A Sorta Fairytale (Plot Thread 3.3)

[Volkmar Gamlxltoe]

"ALRIGHT, LET'S GO!" Volk said as he pulled out his swords, "I got an itching, and I have a feeling that there will be a fight in here!"
Sayara sighed as she looked at him, "He is going to be so disappointing if there is not one... "Then Sayara heard Kurai's joke, and just laughed at it.
"You found that funny?" Volk asked her, but she couldn't hear him over her own laughter. "Sigh, if you were a bit older, I would tell you a really funny joke."

[Andy Jammer]

Andy didn't like the new developments, this new girl may have put up a pretty story but there were a lot holes in it...he could expose her right now and end it. So... why wasn't he?

He figured out why...the look she gives when looking at Eli...that wasn't a lie, it was a true expression: first crush. The same look he'd see Jasmine give him when she thought he wasn't looking. It was that memory that made him hold off exposing her, or trying to.

"...I guess we should head to the temple, Juno, if you can lead the way go ahead."

[Juno Runè]

"Right!" Juno said, leading them to the ice wall, feeling her ability to sense crystals become sharper. Now her worry was cleared up she could hone in on crystals better. True she should be reporting back to Claire...she was supposed to be helping her on her mission. Well...she could take a break right? None of them know she's with Claire...and there shouldn't be an issue right?

Right?

[Kurai Horo]

Kurai was walking amidst the rest of the group and he could sense the mistrust that a lot of the group felt for their new arrival, admittedly he had sensed it too. When she first spoke of her leading them to the crystal he had subtly scratched his forehead, peeking through his fingers with his Sharingan. Due to there being no eye contact he couldn't judge her motives but all her sudden little quirks, the way she stood and the way her mouth formed words all betrayed nervousness.

Still like everyone else he would play along but he was taking no precautions, he had gone un-noticed when he subtly used a replacement jutsu to swap places with one of his shadow clones which right now was acting just as he would, making poor jokes and acting happy-go-lucky yet from his position, hidden long range jutsus would be a grand defence.

[Vash, the Angel's Moon]

Honestly, Vash could tell too, and he had to admit, he was worried about the girl. THere was something about her that was just too convenient, too... something, something he couldin't put his finger on.

But it didn't matter. It wasn't like she was threatening them now, after all.

...And she reminded him of someone else, from a long time ago. Something about her.... again, something he couldn't place.

But anyone who reminded him of Shiira even a little couldn't be all bad.

Without even really realizing it, he began to hum an old, old folk song, old, even, when he'd heard it in Lunatopia, passed down through generations, supposedly from their Ketulunan ancestors...

[Kurai Horo]

Kurai's shadow clone picked up the tune and smiled, it was one of his fathers favourites, he'd heard it from a ketulunan bard who'd been travelling through Ariadelvento and his father had requested the bard teach it to him, and in turn with his sharingan Kurai had picked it up near instantly. Instinctively the clone found itself humming along to the tune as well.

Kurai in the distance caught sight of the tiny vibrations in the clones mask telling him he was humming "Oh god..." he thought to himself shaking his head "I just had to make a musical one didn't I? He'll be belting out Crepusculum's biggest hits soon..."

[Vash, the Angel's Moon]

Vash smiled at Kurai (well, his clone, but Vash didn't know that). "Hey, you know that song?" he asked. "It's a pretty old one, you don't see many people who know it since..." He faltered. "...Since Lunatopia was destroyed," he finished, more somberly. He hadn't even realized he'd been humming it.

[Kurai Horo]

Kurai's clone nodded at Vash "My father respected all forms of art and he included Martial Arts in that" he looked skywards "So he would listen to and learn songs that he enjoyed, he picked that tune up from a passing bard once and obviously with the Sharingan I learnt it pretty quickly myself" scratching the back of his head he gave a smile "He's still in Ariadelvento now working for the royal family" his hand lightly touched his neck "It seems I had a higher calling..." he muttered as his fingers moved over the birthmark.

"Anyways!" he said trying to change the mood "What about you? How were you recruited into the Lunar Knights?"

[Vash, the Angel's Moon]

Vash paused ever-so-briefly, as if caught off-guard by the question.

"Recruited?" he asked, as if he didn't understand, as if, somehow, the question was alien to him. Then he chuckled. "It's kind of a long story," he continued, then, as if nothing had been wrong just a moment ago. "My predecessor died in an... accident, related to his work." He sighed. "I was..." he paused again, "...I had no family. His fiancee, Shiira, took me in. She's the one who taught me what it means to be a Lunar Knight." His smile brightened at the mention of her, the only family he'd ever known, but then softened. "She died in the destruction."

[Juno Runè]

Juno led them through the canyon where the temple was buried, as Seth said it was. The entrance though was trickier to find, Juno could feel the crystal pulsing...she hovered her hands above the ice and moved around. Trying to look for the entrance.

[Kurai Horo]

"I..." Kurai trailed off "I am sorry for your loss, my mother and my brother were killed in an attack against the Ariadelvento royal family" he gave a weak smile "They were acting as bodyguard detail for the Queen and Princess whilst me and my father protected the King, I was only a boy and was there purely for some experience in handling an actual person and not just my fathers shadow clones" He shook his head "They attacked the Princess, my mother ordered the Queen to the King whilst she went to help my brother, me and my Father later found out they'd died fighting..." He looked up at Vash "Loss is something everyone must suffer, unfortunately"

He waited patiently as Juno searched around for the entrance to the cave with his arms crossed, he was a patient man and he simply stared around at the ice cave with a sense of awe and amazement "It's beautiful..." he thought to himself.

[Alessia]

Alessia stayed mostly silent throughout the trip, and as Juno looked around the cave for the crystal she too did some sight seeing.

To be honest Alessia had never seen snow, or ice, mostly because she had lived her enter life in hot places. This was one of the few chances for her to really take in the beauty of this cold country.

"This is nice..." She said to herself as she looked at her reflection in the ice, the ice glinting the light.

[Volkmar Gamlxltoe]

"God, this is SO boring." Volkmar said to Sayara, as he looked around, "How is it, that everyone else got to fight something, but it seems to be all plain and boring here?!"
"I dunno, but we will find something you can fight." Sayara said, with a smile.

[Kurai Horo]

Kurai exhaled at Volk's outburst "I'll never understand you beserkers..." he muttered to himself with a shake of his head before looking around to room, turning to Eli he spoke suddenly, his voice echoing around the cavern "Eli, sudden tactical analysis, what's the weaknesses of us fighting people in these caves and what are the strengths of us fighting people in these caves?" He always liked to keep anyone he was teaching on their toes. The boy had gone a while without any real education tactics wise, sudden analysis was a good way to sharpen te mind.

[Eli Ventus]

"H-huh?" Eli blinked, looking at Kurai and at the cave. "Well um...lets see...a cave is very tight and berserk energy going off in a cave could bring it down." he paused before adding, "plus it blocks away the moon, so we can't recharge."

"For good things....um..." he trailed off and went back thinking.