Hi! This chapter is not one of my favorites and I even considered not posting it. However, I really wanted to show how Fai learned all his little acrobatic skills. Tell me what you think^^

When he woke up Mangetsu was leaning over him. There was some blood caked in her hair and over her shoulder he could see that Damien had a long cut down the side of his face. Mangetsu smiled before grabbing his hand and helping him up.

"Well, you'll probably never have to do it on someone twice anyway." She smiled sweetly at Damien and, for a moment, she seemed older.

"Damien, do you have anything to say?" He sighed.

"I-"

"I think it would be better if you bowed."

"What?"

"Kneel."

He looked like he was about to argue, but thought better of it. He went down on one knee, put one fist on the floor and turned his face to the side, a classis Celesian bow.

"I apologize for hurting you. You are above me and I was out of line. I am… I am… Oh blood, do I really have to say this?"

"Yes, you do-"

"No! You don't…"

They both looked at Fai, who blushed at the sudden attention.

"I mean, I accept your… apology. Really, it's alright." He looked at the bleeding cut on his face.

"Mang-mang, did you do that?"

"Maaaybeee…"

"Well, undo it." He tried to put some authority into his voice. He wasn't used to it though, so it came out rather shaky and he decided to hope that she took pity on him and did it anyway. Her laugh did not raise his hopes.

"Now, why would I do that?"

She was laughing, but there was a dangerous tone to her voice. She was angry. Angry to the point that he was probably lucky the cut was all she gave Damien. He decided to 'logic' her into submission.

"Because you can't just go around doing that to people."

"He did it to you."

"That's different, we kind of told him to."

"We did not! That's the worst argument I've ever heard!"

"Mang-mang, please," He voiced another issue, "I don't want you to get in trouble."

She looked at him.

"You are such a girl, I mean really. No one is going to notice a cut on a guard."

She glanced at Sylvia who was sitting in the corner, absorbed in her book. With out looking up, but sensing that she was being watched, she responded.

"Do what you want. Don't drag me into it. If anything happens I will blame you."

Mangetsu smiled brightly.

"Screw you too, Sylvia."

Fai tapped her arm.

"Mang-"

"Fine, here," She stepped in front of Damien and licked the tip of her index finger.

"Magic spit?" Damien smirked.

"Shut it or I'll leave a scar."

She touched the tip of her finger to the beginning if the gash and silver sparks jumped. She dragged her finger down the wound and as it passed over, the flesh knitted itself together and glowing with a faint silver light as it healed without a trace of a scar.

"There."

She turned to Fai as Damien stalked off.

"I guess you're done with combat training for the day?"

"Yes please." He liked Mang-mang, but fighting was not his thing. He was hoping they could find something else to do.

"Good, we can work on flips."

Fai slumped.

"Why?"

She laughed, but this time it was more good-humored.

"Fai, you're tiny! Your best bet in a fight is to be hard to hit. In Ruskia, they used to have whole competitions for flipping and tumbling."

She started by showing him simple things; Shoulder rolls, cartwheels, handsprings. When he got those, she started showing him more difficult things; Back flips, front flips, and cork-screw turns. He picked it all up faster than he thought he would. After an hour or so, Mangetsu's face lit up, something Fai had learned to fear.

"I should show you beam!"

"What's beam?" He asked, curious, but wary. If she was that excited, it couldn't be good.

"Well, you know those competitions I told you about?" She didn't wait for an answer, "There was a whole category of flips done on a wooden beam." She ran her tongue over teeth before snapping her head towards Fai.

"We could use the railing out front."

Fai shuddered. The railing that curved around the hallway outside of the room had a four foot drop on one side and a fifteen foot drop on the other.

"Mangetsu, the railing curves, it-"

"Oh it's a wide arc and up in front of the door," She gestured to the double doors at the front of the room. "It's practically straight!"

"I-"

"Look," She simmered down, "I'll do it first because I haven't done it in a while and I miss it. I'll only make you try one flip and I promise I won't let you fall. Far." She blinked at him hopefully. Fai hesitated, then, beating his better judgment over the head, he nodded his consent.

"Okay."

"Yay!" She jumped up and threw arms around his neck excitedly before grabbing his hand and leading him towards the door.

She grinned maniacally when she reached the railing, running her hands along it, getting a grip.

She grabbed it suddenly and gave a small hop, picking her feet up off the floor and putting her weight on her arms. Slowly she pulled herself up into a handstand. Despite the fact that she had once again shortened her skirt, it was made up of so many stiff layers of fabric that it stayed in place perfectly.

From her handstand, she pushed herself up so forcefully that she went airborne that she went airborne before flipping over and landing on her feet. She did a few complicated tumbling passes before dismounting with a perfect corkscrew turn and landing lightly in front of Fai. He gapped.

"Ready?"

"Umm…Well-"

"Sure you are!"

She nudged him over to the railing.

"Let's go, stand up."

He took a deep breath and awkwardly clamored up onto the railing where he clung, straddling it. Mangetsu's patience snapped.

"You have to stand up."

"I know, I'm getting there."

Slowly, he pulled his feet underneath himself and gingerly stood. The top of the railing was level, but he wobbled anyway.

"Um, Mang? Are you sure I can't just walk a little and get down?"

"Yep! If I have to do whatever you say," She lowered her voice, "Magic wise, than you have to do whatever I say when it comes to this. Besides, you're less likely to fall doing a handspring than you are walking."

Fai made a face.

"How did you come up with that one?"

"Simple," She plopped down on the floor and crossed her legs. "Your handsprings were pin strait before. When you're in the air, your body will take over and not lat you think too much. If you walk, you'll over think it and make yourself lose balance. Now get going before I push you."

Fai did not put shoving him to his death past the temperamental girl and so he brought his hands up over his head.

He heard the thunk of his hands hitting the railing and bouncing himself over and then he was standing, facing the opposite direction. After a few seconds he heard giggling.

"Feel free to open you eyes."

His eyes snapped open and he saw her grinning up at him. She took his arm and helped him down. He checked his balance and looked at her, eyes wide.

"I did that, right? You didn't help me at all?"

She shook her head.

"Nope, that was all you. You're stronger than you think."

"Huh." He smiled. "That was kind of fun."

She snorted.

"Beats the hell out of lettering. C'mon, let's go get something to eat. Then maybe we can go find Damien." She looked thoughtful.

"I like him. He's an ass-hole, but I like him."

So? What do you think? I really wanted Mang-mang to be a gymnist and I kept picturing her on a balance beam. If you want to see the routine that inspired me to write this, go to my Youtube channel (My username is Himetsukineko) and look through my favorites for a Nastia Liuken olympic beam routine. While you're there, check out my uploaded videos. I've made a lot of KuroFai AMVs and one of me doing Taekwondo to "Heads Will Roll" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Don't forget to review ^^

ありがとう

ShingetsuXMangetsu