The Way Back

*Derek fails to notice himself being eyed, and just remains as he was.*

Derek: <So... is your uncle here, do you think, Princess?>

~Kari, Kentaro, Derek & Kelphy~

*The girls head upstairs. Kelphy widens her eyes and nods without looking at Derek.*

Kelphy: <He's probably at his office upstairs. Kari, Kentaro, h-have fun.>

*She smiles and quickly bows to them before heading upstairs.*

=====
~Crowley~

*The fat bandit stops to stare at the thiefess with a confused look on his face and suddenly starts groaning and grabbing his head. He falls back and starts snoring. The thiefess looks at Crowley and shrugs.*

Blonde Thiefess: <Brain freeze.>

=====
~Creed~

*As he's walking right he feels a slight push towards a small house and hears a familiar voice inside his head.*

[Celsius: <This way.>]

=====
~Lucien~

*The horse barely budges. He walks back and roars, the whirpool becoming even stronger. Pieces of rock start breaking off of the cliff and being sucked into the ocean, and Lucien feels like his body is being torn apart.*

"I'm not dying here!" Lucien releases pure mana from his body as he struggles to break free.

---

Thank you Celsius. I was beginning to think you were mad at me for errr... looking up after he floored me in our last spar he said mentally. She had put him on the ground and he had looked up her "Skirt" resulting in a massive beating.

Kentaro:<You too?>

*After standing around awkwardly for a few more minutes the two begin to go to the below ground spring.*

Crowley: <I guess so...>

*Crowley turns away and looks to the rest of the bandits under his command.*

Crowley: <Hey! Who's in charge of the food around here?>

*Derek decides to just hang back and wait. He saw no reason to intrude on family affairs.*

~Kari, Kentaro~

*Arriving downstairs they find themselves in a hot, narrow hall with three wooden doors in front of them. The far right one has a sign with a little man silhouette on it, the far left one has a woman sign, and the middle one has a man AND a woman symbol on it.*

=====
~Derek~

*One of the young women from before walks down the stairs and notices Derek. Her hair is still wet, but she is now wearing a short green dress instead of a freaking bath towel.*

Woman: <Holy Origin! Aren't you--are you--Your Majesty?!>

=====
~Crowley~

*They all cease talking and stare at him with their eyes wide open. He can swear he hears a cricket chirping in the background.*

Blonde Thiefess: <Well, that's just-->

*She groans as Spade covers her mouth and motions her to shut up.*

Spade: <Something's coming.>

=====
~Creed~

*It's a pretty simple 1-room house, with metal furniture and a few appliances he has never before seen lying around. There is a desk next to the bed with a few dusty books and other documents on it, that has two drawers. A very dusty picture frame is sitting on the bedside table next to the bed.*

=====
~Lucien~

*Suddendly, he begins to feel relief as powerful wind begins circulating in the direction contrary to the one generated by the whirpool. Soon, the whirpoon disappears. The horse roars angrily and looks around. He then looks back towards Lucien and water needles start darting out of the ocean into him. They're liquid, but they are so cold, that they cause more pain than a real one would. They're actually a LOT colder than the normal freezing temperature of water.*

*Crowley stands up*

Crowley: <What?>

Lucien staggers but doesn't fall over. He rushes the horse blades swinging.

---

Creed moves over to the picture and blows the dust off.

*Derek nods with a smile.*

Derek: <Yes, I am. Derek Emeraude, a pleasure to meet you.>

*The two each go into the changing room of their respective genders.*

[I'm going to have to have a long talk with that rabbit. In the form of a noogy. This is incredibly awkward. But it shouldn't be. I blame the overally romantic atomosphere this place has.]

=====================================================

*In the women's change room, Kari lets out a sigh.*

[I think I'm going to die. It was probably a bad idea to drag him here without asking first. But it's the first time we've been out of Sephira without there being any others or any of the other things that happened all those months ago.]

~Kentaro~

*There's no one else in the changing room. Someone has been writing retarded and mostly perverted motivational phrases on the walls. Two doors on the wall opposite to the one he came in through have signs that read "Male Hotspring" one and "Unisex Hotspring" the other.*

=====
~Kari~

*The only other person in the changing room is a young girl with light skin and long blond high pigtails sitting at the other side wrapped in a bathing towel, with her back turned on Kari. Two doors on the wall opposite to the one she came in through have signs that read "Female Hotspring" one and "Unisex Hotspring" the other.*

=====
~Derek~

*She lets out a fan squeal and bows dramatically.*

Girl: <Wow, this is amazing, I love you! What are you doing here, Your Majesty?!>

=====
~Crowley~

*Spade also gets up and glances at the thiefess as she unsuccessfully tries to cover the fat bandit up with snow.*

Spade: <I...don't know.>

*They start hearing the sound of countless hooves stomping the ground getting closer by the second.*

=====
~Creed~

*It's a picture of a woman that looks exactly like Kelphy except with waist-lenght hair. She's wearing a white lab coat, standing outside the big building him and Crone had just been looking at. Also in the picture, smiling next to her and holding her hand, is a short little boy with messy silver hair and light blue eyes wearing a navy blue t-shirt and baggy white shorts.*

=====
~Lucien~

*The horse neighs as the blades slash through its body before bursting into water and appearing behind Lucien. Its black tongue stretches over his shoulder like a whip and swings at his cheek. He realizes it is actually made of some kind of metal-like material because it looks polished rather than slimy.*

*Crowley sighs and digs his right hand into his right pants' pocket.*

Crowley: <Did they find us already...? Either way, everyone! Move out, we have to get away!>

*Crowley makes a dash in the opposite direction of the noise.*

Derek: <No need to bow. And I'm here because a friend is visiting her uncle.>

"That's classy."

*He enters the unisex springs, towel wrapped around his waist to see Kari already there, her towel wrapped around her unable to see as her glassed fogged up.*

"Gross" Lucien says as he dodges the tongue and back slashes it deftly.

---

"CROOOOOOOONE!!" Creed calls out. "I found a picture of your mother and she looks kind of hot!" Creed snickers silently.

~Kentaro & Kari~

*The unisex hotspring is pretty big, with a little waterfall and everything. The only other people in there are an old couple cuddling at the other side of the springs.*

=====
~Derek~

Girl: <You're so kind. And you're cuter in person, too! GIRLS, C'MERE!>

*The other two girls run down the stairs.*

Girl2: <So I was right, it IS him, isn't it?!>

Girl: <Totally!>

*They squeal as well. The first girl leans back and whispers something to the others, who start giggling and nodding while looking at Derek.*

Girl3: <(I know, right?!)>

=====
~Crowley~

*He realizes the sound is coming from all around them and they hear a loud howl.*

Spade: <Those aren't Aldanian soldiers.>

Blonde Thiefess: <I think we'll have to fight!>

Spade: <So we fight. I mean... do we fight, boss?>

*He sneers at Crowley.*

=====
~Creed~

*Crone is already standing behind him and leans over his right shoulder.*

Crone: <Shh, I can hear you fine without the yelling. That isn't my mother, that is Alda Colsun.>

=====
~Lucien~

*The monster parries the blade with its tongue and rams a hoove into Lucien's belly.*

*Crowley sighs and stops running, then covers his neck and throat with the scarf around him to keep from catching a cold.*

Crowley: <Fine, fine. We'll stay and fight.>

*Crowley walks back to where the group is and awaits the mystery opponents approaching.*

*Kentaro takes Kari's hand, to which she jumps in surprise and looks about in each direction.*

Kentaro:<To your left.>

"Oh. Umm... Should we go in?"

Kentaro:<Sure.>

*The two enter the spring and sit their awkwardly totally not used to such levels of intimacy.*

Lucien grunts and stumbles back. He manged to soften the blow with a well placed shadow hand and prevent rib cracking but that was going to leave a hell of a bruise.

---

"Well then... she is quite pretty. In any case Celsius says this might be a place worth checking out."

Derek: <Um... what's going on?>

~Kentaro & Kari~

*They hear a muffled sound and some bubbles surface near the couple. They start giggling at each other. Then the flute melody starts echoing again. Some lady in staff uniform walks in with a small platter with four cups with a sake-like drink. She takes two to the old couple and then walks around the hotspring to the side Kari and Kentaro are at, crouching so as to allow them to take their drinks.*

=====
~Derek~

Girl3: <I can't believe you're here...!>

Girl: <You must try the hotspring downstairs, it's fantastic. I can show you there if you want!>

*She clings on to his arm, giggling.*

=====
~Crowley~

*A white wolf-like creature with black hooves and black horns jumps out of some bushes and knocks the blonde thiefess down, immediately ramming one of its horns into her left shoulder. She groans loudly as many more start running into the scene, the bandits attacking them.*

=====
~Creed~

Crone: <I had forgotten where her house was...>

*He walks over to the desk and starts searching through the books.*

=====
~Lucien~

*The horse turns around and kicks at Lucien with its rear hooves, roaring loudly.*

*Kentaro takes one and hands it to Kari then takes the other for himself. All while being disgusted by the other couples display of public flatulence.*

"Thank you."

Kentaro:<Thanks.>

Lucien smiles as shadows wrap around its legs before more and more shadows wrap around it sealing it in a sphere.

"I can't slice you or pierce you so how about I try crushing you!" he slams his hands together and the sphere tightens.

---

Creed assists in the searching.

Derek: <Well, that'd be wonderful, but...>

*He gently slides his arm out from the girl's.*

Derek: <...I really should wait for my friend. Besides, I have an important meeting in Toros I have to attend. I'm sorry.>