Voice sounding far off and distant, Jasper's response was short and hollowed of emotion. He had known all along that she was the nervous type, but he didn't know that the slime slaughtering had affected her that much. Blinking at her multiple times, she stood up and disappeared through the bush, white candied leaves parting momentarily and then snapping back together the moment her flesh escaped its natural inclination to its previous shape. In all honesty, he wasn't so sure if he was ready to go out and fight more of those globular critters. Green goo crawled down his face, the viscous substance was quite unpleasant in texture and smell. One could expect the monsters that emerged from the sugar hyped surroundings to taste or share the same sweetness its habitat had to offer, yet the slimes were the exact opposite. They looked largely unappealing, like a nasty, snot-encased booger just itching to be picked out.

Lesley felt his stomach rumble and churn as he felt the immediate urge to get the revolting substance off of his face and hair. Searching the area for any type of material that would help rid off the muck, his scavenge hunt ended without success for everything around him would only serve to worsen his messy situation. Sugar leaves were already finding their way onto the goop lathered strands of his hair and sticking themselves their, acting like ornaments dangling from a Christmas tree. Out of desperation, he ended up tearing off a section of his shirt to use as a handkerchief in order to remove the slime saliva from his face.

Peeking out from behind the tall bush, he felt guilty for being so selfish and useless as he watched his human comrades fighting with all the energy that they could muster, the various and contrasting display of powers made for a gorgeous show. Flinging the dirtied clothing scrap upon wiping himself clean, he finally emerged from the bush to come face to face with a scene straight out of a romantic film. Hakuren had his lips interlocked with the albino chick, both held their eyes closed and seemingly enjoying the passionate act. Squealing quietly, he stalked around the couple and rejoined the rest of the worn out humans. Looking bedraggled and exhausted, Lesley had only dealt with a dozen or so of the mini globs when he protected Jasper earlier, while they worked on defeating the mother slime and countless hoards upon hoards of it progeny, but already his inexperience with controlling and pacing his amulet was tiring him out.

Noticing two new faces, the handsome male introduced himself politely while his equally sexy wife walked off in a dissatisfied huff. Too bad he was married to a grouch. Lesley was always eager to meet new people and since arriving in Nowhere, the place hadn't failed to introduce him to attractive humans and Nobodies alike.

Avian: “I’m Avian Rider, that’s my wife Victoria Sieghart. We’re members of the Royal Dragoons, the elite force which is tasked with the security of the royal family. During times of war, the Royal Dragoons are also the ones supposed to spearhead our forces, which is why she’s upset. We both want to return to the aid of our comrades as soon as possible, so if all of you would please cooperate to make this excursion a pleasant and efficient experience for both of our parties."

Lesley couldn't agree more. It was only his first mission and already these tasks had proven their level of difficulty to be high up there as well as the seriousness of the quests. Vincent was limping and looked severely injured, his ankle looking twisted in painfully improper positions.

“Alright, in formation now! Oh except for you guys. Everyone else, get into formation and we’re marching out! Good job, you guys!” 

Following her orders, they all formed another ordered line up yet again. Travelling on foot for the rest of the way to the castle, Zephy zoomed off, leaving them as they arrived at the Kingdom of Sol.

A fuliginous judgement. Obscure cries of hysteria. It passed away eventually. Her conscious state was teetering over and below the horizon of aware and unaware. Soft impending footsteps vibrating more prominent by the second. Amulet emulating a steady incandescence, signifying that its beholder still endured. The liquid essence within rose a millimeter every couple of minutes, replenishing itself at a substantial pace. Frigid hands lifted her upper body, but her being still refused to be revived from its momentary comatose. The diminutive hairs above her top lip sent signals of increased heat as mouth unified with mouth. Another's hot breath brushing against her cheeks and a sweet taste. But a sensation of increased exhaustion was dawning as the thief leeched energy from the unknowing healer.

Lids snapping open, all she could do was stare wide-eyed in contrast with a closed-eyed Hakuren. Her breath stopped, as she held it involuntarily, her body undoubtedly freezing up in his arms even without the use of his magic. Out of mere panic and confusion, she slammed her gaze shut again just before he stopped and reopened his. Jasper felt light headed and concluded that she had maybe woken up into the disturbing world of an extremely lucid dream. Or was it?

“Everyone else, get into formation and we’re marching out! Good job, you guys!” Indeed it was Zephy barking yet another order. This prompted Jasper to wonder where she was during the span of the slime battle. It seemed that the guide had disappeared during its unfolding.

A transfer of aura, she automatically knew that she was no longer in the hold of Hakuren. Wondering who it was, she summoned enough guts to take a peek, cracking a view, she was pleasantly relieved to find out the she was wrapped over Harper's back like dead weight. Sliding off of him on her own. She hated to be a burden to anyone and decided to drag herself the rest of the way. Still spinning a hurricane of thoughts whether she was just seeing things or if she really had....*cough*...kissed Haku, it kept her attention elsewhere and before she knew it, the group had finally arrived at Sol.

Vince was taken away to be checked because of his sprain and the remaining of them were guided through the castle to see the prince.

How Leon had managed to space out for several long minutes was a mystery to him. He’d missed the majority of the fight, apart from keeping the disgusting slimes away from his face. As he’d been saved by Hakuren – like he’d ever admit it – by being raised on an ice pillar, drenching in goo, Leon was just a hair’s breadth away from having a full meltdown. Instead, the pillar took the initiative to have a meltdown, a literal one, and Leon found himself high in the air with nothing underneath him. Thinking quickly, he called forth on the amulet around his neck and allowed a small, barely significant burst of wind slow his descent. By the time he hit the ground, limbs screaming in pain, Leon was exhausted.

The slimes had decided to go for his face, sadly, leaping at his fact with gusto, forcing him to swat them away with a lot of effort. The crown on his head was undamaged, thankfully, and mostly free of goo. However, the slimes seemed to have had taken a liking to him, as they swarmed around him, clinging to his limbs and torso, while another one journeyed to his head via the other slimes. But Leon refused to be on the sidelines again, nor did he appreciate being dinner. A distant roar signaled that the mother slime was either in deep, deep trouble or dead. Leon desperately hoped for the latter, because he didn’t appreciate the slime clinging to the back of his head. He didn’t know how, but the little bugger was clinging to his scalp with all its might.

“Goddamn it, get off me!”

Then he noticed something strange. The liquid in his amulet had risen all the way back to 3/4ths, much to his surprise. How had that happened? As far as he knew, he didn’t have the ability to make the liquid rise. By now, he was utterly swamped in slimes. He was aware of the group somewhere near him, as he could hear familiar and unfamiliar voices, though they were muffled somewhat by the slime that was deadset on making its home in Leon’s ear. By now, Leon was viciously swearing and wrestling with the slimes, not bothering to compose himself or mind his language. What good would it be, being the pleasant gentleman that he was, when he became a walking residence for the slimes?

Frustration and rage, mostly at the ruined state of his clothes, fuelled Leon into releasing a bellow of anger just as the air around him picked up. Within seconds, the light breeze had formed into a miniature gale, a much larger one than the one he’d summoned at the palace. There seemed to be highly condensed air around him, slicing the slimes cleanly in two and they fell off, though still obscured by the whitish state of the storm. Slime after slime fell off of him, and the surrounding ones fled, the ones unlucky enough to get caught within the hurricane being reduced to goo.

Fifteen seconds later, Leon was slime-free. But fifteen seconds later he was also completely out of energy again, the liquid in his amulet just barely there. Peering in, Leon could see a tiny speck of liquid at the bottom, the only thing that kept him even mildly unconscious at this point. But he had to know who had donated so much energy to him, potentially saving his life, his ear and his scalp.

The voices that he’d heard weren’t only of those of his companions. Apart from Hakuren locking lips with Jasper, there were two newcomers and while they seemed completely human, Leon wasn’t so sure. He hadn’t heard their introductions, and only watched as Zephy barked at them to get in line. Leon tiredly stepped forward, too exhausted to argue with the fiery guide. As they arrived in Sol, Leon leaned in the nearest person to him, who as he recalled was named Riley. The pink-haired woman – or was she? Leon didn’t even know anymore – wasn’t someone he would deliberately keep away from, as she didn’t seem too unapproachable. In fact, it was the complete opposite, nearly compelling him to talk.

“Hey, Riley? Who gave us the extra energy?”

Slice!
Fwoosh!

Fire and ice and lightning hailed down on the mother of all slimes. It was like those boss battles in video games. Them against it.

"Let's heat things up!"

Ace definitely liked Riley. She was fun! With her fire magic and Ace's for sword, they were a force to be reckoned with. And it showed in their reckless fighting style. Every now and then, I've would rain down and Ace would turn and give a playful thank you salute to Haku before returning to battle. The mention of being speedy immediately had Ace running around to dodge attacks. Of course, she wasn't as fast as Riley, bit that wad probably because she was slightly more top heavy. Would she notice? Not really. Ace wasn't even aware of everyone's (or mostly everyone's) inner thoughts on her chest.
Thanks to final blows, the slime queen had finally been defeated and for comical effect,  Ace yelled out, "K.O.!" With a small laugh, she turned to the two guides that jag devised to help them. A woman- (hey look, another redhead!) And a guy. Just some guy too. Later on, well, moments later, she son found out that they were married and fighters. "What a cool relationship." She listened to the rest of the introduction and watched the woman walk off. "Fiesty is she." She said, mentioning her attitude.

Soon enough, they were being herded to Sol. The normal two who she would've normally went over to, to check if they needed help were fine, and everyone else besides Vinvin was fine as well. So, Ace made her way to the front of the herd and followed the guides to Sol. "Off we go!"

"Bye Vinvin! Have fun in the castle!" Ace waved as he was swept away with a sprained ankle. It was too bad too... He seemed like he'd be a fun addition to the dragon hunt. Looking around the castle, Ace commented (as rude as it could've been, she didn't notice.) "I like Queeny's castle more. Heh, it's a little dull in here." Afterward, she continued scoping the place, waiting for their next task.

"Do we get to see the dragons now?"

By then, standing in the castle, Ace was standing off to the side and leaning against a wall. There wasn't much else for her to say to anyone or until this prince spoke up, -and there were times when Ace could be quiet. Quiet and listen was probably pushing it though. But the busty redhead wad spontaneous, so who knew what she'd do next. And it appeared everyone had a little spontaneity in them. She laughed lightly remembering when she caught a glimpse of Jasper's second kiss. And with a different guy.
Way to go Jasper.

"Out of nowhere, a giant dragon appeared. He tore down the north wall, Zephy! Tore it down like it was made of cheese." The prince stated, eyes wide and frantic. He smelled like soot and a the tip of his cape had been burned off. He had a ridiculous looking helmet on his head, and held his rapier tight. "I wanted to help the guards, but they sent me back here. The fight's not here though, it's out there and I really, really want to help them. I can't protect anyone, not if I'm here." The prince sulked, both eyes focused on the carpeted floor.

One of the guards looked at the royal messenger, she was the only one who could reason with prince Tobias when he got like this. He cleared his throat, "king Thaddeus wouldn't be happy if he knew we were sending you out on the front lines. With all due respect, you aren't a soldier prince, and you'll be of no use to your people if you're dead." He frowned and hoped that Zephy would back him up.

"Well," Tobias looked ready to beg. "It's my country too! And, I...I won't just sit here and hear about people dying!"

Before the prince could say any more, Victoria and Avian entered with a group of humans. The guard by the door straightened up and placed his fist to his chest in a gesture of respect. "Royal Dragoons," he nodded at the couple and fell silent.

Tobias stared at the humans...so this was reinforcement. He huffed, clearly stressed because of everything that was happening. "Avian, Victoria, Zephy, you all have my sincerest gratitude." He looked at the humans and forced a smile. "Thank you for coming to our aid. Please send the queen my thanks." Tobias inched towards one of the tables and pulled out map. "I wish I could give you some cakes and drinks, but there won't be any time." He pointed at the tallest mountain and waited for a few moments, so the humans could get a good look at it.

"The dragon lives there," Avian and Victoria asked if they could excuse themselves and the prince gave them an apologetic look. "I'm really, really, sorry but you'll be going with them. I-I really don't want any more casualties." He didn't want the humans to get hurt, they didn't look very experienced and if anyone could watch their backs it'd be Avian and Victoria. They were his father's best and most trusted soldiers. "Dad trusts you a lot," he whispered, "and I do too." The prince returned to the map.

The humans would be sent to the mountain. There they would try to deal with the dragon. It was the opposite of what the living list wanted. In order to go home they didn't need the anguished roar of a dying dragon--they needed its laughter.

"Wait," Harper looked thoughtful. "There must be a mistake, we're supposed to search for a dragon's laugh."

Riley nodded and backed the nervous looking boy up. "I'm sure stabbing the dragon won't make it laugh. Unless it's a masochist of something." She shrugged before narrowing her eyes at both the messenger and the prince.

Tobias looked baffled but one of the guards spoke for him. "Kill it, befriend it, it doesn't matter to us. Just do whatever the hell is needed to get them off our backs. They used to be peaceful, just like pet dogs..." his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "We don't know what's wrong, but if you can find out without violence then all the better. Your supplies are in that chest. Take whatever weapons and armor you need then head to the stables, you'll be meeting familiar faces."

The prince nodded wearily. "After all this is over, I'll make sure to treat you all to Sol's renowned strawberry cake. Thank you."





After they had prepared for their mission, they were ushered to the stable by an weary guard.

"The dragon who lives on that hill is known for bein' unpredictable. You young ones better watch yourselves...I can't believe we're trusting you lot with Sol's safety." He let out a tired laugh. "You must all be very special." He gave Avian and Victoria a salute as they passed by.

Harper trailed behind them looking very nervous in his new attire. Gosh darn it, he wasn't some dragon slayer, none of them were. This quest to finish the living list, it would be the death of them all! He jogged after the others, the sword strapped to his back felt weighty. This wasn't just a game, it was the real deal and it frightened him.

Riley, unlike Harper walked ahead of the group, chatting happily with Ace as they neared the stable. "You're pretty amazing with your blade, Ace" she was grinning from ear to ear. The girl was pretty happy with her new outfit, they all looked very cool. " And you were both awesome as well, Jack Frost and Inadi." She beamed at both boys. "We owned that sucker! Too bad it injured Vinvin though."

"It's good to see you again." Serenade was standing by the stable's doors, a few of the other guides not too far away.

Seeing Serenade and the other guides made Harper feel so relieved. If there was anyone they could count on, it would be the guides. They had assisted the humans since they got off the train after all. "It's really good to see you too, I'm glad you're all doing well." Harper greeted.

"Well, I'll be sending you off now...I need to return to my post ASAP." He opened the stable doors and out walked their mounts.

There were enough for all of them. Riley immediately hopped onto one of them while Harper approached hesitantly.

Rider was about to frown, but thankfully Victoria was courtier enough to say something that could prevent Tobias from taking offense from her husband’s surly expression. “If the crown prince commands it, so shall it be,” She nodded and straightened her spine; the man beside her took the cure and lifted his face, the two of them performing the same crisp salute in response to their new given orders. Asides from that, the prince’s assurance that they were both trusted by the royal family served to strengthen their resolve.

“Your Highness, did you try to join the front lines again? You could’ve gotten killed! Look at you!” Avian fussed over the prince once the humans were (sort of) out of earshot. “Singed and bruised. Why, if your father sees you like this, he’d-“ The young man threw his hands up in a gesture of surrender then shook his head. Really, the prince needed a stronger watch, for his own safety.

“Anyway, wish us luck, Your Highness,” His lady partner was already walking towards the door. She threw a wink over her shoulder then waggled her fingers at the prince as a goodbye gesture before completely disappearing from sight.



Songbird had finished off the tea Brandy gave him and was feeling much better. Well, not really. His nap, the one where he had leaned against the black bunny (unknowingly, pfft), was interrupted when a soldier burst in the medic camp and announced that the humans had arrived. “What do you want us to do, give them all a manicure?” He snapped at the retreating figure before being calmed down by both Brandy and Serenade. Newly-awakened Songbird was almost always in Thugbird mode.
In any case, he went to the castle with Serenade and Dissonance to see the humans off, although he wasn’t going with them, especially since he saw who were accompanying the group. Royal Dragoons, by the look of their weapons and mounts.

“Goodbye and good luck,” He waved at the humans, sinking back against the wall. Half a day of nurturing (dying) Nobodies had left the item hunter pale with dark bruise-like shadows under his eyes, plus Songbird looked like he could deal with a good week of sleep.

Back to Victoria and Avian.

The humans rode on their chicken mounts, but Victoria and Avian were both members of the elite force and had their own special companions. The woman smiled and knelt down in front of a white tiger with the most innocent blue eyes ever, cooing, “Hello, Illumine. Have you missed me? Oh you big sweetheart you” before giving the huge cat a hug. The creature responded with a purr before snuggling against Victoria.

It didn’t seem like a predator, really. More like a giant house cat. Illumine the white tiger, after displaying admirable camaraderie with the ‘chocobos’, had tried to lick Jasper and Lesley, although he was shied away by a guard who thought the two humans might die of panic by being approached by a tiger. He had busied himself with trying to play with Inadi instead (a.k.a hello-human-want-to-rub-my-belly play), although that effort was halted when Victoria called him.

On the other hand, Avian’s mount was a massive ebony wolf. “Hello, Ellianne,” The soldier greeted the creature politely. She seemed to have the same disposition as her master; whereas Illumine (or Lulu for short) had tried to play with the humans like an overgrown baby, the wolf sat back on her haunches and observed them all with wise teal eyes.

“Anyone need help with their mounts?” Avian called out.

Inadi followed with the rest of the humans into a room that he assumed was a stable. The amount of animal sounds in the hallway leading to it seemed to suggest as much. If not a stable, clearly they were off to visit the Sol zoo before going to face the dragon. Good thing too. Inadi always loved a nice and cheerful field trip before marching off to his imminent and fire-filled death. It was a custom he was trying to instill in himself before it was too late. Though he had to admit there was something familiar about some of those calls...

Looking down at his slightly flamboyant (at least in his eyes) cape and armor. When he explained he was a magic user he didn't think they would make him look like some kind of mysterious wanderer. Far be it from him to complain about the added protection. Whatever this armor could do to prevent himself from being hurt against whatever monsters were out there he was all for wearing. But did he really need something that made him stick out like a sore thumb as badly as this ensemble did?

Then there was the situation with his newly acquired spear. When he saw how low his magic was after summoning the lightening bolt to be his weapon, Inadi grew worried. After a few of those he would end up running entirely on life energy and there was no telling what all was going to happen if that last resort had to be pulled out. He'd rather not risk the chance to be honest, which was where the spear came into play. He showed some knowledge of how to wield the thing, but naturally he had no idea what the overall capabilities were in regards to combat. He just figured he would keep doing the 'thrust-thrust-stab' thing until he had to come up with a new plan.

The spear itself was actually quite astonishing. It was just barely bigger than he was but it felt like it weighed about as much as two grocery bags of food he would carry back to his home every other week. And the barb that was on the back end of the spear made him cringe. The idea of that getting stuck in something or someone. Once that spear came out after a thrust, it was going to take something out with it. He quickly got his mind off the subject as he felt a queasy feeling stirring in his stomach.

As they inched closer to the doors, Inadi heard his name get called. He looked up and noticed it was Riley. She seemed to be complimenting him and Haku for a job well done back with the slime. While he was flattered that she thought he contributed, he had to admit he wasn't all that worthy of praise. He pretty much just poked the big thing to see if it was dead. And the little slimes weren't that big of a threat. Hell, Ace had been kicking a few of them with her foot, where Inadi didn't even humor at the idea that he should touch one. Haku really deserved the majority of the praise, not him.

When the doors to the stables opened, Inadi's eyes immediately went to the large tiger that was near the entrance. He was massive! So much bigger than tiger's back home. At least from what he could tell. And he was so friendly too. Like a house cat that hadn't seen his master in such a long time that he felt he had been forgotten about. He began rubbing his head and sides on Inadi, begging to be petted by the newly met human. As Inadi smiled and fulfilled the cat's need to be the center of attention the boy began picking up his head. What he saw made him go wide-eyed and had his jaw drop to the floor.

Quickly running over to a stable, he stood in front of something he had only seen in fantasy. A Chocobo! A real life Chocobo! The feathers were a brilliant gold, the legs long and strong. “This is the real thing! This is a Chocobo!” Inadi screamed out with a laugh caught in his throat. Here he was, a 20 year old man jumping up and down like a child going to see Santa for the first time. Yet for as sure as Inadi was at what was standing in front of him was the real deal, there was still one thing left to check.

“.......Kweh?”

Inadi sounded as best he could to the old sounds he remembered in the games he played that a Chocobo sounded like. To his astonishment the Chocobo standing in front of him, who before seemed to be completely unaware of Inadi's existence, suddenly shot a look down and leaned in closer. Its eyes seemed to show signs of curiosity and intrigue.

Leaning in closer still, Inadi could smell the feathers on the great bird now. They had a mixture of open fields and old wood, no doubt from the stables themselves. The bird tilted its head to the right and blinked twice at the human. “Kweh!”

Inadi smiled and began shooting back calls with the Chocobo, each one generating a response. The room was quickly filled with kwehs and warks so much so that even the other Chocobo's seemed to become involved in the discussion. Inadi felt himself becoming lost in a childhood dream. This may have been the first great thing that he experience in Nowhere, and he was sure nothing was going to top it.

Searching around for the two guides in the room, he turned to Victoria and Avian with a smile shooting across his face ear to ear. “Excuse me, I hate to be a bother but I have a quick question? Do you have any Gyshal Greens here? Or is that asking a little too much to make this whole thing the perfect experience.” Inadi laughed as the Chocobo behind him began jumping up and down, flapping its wings with a happy look in its eyes. Clearly Inadi said something right, as he laughed at the little show the great bird began putting on in front of everyone in the stable.

Tame a dragon.

That's all Ace wanted to know. "Why would we kill a dragon? What fun is that?" She skillfully spun the empty hilt of the sword and grinned. "My plan is to get a pet dragon. New goal in Nowhere!" She wasn't necessarily speaking to anyone, but she spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. There wad a determination in her eyes, almost like the fire in her blade. Once she set a goal, she was sure to see it through. She thought about what the guard said and crossed her arms under her chest. "We aren’t killing them. It'll ruin my plan." She spoke with a slight pout. There wad no actual plan. Well, unless you counted going there and making something up as they went a plan. But isn't that what they were doing before?

**************

"These new outfits are pretty cool. Heh, you look the part Harper. And your outfit is cool too Riley." In fact, everyone's new attire looked fittimg for them. Ace wondered why she had to get an all new outfit but with a little help she found one. And (assuming she had the baseball cap on the entire time) she kept it on. It was a valued possession of hers and she planned on keeping it.

~ ~ ~

Once again, Ace was in the front of the group. This time, she was happily talking to Riley. "You're cool with those fire powers of yours!" She looked back at the two boys as well and nodded in agreement. "You two were amazing. Good job." Her attention immediately turned to the sound of familiar voice. But she couldn't match it with a face until she noticed the guides there to greet them. "Hi th-" The sight of saddled animals- chickens- made her laugh. "We're riding those? Cool." Of course, she followed after her new buddy and hopped onto one of the chicken horse things. Her hyperactivity, had almost made her jump off the animal to post the tiger and wolf, but they were both under orders to sit and stay.

For a moment, she tilted her head, watching Inadi freak out. Why he did so was beyond her, but she put her interest back into the chicken horse. "Cool. Heh, we'll be fine partners okay?" Ace grinned as the bird gave an interesting sound of agreement. She patted the animal where the armor didn't cover and then looked down at the reins. Ace was going to figure out how to work them on her own. That's what she was used to doing so she set another, more minor goal.

It didn't take long for her to realize that pulling back made the bird lean back. And through a few experiments with the reins, and the feet movements- and being thrown on her butt a few times, she learned how to steer the animal. And with that beginner experience, she looked over at Riley. "Hehe, we should race these things! That would be so fun! Too bad we can't get rides like those." She looked over at the tower and wolf before giving a small shrug.

What were they doing next? Was it straight to the dragons, or another prep like the slimes?

As they trudged their way to the castle, Lesley was already mentally drained and he sort of dragged his feet along the sol patterned pavement. It must have taken someone a whole lot of energy, patience, and time to ingrain every little piece of colored rock into the cement in order to make the hundreds of thirty-six inch suns that extended the road all over the kingdom's sidewalks.

Leon: “Hey, Riley? Who gave us the extra energy?”

Hearing the inquiry, he was about to answer, but felt it would be rude since the question was not directed towards him. Listening and waiting to see if Riley could answer, he felt somewhat awkward for the kid because either Riley didn't even pick up that he was talking to her or maybe she was trying to avoid answering him. They were new, but sometimes people make barriers without getting to know people first. That was just human nature. We don't like others who do not conform or do something out of the ordinary. In fact, we shun those who are considered 'different'. He had encountered this type of discrimination way too many a times that he had completely lost the purpose of even counting. Whether it be his long pink hair or strange personality, people create inaccurate assumptions about him without proper evidence. Luckily, over the years, he's gotten used to mocking glares and confused faces because out of the unpleasant "judgers", there was always those who accepted the outstanding. Individuals who cherished the unique and camouflaged.

Turning to the crowned fellow, he was dumbfounded to find that the guy was in fact staring at him, his expression holding definite expectancy for... a response. From who? Lesley blinked a couple of times and spread an awkward superficial grin across his face. "Yes hunny, what did you want?" he asked politely, the entrance to the castle was coming into clear view.

Leon:“Who gave us the extra energy?”

The golden-eyed male repeated his question with a crooked mouth. "Oh!", Lesley gasped in surprise and he began to chuckle. "It was Jasper," he pointed to the back of the white haired girl who got kissed earlier,"You see her? Yup, she's a healer. That's the power her amulet gave her. Yours is wind am I right?" The boy had probably moved on to ask him about it since Riley had supposedly ignored his first try. Lesley couldn't help but sympathize as they were finally led to meet Tobias, the prince of Sol.

---

Tobias:"Avian, Victoria, Zephy, you all have my sincerest gratitude. Thank you for coming to our aid. Please send the queen my thanks. I wish I could give you some cakes and drinks, but there won't be any time."

What a surprise. He was so young, yet his troubled face resembled that of overly stressed mothers trying to raise children while balancing work and cleaning the house. Dark curves were forming below his eyes and also looked more sunken into their sockets. Lesley just wanted to pick him up and cuddle him. No kid his age should ever have to go through such immense pressure.

A map of his domain was spread over the table on which he pointed out where the pesky dragons lived. Harper and Riley spoke up about the problems they would be having since the item they currently needed is a result of happiness, not of death. The prince replied tiredly stating he didn't care how, but he just wanted them to stop the dragons for whatever reasons the creatures had for waging war.

Tobias: "After all this is over, I'll make sure to treat you all to Sol's renowned strawberry cake. Thank you."

Lesley smiled. He was always up for dessert.

---

Outfitted in his protective attire, they were then led to the stable. Everyone looked great and he beamed at his own set of clothing, liking the fit and feeling more secure knowing it would provide some safeguard from oncoming attacks. Well at least he hoped. As far as weapons went, Lesley was absolutely uncomfortable taking one. Detesting the idea of killing something, he even regretted killing those slimes from earlier just with his rainbow powers, but deliberately using an object for the sole purpose of causing harm was wholly against his personal principles. Not only that, Lesley intensely hated sharp things. Scissors, knifes, even the pointy corners of tables could set him off. And people wonder why his hair is so darn long. Besides, who needs blades and knives when you had an amulet full of power-giving water inside of it?

They were kindly greeted by a rabbit-eared Nobody and he wasn't certain on how to respond since he had never actually met her before. Continuing into the barn, large yellow birds were enclosed within separate stalls and some were already out and armored, ready for them to ride off into battle. He cringed at the thought of charging at a fire breathing dragon on one of those things and suddenly finding that you're seated on a giant Thanksgiving turkey. Seeing Riley prop herself onto one, the rest began to follow in her lead, many of them hesitant. Except for Inadi who went into a Chocobo craze at the sight of the many Big Bird's. As Lesley approached one of the enlarged chickens though, an over-sized tiger intercepted his path and neared his hands, tongue stuck out as it licked his fingers in encouragement to be petted. Being the animal lover that he is, Lesley was more than willing to satisfy its nudges for attention until a guard stepped into shoo the feline elsewhere. Frowning a bit, he wanted to tweak the guard on the ear, but since he had performed those actions with good intentions, the disappointed Les continued towards one of the calmer looking Aves, one that wasn't participating in "Kweh's" to Inadi, and cautiously slipped himself on like he would if he were getting himself onto a horse back on earth. His mounting procedures were a success and it helped that his chosen ride didn't seem to be the most excited of the bunch. It just silently stood there, staring straight ahead as if Lesley's presence didn't even exist.

Inadi:“Excuse me, I hate to be a bother but I have a quick question? Do you have any Gyshal Greens here? Or is that asking a little too much to make this whole thing the perfect experience.”

His once motionless Chocobo suddenly perked up, twitching to life as it cocked its headed towards Inadi. "Woah...WOAH!" The yellow creature clambered out of its quarter straight for the boy who had said something all the Chocobo's were certainly excited about. Craning its neck slightly, it poked its head beside the questioning Inadi and "Kweh-ed" as a clear vocal supporter of the male's request. Lesley chuckled and peeked from behind the two eager queriers.

A tiger and a wolf Harper kept his distance and stood between both Haku and Jasper.

"Um, do any of you know how to ride a horse?" He let out a nervous laugh, riding those giant chickens would probably be just like riding a horse, right? He stared at the Chocobos timidly noticed Inadi. The boy seemed very fond of the chickens and most of them seemed fond of him too. They kwehed and flapped happily and one even jumped out of its stable when he mentioned something called Gyshal Greens.

Harper laughed, despite their sizes they were adorable balls of fluff. He couldn't help but noticed their really sharp beaks and intimidating armor though. "They seem to really like you!" He stated with a smile. "You're Inadi, right?" Harper timidly approached one of the Chocobos and it flapped its wings happily.

Meanwhile, the Chocobo beside Inadi ducked and scooped the boy onto its back. It looked very happy.

Harper slowly began climbing his own mount before giving the guides a smile. He felt uncertain, but at times like these, smiling was all he could really do. The chocobo was actually quite easy to ride, all he had to do was pull the reins in a certain direction. He guided his mount so it would trot towards both Jasper and Leila. He gave both girls a smile. "It's not that hard, promise." Then he heard Ace and Riley shouting and he laughed.

When they weren't fighting for their lives, Nowhere was a beautiful place.

"Excuse me, Avian, Victoria. So this dragon? Could you give us some tips." He made a sour face. "Have any of you fought dragons before?"

"Hehe, we should race these things! That would be so fun! Too bad we can't get rides like those."

Riley grinned at Ace then at both tiger and wolf. "Yup! But I'm not complaining, these giant chickens are adorable and they look great in armor." He gave the Chocobo a pet on its head then grinned at Ace, Lesley, and Haku. "As for a race, let's do this! I mean, if we're going against a dragon we need to be fast." She was grinning deviously like a cheshire cat with a naughty plan. "I bet I can make it to the end of the field before you guys!" Riley tapped her foot against the chicken's side and it dashed off like a bullet. The girl squealed in joy until the chocobo tripped on a rock and she was sent flying.

Her squeal turned into a yelp and she found herself on a bed of flowers. The sky above them was a bright blue and the sun was shining. The Chocobo approached her but she didn't get up and instead started to count clouds. "This isn't so bad! Lesley, get your butt here! I think I those clouds are made of actual cotton candy!" Aside from Vince, she knew Lesley the longest. He was fun, "Gosh, you guys are slowpokes."

Whilst the group of humans strolled towards the stables, where their mounts were said to have been prepared and in waiting, Hakuren took a moment to properly assess the situation they were all in.

A fire-breathing dragon had come down from the heavens and wreaked havoc upon the innocent inhabitants of Sol, destroying their beloved home-place and creating chaos with each flap of its wings. Many brave warriors had fallen in an attempt to slay the heartless beast, alas the scourge continued. The smells of both blood and ash mixed and floated in the air, creating the despondent essence in the atmosphere. Despite being far, moans and groans of fading souls could be heard echoing faintly in the distance. The outworldly party could not see it, but it was clear. This was a time of war, not a fun adventure.
Although some still failed to realize this fact, it was certainly refreshing to witness their shenanigans. Ace’s upbeat and cheerful mannerism was like a warm sunny ray in a cold winter’s day and likely relieved some of the pressure off the shoulders of the kingdom’s current ruler.
With the king allegedly missing, his heir, prince Tobias, had taken on his father’s duties. He were merely a child, stubborn, a tough one at that. The lad’s expression had been tired and grim in their first encounter, most likely due to seeing scenes of carnage, which should not typically be placed before the eyes of children his age. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. Worn out and in no condition to be presentable as a royal should, His Majesty had quickly pulled out a map, revealing the location of the demonic lizard’s lair, which was to be their newest destination. To answer the Dragoons’ request to take their leave and join their comrades in the battle field, he denied them, stating that they should accompany Queen Delirium’s reinforcements on their journey. It was an order, albeit a meek one, which the couple could not object.

In the mean time, during their visit to his Highness’ headquarters, Hakuren could not shake off the strange feeling he had. The very first mention of the country’s name, Sol, rang a bell within his mind, however, he could not interpret its call. For a reason unknown to him, it brought up an association with a certain red-haired gun-loving lawyer, which could not be considered entirely odd, if you were to take into consideration how much Gino adored fantacy. It was very likely that the loud-mouthed individual had once randomly mentioned something concerning medieval folklore, yet he felt like there was more to that. The inability to recall that moment in his personal record pestered the green-blue-eyed man quite a bit and did not leave him be right until the point when they were asked to change clothing to something more suitable for their upcoming travel.

Outfitted in a fashion befitting the era, Hakuren no longer wore his signature midnight green coat and black fedora. Having left his possessions at the castle, with the exception of his hard-cover notebook, the student’s new attire consisted of a piece of upper clothing quite similar to a robe, but also to a cloak, for it had baggy sleeves that extended only a bit after the elbow, yet not to the wrist; a turtleneck, the purpose of which was to keep the body warm, due to the fact that, while bodily functions could be carried out normally in lower temperatures because of his power, it was best to have a layer of protection just in case outside effects caused a disruption to the temperature balance; long fingerless gloves; pants and knee-length boots. There were no embroideries or the like, the entire costume being rather plain, for everything was black, apart from the turtleneck, which was white. Yet this evidently simply appearance contrasted well with the weapon he had been given. It was a long staff, light like a bamboo stick, yet as beautiful as a diamond shining under the full moon. The scepter’s pole was pure black, whilst on its upper end was a huge moon with several crystals and jewels shining faintly in a blue colour. Fascinating with its design, this weapon was meant for the casting of spells, yet could also be used without the need of magic, since the moon’s edges were quite sharp, making it similar to a scythe. Carrying the object with ease with only one hand, the young ice magician followed closely behind the red-haired girl due as they marched forward.

Riley said "And you were both awesome as well, Jack Frost and Inadi." She beamed at both boys. "We owned that sucker! Too bad it injured Vinvin though."

Being labeled as “Jack Frost” could only boost Hakuren’s ego. He had seen the movie and planned on doing far greater feats than that albino prankster. Still, being called that was certainly better than something such as “Queen Elsa”, due to obvious gender-related reasons.

“You were quite the pro yourself, Riley.” he complimented her with a smile. ”We certainly aced the first test.”
Once reaching the stable doors, the humans encountered a familiar face, the black bunny girl known as Serenade. With her level-headed demeanor, she greeted and smiled at them, which obviously made Harper feel a bit more at ease. The lad had rarely had a break from the constant nervousness, which haunted his existence, and seeing one of the more responsible guides surely calmed him down.
However, there was something missing. The sound of joyous laughter. The sight of a wide grin. The bone-crushing grip of a hug. Indeed, Dissonance was nowhere in sight, despite being in Nowhere itself. Her adorable expression was something the psychologist missed and he wondered what had happened to the exuberant white hare. Could it be that the dragon are rabbit for dinner last night? If so, it would be very disappointing, seeing as the girl was so cute and friendly. But before anyone could ask a thing, the stable doors opened and the mounts were lead outside.

Chocobos.

The human party suddenly found themselves amidst the Final Fantasy universe. With the introduction of chocobos, the game freaks would most definitely immediately come into light. The only one to fall into that category was Inadi, as he began jumping up and down in excitement the moment he laid eyes on the giant walking birds and even attempted to communicate with them. The critters did not mind this person’s antics and even encouraged him by making the same sounds. Who was imitating who was a bit hard to determine.
Rather than spend their time observing in astonishment, the two girls of a flame made haste and each got on the back of a mount, however, Ace was willing to experiment with the reins, which inevitably resulted in a couple of hard kisses with the ground for the lass and Michael Jackson moves for the avian.

And back to “Game of Thrones”.

As he approached one of the chocobos himself, Hakuren noticed how the lovely Victoria bent down, in order to pet a huge white tiger, which seemed to return her affection just as lovingly. Yet the feline was not satisfied with only its owner’s attention and sought the eyes of the humans, some of which it tried to lick, namely Jasper and Lesley, but moved on to begging Inadi to pet it. On the other hand, a giant wolf, which was presumably Avian’s companion, sat at the side and observed in silence, much like its owner.

Harper said "Um, do any of you know how to ride a horse?"

Harper had always been the timid one out of the bunch and this was no exception. Unlike Inadi, who could simply not get enough of the big birds, the student had positioned himself between Hakuren and Jasper, carefully observing both the giant chickens and the two predators on set.
“Relax, Harper. It’s easier than controlling the miniship.” Ice assured him with a friendly expression and stepped closer to one of the calmer chocobos, which had not engaged in the silly chorus of the lightning mage. Climbing on top of one was truly the same as a horse and so was controlling them. Fortunately, the youngster had traveled on horseback a couple of times during vacations.

Ace said "Hehe, we should race these things! That would be so fun! Too bad we can't get rides like those."

Riley said Riley grinned at Ace then at both tiger and wolf. "Yup! But I'm not complaining, these giant chickens are adorable and they look great in armor." He gave the Chocobo a pet on its head then grinned at Ace, Lesley, and Haku. "As for a race, let's do this! I mean, if we're going against a dragon we need to be fast."

“Run all you like, but I’m gonna-” Hakuren grinned but didn’t have the time to finish.

Riley said "I bet I can make it to the end of the field before you guys!"

“Yah, I’ll pass.” he sighed with a smile.
Their journey was going to be a long one and the last thing they wanted was to have tired mounts when an attack occurred. Knowing better than forcing the creature to run meaninglessly, the green-blue-eyed man adjusted the staff, which was now strapped to his back, and made the chocobo walk next to Harper. As far as he had heard, there was some interesting information about to be told.

Following Prince Tobias's short explanation, they were lead to a chest of weapons and given a selection of outfits for fighting the dragons. Some looked shiny with lots of bling, while others looked like extremely heavy armor, but with the advantage of extra protection and cover from any harmful threats. Running her observant eyes over the clothing, she decided to pick out a loose comfy sweater-dress. Rummaging through the staffs, she picked out a cane like structure without much design except for the end was curled into swirled knob. Once all of them had picked up they're desired attire and weapon, if any, they were led to the stable were their rides and guides awaited them.

Serenade, Brandy, and Songbird saw them off briefly, the lot of them looking extremely tired and pale. Their expressions and aura status matched that of the prince which wasn't a surprise. But getting a peek at how much trouble the dragons must have caused to get everyone in this state made her feel weak in the knees. She nodded in acknowledgement as they continued into the outbuilding and were greeted by a line up of steel-plated Chocobos? Not a term she had ever heard of before, but one person certainly knew what the big birds were. Inadi was kwehing around and making weird motions with his body. Most of the humans were ecstatic and many hopped onto their mounts without much hesitation. Jasper on the other hand was already shaking her head and taking prudent steps south bound towards the barn exit. Stopping by Lesley's side, she remembered that he had promised to protect her and a giant white tiger suddenly appeared before them. Staring in fear, she felt relieved when a guard stepped in and redirected the wildcat elsewhere.

Lesley left her side shortly after that and slipped onto a Chocobo himself. Soon coming to the reality that she was one of the only ones not yet on top of their supposed mounts, a tense feeling came crackling through out her system. Look darting from the hysterical birds to the guides, she clenched her staff tightly in her grasp, palms starting to get clammy. Breath quickening in panic, she refused to willingly climb on one herself.

“Anyone need help with their mounts?”

Arms flinching, her blinking sped up as she backed up some more.

"KWEHHH!"

Right into a Chocobo, she fell down as leaped up into the air, landing scratchingly with its scary talons gnashing with the cement flooring. Scrambling away from the cawing bird, she backed up into the barn wall as Riley bounded out with her Chocobo at a dangerously quick speed. They were racing these things and she couldn't even ride one. It was too risky. There was just no way she was going to be able to ride one herself and control it. 'I can't do it.' Remembering a miniature horse incident back in grade school, she rode one of the tiny ponies when her class visited a local farm in the suburbs of New York. It was hassle for the teacher to get her on, but when she eventually forced herself to try it, being the last kid out of hundreds to go, the poor horse didn't seem to be too accepting of one more ride. As the volunteer began leading it around the same circular path every other child went through, the sheltie bucked lightly and sent Jasper toppling off. Luckily, the horse wasn't very tall and Jasper landing safely onto hay covered ground, but it was enough to be forever etched into her brain as a big 'no-no'.

“Yah, I’ll pass.”

"Ye-yeah... me too." She agreed with Haku who had settled on staying within the stable and Jasper wanted the same. She was still standing on two feet and not seated on the back of the mounts they were told to use.

"Is there any I wouldn't have to ride one?" she asked sincerely, hoping the reply would be in her favor.

Inadi, still lost in his enjoyment of the action the many large birds were engaging in, suddenly found himself feeling weightless and floating above the ground. Staring down he realized he wasn't floating but sitting atop the Chocobo that he had greeted earlier. Still bounding up and down with happy sounds coming from it's beak, Inadi began grabbing the reigns with a smile as he pulled back on them. It took a few tugs, but the large bird finally settled itself down and gave a few pleasant kwehs, almost as if to say it was ready to go to work.

Staring around the room and seeing the other Chocobos, Inadi smiled. He finally felt comfortable in the strange world of Nowhere. This was something he knew about. Something he had a history with. Now that he had a rhythm with something he felt his nerves somewhat relax and his fear begin to subside. Petting the Chocobo that he was riding's neck, he felt the creature lean into his hand and felt a contented sigh escape his throat. When he looked up, he suddenly felt a rush of awkwardness overcome him.

Apparently after his bonding moment with the Chocobos he had gained somewhat of an audience. Lesley was right next to him on his Chocobo, Riley was staring at him as was Ace and Haku. Jasper seemed to be in total fear of all the animals in the stable so he wasn't sure if he was somewhat responsible for that look on her face as well. Being so caught up in his Chocobo, he completely missed Jasper's run in with her bird on the other side of the stable. Inadi quickly cleared his throat and his steed warked in response, as if to take the attention of of his new master.

Staring back at the stable somewhat, Inadi looked up to see a name plate that he had missed earlier. He smiled as he read the name Pini. A cute name at least, definitely fitting this one's curious little attitude and upbeat personality. Petting it again he smiled and looked over to Lesley who was, again, standing nearby him. “Hard to believe you see something you recognize in a place like this. Here I thought I would never get comfortable during my time in this place.” He said with a smile as he grabbed the reigns in his hands and began walking out of the pen Pini was in. “Hopefully riding Pini won't be too difficult though.” He then turned over to Harper and gave him a nod. “Yeah that's me. And if I remember correctly you are Harper. I wouldn't worry too much about riding these guys. If Ace can get a hold of it in less than a minute it shouldn't be too hard.” He said, not trying to sound rude, though with the way it came off it would seem he was attacking the long-haired fire wielder.

Right as he began getting into the alley, Riley and Ace began talking about racing the Chocobos. Inadi immediately felt an urge of competitiveness wash over him. Oh how he would love to do that. Another dream fulfilled actually. After he watched Riley stamper off towards the exit and have a bit of a spill, he laughed and steered the bird towards the girl who had just taken a bit of a tumble. Looking up at the sky that she referred to, he stood above her on his steed and watched the clouds change shape ever so slightly as the wind moved them. He looked down at her and laughed. “Considering all the other weird things this place has to offer I wouldn't doubt it.” He told her in reference to the cotton candy comment.

Inadi then pulled the reigns to the left, still a little bit uneasy with the process as he shook a bit in the saddle. He looked over to Riley and then to Ace. A cocky grin appeared on his face as he pushed his glasses up slightly on the bridge of his nose. “So what exactly will we be racing for everyone? Cause I have to say.....I hate taking money from the fairer gender, ladies.” Inadi gave a small chuckle as Pini began almost laughing with his master. Kwehing as he was, it seemed he was challenging the other Chocobos to the idea of a race as well. Inadi began petting the large bird on the neck and looked back to the group, waiting for a response.

"Jasper, if you'd prefer you can ride with me." Serenade gave the nervous looking human a smile. "Still, it would tire out the Chocobos if they had two people on them at once." The black rabbit tried to sound reassuring. "They're gentle, these are the mounts given to those new to the infantry."

One of the giant chickens inched towards the nervous girl and pressed it's fluffy head against her shoulder.

"See, one of them likes you already." The guide chuckled then looked at both Avian and Victoria. "If you really need assistance though, that's what those two are for." She gave them a friendly nod before returning her attention towards Jasper.

Harper was actually getting the hang of it. His chocobo trotted beside Hakuren's, sometimes 'kwehing' playfully at the older boy's own mount. The giant chickens looked very excited. "You're right Haku, this is much better than flying a miniship." He gave the older boy a small grin. "We don't have to worry about falling off and dying either." He tugged on the reins and the chocobo began walking in a speedy circle. The boy laughed before noticing Jasper's little predicament, he waved cheerfully, looking much happier than usual. "They're nice!" He yelled before returning his focus on Hakuren, Avian, and Vicky. He gave his mount a pat and noticed a name on its collar. "Parsley," Harper laughed before looking at Haku's mount with a smile. "What's your name?"

He waited for Hakuren to answer then turned to both Avian and Vicky. "Did the dragons really use to be friendly?"

Meanwhile, Serenade had stopped by Leila, Jasper, and Leon.

The three of them hadn't gotten onto their mounts yet. "Chocobos assemble!" The guide called.

Two more armored chickens rushed to the scene, bouncing in excitement. Both chickens walked up to the still standing humans and kwehed loudly as if begging for attention. The Chocobo who was already beside Jasper gave the girl a little push before ducking really low and waiting patiently.

"See, they're trained. Now, let's get a move on everyone." Serenade looked tired but she mustered a smile and laughed.



“Considering all the other weird things this place has to offer I wouldn't doubt it.”

Her view of the sky was cut off and she found herself staring at Inadi and Pini. "Gah, you guys are blocking the view." The girl gave them both a grin but sprang up when the boy accepted her earlier invitation to race. Riley huffed, then turned to Ace with a devious looking grin. "I'm shaking in my boots," she joked before rolling her eyes at Inadi's comment. "No worries, pal, we don't plan to lose to you."

The girl got to her feet and climbed onto her mount's back, she noticed the collar on its neck, the Chocobos name was Sunny.

"Sunny, huh? Let's show these boys who's boss, okay!" The Chocobo flapped its wings eagerly and Riley laughed. "I'll take that as a yes!" The girl focused on the giant oak tree at the end of the field then turned to both Ace and Inadi. "That'll be the finished line!" The trio got into position and began counting down.

Three. Two. One.

The Chocobos ran and laughter echoed across the field. "Sunny! We can do this!" She tapped the bird's side with her foot and it picked up the pace, leaping and flapping it's wings as it launched itself forward.

 ”We certainly aced the first test.”

Ace giggled at the play on words and nodded. She had been too busy talking with Riley to hear Inadi's potentially ride comment. But in hindsight, Ace wouldn't have minded it regardless.
Back to Riley; the girl accepted her challenge and before she knew it, she took off. "Hey! No fair!" She laughed, and held tighter to the reins of her bird. As she prepared to take off after her, Riley had flipped off into a bed of flowers only causing Ace to laugh harder. She walked her bird over to her and smirked. "At this rate, you'll lose for sure." She looked over at Inadi and his Chocobo, both seeming to taunt them into racing. The duo were practically perfect for each other. Ace's cheeks puffed and her Chocobo ruffled its feathers, making one of those kwehing sounds. It seemed the two were both on the same page with the challenge.

"You hear that Fluff? Those two think they'll actually win. Heh, want to race them?" Ace earned a chirp in response and she laughed lightly. "A bet you want? Let's see..." In her many years of betting and gambling, there wasn't much she could think of. "Anyone want to bet something? Even though it won't matter because me and Fluff here will run circles around you two." The Chocobo quickly adopted its new nickname and chirped in agreement, feeding off of Ace's energy. As excited she was getting, her bird was agreeing to it too. In the midst of her excitement, she caught on to the chickens having name tags. Ace looked at hers.

"Dipper? Heh, nice to meet you fluffball, I'm Ace." She looked up as Riley spoke and then grinned. "Alright. You heard her Fluff, the finish line is there. Set your sights and go as fast as you can!" And when the countdown was over, before Ace could even tell Dipper to go, the bird took off. She held tight, already experiencing falling off the ride, and not wanting that to happen again. "Come on! We can do it!" The determined bird pushed itself faster, flapping every now and then. Ace continued to cheer as her bird pushed forward.

“Well, they’re gone. Can we rest now?” Songbird muttered and tried to push himself off of the pillar. However, he decided to be lazy for a few minutes more and slid down instead, slumped against the stone like a limp noodle. “I’m so beat. Not as beat as the dead nobodies though,” He joked sarcastically then sighed.

Bad day for Thugbird.

---

“Vicky, could you look after them? I have to run after the other humans,” Rider gestured at the various people shooting off on a race and then got on his mount; Ellianne’s speed made it so that he was near the middle part of the group before long. Victoria turned back only to see three humans still hesitating to ride their mounts. She sighed, rolled her eyes, and then got down from her saddle. “Aight kids, what’s the problem here?” She walked over, hands on her hips, with a none-too-pleased expression on her face.

Five minutes later they were strapped in and ready to go, and their group easily catched up to Avian who hung back on the rear of the racers.
“How’d you convince them to get on the chocobos?” Avian murmured as he rechecked the Ghysal greens container that was hanging down from Ellianne’s left side. So far all of these were enough for everyone. “Trust me hun, you wouldn’t want to know,” His wife replied and smiled.

After watching the humans race against each other some more, Victoria turned towards her husband. “Do you want to race me?” She smirked and Illumine’s fluffy white ears perked up. Avian smiled, then tilted his head to the side. “Okay, what’s the catch?” He finally asked, an amused smile on his face as Ellianne snorted. The redhead leaned over and whispered something in his ear, before laughing and then urging Illumine to run forward.

“H-He- Wait! That’s not up for a bet!” The young man yelled after her and Ellianne pushed against the ground, instantly chasing after the white tiger and the bounty huntress.

They even passed the humans.

“Come back here! Victoria! That’s not funny!” Avian hollered, pale as a piece of chalk as the tiger bounded away.

Inadi:“Hard to believe you see something you recognize in a place like this. Here I thought I would never get comfortable during my time in this place.”

Riley:"This isn't so bad! Lesley, get your butt here!

Nodding, he couldn't exactly relate to how Inadi was feeling at that moment because everything here was so strange and way out of the ordinary that it would be a true surprise to him if he could actually find a personal connection with Nowhere and its quirky entirety. Grinning at the frame-faced boy, one of the eager Aves swooped its head down and through his legs, craning it back up in a swift motion as Inadi came sliding back down onto its back. A look of surprise and soon pleasure ran across his expression with the unexpected mounting. Lucky him. He didn't have to go through the trouble of getting up on the thing since his carrier decided to do it for him.

Seeing Riley and her Chocobo go zooming out of the stable, he piped up when he heard her call his name and off he went with his ride, padding on after her. From a distance, he was able to make out her figure on the ground, staring dreamily into the vast array of clouds in the clear blue sky. Ace and Inadi went clopping off from his left and right, but he didn't mind. For now, all he needed to focus on was controlling his mount and remaining balanced atop its back. It felt somewhat unstable and he had only ever rode a horse once and it wasn't even a real one. A carousel... if that counts. Clutching the reigns securely, he loved and enjoyed the ride, the breeze flinging his pink hair behind him and whipping the unseen trail from which he came like a cape as he continued onward toward the crowding riders.

A challenge was going down as the humans made taunting comments at one another. To the oak tree it was. The finish line. Riley, Inadi, Ace and himself. One versus three other individuals, this was going to be one heck of a race. Wrapping an arm around his bird's neck, he groped mindlessly a bit before finally finding clutch of the tag on which the Chocobo's name was written. Reading the name engraved onto the dog tag was a little trouble some because of the bobbing movements of the bird, but when he managed to make out the word 'Sergeant'. Lesley puffed out some air from his nostrils, remembering how the Chocobo had been while he was clawing himself onto it. No wonder. The title perfectly befitting the way it just stood there like a monotonous sculpture while a human struggled to get on him. "Mkay 'Serge'", he was pleased to have drawn out an alias for his companion so quickly,

"Three, two, ONE!"

"TO THE OAK TREE!" He jabbed a commanding finger at the determined target site and clenched the reigns to brace himself for take off... but it never came. The others had already blasted on ahead, leaving him licking up the upturned grass far back at the starting line at which Serge stood unmoving. "Aw man! Let's go buddy" he encouraged the glaring bird with a 'pretty-please' tone of voice. When the Chocobo refused to respond, its eyes narrowed looking out into the jiggling butts of his winning friends, Lesley pouted and tapped Serge's sides whiningly, "Come on you big KFC! Lookit! Were loosin' cuz of you" he bounced up and down on his ride's back, it's giant chicken feet still planted in place.

Lesley racked his past to try and remember what the heck Inadi said earlier to get Serge to move. 'Hm.. was it Grayish Greens? No. Gay-fish Greens?" he chomped down on his bottom lip. "Oh yeah. Gayshul GREENS!" he thought aloud. "If you get me to that tree then I'll give you some of em'" he tempted the Chocobo. The creature seemed to take the offering well as it sprinted after them, nearing Ace. Lesley shrieked in joy and amusement, waving an arm in the air as the crisp wind splashed wildly over him. Opening his eyes, he was shocked to see Victoria, the female guide, tearing ahead past him with Avian following closely behind. He smirked and charged on.

The feeling of going this fast with the wind sailing past his hair, his glasses barely staying on him, Inadi felt like he was living out a wonderful dream. Here he was, a few hours ago, fighting a giant slime that had tried to devour him and the others he had come to know here in Nowhere. Now he was riding a Chocobo. This was something he had been dreaming about since he was a child. And the fact that he was racing made it feel all the more exhilarating.

He was neck and neck with the others for a good part of the race, and watched as others began picking up speed. It was all the Chocobo's though, most were still sitting upright in their saddles and it was affecting their speed. Inadi had seen a horse race or two in his time and knew that jockeys kept themselves close to the horse that way there wouldn't be that much wind sheer to have to deal with. Smiling to himself he leaned in close to Pini and began speaking to him, raising his voice to overcome the loud sounds of the talons underneath stomping into the ground.

“Kick it into the next gear there Pini! We got these guys no problem at all,” Inadi said as he gave a quick snap of the reigns, making the great bird kweh loudly in response. The bird began picking up speed, and started catching up with some of the other Chocobos. That was when Inadi lowered his body into the saddle and seemingly sank into the feathers of Pini himself. Keeping his head slightly to the left, he was able to keep an eye on where the other racers where and moved the reigns as best he could to avoid the Chocbos around them. Once he began passing by Ace and Lesley, he knew that he had to just find a way to get past Riley.

That was when Lesley suddenly picked up speed and started catching up. He wasn't sure how, but the bird seemed to be racing with a purpose now. Maybe Lesley had said something to his mount or something. Either was this was a problem. Lesley was gaining on him, Ace was keeping it close and Riley seemed to be just a second or so ahead of him.

He turned back to Pini and began snapping the reigns again. He wanted to gain some more speed, but didn't know what the birds ceiling was. The sound of the talons bashing the ground beneath them was getting louder and the tree seemed to just seven or eight lengths away from them now. “Come on Pini! Now is the time to get that last big burst. These other Chocobos have nothing on you! Work those legs and make the feathers fly!” Inadi yelled as Pini let out another loud call and began lowering his head as well. Now both looked almost horizontal with the ground and continued to pick up speed. It was going to be a photo finish. Hopefully somebody was going to be at the tree to crown a champion.

Brandy watched as the humans left for the stables through the doors. He then looked back down to where Song was propped against the pillar looking haggard, sighing when he realized he himself most likely looked no better. The last of the wounded had been carried in and taken care of for now, and the black-haired rabbit was starting to feel his eyelids droop.

“I’m sure we can go take a break now.” He gave the item hunter a nudge with his foot gently. “Let’s go check on Martini and the children, shall we? I think she was planning on letting the kids take a nap about now.”

---

Outside the Castle

Behind the oak tree, a two heads poked out to assess the impromptu chocobo race’s situation.

“Do you think they’re close enough yet, Linna?”

“Chirp chirp!”

“Yes, I agree, a little closer…”

Zephy peered at the rapidly approaching figures with a pout, absentmindedly patting her own mount beside her. She wasn’t very happy to miss out on such a fun looking race, but Tobi had sent her ahead to make sure there were no beasties lurking around that might pose a danger to the humans despite Avi and Viccy being with them. Really, if the humans were to die in the midst of a carefree chocobo race she was rather hesitant to imagine how they’d ultimately fare against the dragons. But orders were orders, and she was determined to carry it out to the best of her abilities. She had even found a nice vine along the way to serve as a finish line!

With a glance to each two blurs darted out from behind the tree, standing to the side with the vine stretched between them.

“Go Avi! Go Viccy! And the humans too! Over here!”

She cheered, waving her free hand frantically to draw their attention to the slightly shifted finished line. On the other side of the vine was a steel-blue furred rabbit, only this particular one had a an impressive pair of copper antlers perched in its head.

The pony sized Jackalope bounced up and down, chirps muffled by the vine in her mouth as Zephy tried to discern who was in the lead. Impressively enough the chocobos were running almost head to head, making it hard to see exactly who was currently in first place.

“C’mon, slowpokes! You’re almost theeere!”

Lesley’s huge grin did little to drive Leon away; in fact, it made him return a hesitant smile in response to the rather unique one Lesley had offered. Nevertheless, the pink-haired human had answered his question and Leon nodded thoughtfully, thinking back to Jasper’s actions. He hadn’t seen the girl do it but it didn’t come as a huge surprise that she’d nearly drained herself dry giving them energy. He felt a thankful towards the girl because if not for her generous act, he would’ve been partially decomposed by now.

“Yes, my power is wind. I didn’t get to see much of your sparkly rainbow powers though, I was a bit busy being made a meal of. They’re so fabulous though.” It almost made Leon wish he had picked up Lesley’s gem and he wondered, for the umpteenth time, how he had ended up with the wind amulet.

After the meeting with the prince – truthfully, all Leon had been thinking about was the strawberry cake – the humans were allowed to change out of their clothes into battle gear of some sort, which was a blessing for Leon. Out of his slime-ridden, goo-infested suit and into some kind of light armor, the only colors aside from black being a silvery white accented with airy light blue. Speaking of armor, where the hell was it? He patted himself down on the way to the stables, looking for something hard enough to shield him against pointy swords and lethal attacks. All he could feel was a thin, hard layer underneath his top, reminding him of the bullet-proof vests back in the human world. While at first he had been offered an oversized boomerang made of pure gold, Leon’s expression of utter fascination drove them to snatch it away from him and hand him a ruddy old staff instead. It was as if they knew that all the damage Leon would be doing with the boomerang would be to his own eyes as he continuously inspected his own reflection in the shiny gold surface.

Upon sighting the creatures they were supposed to ride on, an expression of both horror and disgust grew on his face before Leon stuck out his pointer finger and wagged it in the air. “Oh hell no! You expect me to ride this… thing?” Not even Inadi’s ultimate geek moment, no matter how adorable, made the Leon see the creatures in a better light. It looked a horrific cross-breed between a chicken and an emu, something that he definitely didn’t want to ride. But what choice did he have.

Throwing one leg up over the nearest Chocobo – great, they had a ridiculous name to boot – Leon mounted the nearest mutant-chicken, careful not to lose his balance. His Chocobo, however, could somehow detect its rider’s discontent and wiggled around restlessly, making it a very hard task for Leon to stay upright. An endless stream of curses flowed from him as he struggled with the mount, unable to sit comfortably atop the thing.

[Will complete tomorrow, I’m so tired D:]