The Way Back

Kentaro:<Sure. Thanks.>

~Kentaro & Kari~

*The menu has all sorts of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes as well as desserts and drinks.*

=====
~Derek~

Jade Rabbit: <Oh? Meh, I wanted to ask you to tag along, I've never seen Toros, but they'll probably be mad. I wish I could find them so they could come too.>

=====
~Crowley~

*Soon they are out of the woods and entering another large frozen plain. The sky seems to become bluer in the horizon.*

Spade: <Sephira is close.>

=====
~Creed~

Celsius: <Ready when you are. Go ahead.>

*Crone finishes turning the wheel and the door starts shaking, water squirting from all over. He jumps back and the door's slammed open as the water bursts out of the room.*

=====
~Lucien~

*The horse shoots a jet of boiling water at him.*

*Crowley sighs as he walks, slowing down a little bit.*

Crowley: <So much for relaxing... Can't wait to find a place to sleep, eat, and sleep... crap like that.>

Lucien barely dodges.

---

"Receive the merciless embrace of the silver snow. Absolute!" Creed casts the spell of ice at the water freezing it solid.

Derek: <They aren't that far. You can find them in time.>

*The two sit awkwardly silent staring at the menus, the nuts barely touched as they were found to be too salty.*

"Are... Are you enjoying yourself?"

*He looks up from the menu surprised that she's being rather timid..*

Kentaro:<Yeah. It's been something of an expierence. How about you? Have you been enjoying it?>

"Y... Yes."

~Kentaro & Kari~

*The waitress returns and smiles to them.*

Waitress: <Would you like to order now?>

=====
~Derek~

Jade Rabbit: <Hmmm...>

*The guard steps forward and looks sideways to Derek.*

Guard: <We are starting to run real late, Your Majesty.>

=====
~Crowley~

Spade: <You can do that at the hideout.>

Fat Bandit: <I think eat is good idea.>

Blonde Thiefess: <Well, I want to get back as soon as possible and sleep.>

Spade: <No, we're going to go see Fahrenheit first, his crimson tower is only a few kilometers down the coast from the hideout.>

=====
~Creed~

*Crone's body becomes semi-transparent and he's enveloped in a white aura. He rushes right through the frozen water like a ghost. Through the ice Creed sees the blurry white figure and then hears "crack". A flash of light blinds him momentarily and Crone is knelt down next to him. A young, thin boy that can't be more than 10 years old is lying next to him unconscious, covered in frost. He has messy silver hair much like Crone's with a long braid and pale skin and he's wearing an Organization XIII-like cloak and boots combo.*

=====
~Lucien~

*Angry, the horse roars loudly and starts stomping around. Boiling ater spears whip out of the ground and fly towards him.*

*Crowley sighs and picks up the pace a bit.*

Crowley: <Fine, fine, let's get going.>

Lucien dodge rolls and leaps into the sea to save the cloaked figure.

---

Creed holds his hand up and removes the frost from the boy. "Lets make haste Crone."

Kentaro:<Yes. I'll have... That leafy looking thing.>

*He points to something from the vegetarian menus.*

"I'll have the..."

*She points to some fish thing.*

Derek: <Then let's go.>

*He heads towards the airship.*

~Kentaro & Kari~

*A young blond man walks in and waves at the two waitresses. The one serving Kari and Kentaro smiles to him and nods. He looks at the clock on the wall and nods back, walking towards a small piano embedded into the wall opposite to the counter. He sits down and starts playing this song.*

Waitress: <Excelent choice.>

*Soon, she brings them their food.*

Waitress: <Enjoy your meal.>

=====
~Derek~

Jade Rabbit: <Wait, fine, I'm coming along!>

*The rabbit runs after them. Soon they arrive at the aerodrome and get on the airship, which takes off. As it is flying over the city, slowly gaining altitude, it flies past one of the palace's towers. Kelphy is standing on a balcony staring at it.*

=====
~Crowley~

*They arrive at a stone wall with an iron gate. Two guards in silver Sephiranarmor are standing next to it. The sun is beginning to set.*

Guard: <Good evening. Beyond this point you'll be stepping on Sephiran territory. Do you wish to go through...?>

=====
~Creed~

*Water starts flowing in again, shattering the ice and dragging it along. Water starts bursting through the walls and they give in to the pressure. Crone lifts the boy onto his back and starts running back the way they came.*

=====
~Lucien~

*He sees a dark silhouette sinking down to the depths of the ocean. He can barely see a thing, what with the sun being covered by dark clouds and what not.*

Lucien shoots his shadow hands through the water to save the cloaked figure from certain death.

---

Creed casts another Absolute before following Crone with great haste and Celsius in tow.

*Derek is just chilling, trying to catch some sleep.*

*Kari looks at Kentaro's order somewhat confused.*

"A vegetarian meal?"

Kentaro:<I figured I'd try something new.>

~Kentaro & Kari~

*When they finish eating a waitress comes to take their dishes and brings them a three layer strawberry ice cream cake as well as a small black box that reads "White Paradise District" which she gives Kari.*

Waitress: <A little treat for the sweet couple. Also condoms.

=====
~Derek~

*After a while, Derek is shaken off of his bed and across the room as the ship shakes violently for a few seconds.*

=====
~Creed~

*Water keeps bursting out of pretty much everywhere. As they run into a lab the opposite wall caves in and the entire room is swallowed by the water. It starts falling apart. Crone holds his hand out towards Creed and a light whip wraps around him as Crone runs up the sinking room and through the door into the next hallway. He quickly kicks the door shut, but there is water coming out of every wall.*

Crone: <The entire complex is going to give in to the ocean's pressure...!! Here, take him.>

*Crone motions Creed to take his little brother.*

=====
~Lucien~

*As the shadow hands pull the figure up, the cloak's hood almost falls back, releasing two long blond pigtails. He hears the horse roar at the surface.*

"Thank you."

*Kentaro looks the black box over.*

[I'm afraid to know what's in here. But something tells me it's not something that should be exposed in a restaurant.]

The hands pull the cloaked figure to Lucien and he surrounds himself and them in a black sphere of shadows forcing the water out and rocketing them upward break the water's surface. It lands on the beach with Lucien still holding the figure. He stares into the eyes of the horse with both eyes since his eye patch is now gone. The look in his eyes could freeze water and kill a hardened criminal. They are the eyes of someone you dont want to fuck with. He lays the cloaked figure down and doesn't even bother redrawing his swords. His shadow hands spread outward from his shadow with each hand flattening on the ground and forming a different symbol with its hands. He makes sure he stays near the cloaked figure. "Darkest tempest from distant regions, stretch out thy expansive arms and lead my enemies to their eternal slumber within your cavernous maw. Black Hole!" The whole area seems to twist and distort as if space around it had been rent asunder. The air cracks and a black vortex opens and begins to pull in everything not anchored down into it. Noticeably Lucien and the cloaked figure are unaffected.

---

"What about you Cone?" Creed takes the boy.

*Crowley nods and starts walking towards the gate.*

Derek: <Oof... what was that?>

*He gets to his feet and goes to investigate.*

~Kentaro & Kari~

*After a while, they see the sun set completely out a window next to the table. It's been two hours since they checked in.*

=====
~Derek~

*Arriving at the bridge he finds the guards equally confused. The pilot, an old man in a sailor-like black and white uniform, turns to him.*

Pilot: <Your Highness, the winds are very strange, they change direction every couple of seconds. We're already on Toran territory and should arrive soon, but these conditions are perfect for the creation of tornados so let's hope everything goes well. You can go back to resting if you so desire, Sir.>

=====
~Crowley~

*The guards glare at them like they're mighty suspicious, but proceed to open the gate after the fat bandit lets out a fart as loud as a fucking grenade. Everyone around turns kinda green. Even the air, as it would appear to some of them.*

=====
~Creed~

Crone: <I will be... I will be fine. Please, hurry!>

*He holds his hands up and they start glowing intensely, almost blinding Creed.*

=====
~Lucien~

*The horse dissolves into water with one last roar and is sucked into the vortex along with a few trees and pieces of the cliff. The cloaked figure is lying on the foor motionless.*

Lucien swings his arm ending the spell before kneeling down next to the cloaked figure and fully removing their hood revealing...

---

Creed nods and runs like fuck.

*Crowley walks faster, embarrassed at the fat bandit's antics.*

Derek: <Right then.>

*He goes back to bed.*

*The two leave, Kari carrying the cake box with a piece left for the Jade Rabbit.*

"You think he'll like it?"

Kentaro:<I'm pretty sure he will.>