Arthur inhaled deeply, opening his mouth and tasting salt on the air. "So much better than the plane." His knees locked tightly around the base of Mystery's neck. A thick rope secured him and Vivi in place, but neither of them were keen on letting go just yet, Arthur clinging to the black and red scruff along Mystery's neck and Vivi with her arms wrapped around Arthur's waist.

Mystery's fur shone in the sun as he zipped along the surface of the ocean, bobbing up over the small swells. His forelegs tucked close to his chest and the rest of his body trailed ribbon-like behind him. Occasionally a dolphin or a whale would break the surface nearby, leaping into the air and crashing back with a terrific splash. The whales' landing would send larger swells their way, which Mystery promptly skimmed over. Arthur could see Mystery's distorted reflection in the water, and marvelled at the strange beauty of the eastern dragon.

"I'm gonna be so sore tomorrow," Arthur chuckled. "Well, maybe Lewis will be sore."

"That's not funny, Squire."

"Yeah, he just yelled at me too. You both need to lighten up. We're on a dragon, flying over the Atlantic. Enjoy it."

"I'll start enjoying it after you tell me what you mean by 'contingency plans'. I don't like the sound of that."

Arthur sighed, testing the knot again with his mechanical hand. Lewis fumbled with Arthur's right hand, trying to help. "Do we have to right now? There's still time, he's just up to my elbow, and I'm having fun being a dragon rider."

"Squire."

"Lewis, when you get to my mouth, tell her to lighten up, she never listens to me."

"Arthur Rebbs!"

Arthur winced. "Yyyyyyessss Vivi?"

"What do you mean by contingency plans?"

Arthur sat up straight, resting his robotic hand on Vivi's arms. "Vivi, listen. I think things are going to work out. I think we're going to make it. But just in case we don't, we're going to have to talk a couple of things out."

"I don't want to hear you talking like that, Squire."

"Well you're going to have to deal with it Viv." He craned his neck to stare back at her. "You had to set some things in order too when you weren't sure you'd make it. Gimme the decency of doing the same."

Vivi averted her eyes. "I just don't like thinking we might lose you."

He squeezed her forearms gently. "I know. But we have to think about it. First, Lewis." He took a deep breath. "If things don't work out, Lew, I don't want you to feel bad about having my body." He winced. "Lew… LEW. LEWIS." He took a deep breath. "If you'd stop swearing for two seconds and just LISTEN." He glared ahead for a moment, before resuming. "Lew, I don't have a hell of a lot I can give you, okay? Fate's been pretty crappy to both of us for the last couple years, and these are the cards we've got. So if this is what we've got and my time's up, then please, at least let me give you this. Can you do that, Lew? Otherwise…" The corner of his mouth twitched up slightly. "It's kinda gonna go to waste. OW!"

Vivi smacked him upside the head. "Not funny!"

Again, Arthur turned his head, his eyebrows pulling together. "What do you want from me, Vivi? Do you want me to flip my lid? Do you want me to scream and cry and give up and spend what could be my last few hours in a miserable heap?"

Vivi clenched her teeth. "No. Yes. I… I don't know. I just… I don't get how you're so calm about it!"

Arthur's expression softened. Gripping Mystery's mane with one hand, he carefully twisted around until he was sitting side-saddle. He wrapped his free arm around Vivi. "Vivi, over the past few months, Lewis tried to kill me. An ancient demon killed me. A crazed hell-bent medieval ghost lady tried to seduce AND THEN kill me. In your body, I might add. Lewis tried to kill me. Some weird multiple god type thing tried to kill me." His grin widened. "Some might even say the world's out to do me in."

"Squire, don't you dare."

"And you know what?" His eyes twinkled.

"Squire, I swear to dill..."

"It's alright, cause I'm with friends. OW."

"You just HAD to."

Arthur winced, cradling the side of his face but still grinning. "Look, either we'll figure this out or we won't, but either way, I'm not scared anymore. Don't ask me to go back to that Viv. I'm so done with it."

Vivi ducked her head, still holding onto him. "So. What do you have to say to me?"

"I'll need you to look after something for me, but we can talk about that when we land. You too Mystery, I need to talk to you both face to face."

"If that is the case, I advise you both sleep," Mystery rumbled. "I believe you only had a short nap in the past two days, and it is still several hours before we reach England."

"Okay, but Mystery? How's Callie?"

Mystery sighed. "Cursing everything. She's not happy you put her back in the sword."

"Well she can't fly well right now, and she can't ride on you without hurting you both, there's not a lot of other options."

"She doesn't particularly care right now."

Arthur shifted to face forward again. "He's right. We should catch what sleep we can. Who knows what we'll have to deal with on the other side."

…

What woke Arthur was the sudden disorienting feeling of hanging upside down, but what jolted him to sharp and unpleasant alertness was the rush of saltwater up his nose. His perspective twisted sharply again, and he spewed seawater, choking. "Mys-"

Mystery doubled back on himself and then shot skyward, his body twisting as he climbed.

"Squire!" Vivi screamed. Against his better judgment, Arthur glanced down. Massive, razor-sharp teeth clashed together where Mystery had been a moment before. Lantern yellow eyes the size of hot air balloons stared balefully at them as the sea serpent lunged even higher, opening its maw and inhaling deeply. Mystery's climb slowed, then halted completely as he struggled to fly higher.

"YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM!" Mystery roared, bending his body and darting forward, out of the downdraft.

Arthur clutched Mystery's mane. "Is that...?"

"Yes!" Mystery snarled. "And over my dead body!"

Arthur grinned. "I think it's over mine, actually."

"ARTHUR NOT NOW!"

"Why not? Good grief Mystery, all you had to do was wake me." He made to reach for Excalibur. His shoulder twitched, but his right arm didn't move. "Um… Lew… I need your help. Work with me?" And then his arm moved, the fingers wrapping around the hilt and yanking the blade free. "Callie, scare Inari Okami off."

The sea serpent had vanished, but behind them a second dragon snapped at the tip of Mystery's tail.

"Callie? Any time now!" Arthur urged. He glanced down at the sword, the gem dark and unresponsive. "Callie?" A shadow blotted out the moon

"FLOOR IT MYSTERY!" Vivi screamed, clutching Arthur in a death grip. "INCOMING TSUNAMI!"

Behind him, Arthur could see Inari Okami abandoning Their chase and fleeing alongside Mystery as the ocean bulged behind them, a giant swell rising as it chased the tiny group. Mystery straightened his body, flashing ahead like an arrow, gasping as he poured all his effort and magic into speed.

Inari Okami split off to the side as the top of the swell crested, curling over and splitting in two. One wave turned, still overshadowing the fleeing god, while the other hung over Mystery.

"Callie, what are you doing?" Vivi screamed. "Stop!"

"She can't hurt us." Arthur gripped Mystery's neck. "She can't. She's trying to scare us."

"IT'S WORKING, SQUIRE!"

"Yeah, I know it's working!" Arthur growled. "But she can't do anything!" He swallowed, watching as the wall of water curled over their heads and began its descent. "She can't. She can't."

Mystery's flight dipped with exhaustion, his claws trailing in the water as he pressed on. The wave dropped lower and lower. Mystery turned sideways and fled through the tunnel as the tip met the ocean and began to churn. The water was so close Arthur could reach up a hand and touch the curl over his head. They were peeling along so fast Arthur's cheeks pulled back to his ears in a grimace.

Arthur's right arm sheathed Excalibur and pointed just ahead of them where the opening of the watery tunnel was shrinking. Arthur glanced down at it in surprise as his palm began to glow, his arm shaking with the effort of holding it against their forward motion. A dark, bitter anger spiked through his chest, boiling over and pouring down his arm and out of his hand in a fireball. It swelled in his hand as his hand held it, waiting.

As the opening closed and Arthur felt the water brush the top of his hair, his arm wound back like a pitcher and hurled the fireball. The flames burst through the water, clearing a space for Mystery to pass. Arthur could hear the terrific crash of the monstrous wave spending itself on nothing, and he thought he heard a squeal of rage on the night air.

He gripped the hilt of Excalibur. "That's enough, Callie. Back to the sword."

Mystery's flight gave out abruptly and he plowed across the surface of the ocean. Arthur barely grabbed his nose before Mystery's body began rolling over and over, ducking the passengers repeatedly.

Arthur's head scraped across gravel, and Mystery's body came to a sudden stop against a pile of rocks. Mystery groaned, clutching at the rocks and clawing to climb onto them, only to slip back down.

Arthur's right hand latched onto the sodden knot of ropes anchoring him and Vivi in place, flaring white hot. The rope fell apart in a confusing mass of soggy ash. Arthur and Vivi leaped clear of Mystery, splashing into chest-deep water as the dragon shifted into a Kitsune, staggering weakly into shallower waters.

Arthur grabbed Vivi's hand, following as Mystery led them onto a gravelly shore. He made it just past the tide line before collapsing in a sodden heap, completely spent.

"Wel...come… to… Eng...land." He managed.

Arthur's eyes widened. "We… but it was going to be hours more, wasn't it?"

His right hand came up, gingerly tracing a line from Arthur's shoulder across half of his chest, and down his right leg.

"You're that far already?" He tested his leg. "Yeah, you've got that." Arthur eyed Excalibur. "Lew, do you think she knew? Was she pushing us faster?"

"Succeeded." Mystery snorted water from his muzzle, too tired to shake himself dry.

"Still confused though." Arthur's eyes narrowed. "Still wanted me dead. But didn't finish it." He turned to Vivi. "Vivi, I think my time's pretty limited if Lewis has half already. I need to wrap up with you."

Vivi nodded, shivering in the cold. "What do you need, Squire?"

"I need you to take care of someone who needs a lot of help." Arthur unbuckled his belt and pulled Excalibur and the sheath free. "Someone who doesn't want your help right now, but will thank you if we succeed."

Vivi's eyes widened. "Squire…"

"Morgause didn't take her, Vivi. She could have really easily, but she demanded I hand Excalibur over and verbally give over all responsibility to her." He stared at her steadily. "It only didn't work because Callie didn't give herself to me first. Now she has. When Lewis reaches my throat, I won't be able to command her. I can't hold her back, I can't ask her to defend, I can't do anything but watch. Viv, will you take care of Callie for me?"

Vivi's eyes glistened and she nodded silently.

"Then I, Arthur, of the line of Uther give to you, Vivi of the line of Uther, Excalibur. I give you all rights, powers, and bonds inherent in the sword, and charge you with her care."

The gem in the hilt flashed, and he could feel the sword vibrating in his hand.

"Angry." Mystery panted.

"Yeah. She thought she'd be free when I died." He pulled the gem up to eye-level. "I'm sorry Callie. But I made you a promise, whether you care anymore or not. One way or another it will be carried out." He handed the ensemble to Vivi, who buckled it carefully around her waist.

Arthur felt deep weariness sink into his bones, and he staggered over to Mystery, kneeling at the end of the kitsune's snout. He settled his mechanical arm on Mystery's nose. "Hey Buddy. You did a really amazing job getting us here."

Mystery's eyes closed. "Don't. Not. Goodbye."

"Yeah. Well. Just in case, while I still can." He kept his hand in place, squeezing slightly. "Not like I've got anywhere else to go. But you know, you're very brave Mystery. I'm honored I got to know a kitsune like you."

Mystery's eyes flew open, fixing on Arthur intently. Arthur raised his eyebrows, running his hand gently along Mystery's snout. "You remember that, right, 'Stree?"

Mystery's eyes focused on Arthur's arm, nearly crossing, before returning to Arthur's face. He whuffed quietly in acknowledgement. Arthur kept his hand there a few moments longer, before pulling away and laying down, curled up on his side. "Whatever comes next, we all need rest. Vivi, c'mon. We're all sopping but there's no wind at least."

Vivi stumbled over, collapsing next to Arthur. Mystery managed to curl himself around the two of them before surrendering to exhaustion.