The Way Back

Kentaro:<No... Wait, you did what?>

Jade Rabbit: <Your memory sucks.>

Allina: <I'm starting to like your rabbit more!>

=====

*She widens her eyes and looks at him, smiling.*

Blonde Thiefess: <Okay, but if you mock, I'll cut you!>

*She giggles and proceeds to look around at the airships again.*

Blonde Thiefess: <It's Parker.>

=====

*Kelphy smiles broadly.*

Kelphy: <I see this little adventure ended up meaning more to you than you could have expected. I'm... I'm really happy for you too, Lucien. But... you're wrong about something, you did take care of me. T-Thank you.>

*She steps forward and hugs him gently.*

Lucien hugs her back, "It did mean a lot. I can't help but think that Alto knew this would happen though..."

Crowley: <See? That wasn't so bad. It's not that bad of a name either, you know.>

*Derek is still on the ground, recovering from the belching bandit.*

Kentaro:<It's more of the how you did than anything.>

Allina: <I'm confused.>

Jade Rabbit: <Me too.>

*Allina pats Kentaro in the head and goes to help Derek.*

Allina: <Need a hand, Your Lowness?>

=====

Parker: <Most people don't like it. Hey, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you ab-->

Fat Bandit: <Hi guys!>

*He steps on one of the crates to start climbing, shatters it, and decides to stop trying for everyone's sake.*

Parker: <Ugh. Hi, Barrow...>

=====

*Kelphy prepares to speak as she steps back but is interruped by the sound of a crate shattering under the fat bandit's right foot. She looks at him and chuckles.*

Kelphy: <Shall we go back inside?>

"Yes" Lucien says and blinks.

---

Alto tosses the apple core into the garbage and walks off.

Crowley: <Barrow... so that's your name, huh? Anyway, what did you want to talk about?>

*Crowley turns to Parker.*

*Derek just keeps quiet, a bit at a loss for words.*

Allina: <Guess not?>

*Allina shrugs and goes back to her seat.*

=====

Barrow: <Yeah, what was it?>

Parker: <It's... nothing. Forget it.>

*She leaps down from the crate pile.*

=====

*Kelphy heads inside.*

Alto goes looking for Aera.

---

Lucien sits back down next to Allina.

Crowley: <Uhhh... alright, then.>

*Crowley jumps off the crates in confusion.*

~3 days later~

*8pm and the guests begin to arrive for the event of the year. The large white ballroom with an indigo tiled floor and blue ribbons hanging from the walls starts to fill. Two long tables on either side of the room are full of delicious foods of all kinds, with white and blue roses decorating them, and a large staircase at the far end of the room leads to semicircular platform on the upper level with a large arc with a blue curtain instead of a door. A man in a black suit is standing at the top of the stairs, overseing the entire room. At a corner of the room to the right of the entrance is the band, playing a calm melody as the guests walk in one by one. A large arc through most of the right wall leads out to a great balcony, where some of the guests are already chatting. Most of the kingdom can be seen from there, as well as the beautiful full moon crowning the sky. Razz walks in. He's wearing a sort of black tuxedo with a red sash, and for some reason he's still wearing his usual black sneakers. He looks around to find that no one he knows is there yet.*

=====

*In Kelphy's bedroom, above the ballroom, Kelphy is helping Kari put on make-up while Allina is trying to figure out her shoes after having fallen down at least 20 times. They hear the band playing down in the ballroom. Kelphy is the only one who isn't dressed yet. She's wearing her light blue tank top and a dark blue pleated skirt.*

*Crowley arrives through an open window on the upper floor, jumping down and landing right in the center of the first floor, in a graceful pose, then gets up with a grin on his face. He's wearing a black trench coat, black dress pants, red dress shoes and his usual attire underneath it all. Come to think of it, making such a dynamic entrance like that kind of makes him look like a jackass.*

Crowley: <(Heh. Can't let my skills dull down before the battle...)>

*Crowley stands there, waiting for the room to fill up more.*

Lucien entered the ballroom slowly. It was mostly because with his hair done in such a way that his elven ears poked out he felt a bit uneasy. He was wearing something much nicer than his modified great coat. His shadows had been manipulated into a fine uniform of some kind with golden accents except for a sash which was the normal dark blue he always wore on him that matched his hair. Without the normal monochrome blue color scheme he wore it was really easy to see his hair was midnight blue and not black. He sort of hung back waiting for Allina.

Creed himself had only changed to a white and silver version of his usual attire and was already flirting with various females.

---

However Alto was searching for Aera behind the scenes. He was wearing his normal attire for the most part. He wouldn't part with his jacket but beyond that he was wearing fancier cloths.

*Derek arrives in his formal dress attire from the Knight Academy, a white coat with turquoise accents and black lining, along with white dress pants. He appears to have something on his mind, as he's constantly fiddling with something in his pocket.*

*Kentaro enters in his regular attire that's been recently washed and a bow tie that has no business being there.*

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

"This really doesn't seem necessary."

*Crowley realizes he landed right in front of Razz, who is staring at him blankly. A few seconds later, Barrow also jumps down from the window, landing next to them on his ass and making the ground shake a little. He's wearing a dark blue vest over a white shirt, black pants that seem kinda tight, and boots. From the fabric used to make a whole set one could make at least four sets for average men.*

Razz: <Where's... Parker, right?>

Barrow: <Can't climb with dress. Front door.>

Razz: <She's smarter than I give her credit for.>

*Both Derek and Lucien hear their names being called by a familiar voice nearby.*

Fahren: <King Derek, Lucien, greetings!>

=====

*Kelphy smiles awkwardly and takes a couple steps back so Kari can see herself in the mirror. She didn't apply much make-up, mostly only some lip gloss shit and made her face a tad brighter. The ground shakes a little and Allina falls flat on her face again.*

Allina: <Ow...>

Kelphy: <Y-You might want to let your hair loose.>

=====

*Alto finds Aera standing in a hallway leaning on an opened window's stool, looking at the moon. She's wearing a long teal dress, the bottom part split in several layers that ressemble icy crystals. Her long hair looks the same except for a little braid crown around her head.

Alto walks over to her and stares at the moon too. "Its pretty huh? The moon." He waits several moments before saying, "Though I think it might be a bit jealous of you."

---

"Master Farhen" Lucien bows, "I feel better now not being the only elf here. By the way, how did the mana transfer go? Did Alto's power wake the boy up?"

*Almost reluctantly Kari pulls the ribbons from her hair and it falls to her shoulders.*

*Crowley looks at Razz with suspicion.*

Crowley: <'Ey, what're you implying by that?>

*Derek looks up abruptly, then turns to Fahren and gives a faint wave.*

Derek: <Hey there.>

Razz: <The fact you need to ask tells me answering you would be a waste of time.>

*Razz smirks. Fahren shakes his head to Lucien, smiling.*

Fahren: <Origin's power is too great. And Crone put a lot of his emotions into casting that curse. It's a very powerful spell. But Alto's mana helped stabilize the boy's. I'm confident he will wake up one day.>

*He waves to Derek. More and more nobles keep walking in. The Jade Rabbit runs up to Kentaro, and a lady around shrieks.*

Jade Rabbit: <Seriously?! I am so much cuter than a rat. Coming through!>

*He arrives near Kentaro and attempts to shrug.*

Jade Rabbit: <I lost you in the crowd.>

=====

*Allina manages to stand up and stumbles over to Kari, widening her eyes as she sees her hair down.*

Allina: <Kari! You look so pretty!>

*She trips again and falls over Kari, knocking her chair over. Kelphy quickly steps back.*

=====

Aera: <That's... That's silly.>

*She chuckles slightly and sighs.*

Aera: <Hello, General.>

*Derek tries to get away from all the nobility flowing in and joins the group.*

Derek: <So... what do we do now, gents?>