"Please tell me this is a joke." Kurome was, to put it lightly, not impressed with their current situation.

"I'm telling you, it was working fine earlier today." Linda was doing her best to try and find the problem with their vehicle, a task that seemed all the more monumental as the machine steamed up in smoke.

"Looks like good old Gary's finally kicked the bucket, chu." Warechu spoke solumly, and Kurome faced him with a look that screamed 'da-fuk'.

"You named it Gary?"

"Yep, chu. Guy who sold it to the shop said she was reliable and cheap. Who can resist such an offer, chu?"

Disregarding the fact that Gary was a 'she', Kurome found herself more concerned about the gullibility of the rat as she questioned his intellect then and there.

"You have eyes, don't you?" She crossed her arms. "You ever try using them, or did you just forget to turn on your brain when you saw it?"

"Laugh all you want, chu, but experience proves more reliable than simply looking slick." Warechu held up a small flip phone. "Example being this girl here. She's clean, sturdy, and best of all has never caught any viruses."

"That's a flip phone." Kurome pointed out.

"Yep, and she's better than any of the new stuff in terms of reliability, chu. Plus I can beat suckers pretty good with her too."

Great, they're even stupider than I gave them credit for. The truck was probably toasted, and Warechu directly confirmed that he was lacking in the senses department. Old things were fine, sure, but it was clear he couldn't tell quality from trash; made sense really, considering he was a dirty animal.

"Whelp." Linda started as she backed out of the hood, covered in dirt and smelling of oil. "Gary's fucked, at least for now."

"How can you tell, chu?" The mouse asked, and Kurome found herself silently holding the same question.

If they knew what was wrong they could potentially fix it.

"I can't." And like that Kurome's hopes were dashed. Regardless of her feelings Linda carried on. "Not a truck kind of girl, but hey, at least we don't have far to go for help."

"What do you mean?" Kurome asked, to which she gained some weird looks from the two.

"Gas station's just a few minutes walk away." Linda said, to which Kurome saw fit to ask.

"How do you know that?"

"Because it says so right there." Linda pointed a little ahead, and Kurome followed the line to a single sign standing before a rock. "See, 'Puck-Man's Dine-In & Truck Stop'."

"Pay more attention to your surroundings, chu." Warechu scolded, and Kurome fought the urge to punt him. "You're with us, so no dying until we get the job finished, you hear, chu?"

Kurome only scoffed, and yet she offered a nod of acceptance.

"Great, now come on." Linda started ahead. "I'm itching for some grub."

"With how fast you move, chu, I didn't think you ate take-out."

"I'm just blessed with a fast metabolism." Linda chuckled tauntingly. "Although it seems you aren't quite so lucky."

"Hey, chu!" Warechu puffed his chest. "I'll have you know, I'm rather stunning for my kind, chu!"

Kurome ignored the two as they approached the place, and instantly her attention was ripped away.

"What the hell is this?" The words tumbled out with all the strength and sturdiness beholden to a stick of butter, and understandably so. Ahead of them was indeed a gas station.

A stupid one that was.

Linda let out a loud whistle. "Damn, now that's what I call big."

The place was massive, and aside from the two pumps out front one would realistically assume it was a factory of sorts. However the outside of the building was decorated similar to that of a carnival ride, with painted images of a dogoo being chased by a couple ghosts. With two massive glass doors Kurome was able to see that the place had only a few cars and a large transport truck parked currently. While the former were useless it was the larger ride that drew Kurome's attention.

Maybe the trucker could help them fix up their own ride.

Stepping inside they were greeted with bright neon blue lights along the tops and bottoms of the walls, and the rug greeting them extended out into a pathway that split in multiple directions. On one side were a few tables and a bar, and on the other was what looked like a mini shop. Most startling of all was the open hallway decorated with a rug covered in glowing disks, and try as she might Kurome couldn't fight off the curiosity that gripped her.

"Hey, wonder what's down there." Linda was the first to answer such a question as she immediately took off towards the opening. Considering they were here to find somebody to fix the truck Kurome opted to ignore her wonderings and not chase after; instead she headed towards the bar area.

Up close the place was much less... playful than she though; at least on the bar half. The right side looked like a family diner, while the left held it's rugged bar state; separated only by a white line painted from the floor to the ceiling, which extended through the bar. A bartender was cleaning glasses behind the counter, and it seemed the color faded a little as compared to the rest of the establishment. There was only a single man seated on one of the many stools; seeing as this side was near deserted she supposed he would have to do. Stepping closer Kurome saw that the man was tall, well built, and rocking a snow white mullet. On his back appeared to be a gargantuan katana, large enough to have her wondering if he was compensating for something.

"Hey." She spoke, and the man turned back to face her.

"Yeah?" His voice was, expectedly, curt and deep, as if void of emotion entirely.

"You the owner of the truck out front?"

"That'd be me." He cocked a brow. "What's it to ya, lass?"

Most would have felt off-put by his powerful demeanor, but not Kurome though. Aside from being an ex-goddess, she was never the type to let anyone intimidate her, let alone a mere human. Still though, she didn't want to cause trouble either, and seeing as he was the owner of that hauling truck out front she assumed he must have known a thing or two about getting them going again; he'd be a pretty lame trucker otherwise.

"My acquaintances and I had our truck break down some distance up the road. Think you can help us get her going again?"

The man crossed his arms, and with closed eyes an audible hum escaped him. This went on for about fifteen seconds before his focus looked to break, and he gave a sturdy nod.

"Laddie." He spoke, to which the bartender's ears seemed to perk. "Think you can keep an eye on little Dergil?"

"Of course."

"Right." With that the burly man stood, his deep navy overcoat swaying a little; clearly this man had taste in color, at least in Kurome's opinion. "Well then, lead on."

"There you are." It was Warechu, who was holding onto a seemingly dazed Linda. "You find anything useful?"

"Got someone who's willing to have a look." Her eyes shifted curiously over to Linda. "What happened to her?"

"Place inside was a maze." Warechu shrugged his shoulders in a dismissive manner. "Some kind of thing for kids I guess. She came stumbling out like this, mumbling something about ghosts or some other gibberish."

"Right..." Kurome nodded for him to follow, and the small gathering made for the exit.

The pleasant breeze was graceful across her skin, and Kurome particularly enjoyed the warm sunlight raining down from the cloudless sky. She missed this, she really did, even though she knew merging with her other half was the ultimate goal a part of her honestly wished she could at least enjoy the sensation of being tangible for a nice while. The road was accosted by trees, and while appearing large the forest didn't look particularly dense, at least not for a few miles in. The sight of natures restful beauty only served to stew up her ire as it prompted her recollection of the many years she spent trapped in both Zero and Heart Dimension; a rude bastardization of Gamindustri.

Kurome was awoken from her daydreaming and relaxation by the sounds of what could only be described as suffering metal. The wheezing was spouted from a lone truck speeding down the road, and as it passed Kurome felt something weird in her gut. Twelve seconds hence the reality of it would kick her in the shins, and she would scream out thusly in accusation.

"THAT'S OUR TRUCK!"

"Come on!" She was not grabbed, but flung over the man's shoulder as he hauled ass towards his own massive ride. Warechu clung onto Linda who had returned from her stupor to the land of the living once more, and the pair had just barely managed to hop in before the huge rectangle of steel on wheels pulled out and began chase.

The road was long, straight, and ultimately smooth; the same could not be said for their nerves. For Kurome, seeing her two companions was cause for concern, mostly due to them being her only easy opportunity at consistent income, at least until she found Uzume. Who was driving the truck, and how they got it working again was irrelevant, as all that mattered to the gothic valley girl was catching up to them, and subsequently beating them beyond recognition.

Nobody steals from Kurome; this was a lesson she was itching to make known worldwide.

However keeping eyes on the thing was a little difficult when you were being squished in the center of the front. The man driving was keeping focused easily enough, but the constant shuffling of Linda and the rat was quickly becoming irritating. What didn't help was how short she was compared to the rest of the truck; it appeared almost tailored personally for the man. This became an issue when he let go of the wheel.

"Drive." He stated, and Kurome had to scramble herself to the wheel. However her legs were short, and so as the man hopped out the window to hang from the door Kurome shouted.

"Rat! The gas!" Warechu appeared not so stupid this time, as rather than complain about the insult he hopped right down to the pedal, holding it steady with both his tiny... hands, paws? Whatever he had was good enough, and the mildly concerned girl was able to focus her attention on the road, as well as casting some glances to the man hanging out her left side.

Kurome watched as his eyes locked to the truck ahead, and he reached back into his coat to pull out... a shotgun? With nothing a surprise anymore she flinched as he fired ahead with one arm, and as she internally debated how the human didn't shatter his arm from the force, she watched as their truck continued on as if nothing happened.

"You missed? How do you miss this close with a freaking shotgun!?" Kurome was flabbergasted, only for the man to make a hushing motion as he spoke.

"Wait for it." A little bit after he said that the back tires of their stolen hunk of garbage burst, and Kurome had to quickly steer to the side while yelling for Warechu to let go of the gas. The man smirked as they came to a stop, and Kurome felt the need to ask the obvious question.

"What... the hell just happened?"

"Graynald's shells are lazy." He started as Kurome felt her sensibilities sizzle. "Takes 'em a bit to reach the target."

The fact he said that so casually as if nothing was fundamentally - and physically - wrong was astounding, nevertheless she followed after as he lead the way to their truck and tore the door open. Reaching inside she saw him pull out their truck thief, or thieves for that matter. Out came a string of dogoos, all looking sheepishly as the binding rope wiggled visibly between them.

"D-d... dogoo?" They spoke in unison, and the man scratched his head with the other free hand.

"That's mighty peculiar." He faced her. "You want 'em?"

"No?" Kurome quipped, her face frozen in a blank state as she watched the man purse his lips and shrug. He looked to the dogoos and spoke.

"Sorry fellas, but this ride's going orbital." With that he stepped away from the truck and with the centipede of dogoos in hand twirled them into a might spin. "Shoot for the stars!"

With that he hurled them high, and the trio behind watched as they shot off into the stratosphere, leaving nothing but a twinkle as they left all sight.

"Woah... chu."

"Damn that's cool." Linda praised, and Kurome opted to give up and accept the circus act she now knew as reality.

"Well..." Kurome began as she shifted past the man and popped the hood. "We have the truck back now, so I suppose we owe you a thanks." Kurome set her sights on him and waved him over. "You think we can get this patched up now?"

"I'll take a look."

He wandered over, and as he worked Kurome decided to back off and swallow in some air. Things were already showing themselves as senselessly wacky, and she'd not even been among the living for a day. Part of her wondered if this was just how things were, or if stupidity was a disease that had rubbed off on her from the peculiar pair she ended up with.

"Done."

"That was quick." Linda was the first to respond as she hopped over. Kurome instead chose to listen from her current place some few steps away. "So what was it?"

"Wire slipped loose, connection to the battery was lost." The man sounded... less than pleased as he continued. "From what I can tell those little cretins had it stuck back in place with tape of all things. I've got it fixed up proper though, so you shouldn't have any more troubles."

"Cool, thanks Mr..."

"Vante." He gave with a small smirk; Kurome wondered why he chose to show emotion now of all times. "Thing here is a classic I'll say. If you're ever in need of a repairman, hit up my shop in town: Demon's Can't Fly."

"They can't, chu?"

"Not when I'm done with 'em." He flexed his arm. "Part repairman, part monster hunter."

"Oh." Linda took on a sly appearance. "With the guild then, huh?"

"Reserve." Strangely enough he looked embarrassed a little. "Bit of a mishap at the local bar caused them a little too much grief."

"What kind of mishap, chu?"

"Got pizza stuck in the jukebox." He told, and Kurome decided she was done losing brain cells at this point.

"Right." She clapped walking back. "We'll keep you in mind. While we'd love to stay and chat, we have a delivery to make, right?" That snapped Linda back into the present.

"Shit!" She faced Vante. "What time is it!?"

He stopped and looked at the watch on his wrist.

"About 3:30." He said, and Linda grabbed Warechu like a small handbag and chucked him towards Kurome in the truck. Without looking she caught the mouse and lightly tossed him in the backseat with a minor smirk.

"Shotgun." Kurome let out, watching as Warechu righted himself and puffed.

"Damnit."

"See ya later Vante!" Linda threw herself in the drivers seat, and soon enough they sped off.

Kurome noticed the man send one final wave, and while things might have been weird she couldn't completely deny that he was one of the more... tolerable people she'd come across. 'Demon's Can't Fly' huh. For such a weird name she wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. With how they broke down so quickly she had a feeling they'd end up at the repair shop sooner rather than later. Rather than let her mind settle she decided to try and rest.

Hopefully they'd reach the city with less excitement this time, and as she hoped a screeching noise pierced her ears. Slowly Linda stopped the truck.

"What now!?" Kurome spat in exasperation.

"The tires, chu." Warechu said, looking to Linda with noticeable annoyance. "You never let him change them, chu."

"Oops."

With that Kurome's head hit the dash, spooking Linda who slipped a little and fell on the horn. The loud noise suddenly spouting from the truck wasn't enough to restore any sense of hope. Linda pulled herself off the horn as Warechu did his best to calm Kurome.

"Easy there, chu. We have a spare tire in the back, and I know how to change tires perfectly well."

"Really, you guys actually have spares?" Kurome kind of doubted it, even as she sat back up, but seeing the rat's smirk was enough to at least get her to question that belief.

"Yep, chu. You have no idea how many times Linda has popped our tires, chu."

"I said I was sorry!" The aforementioned whined.

"Drive better, chu! Tires ain't cheap you know!"

"Ugh." And there was that headache again; Kurome was not amused. "Whatever, just change the tire already." She looked to the sheepish girl next to her. "Let me drive; I'm not up for any other surprises today."

She was not in a great mood, and if this was her everyday from now on she wondered if she'd even survive.

Author's note

...

Kurome's not exactly in the best of moods now, but at least they're back on the road. Here we are again, back with another update. Without the complex nonsense of my other tale, this one is significantly easier to write; just dumb fun with a hint of sass.

Hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you next time.

Edit: Fixed a few spelling mistakes, as well as one stemming from the original draft of this chapter. Linda was supposed to pass the wheel to Kurome after a mess up, apparently I somehow forgot to write that in. Fixed now, and spiced up the dialogue to match.