The setting sun painted the horizon in a cacophony of colors; a mix of purple, red and orange decorated the sky, making it quite the sight for anyone watching. A lone glass was raised up, its owner looking at the masterpiece of nature through the liquid inside. Kyoya Gaen inspected the landscape before him with a note of disinterest. He swirled the contents of his drink, watching the sun's light dance across the fluid's surface.

A sudden glare caught his eye and he blinked. When he refocused his eyes, there was a reflection in his glass that hadn't been there a moment ago.

"Sofia," he said in mock surprise, as he turned to face his guest. "Fancy seeing you here. I take it you enjoyed your little jaunt to Legend World?"

"да," Sofia replied. "It was…entertaining."

"I'm gad to hear it," said Kyoya, still looking at the picturesque landscape distorted through the glass. "Though I hope you didn't have so much fun that you forgot your objective there?"

"Of course not. The weapon was infused with Disaster energy, as well as given the Purgatory Knight's fang. It reacted just as you had hoped."

"Wonderful. I'm sure Demios will be tickled to know his fang was put to good use." Kyoya paused to take a sip of his drink. "I take it you were successful in your mission?"

"Unfortunately, there were a few unforeseen complications…" She paused, and Kyoya was almost certain he could detect a bit of frustration seep into the girl's tone. "Gao Mikado's Buddy, Drum, was there, along with two others. The Dragowizard, Qinus Axia, and a local swordsman stopped our endeavors."

Kyoya chuckled quietly and held his drink up to the light once more, watching as the glare faded away with the setting sun. "It would be a glare from the sun that blinded us. That one seems to have a knack for obscuring my view of the world, and it probably won't be the last time either."

Sofia watched on, silently questioning the boy as he gazed into his glass. "They've also obtained a new power from that lake," she noted, her voice back to its usual tone of indifference. "Both of them now have an affinity for Legend World."

"I suspected as much," Kyoya said with a shrug. "That just promises more fun to be had in the future." He waited for a moment for Sofia to continue, but when she didn't, he asked his next question with a shorter tone than he had before. "And what became of the sword you were working on?"

This time, Kyoya could detect a bit of apprehension mixed in with annoyance in the girl's voice. "It was stolen from me."

"By who?" Kyoya asked, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

"A sorceress who I enlisted the help of, Morganna," Sofia replied curtly. "She used the commotion that followed my escape to make a break for it. It seems she took it and her colleges with her.

Kyoya's expression relaxed considerably, a now genial smile gracing his features. "Oh, well that's a relief. I was almost afraid the Buddypolice managed to get their hands on it." He raised his glass up again, pressing it to his mouth as if to take a drink, but instead just let the liquid brush against his lips. "And you're sure you didn't tell anyone about the card's true purpose?" he asked when he was done.

"I am confident that neither the dragons nor the knights suspect anything more than what they saw," Sofia replied, nonplussed by Kyoya's bizarre actions. "The witch might find out something if she keeps it, though."

"I wouldn't worry about that. If anything, I hope she does. It'll be much easier to test that card's potential without having to oversee it ourselves." He finally lowered his drink, downing the last of it in one gulp before turning back to Sofia. In his hand was another Dark Core, its surface gleaming in the last rays of the fading sunlight. "Our next plan won't be as involved, but it will require patience and a fair amount of oversight. I'm certain I can count on you to see it through."

"As you command," Sofia responded dutifully, taking the Dark Core and hiding it in her robe.

"Just be sure you remember to give our newest 'friend' back what you borrowed,"Kyoya said as he settled back in his chair. "You know how temperamental he gets."

He didn't hear Sofia's response, but a glance at his glass told him that the girl had already left. He gave a small chuckle and looked over the landscape, the ocean now basked in the soft moonlight.

"The sun has set, and a raging thunderstorm is on the horizon," he murmured to himself, grinning broadly. It was pure hyperbole; the night sky was clear, aside from a few scattered clouds. However, the young man felt a twinge of excitement run through him with his next project underway. "Now the real fun begins."

It was a calm day that greeted Magic World's Pavilion. The work week had just begun, meaning plenty of monsters were in the middle of their daily transit. The streets were littered with dozens of wizards and demons of all shapes and sizes, each one prepared for their daily grind.

What they were not prepared for was a giant airship appearing out of nowhere and hovering through the open skies. Still, it wasn't the oddest thing Magic World had ever seen, and while a fair few took a moment to follow the large aircraft to see where it would land, most of the denizens regarded it with mild curiosity for a moment before going about their daily lives.

However, Magic World never did anything in halves, and before long, a small crowd had gathered to watch the airship glide smoothly through the empty sky, making its descent to an open area on the outskirts of the city. This did not go unnoticed by the ship's passengers, who were all watching the city from the deck at Axia's suggestion.

"We're attracting quite a bit of attention," Shosetsu observed, leaning on the railing as he watched a portion of the crowd below began to follow their ship. "Are you sure we received clearance to travel in this?"

"Of course I'm sure!" Suzuha replied confidently. "They're just astounded at the marvel that is the Amanosuzu group's technological flagship!"

"It takes more than a fancy ship to throw Magic World monsters off their game," Axia remarked with a touch of pride, though he would deny any claims to that. "Though it is pretty impressive, they're most likely more curious than worried."

"Is that why they're down there gawking at us?" Drum pointed down to the forming crowds, and while he couldn't tell if they were gawking, Axia saw more than a few binoculars trained on them.

"They might think we're here as some part of a promotion, or transporting a special guest speaker," Axia supplied. "The Universities often send invites to high-ranking monsters, and a fair amount of them have been known to be rather…flashy."

"Hmm, we wouldn't want to mislead the public. This is only supposed to be a drop off, after all," Suzuha said as she started down the hall. "I'll get a statement ready, just in case. You three enjoy the view!"

Both dragons nodded, but were surprised when Shosetsu followed after the heiress.

"Where're you going?" Drum wondered.

"Back to my room," answered Shosetsu. "Nice as the view is, I'm still feeling tired. I'll squeeze in as much rest time as I can before we land."

Drum shrugged in acceptance, turning back to look out the window. He never saw Shosetsu's small grin, but Axia did, and the dragowizard was all smiles as the two returned to sightseeing. In the distance, the Grand Library of Magic World graced their sight, the massive spire of knowledge gleaming with the sun's light. Drum and Axia both watched with an odd sense of nostalgia as the ship passed it.

"It feels like it's been ages since we last saw it…" Axia said wistfully.

"A lot has happened since then," replied Drum. "A lot of bad things," he huffed irritably, but then looked at Axia and smiled softly. "But more than enough good to even things out."

That had Axia smiling bashfully, too caught up in the compliment to give a proper response. All at once, his daydream during their ballroom dance didn't seem so out of reach. And it would be such a nice place for it, he thought, practically picturing the scene as it played out in his mind. The two of them, having conquered incomprehensible odds and returning triumphantly to where they began. Hand in hand, ready to take on any obstacle.

Axia inhaled, as if deciding to say something, but stopped when Drum spoke up.

"I really gotta thank you for what you did in the forest," he said, breaking the silence. "I would've been a goner if you hadn't shown up."

Axia had to take a breath. It was like a segue was being built before him, and he could almost feel himself start to shake with anticipation. He calmed himself, and swallowed what little saliva was in his mouth to wet his dry throat. "It was nothing, Drum-kins," he replied, his voice calm despite how anxious he felt. "You know I'd do anything for you."

"Yeah, never met another dragon like you," he said. "Even when I took off and left you with Gao…" he paused, mulling over the thought for a moment before continuing. "Can I ask you something, if you remember? About your time with Gao." Axia nodded quickly, still too robbed for words. "Did he seem…" Drum chewed his lip apprehensively for a moment before continuing. "Upset at me?"

Axia was taken aback by the question, but did his best to give a good answer. "He… was confused at why you left, but he seemed more sad than angry," he answered, remembering just how much Gao had sulked after Drum's abrupt departure. "It didn't stop him from using you in his deck, though." he finished, smiling softly as he remembered how happy the boy was when Drum did return, and won the fight afterwords.

Drum let a out a sigh, his body relaxing, and went back to smiling. "That's a relief."

"Was your nightmare about him?" Axia asked tentatively. It was the only event he could think of to prompt Drum's question, and while he didn't like reliving their time in the forest, he wanted to make sure he had his facts straight.

Drum was silent for a long while, with nothing but the light hum of the engines to fill the silence.

"He was angry at me," he said at last. "He was angry that I'd abandoned him again, so I could get stronger without him. I guess I always thought I'd abandoned him, and that curse dug deep enough to find it. After that, he…" he swallowed heavily, and Axia gently lay his hand over Drum's, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "He died," Drum forced out. "I don't know how, or why… but I found him, impaled near a tree. I felt his blood on my claws…" he gripped the railing tightly, and it was all either dragon could do to keep from breaking into tears.

"Drum…"

"Then my father came… disowned me for failing my Buddy…" he snorted out a choked laugh. "You'd think that'd be enough, but I knew what his family would think. I knew I couldn't face them without telling them… It all just hit me at once…" he trailed off, and shook his head as he took in a shuddering breath.

Axia didn't know what to say to that, so he decided to just talk. "In my nightmare, you were callous. Hateful, even. You insulted me without any remorse, and blamed the entire fight's loss on me. I was ready to fall, but I knew you could never be so hateful. When I touched that illusion, I felt nothing but cold, and I knew immediately that it was fake." He pulled Drum's hand from the railing and held it with his own. "You could never be like that. You're not that kind of dragon. You may be impulsive and stubborn, but you're loyal, and kindhearted. A true noble dragon."

Drum chuckled and wiped away the moisture from the corner of his eyes. "You're just sayin' that…"

"I mean it," Axia asserted, looking Drum dead in the eye with all the conviction he could muster. "And don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise."

Drum looked back into Axia's eyes, almost shocked by the firm stare he was given. It seemed odd coming from the usually bubbly dragon, but it left no doubt in his mind that the dragowizard was serious about what he said. "Thanks, Axia. I needed that."

It was an odd feeling for Axia. So many of his dreams were right in arms reach. If he wanted to, he could say his feelings, and be met with a positive response. There would rarely be a better time than now. But, after hearing Drum's thoughts, his will wavered. Three simple words would change their lives forever, make way for a plethora of new emotions and opportunities. It could be the start of something wonderful… or disastrous if one of them had regrets…

Axia took breath, his decision made. "Thank you, Drum," he said at last. "For being with me and helping Sho-sho." He leaned close to Drum, feeling so much safer next to the bigger dragon. "For being you."

"You know I'd never leave my friends hanging," Drum said, draping an arm around Axia.

Axia remained quiet, content to let the moment last as they both watched in mute fascination as the ship passed the Library where their journey had started.

It turned out that Suzuha's concerns were unfounded. Whatever crowds had gathered to watch the traveling air ship had dispersed once it began its descent, and by the time it landed in the small, open field on the outskirts of the big city, there were only a few monsters left spectating. There was little fanfare following the ship's docking, and the last of the crowds left once they were certain there wasn't a special event happening.

"Well, that went better than our last landing," remarked Drum as he lead the group off the ship. A ramp had lowered from the lower end of the ship, and he strolled out into the field once it clattered against the ground.

"Yeah, we actually managed to keep the ship intact this time!" added Axia, strolling leisurely behind Drum.

"It's a good thing too," said Shosetsu. "The cleanup effort of that last ship took months. We're still finding bits and pieces of it in on the school grounds."

The group continued to banter down the ramp, but stopped when they saw a lone monster still waiting on the field. At first, they thought it was another spectator, but the figure waved to them as if he knew they'd be arriving.

"Wait a second," Drum squinted his eyes at the figure, and then gasped in realization. "Hey, that's-!"

"I hear you delivered your cargo successfully," Asmodai said, cutting Drum off. "Didja remember to fill in the invoice?"

Axia paled slightly, but Drum was on the warpath, his nostrils fuming as he marched up to the Demon Lord.

"Do you have ANY idea what we went through?" he bellowed as he stomped in front of Asmodai. "You sent Axia alone to a different World and gave Shosetsu permission to explore a cursed forest by himself when you don't even have any jurisdiction with either of them! All while knowing full well what that place could do to them!"

"I didn't know you knew so much about inter-World affairs," said Asmodai, still smiling smugly at the red dragon.

"I've been training in a lot more than just combat, but that's not the point!" Even Axia raised an eye brow at that. Drum sidestepping his achievements was very rare indeed. "The point is both of them could've gotten injured or worse! Heck, we pretty much were! And all you can ask is 'did you fill out the invoice?'!"

"I'm guessing that's a no on the invoice, then?" Asmodai smirked. Drum snarled, preparing to go on another rant, but the outgoing demon beat him to it. "I didn't send anyone alone. I was actually planning on you guys to team up." He paused and thought for a second. "Well, Axia and Shosetsu anyway. You were a complete unknown in all of this."

"You mean you went behind both our backs to get us to team up?" Axia wondered, sounding hurt. "But why?"

"Well, your last interaction didn't end on the best terms," Asmodai chuckled. "Something tells me you would've been a bit hesitant going with the guy who knocked you clean out if I told you about it in advance. So, I decided to nudge you in the right direction."

"And if neither of us made an offer to team up?" Shosetsu stepped in, a stern look on his face now.

"Then I would'a stepped in and caused a ruckus to get you two to see eye to eye!" he answered with a shrug. "All incognito of course. I can be very convincing when I wanna be! But when I saw Drum tagging along, I figured you had it handled. And I was right, wasn't I?" Both swordsman and dragowizard shot cross looks at the exuberant demon, making him wilt under their gaze. "Tough crowd…"

"You were right, Drum," Axia huffed, leaning against the red dragon. "He really is a sneak!"

Drum smirked as Asmodai feigned an injured tone. "Your distrust wounds me!" The demon moaned. "Is there no faith amongst us Buddies?"

"No!" Both dragons said in unison, glaring at the demon lord.

"I suppose we do have to offer you some manner of thanks," Shosetsu spoke up, drawing confused looks from the monsters. "Regardless of how underhanded your methods were, you did end up helping us despite this whole issue being out of your jurisdiction."

"I'll admit, it was a bit unorthodox to come to me to pull some strings in a Legend World dispute," boasted Asmodai. "But I didn't see the harm in it. I am a pretty influential Demon Lord, after all!"

Drum scoffed. "More like an influential pain in the-"

"That reminds me, Drum!" the demon cut in, "Gao's been asking about you. Last he heard from Jack, you were in Magic World, but they hadn't heard anything from you for a while now."

"He's not…mad, is he?" Drum wondered, a small tremor in his voice. Despite Axia's previous reassurance, the forest's wounds were still fresh, and he was very glad for the dragowizard's presence right now. Axia looked worriedly at Drum and took his hand into his own, holding it gently, the red dragon instinctively reciprocating.

"Mad?" Asmodai parroted. "Hardly. Just a bit worried is all. I mean not even the Buddy Police could track you down, so of course we were concerned. Lucky for you, I managed to track down where you were heading before falling off the grid! I just told Gao you were visiting some old friends. Though that's not going to hold up if you take another day."

Drum sighed in relief, and shared a small smile with Axia. The dragowizard giggled and smiled teasingly at the bigger dragon, as if to say 'and you were so worried'. Drum gave a playful scoff, but still smiled fondly at Axia, finishing their nonverbal conversation.

Asmodai, having watched their interaction with great interest, smiled boldly at their new found closeness. Even he had to admit he would never have guessed Drum would get in touch with his sensitive side during their trek, and it was nice to see the usually uptight dragon acting more easygoing. But that didn't mean he couldn't poke fun at him.

"Incidentally, what were you guys doing that first day?" He grinned cheekily when he saw how deeply the dragon pair blushed at his question. "You were in the Grand Library for quite a while. I got some serious flak from the head librarian for having that section quartered off as long as it was. Seriously, what were you two doing in there?"

"That's none of your business!" Drum barked indignantly.

"Honestly, you should know better than to ask personal questions like that!" Axia continued, just as incensed.

"Touchy, touchy!" Asmodai snickered. "Alright, I won't pry, but you really should get ready to go."

"Yeah, yeah," the red dragon huffed. "You could at least give us a few moments."

"Some monsters have no consideration for others," Axia picked up. "I want to give my dragon a proper good-bye."

His dragon, Drum found himself smiling stupidly at the thought. It was such a subtle acknowledgement of their newfound closeness, and it gave him the confidence to ask something he'd had on his mind since the start of the ride home.

"Hey, you wanna come with us, Axia?" Drum asked, smiling wide. "It'd be great to have you back, and I know the others would wanna see you again! We could even fit in some more training back in Dragon World. And after that maybe… y'know…" He trailed off, and felt his face heat up as he put on a hopeful smile.

Axia felt his face heat up as well, and despite the swell of happiness he felt, he wore a sad smile. He'd already made his decision. "I'm so glad you want me to come with you, and it'd be wonderful to see the rest of the group again… but I can't." It hurt to see the bigger dragon's face fall, but he put on a brave face before he lost the nerve. "Right now, your place is by your Buddy's side. I wouldn't dream of making you choose something else."

He could see the red dragon argue with himself mentally, trying to find a way to convince him to stay, but they both knew he couldn't spend equal time with both him and Gao. Not in the way he really wanted to.

"Axia…" Drum's voice was desperate, as if he didn't know what he could say.

Still, Axia was determined to have them both see each other off with a smile.

"These last few days have been some of the best of my life, and I'll never forget what we shared together," he continued, staring over at the setting sun. "I know that, somewhere out there, my own Buddy is still waiting for me. When I come back, I want them to be by my side, so I can stand by yours with pride."

Drum's eyes widened and he barely managed out a grunt of affirmation to the teal dragon's words. Hearing the rejection hurt more than he'd like to admit, but he couldn't help but respect Axia's determination.

A subtle movement brought his gaze downward. Axia had reached out a hand in a platonic gesture, made with the knowledge that the red dragon wouldn't want a sappy display of affection in front of a crowd. His eyes widened when Drum opened his arms in response, a dopey grin on his snout.

It was all the invitation Axia needed, and the Dragowizard charged at Drum, immediately feeling those strong arms wrap around him. No words were exchanged, each dragon simply enjoyed being so close to the other for as long as they could.

The remaining humans watched in silence while the two dragons said their goodbyes. Paruko quietly excused herself and warped away to finish her editing, though not without taking a quick photo of the embracing dragons for her own collection. Suzuha held a hankie to her eyes, bemoaning the loss of her 'perfect couple' and future wedding plans as she returned to the ship.

After the others had left, Shosetsu took the opportunity to speak with Asmodai.

"Was all this really just to help Axia realize his potential?" he asked quietly. "You couldn't have possibly foreseen he'd awaken some inner power."

"Hey, I hung out with him long enough to know he's a pretty good scrapper," Asmodai replied with a wink. "And I knew something good was bound to happen if I let him tag along with you."

His carefree response only served to unease Shosetsu. "Why Axia in particular? Surely there must be other Magic World monsters to choose from?"

"I'm making my Buddy the future King of Magic World," replied Asmodai, matter-of-factly. "Ain't no reason I can't give him some extra help. Even better if it's from somebody he already knows. I think Axia would make a great ally someday, don't you?"

"And your Buddy's parent's are alright with such a prominent demon molding their son's future so thoroughly?"

The demon lord gave an ominous grin. "Hey, what they don't know won't hurt 'em. Right?"

Shosetsu's eyes narrowed at the demon's phrasing. "Even still, I don't know if Drum will readily let you draft his new boyfriend into an army," he said crossly.

"Well, that's not his call. That's all on Axia." Shosetsu's glare sharpened, but he was cut off from saying anything when Asmodai yelled out, "Not to break this reunion, but the sun's setting. The others are gonna start to worry if we don't head back soon."

Drum huffed and broke the embrace, but kept his hands on Axia's shoulders. He looked away bashfully, as if trying to decide on what to do. His emotions played on his face as clear as day, and it made Axia's heart flutter, seeing the dragon he so admired want to express his affection so openly.

"Jeez, if you two are gonna make out, get on with it already!" Another one of Asmodai's playful jeers came from behind.

Axia had expected Drum to yell back, but he found the red dragon looking even more pensive.

"Don't listen to him, Drum… I-" Whatever Axia had wanted to say, it was interrupted when Drum pressed his lips firmly against Axia's own. Asmodai let out a snicker, but neither paid it any mind. The kiss was just like the one they shared in the forest, short and tame, but enough to show just how much the two felt for one another. Neither had any complaints when it ended.

"This isn't a good-bye," Drum said after catching his breath. "It's just another break."

"If that's what you call a break, I can only imagine what you'd call a 'welcome back'!" Asmodai called out before being hushed by Shosetsu elbowing him.

Axia's blush grew fierce, and he was grateful that Drum blocked the others' line of sight. He felt better seeing the red dragon look just as embarrassed, yet still manage to give a knowing wink.

"Right… a break," Axia said breathlessly, finally pulling himself together. "Until next time."

Though they had said their goodbyes, both were hesitant to be the fist to move away, and it took another call from Asmodai to spur Drum into action. The red dragon finally turned away from Axia and slowly headed back to the ship, walking up the ramp with evident hesitance.

It isn't too late… The thought roared in Axia's head when he saw the ramp start to raise. if I hurry, I could catch them and… He closed his eyes, blocking Drum from his sight, and shook his head. No, not yet. I need to try my hardest in finding my Buddy first. If I do, I can say for certain whether I could stay with Drum or not.

He opened his eyes, and waved to Drum just as the ramp fully closed. He watched on, mind set, as the massive air home slowly took off, cresting over the horizon before disappearing through a portal, off to Dragon World…

"So," a voice called from the side. He turned and looked at Asmodai. "Now that you've got some free time, there's something I wanted to discuss-" He barely got the last syllable out before he was staring down Axia's spear, along with a very irate dragowizard.

"I heard what you two were talking about, we both did," his twitched his ear fins, tapping the flat of the pointed tip against Asmodai's chin. "I might be thankful to you for setting this up, but don't think that I'll be joining with you anytime soon. Got that?"

"No need for the incentive, pal. I hear ya loud and clear," replied Asmodai, smiling even as he directed the spear away from him with his finger. "Drum must've really rubbed off on you if you're this aggressive."

"I'll take that as a compliment, thank you very much!" Axia huffed, and turned to start his own journey back.

Asmodai watched in silence, still smiling broadly. He's gonna go far, he thought, and vanished in a flash of light.

Drum had taken to wandering around the outer balcony once the ship had arrived in Dragon World. He watched as they passed the Gargantua ruins, a sign that they'd reach his home soon. He knew he could easily fly back now, but he still had too much on his mind.

"Are you alright?" came a voice from behind him. Drum turned to see Shosetsu walk towards him. "You're only this pensive if something's bothering you."

"Very funny. I'm fine, it's just…" Drum honestly didn't want to talk about his predicament, not after the tremendous teasing the swordsman had given him, but he knew he wouldn't be able to talk to anyone else who knew of what had happened for a while, and decided to open up. "You ever feel like your brain is screaming at you for making a dumb choice, but also telling you that you didn't make a mistake?"

"Once or twice," answered the swordsman. "I'm guessing you're having second thoughts about Axia?"

"I can't have any second thoughts, he's the one who chose to go…" muttered Drum. "A part of me wishes he could come back… but at the same time, another part is telling me how complicated it'd all be! Trying to balance out how to spend time with both him and Gao, especially with all the work I've got coming up…" He bowed his head, resting it on the railing. "I wanna go back and be with him, but I can't just leave Gao like that…"

"You want both, but can't figure out a way to work it out," Shosetsu surmised. "Very rarely in life can you get exactly what you want. Sometimes, what you think you want might not be what's best for you at that moment. Oftentimes, you need to make compromises."

Drum looked at him, hanging on to what he said. Whenever the human wasn't being snarky, he seemed to have some wisdom to him.

"As of right now, it might not be possible for you to have it both ways," continued Shosetsu. "but you must be patient. There might come a time when everything falls into place. Until then, remember your time with him, keep the memory alive inside of you."

"You really think he and I can…?" Not even he knew what he was asking at that point, but Shosetsu seemed to get the gist of it.

"You never know until you try."

Drum could only grin as that mantra made its way back to him, his answer having been staring him in the face all along. He gave a nod to the human and went back to watching the scenery pass by.

The two stood in silence, watching the mountains of the Gargantua ruins turn into plains, until the intercom system crackled to life. "We're high above the skies of the Bunker Clan's training ground," Sebastian announced. "Please be ready to depart."

"This is where I get off," Drum said, looking over the edge of the ship. "You sure you're gonna be okay going home by yourself?"

"Relax, Drum. I'll be just fine here," replied Shosetsu. "Besides, I'll have Suzuha for company."

"Yeah, that'll be a treat. You get to hear her moaning over the loss of her new favorite couple," he barked out a laugh, a little surprised that he found it easier to joke about it. But it was a good feeling, and he turned back to the human with an easygoing smile. "Well, if you're sure, then I'll be off. It was fun fighting with you."

"The feeling is mutual," Shosetsu nodded. "Time permitting, I'd like to face you and Gao in a Buddyfight sometime. We never did get to have a proper rematch."

"I'll always be up for it, and I know for sure the kid will be too." Drum looked back over the edge and waited until they came close to a small mountain range. He turned and nodded one last time before jumping off.

Shosetsu balked and ran to look over, fearing the worst. He sighed as he saw Drum had shrunken down to his SD form and was gliding on the current with his wings.

"That dragon certainly loves to be dramatic," he sighed deeply, and took a deep breath. The air smelled crisp, with the faintest hint of smoke in it. It was quite appropriate for Dragon World. The tension from so many dragons going through their training made the atmosphere reminiscent of Sengoku. But there was something else in the air, something that he still couldn't pin down…

"You're still uneasy," Durandal noted. "What's troubling you?"

"It's probably my imagination," Shosetsu replied. "I just can't help the feeling that there's something amiss…"

"You keep that thinking and you'll end up giving yourself a head cold, much less a headache," Suzuha said as she made her way to the deck. "You really need to learn to relax a bit more."

"It's in my nature to worry. Don't worry, I'll be…" As if on cue, he sneezed loudly, startling both himself and the heiress.

Suzuha offered him a hankie. "See what I mean?" she tittered. "You just got done saving the world and you're already looking for another emergency. You're on the maiden voyage of my newest flagship, equipped with luxuries most cruise ships only dream of! Enjoy yourself a little!"

"Thanks, but I…" he sneezed again, much harder this time, and doubled over as he contained it in the heiress' hankie.

Suzuha's playful expression fell, replaced with concern. "I was just joking before, but there might be something seriously wrong with you."

"You needn't be so concerned, I'm…" his breath caught as he looked at the hankie and saw something decidedly strange. "Seaweed…?"

"Oh dear!" Suzuha gasped. "I was right, you are sick! You have Silly Seaweed Syndrome!"

"Silly…?" he couldn't finish his sentence, overcome as he was with a hearty case of laughter. "Oh, thank you. I needed that."

Suzuha glared at him. "I'm being serious. It's a condition that affects humans who ingest uncured Magic World seafood." She hummed curiously to herself, brow furrowed in thought. "But I never used any Magic World ingredients in your dinner, so where…?"

"I… did eat some rations from a Magic World bento during our adventure," Shosetsu supplied, looking warily at the seaweed in his hankie.

"Really colorful stuff that tasted just a little too spicy?" She expected Shosetsu's nod, and sighed when she received it. "That'd do it. Alright, mister knight, come along!" she grabbed his clean hand, pulling him back into the ship. "Full steam ahead, we need to get back to Earth ASAP!"

Back inside the airship's cargo hold, Morganna smirked from her hiding spot. A massive lurch signaled the ship's change in direction, and she could feel the world shift around her.

We're finally leaving Dragon World, she thought happily, a smile playing on her lips. She had sensed a strong presence when they had arrived in Magic World, one with a strong magic sense, but it seemed that she still held the element of surprise. She let out a sigh, and looked past the crates, seeing Mordred return to her. She had sent him off to pick up information; a test of loyalty, one could call it, to see if he would bolt at the first opportunity.

Her worries were unfounded, and the knight came to kneel at the sorceress's feet. "The crew appear to be busy with that swordsman, Lady Morganna," Mordred reported. "We're en route to the human world now."

"A stroke of luck," the woman said with a smile. "We can sneak out undetected and blend in with the populace. I assume you can disguise yourself amongst a crowd of humans?"

Mordred nodded silently, and the two shrunk back to blend in with the shadows. The ship lurched again, and the two waited for their chance to escape. Hidden amongst the crates, the handmaidens never saw the pair as they retrieved more supplies. Morganna grinned sharply, allowing some of her excitement to show as her plan reached its next phase, but none of the personnel were any the wiser as they brought the scheming sorceress to the human world…

As he neared the Bunker clan's training grounds, Drum slowed his descent, transforming once again back into his full size to let gravity do the rest of the work. He hit the ground with more force than he thought, and he had to stay crouched down for a while before his legs would obey him again.

Glad no one was around to see that… he grumbled as he righted himself.

"Drum, you're back!" A familiar voice called out. Drum looked up in time to see Gao run over across the plains, Tasuku and Jack trailing not far behind him.

"Back and better than ever," replied Drum. "Sorry about disappearing on ya."

"It's cool. I kept myself busy helping Tasuku babysit," Gao laughed while Tasuku coughed gently, looking off to the side in a rare display of embarrassment. "But from what Asmodai said, it sounded like you had your own adventure. Wish I could've come along."

Despite the light tone, Drum had a flashback to the forest illusion, seeing his Buddy's scowl and his accusations. He knew that Gao wasn't mad at him for his actions, but it still stung him just a little to hear him sound disappointed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to go off without you. Everything kinda happened at once, ya know?" he looked at Gao firmly, and with a bit of a cocky smile. "Next time, though, I'll definitely take ya. That's a promise."

Gao was thrown for a loop at how serious Drum sounded, but smiled at the idea of World jumping. "Awesome! I can't wait!" With that, he lead the group back towards the training grounds proper. "So, how was Magic World? Jack said you were visiting an old friend." His grin turned mischievous, and Drum had a hard time not breaking out into a blush. "That wouldn't happen to be Axia, now would it?"

Drum nearly stumbled, all color leaving his face at the thought of Gao learning of his and Axia's time together. "I… wha- KID!"

All three burst into laughter at Drum's terror-stricken look, Jack and Gao doubling over while Tasuku tried desperately to keep his hidden.

Feeling slowly returned to his face, and Drum pouted when he realized it was a joke. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," he huffed.

"Aw, we're just messing with ya." Gao said once he calmed down. "It's great that you got back together with him. I told you you'd miss him!" He said with a smirk.

Drum looked away, smirking coyly. Kid, you don't know the half of it.

"C'mon, you gotta tell us all about it!" prodded Gao. "You were gone for a while. Something cool must've happened!"

More than you'd wanna know, Drum thought. "Can we at least get some food first?" he asked. "I haven't had anything to eat for hours!"

"Really? I'm surprised you didn't eat Axia out of house and home," Gao teased.

"I didn't go to his house!" Drum almost squawked, and he was sure even his orange scales we now tinted red. "I went to the library!"

"You stayed at the library for 3 days?" Gao asked, now genuinely curious about what his Buddy had been up to. "What were you doing there all that time?"

Drum hesitated, his eyes going to Jack in hopes of an answer. But the green dragon looked far too amused to offer any support. "Yes Drum," he began, wearing a knowing smirk. "What were you up to all this time?"

Drum balked as the three ganged up on him, deciding to tell a half-truth to satisfy them. "We studied…" he answered carefully, "and nothing more…"

"Studied?" asked Tasuku, voicing his disbelief. "What were you studying?"

"I'll tell you after we eat," Drum insisted and sprinted ahead of the group. The others called out after him, but he'd had enough of their teasing. Drum glanced back toward the mountains, Suzuha's ship barely a speck in the distance. It really was an adventure to remember, and he'd tell them all about it.

Someday…

FIN

AN: Hello my dear readers and thank you all for sticking with my story all this time. Now, for those of you worried that this might mean the end of Drum and Axia's adventures together, fear not! Yes, this chapter of their lives is over, but there's more story left to tell! A sequel story is already in the works, and I hope you'll join me there to see through the next leg of their journey! So, for now, a brief parting. Until we meet again!