Gate, Tess, and the two demons sat around a little table on cozy armchairs. They were in a fine mansion. Tess wondered vaguely where exactly they were. Gate had led them there, but she hadn't had a chance to ask him about it.

That man certainly had secrets, Tess thought to herself as she watched him pour the wine.

"For the lady." He handed the first glass to Kisoka who smiled at him.

"For the guest." The second demon accepted the glass without looking at him.

"For the escort." Tess took the glass from him.

"For the host." He raised the final glass as if toasting and took a sip.

All did likewise. "Who are you?" Kisoka couldn't stand it anymore. Any man she had wanted, she could have. With one flaunting smile, she would have him at her feet. However, this man only returned her teases, charming her instead. This had never happened before.

"I would like to ask you the same. You and your friend."

"Kisoka."

"Sinclair." He gave the answer when Tess nodded at him.

Kisoka sipped her wine. "Now you two."

"Tessyrlla."

Gate paused for a moment, swirling the wine around in his glass. "An ordinary man."

Kisoka scoffed. "An ordinary man? You are a man who does not want to be found out. That in itself is not ordinary."

"It isn't?"

"Of course not." Sinclair said haughtily.

"But many men have secrets--harmless, petty secrets--that define them. And if these secrets were to be found out, they would be devastated." Tess placed her wine glass on the table.

"And are these men not ordinary enough?" Gate concluded.

Kisoka licked her lips. "Yes, men who keep harmless, petty secrets are ordinary, but I've the feeling your secrets are far from harmless or petty."

"You flatter me." He reached over and refilled her wine glass.

"You're avoiding the question."

Tess had just passed him Sinclair's glass. He smiled at her and refilled the second glass. He passed it back to Tess who gave it to Sinclair.

"What of you, Sinclair?" Tess purred. "Are you just an ordinary man?"

Sinclair looked at her with an expression of shock mixed with horror. "Of course not!"

Then his eyes rolled up into his head and he slumped off the chair.

"Well, ordinary or not, it looks like you can still die."

Kisoka starred at Sinclair's prone body and then the wine glass in her hand. Her eyes widened in shock. Gate was suddenly in front of her. She dropped her wine glass.

"Don't worry." He dragged her up to her feet. "Yours wasn't poisoned. You're the one who killed Jonelle's parents. You'll die the same way." He flicked on a lighter and the wine caught fire instantly.

Kisoka's screams echoed in the night.

Ita woke up slowly. He knew there was fighting going. It was probably an attack by the demons but he felt so weak. Whatever that lady demon did, she sure was nasty. Right now though, he shouldn't be concerned about that. He had to get better so that he could go back to protecting or rather helping, Seika out. He didn't want to lose his love to a battle he wasn't able to help her with.

Which brought him to this main problem: another demon. Ita glanced at the doorway. He wasn't sure how but the demon was strong enough to break the wards to enter the room.

"Evening handsome," The demon purred. "You look delicious."

***

Raniez threw a wave of sand at Seika and Riku. Sidestepping the attack, Seika felt something. A tug, no a feeling. Something was wrong. "Ita," she said breathlessly. Seika darted towards the stairs. "I'm sorry Riku. I leave this bastard to you."

Riku nodded and bought Seika the time she needed to escape. "Hehe, running away are we?" Raniez taunted. A pillar of sand headed straight for Seika. She slashed it half, crystallizing the sand in ice.

"I don't have time for you," she said. Raniez falter for a minute, feeling the bloodlust rolling of the ex-shinobi. Before he could recover, Seika disappeared down the stairs and Riku blasted away the sand away.

***

"He's waiting for you. Try no to break his ego too much."

Seika's eyes widen in surprised before regaining their calm. "Thank you Ayame. Help destroy the bastard upstairs will you?"

Ayame smiled, Kitsune glowing beside her. "But of course Seika. Can't let you hog all the glory now can I?"

Seika grinned and headed down towards where Ita was sleeping.

***

Tsain's smile became strained. "So you are not without defenses after all." She licked the blood that Ita managed to draw. While he was still on the weak side, Ita had enough strength to at least stab the demon in the arm.

"It's a shame you'll have to die now," she said.

Tsain didn't even have a chance to hear her death come.

Instantly everything including Tsain was covered in a froze. "What? Is happening?" she cried out! She didn't have time to ask. Within a few more seconds she was completely covered in ice before shattering into the chunks of frozen flesh.

"Usuyuki no Ryu. Zettai Zero Yuki no Teika."

Gate pulled the object Ryft threw at him out of his pocket.

Tess looked over at him. "What was that he threw at you?"

Gate showed her a black marble. "I'm not quite sure... But I'm guessing that he thought I would figure it out."

"Could I see it?"

Gate tossed it to her. Tess, ever inadept at anything athletic, missed. "Oh!" As soon as the marble hit the ground, a portal opened.

Tess looked at Gate. Gate shrugged at her. "Let's go."

* * *

"Where are we?" Jonelle aked Ryft. They were standing in a lush paradise of luxuriant plants and light. A little further up, there was a waterfall cascading into a pool of the clearest water Ryft had ever seen.

"Shangrila?" Ryft shrugged. Jonelle wasn't really listening. A butterfly had just alighted on her finger, and she was enchanted by it.

"Fancy meeting you here!"

"Gate!" Ryft whirled around to see Gate and Tess waltz up the path.

"What are you doing here?" Jonelle asked. The butterfly fluttered away.

"Ask Ryft..." Tess cocked her head at him. Then her expression suddenly changed.

Ryft looked at her. Gate looked her. "But Riku can't possibly be--"

"EEEEEEE!" Tess rushed at a little girl who had been peering at them through the leaves of a plant. "She's so cute~!" The girl seemed startled for a moment, but then giggled.

Riku rolled around from another attack. When I get back, I'm so asking Hotaru how I can just blast away someone who controls sand, Riku thought to himself.

"Kitsune! Ocean Wave!"

A huge wave of water filled the room, soaking Riku and Raniez. "Heh, you're that other little pest from downs that was destroying my demons," Raniez said. "But that water attack isn't going to be enough."

Ayame stepped through the door way. "No it will be after I do this. Kitsune Absolute Zero!" The water clinging to Raniez quickly began to turn to ice. The chill reached deep into his bones. "W-what is this!?" he demanded.

Ayame smiled. "Your death of course." Raniez shattered.

Riku stared at Ayame. "Thanks," he muttered.

***

Downstairs, Hotaru and Kai just arrived. "Seika, is everything alright?" asked Hotaru.

Seika didn't answer. She was too busy clinging to Ita who was awake and weakly comforting her.

"Everything is fine, sis. You just came a little late. The demons are gone," said Riku, popping downstairs. Ayame followed right behind using the stairs.

"But you could help clean up this mess," Ayame suggested.

"Later, though," said Kai. "I think it's time you guys came to our house for a little while. We don't want another demon attack to come here. That alright Seika?"

Seika dimly nodded.

"Alright then. Back home we go!"

The wind rushed into Yuki Hoku swirling around the people inside. Then in a blink of an eye, they were all gone.

"You're in Chi's room!" The little girl skipped about. "Isn't Chi's room pretty?"

"Quite pretty." Gate was examining a flower that he was certain did not exist on earth.

"But who is Chi?" Ryft asked her.

The girl laughed at him. "Why, Chi is Chi! You're silly."

Ryft looked at her curiously.

"Ah, perhaps she means that she is Chi," Jonelle suggested.

"You are correct. Chi is Chi."

"So where exactly are we, Chi?" Tess asked her.

"In Chi's room!"

"Yes, but are there other rooms? And where are these rooms?" Gate fingered the petals of the alien flower wonderingly.

"There are other lots of other rooms--" she began.

"Chi, you better not be showing them my room!"

They turned around. Tess, Jonelle, and Chi all had the same expression on their faces.

"Riiiiiikkkkkuuuuuuu!"

Chi got to Riku first. "Orehtorb!" She promptly glomped her big brother.

Tess quickly latched on to the both of them. "Wai~ the two of you are so cute!!" she exclaimed. Jonelle was right behind her.

"Ah! Both of you off!" Riku struggled. Even if he wanted to vanish, chi would still be able to see him.

Kai chuckled. Once again Riku was getting cuddled. "Poor Riku. You're just asking for it."

Chi looked to see her other big brother and wiggled free from Tess's grip. She tackled Kai in another hug. "Kai orehtorb!" she exclaimed bubbly.

Kai smiled and pat Chi on the head. "Hey Chi. How are you doing today?"

Chi smiled brightly. "Chi is fine. Chi is happy that Kai orehtorb and Riku orehtorb came home safety. Where is Hotaru oretsis?"

Kai chuckled again. "She's taking Seika, Ita, and Ayame to the infirmary since they got hurt in the fight."

Chi's eyes widen. " Seika oretsis, Ayame oretsis and Ita orehtorb are here?" She literally bounced towards the door, before Kai grabbed her.

"Wait a moment Chi. I think they're gonna need some rest before you go hugging them," Kai said. He nearly had to laugh. Chi loved having company over. Especially if it meant more playmates.

Chi pouted. She wanted to go and say hi.

"Who are you people anyways?" Ryft asked.

"And what flower is this?" asked Gate, pointing the one he was examining.

"Oh yeah. We haven't met have we?" asked Kai, scratching his head. "I'm Kai. Hotaru's fiancee and the Air God. This is Chi, our little sister and Daughter of Nature. And of course you already know Riku."

Chi bounced up to the flower. "Flower is Solar Star. No grow on Earth rehtom anymore. Flower likes to drink up sunlight. Glows at night," she explained with a bright smile.

Ryft rubbed his head, feeling a headache coming on. This was seriously a mess up place.

Boom!

Ryft's eyebrows were singed.

"What in the world was that?"

"Umm... I dropped an explosive," Ryft explained sheepishly.

"Well, you can certainly trust Ryft will find something to do when it seems like nothing's happening." Tess patted his shoulder.

"Well, nothing is happening." Ryft pointed out.

They all stared at him.

"It's true! Jonelle's safe, the demon king is gone, and Seika has been reunited with her love!"

Ryft's head was promptly brought into contact with Seika's paper fan.

"Owww..."

"But the boy does have a point," Gate allowed. "What do we do now?"

"Well..."

"We could..."

"Umm..."

They all stared at each other and the Great Awkward Space descended upon them.

"AHHHHHH--"

And it seemed as if the earth had swallowed Ryft.

"That boy really does have a thing for lightening the mood..." Hotaru shook her head and picked up a shiny silver marble.

"Wait the demon king is dead?" Seika asked.

Hotaru blinked. "Of course! Why did you think we took so long to get to you guys."

Kai held up chibi pictures of Hotaru and himself showing up at the demon king palace. The next chibi picture showed the long lengthy speeches both the demon king and Hotaru gave. The following one showing the start of the battle.

"Kai I think they get the picture."

Kai flipped rapidly to the end showing the entire battle with the last chibi picture with Hotaru standing over the demon king who was dead. "But I took so long to draw these pictures!"

"Wait a minute," said Ita, walking into the room. "If you could do that from the start why didn't you?"

"Yeah and what were you doing during that time Kai?" asked Ayame.

"Ummm I was making the pictures! Hotaru was kinda angry so I just let her do whatever she wanted to the demon king unless she needed help," said Kai quickly.

Hotaru had her attention directed away. "Anyways we should be going to find Ryft of course!"

Seika, Ita and Ayame fell into a deep darkness. "What's wrong with them?" asked Gate.

"Every single time she does this to us," moan Ita.

"What did we do to deserve this?" asked Ayame.

"Why us?!"

"They're wallowing in pity, I think," said Tess.

Chi giggled. "Silly silly."

"You can't really blame them Hotaru. You do tend to send them all over the world," Riku pointed out.

Seika whacked Hotaru and Kai with her paper fan. "Yes you Slatrommi!"

Hotaru glared at the paper fan. "Anyways we really should get going."

"Where did Ryft land?" asked Tess.

Kai shrugged. "Somewhere, here there, a new world, a different time. Who knows? We told him that those things were dangerous."

"So how do we find him?" Jonelle worried.

"Oh that's easy. These things remember the last place they opened to," replied Hotaru. She dropped the silver marble. A portal opened up.

"Is that thing safe?" asked Gate.

"We'll know soon enough," Hotaru said with a smile. To Tess and Jonelle's horror, Hotaru pushed Gate through the portal.

"You girls next." Kai swept the two off their feet and into the portal.

"We can come too?" asked Riku. Chi bounced next to him.

"Sure why not," said Hotaru. "Come on you three. We're going." She grabbed Seika by the collar and pushed her the portal.

"Ah! I don't wanna go!"

"We don't either!"

Ita and Ayame followed after Seika. Kai looked at Hotaru. "You really don't have a clue where this portal takes us do you evol?"

Hotaru smiled. "Nope!"

Kai grinned back. "Good cause I'm looking forward to another adventure."

They jumped through portal, heading onward to another adventure. After all they have half the journey is getting there themselves. World was a big place, no?

~Owari~

And this brings the end of the Round Robin Game. *bows* I do hope that those of you who were reading with us, kept up with the storyline, we hoped that you enjoyed the game.

It's quite an enjoyable experience. xD

Anyways we have set up another thread with another game of round robin. Where the story goes and which character we use, well who knows? Anyways I give forth this invitation to invite you to our newest thread.

Boredom's Spawn

I hope you come and join us.

*listens to the crickets in the empty room*

*sigh* Why do I even bother sometimes?