Nikki: *walks casually to where Zip is*

---

Me: *finds this mildly stressful* Maybe I was too hard on Nikki?

Vetis: *follows*

-----

Me: *shrugs* I can't pass judgement on how you raise your charries.

Nikki: This could take a while.

---

Me: *sighs* Well, Let's just track down our characters. I'm not happy with those two being together alone. Nikki's too easy to influence.

Vetis: I'm in no rush. *he looks over the other people in the area*

-----

Me: Lead the way.

Nikki: *nods head happily to neighbors waving at him*

---

Me: I'm not suited for a leader role. This is exhausting. *lands on a outcropping* *tries to think where Nikki might be*

Vetis: *silently chuckles, reading surface thoughts*

----

Me: *lands beside you, looking around*

Vetis: *in your head* I can give you strength, if you so desire.

Nikki: *notices slight grin on Vetis' face* ?

---

Me: ... *looks around a bit* Not a soul. But I know that voice... Vetis! Mind telling me where you guys are? *slight impatience lines thoughts*

Vetis: Telepathy is a beautiful thing, my young friend.

------

Vetis: I never do anything for free, Sea, or Namine, or whatever you choose to call yourself.

Nikki: *raises brow playfully* Says the one who told me I was grown up.

---
Me: *sighs and mumbles to self* No one wants to cooperate with me today. I give up. If Nikki wants to hang out with Vetis, whatever. It's his own life, right? So, what do you want to do Nick?

Vetis: And so you are. But, being several thousand years old, I reserve the right to call you 'young'. *he chuckles*

---

Me: *blinks* I dunno. *shifts back into human form, leans against the rock, watching the sea* What do you want to do?

Nikki: Whoa. You look good for your age, Uncle Vetis. Say, have you ever watched a whizball game? Zip wants to see the one the Royals are holding tonight. Wanna hang there later on?

---

Me: Well... I haven't been here in a while. And the weather is good today. *smiles at the noon sun, turns into human as well as she feels the spring breeze* How does a day at the beach sound?

Vetis: Sounds good to me.

---

Me: *grins* Sounds great.

*hours pass as Nik spends the day giving Vetis a tour of his home*

*Sea and Nick enjoy the afternoon in the Mediterranean climate*

*Vetis picks up on everyone's inner monologues, learning more about them than their closest friends know*

*Enjoys spending time at the beach*

*the sun begins to set over the sea, casting it into a shimmering gold sheet*

Zip: Are we going soon?!

Nikki: Soon Zip! I need to pay for my braces first! *pays the clerk, putting his new ones on*

---

Me: *walks swingingly through the surf's edge as if to music* I placed Nebey in this area for a special reason.

Vetis: *watches with mild amusement*

----

Me: Oh? *sits in a hammock between two convenient palm trees, swaying, watching the glittering water on the waves dance over your skin*

Nikki: *throws old braces in a trash pile*

Zip: Let's go!

Nikki: Okay already. You're a bundle of energy today.

---

Me: *nods* West coast sunsets. *gazes at the glittering water, thinking of creative ways to describe the scene in her head like the writer she was, being caught in a world of solid dreams and bird wings*

Vetis: *chuckles, following the two*

----

Me: Ahhh. *nods and smiles, watching the sun slip below the horizon, also thinking out creative descriptions, of the one watching it with him as well as the scene itself*

Nikki: *flies up to gain some air, stumbles, and drops back onto the ground on his side*

---

Me: *blissfully is unaware of the fact that something is focused on her*



grrrrooowr

Me: *hears only the crashing waves against the cliffs*

Vetis: *catches him, steadying him*

----

Me: *leans back in my hammock, closing my eyes*

Zip: What happened?! *runs to see if Nikki is okay*

Nikki: *regains his balance* Just need to break into these new braces. No big. We can walk there.

Zip:

---

Me: *feels the sand between her feet, until she notices the sand is giving way* GAA- *a scream is cut-off as the kidnapper burrows away*

Vetis: *looks contemplatively at Nikki*

----

Me: *sits up rapidly, rushes to the spot*

Nikki: You have an idea?

---

*bursts forth from the ground in the form of a long, wingless dragon* Propelling through the air with magical aid, the blue beast dives at her would-be captor*

Vetis: It could be that I could completely fix you. Do away with your need for those braces.

----

Me:

Nikki: You... Could give back my sight?

---

Me: *dispatches the Wissil* Get on my back! We have to find Vetis now! I'll explain on the way! *scoops the shocked human onto her fur covered back*

Vetis: *slow nod* I can.

---

Me: *doesn't resist, too shocked* What's going on?

Nikki:

---

Me: *explains as she flies back to the town* (They had walked a bit far off during the afternoon) The Vách are drawn to dark emotions. Unless we pinpoint the source, the vile creatures will overrun Nebey!

Vetis: Unlike making gold, however, altering a living being is difficult. I couldn't do it for free.

----

Me:

Nikki: For... what price? *hesitant*

---

Me: Someone is summoning these creatures. Find him, and I can send them back to their prison on Wallin Isle. *turns back into a Valloian and slowly lowers Nick onto the ground*

Vetis: There's nothing I need from you now. *he thinks for a moment* If you will promise me a favor later, when I ask for one, that will be payment enough.

----

Me: How are we supposed to find him?

Nikki: I dunno. Let's watch the game. Then I'll give you an answer. Is that alright Uncle Vetis?

---

Me: You don't have to help, if you don't want to. This isn't the first time this has happened. Sigh. This world is so dangerous.

Vetis: Of course. Take your time, this is a big decision. Though, *he pauses slightly, then lays a slight emphasis on the next word* watching the game would be easier if you decided now.

----

Me: *narrows my eyes slightly* I just asked what the plan was. I never said anything about not wanting to come.

Nikki: *silent for a while as the players line up* I'm in.

---

Me: *Throws hands up* I just thought I'd give you the option. I've been dragging you around all day.

Vetis: *conceals a triumphant grin* Very well. *he makes a quick gesture, and there's a brief surge of energy through Nikki. Every physical imperfection is purged from him, including his blindness*

-----

Me: There's evil, let's fight it.

Nikki: *blinks* Whoa...

---

Me: Alright then. Let's track our villan.

Vetis: It's good to... see... you. *he grins*

----

Me: Agreed.

Nikki: *still speechless as a genuine and large white grin spreads over his face* Thank you.

---

Me: I think one of those Writer's Gremlins let loose a villain who wasn't supposed to ever find this place. You want the Gremlin or the baddie? Dad gum Gremlins.

Vetis: My pleasure, Nikki. One down. A world to go. *he smiles benignly*

-----

Me: I've never seen a gremlin before. I'll take the villain.

Nikki: I'll get us some snacks. Hey Zip!

Zip: Ya?

Nikki: Stay with Uncle Vetis until I get back.

Zip: Okay...

---

Me: Cool. Now where are they? Those stupid Gremlins always pick a different hiding place. As for the villan... I think he's around the outskirts of town. His dark aura isn't that hard to pick up.

Vetis: *reads Zip's mind, idly wondering if the young boy has a true desire*

---

Me: *hops into the air, flapping easily* I'll go look.

Zip: This is fun. GO AROS! *woots for the yellow team*

---

Me: Good luck! WAIT! DON'T KILL HIM, KAY? JUST BRING HIM BACK TO ME! *yells off to Nick, who is a ways off now* Now... where those furry devils?

Vetis: *chuckles silently, watching the game*

----

Me: *flying, tracking the dark aura* *waves to acknowledge that I heard Lady Nami*

Zip: Oh! Oh! *cheers* Let there be a foul! Let there be a foul! I want that ball!

---

Me: *flies above the town, talks to self* Maybe in the most populated area? There's a crowd to hide in. *sees the whizball game* Maybe there?

Vetis: *watching silently* *frowns slightly and makes a gesture*

-----

Me: *suddenly stops as the dark aura vanishes* Wha?

Zip: Hey? What's that? *points to a small, furred rabbit hiding in someone's bag*

---

Me: *dives down, ignoring the odd looks from some of the other Valloians* C'mere Gremlin, Gremlin~~ Mommy's got a nice scene for you to critique~

Vetis: I haven't the foggiest.

---

Me: *follows Nami, for lack of anything better to do, since I can't track the villain for some reason*

Zip: What does that mean? Hey! It jumped out of the bag! *chases after it*

---

Me: *spots the Gremlin* There you are! Let's see... *catches the rabbit as it jumps into her arms*

Vetis: *watches* It means I don't know.

-----

Me: That is a rabbit. Do Gremlins look like rabbits?

Nikki: *comes back with popcorn* What's the sc- Sea?

Zip: *Comes up to me* What's that?

Me: A Gremlin. *nods at Nick, figuring that he didn't have any luck based on the expression on his face* *looks over to Vetis and Nikki, and can't help but narrow my eyes a tad bit* You guys having fun? *with a genuine tone of friendliness*

Vetis: Oh, indeed. They've introduced me to this fascinating sport of theirs.

Me: *looks at it* Doesn't look dangerous.