with both her fists.

Scab grunted and looked like he was about to stumble back, but instead planted his foot and threw his head forward, nailing her with a headbutt. He smiled as a bit of blood dripped down from her forehead. "What's wrong deathwalker? Is that all you got?"

Visas smirked right back at him. "As if. I'm only just getting warmed up!" She stomped on his foot and then threw one of her fists at the side of his head. He raised his weapon and blocked it with the hilt. But then Visas kicked forward and nailed him in the stomach.

As he was knocked back, he managed to swing his sword and barely nicked the girl's cheek. Despite the cut, Visas moved in yet again. Scab would admit that this girl had guts. Most people who he fought without weapons tended to keep their distance and wait for an opening. But she was intent on making her own.

He stepped forward to meet her, but when he swung both his swords in a scissoring motion, she jumped up and over him. He turned around just as she landed, and watched as he kicked her weapon up from the ground and snatched it back into her grasp. He blinked. He hadn't even noticed they'd been making their way back to her weapon.

Visas twirled her staff and then pointed it towards him. "You really do have to pay better attention to your surroundings," she teased.

"Not bad twinkle toes. But just because you have your weapon back doesn't mean you actually stand a chance!"

Their weapons clashed as he moved around one another, fighting with everything they had. Visas managed to knock him into the ground, and then jumped at him and swung her staff down towards his chest. Scab rolled out of the way and up to his feet before lunging at her.

He thrust his blade and managed to nick her side, just as Visas swung her staff and nailed him in the shoulder. Scab gripped his sword, flames beginning to form around the blade. "Are you finally ready to stop playing around? Because I don't think I'm willing to hold back anymore," he said.

Visas smirked back at him as her own magic began to rise. "About time," she said, beginning to call on her Ancestral Assistance. Once again, they moved in towards one another. They both swung their weapons, but before either could land a strike…

"Stop."

Scab and Visas both stopped just as it looked like they were about to land another blow on one another. They turned their heads over towards Margo, who was walking down with Isaac in her hands. Isaac looked absolutely overjoyed, seemingly waiting for them to start fighting again. But they both lowered their weapons as she approached.

"I think maybe that's enough for today. Don't want you two getting out of hand. And don't tell me you weren't, because I recognize that look in both your eyes," she said.

Scab grunted. Though he hadn't been cut he'd taken a pretty bad hit from that staff. He was pretty sure he tasted blood. And Visas was touching the small scratch on her face. They both looked towards one another, knowing that things had been getting out of hand, but still bitter about not being able to finish the fight.

"Lucky you. I was about to take you down," Scab said.

"You were about to catch a fist to the face," Visas countered.

Isaac laughed and clapped his hands, and Margo looked amused. "Yes, yes, you were both putting up quite a fight. But maybe next time we actually set things up for a proper spar and not just spontaneously bust out into a fight?" she asked.

They shared another glance, and then Scab shrugged. "Well, usually I wouldn't bother sparring with some kid, but… I have to admit, you're actually pretty tough." He wondered if all dancer's could kick that hard, or if it was just because of Margo's training. She did call her style the demon's dance…

Visas crossed her arms and smirked. "Well, you're no Astro but you are a pretty good swordsman. So it might be worth having a few more sparring matches," she said. She guessed she should have expected another student of Margo to be able to put up such a fight. "But just to be clear, no holding back. I don't want any excuses for next time when I kick your butt."

Scab scoffed. "Yeah right. I don't hold back on anybody. Like ever." And it wasn't like he could afford to. He didn't know what trick she was about to pull off just then, but he knew that she was a fighter so it had to be pretty dangerous.

Margo got their attention again. "What do you two say we head back to the castle and grab something to eat? I think you've had enough action for today, don't you think?"

Visas let out a breath. She didn't know if it was the dance, or the fight, or both. But she honestly felt a lot better than she did before. "Yeah, that sounds good. I could actually use a bite to-"

"I'm gonna beat you there!" Scab said, running off.

Visas' eyes went wide, and she then glared after him. "Hey! You got a head start! That isn't fair!" she shouted, running after him.

Margo watched as they ran off, a smile on her face. That had actually worked out better than she'd thought. This was going to be good for the both of them. Having a rivalry around the same level was always good for pushing someone to get stronger. While Visas had Astro and Breeze, and Scab just had the former, there was definitely a gap between their skills.

But since these two were pretty much right at the same level right now, they would make for a perfect set of rivals. Of course she was going to have to keep them in check. Otherwise there was no telling what kind of trouble they'd get up to. For all she knew they'd end up tearing down the whole castle…

She walked along after them, lifting Isaac in front of her. "We're going to have our hands full with these two. Aren't we my little prince?" she asked, rubbing her nose against his.

Isaac let out another giggle as they made their way along.

A/N: Fic for thepaladincosplays of Visas and Scab going one on one!