As each of the knights went their separate ways, Sir Doumeki and Sir Watanuki rode off together into the west, towards the setting sun and, conveniently, another dark (but much less expensive) forest.

"Cheapskates," muttered Sir Watanuki. "The Queen gets the full shebang, now, does she, but the rest of the worlds' not worthy of the full-fledged forest, now, are we? Maybe it's divine right that she gets the better forest? The wealth should be shared among the people, and not distributed by anything the size of a plush toy."

"Hn."

"I loathe you."

"Make soba for dinner tonight."

"I DON'T TAKE ORDERS, YOU CRETIN! AND ADDRESS ME AS YOUR EQUAL. SUPERIOR, ACTUALLY. ADDRESS ME ONLY AS THE GREAT SIR WATANUKI."

"Right."

And so Kimihiro and Shizuka proceeded on into the forest, accompanied by Watanuki's minstrels, Maru and Moro. Soon, however, their peaceful path would be disrupted by something very, very distressing.

Maru and Moro were singing as usual, serenading their master Watanuki with a song of their own devising.

"Bravely bold Sir Kimihiro

Brought forth from Camelot.

He was not afraid to die,

Oh, brave Sir Kimihiro!

He was not at all afraid to be killed in nasty ways.

Brave, brave, brave Watanuki."

Doumeki was throwing concerned glances at Watanuki, now, like he'd really prefer if he were NOT killed in nasty ways. Watanuki didn't notice as he hummed along.

"He was not in the least bit scared to be mashed into a pulp.

Or to have his eyes gouged out, and his elbows broken!

To have his kneecaps split, and his body burned away

And his limbs all hacked and mangled, brave Watanuki."

The knight of chastity had, by this point, begun to look vaguely horrified. Doumeki looked downright alarmed.

Maru and Moro trilled gleefully, "His head smashed in and his heart cut out,

And his liver removed and his bowls unplugged,

And his nostrils raked and his bottom burnt off,

And did we mention that he'd have an eye gouged out?

And…" Just as they would have launched into their description of what EXACTLY was going to happen, Doumeki stopped them.

"That's enough music for now," he said seriously. He put an arm around Kimihiro's shoulders, to steady him, and watched him concernedly.

"I-I'm fine," he reassured his fellow knight, pushing his arm off his shoulder. "We should keep going." The green tinge in his face faded away as they walked, until they stumbled upon a seemingly empty clearing.

"HALT!" came a disembodied voice. Watanuki stared, stricken, at what seemed to be empty air.

"What's there?"

"It's a knight! With THREE HEADS! Don't you see him?" he panicked, whipping his head towards Doumeki.

"Nope." He shrugged.

"INDEED! It is I, the three-headed knight, the fiercest creature for YARDS around!"

Doumeki snorted.

"Do not underestimate me, fool! Ahahahahahaha, watch as I do this!" And while the patch of empty atmosphere just shimmered slightly for Doumeki, Watanuki began to back away in fear.

"No, wait, no don't- AH!" he screamed, and one of his blue eyes very suddenly ended up a mess of blood.

"…goddamnit," said Doumeki, and he finished off the opponent (apparently a spirit or something) with his bow and hurried to call Yuuko. Who the hell though it was a good idea to make Watanuki a knight without teaching him how to defend himself?

A short conversation with Yuuko later, Sir Watanuki had half Shizuka's right eye and was thoroughly embarrassed.

"I just… let him tear my eye out?"

"Yup."

"Then I passed out, and you sacrificed part of yours for me."

"Yup."

"...why?" Kimihiro asked, looking a little lost with one golden eye and one sky-blue.

"Because," his friend answered sadly, "you should never put yourself in danger like that and you should never be hurt. You don't deserve that."

And Watanuki knew better than to argue. "Thank you," he said.

They continued on their way shortly after, and before long Maru and Moro began to do as they were employed and sing-

"Brave Sir Watanuki ran away.

Bravely ran away away…"

"I did NO SUCH THING!" At the very least, the minstrels were entertaining Doumeki, although he doubted that was the point.

"When Danger reared its ugly head,

He bravely passed out straight away

Yes brave Sir Watanuki turned about

And gallantly he chickened out.. "

"Lies! ALL LIES!!"

"Bravely bravely bravely bravely

Bravely bravely bravely bravely

Bravely bravely brave Sir Watanuki!"

"I never!"