It's time. No more waiting. Our fledgling duo have decided to set off for the strange city on the horizon of The Neon Desert - to Ika's knowledge, it is called "Synth City". It was far away, only a blip of light in the distance. They had originally invited Gramps to come along, but he declined - citing that he wouldn't really be allowed in. No matter. The two started trekking off towards the city in the distance, hoping that it wouldn't take that long. They had packed everything they needed - food, water, supplies, a locked sheath for Ika's blade ("I'm banning you from using swords for now, young lady!", was Mako's justification), and some other supplies. It was just to keep them going through the desert, but they planned, just in case. They walked, side by side, rather than running - despite the sands' strange nature of propelling people faster when they run, it was better to reserve energy. Ika pulled out a water bottle from her backpack and drank about a quarter of it. "You thirsty any, Maks?" "I am, but I feel like I already share enough saliva with you as is, sweets." "That's- uh- uhm!-" Ika shook her head. "Oh, gosh, you're right... I just like your taste, okay??" "You don't need to justify it! I get it, I'm just too cute for you, aren't I?~" "Maybe... You do have a point, I do feel lucky to be with you. It's... perplexing, sometimes, but if you're happy with me, then I'm happy with you." Mako smiled with her whole face. "Oh, you always make me happy, sweetie!" She gave Ika a kiss on the bottom of her cheek with a silly "Mwah!~" Ika rubbed where she received the kiss. "Mmrgh... Love you too, Maks... you really are cute..." Mako just giggled to herself, probably plotting something. The desert was still sprawling. There was the occasional wind, but otherwise, the dunes stood completely still. The serenity was nice - really helped take the [[Edge]] off. Ika looked to her right - a small ruins of some sort. She pointed at it and started running over to it. "Hey, Maks, check this out!" The two hustled over to it, Ika before Mako. It wasn't much in the way of flair or aesthetics - it was a single, small room, all made of some kind of darkened stone brick, perhaps burnt or charred. The archway into it was well made, with the smaller bricks helping it keep its shape, but inside, the walls were crumbled away - from here, they could still see the sparks of the distant city. The only notable object inside the ruin was some kind of pedestal, perfect for holding some large object or tablature. "Maks, do you remember what that poem said...?" "Hm... Something about placing the book in its rightful place, right?" Ika put down her backpack and withdrew *The Incivil*, opening it to the page with the poem, and put it down on the pedestal. It fit perfectly on it, but nothing happened. "Hm. *Two steps to the side, leap with grace*... any ideas, hon?" "That sounds like the Oki-Dori to me." "Bless you?" "No, no, Oki-Dori. It's a dance I was taught in school." "You went to school, Maks?" "You didn't?" Ika put on a flat expression. As flat as she could - two eyes and a straight line for a mouth. Mako realized. "Oh, right. Anyways, it's a two person dance, I think." She stuck out a hand. "Care to dance, my love?~" Ika breathed in and out to prepare, and raised her hand to match. "If we must, sure." Mako guided Ika's hands - putting one on her shoulder and the other on her waist, while Mako's hands were wrapped behind Ika's neck. "Your hands are warmer than I thought they'd be, Maks..." She chuckled. "Just follow my lead, sweetie." Despite being the dependent partner in the dance, Mako led, showing Ika the various steps in the unfamiliar dance. "Two steps to your right- no, *your* right, my left." "Sorry, I've just... never danced before..." "You're doing wonderful for a first timer, then. Another step back, your left foot- perfect! Now, you spin me around like a top." "A top?" "Just spin me around, amnesiac." "I just might!" Ika used all her force to spin Mako like she asked. In return, the flame propelled herself around, hands above her head, before leaping over the pedestal without so much as brushing it, a perfect landing, like a ballerina. Ika was awe-struck. "You like my moves, sweetie?" "Like is not enough, if I'm being honest... Sorry to ruin the mood, but didn't the next line of the poem say something about pressing down hard?" Mako cleared her mental registry. "Oh, yeah. I thought that meant stomping, 'cause like, what else has lace?" "Your shoes have laces?" "What girls' doesn't?" "I have so much to learn, clearly... just stomp, Maks." As instructed, Mako stamped her foot into the ground, clearly having hit some kind of pressure plate. A digital chirp was made from the floor, which quickly illuminated a light cyan. A light went around the floor, like it was cutting it, creating a circle in the ground, keeping the two of them inside it, before the duo descended. They took a ready stance, backs against one another, right in front of the pedestal. "Maks, unlock my sword, please?" "Fine, but I get to use these small axes I found in Gramps' shack." "Deal." Without looking, Mako spun the wheels on the lock, stopping then with decent pace. letting Ika draw it, holding it in front of herself. Mako withdrew the lock in favor of two single-hand axes, both short enough to easily hold. One of them was made of some kind of dark metal, but the other one was wooden, re-enforced with small chains. She held one above the other, looking side to side, quickly. "We don't know what we're up against, Mako. Stay sharp." "Hmph!" They were still descending, only the occasional line of lights along the wall illuminating them now, scrolling up their bodies like an X-ray. ... "Mako?" "Ika?" "If I die-" Mako pushed up a little closer against her partner. "Don't say that. We go down together." "Right. But, still, I love you." "Love you too, sweetie." The platform reached its destination. The lights turned off. Silence. A spotlight illuminated the duo, and nothing but. A voice, deep, groaning, *beckoning*, called out from the [[Darkness]]. "Ika. Mako. Greetings." The pair readied their weapons, turning towards the figure, Mako sweating profusely at the thought of combat, and Ika being fully observant and focused. "We have been observing you two for some time. Please, why don't you shake my hand?" A figure stepped forward into the light. They were wearing something of a ceremonial robe, something lavender, with alternating colors of cyan and yellow going down the center, in rectangles. Their hair was similarly lavender as well, draping down one side of their head, and totally absent from the other, completely shaved off. As expected, they stuck out a hand to Ika. She didn't quite know how to react. "C'mon, don't leave me hanging." Ika moved the tip of her blade to the lavender person's neck, but not actually piercing anything. Not yet. The figure recoiled slightly, raising her head to try and avoid it. "How do I know you're not going to harm us? How do I know this isn't a trap? How do I know you won't do anything to her?!" The figure took the steps back it needed to. Its voice shifted to something more high pitched as it threw aside something attached to its neck, the object clattering to the ground. "B-by the Knights, I just wanted to be cool!" Ika's eyes opened wide. "Oh."