Breath of Fire Arc

[Shukuen]

"Yaah!" cried Hotaru in surprise, clutching the seat as the car swerved. "I don't know! Itwasthecardsthatdidit!" she explained, in, surprisingly, a single breath.

[RyderHakubi]

"Wait a second... cards?  What does she mean Ami?" Ryder questioned.

[Shukuen]

"The ones that are under the seat," said Ami, paying only partial attention since she was still driving.

[RyderHakubi]

Ryder nodded and ducked his head under the passenger seat to look for the cards...

"You sure they're under here?  All I see is some old bubble gum and a magazine..." Ryder said from under the seat...

[Shukuen]

"What? But they should be there!" said Ami disbelievingly. "You saw them too, didn't you, Hotaru?"

Hotaru nodded. "I don't understand, there were right there when... that light... and you two switched..."

Ami's glanced at the rearview mirror, her eyes meeting with Hotaru's as they came to a common consensus. "It has to be magic."

"But how? This just doesn't make sense!" Ami just couldn't figure out how this could be possible.

"Magic usually doens't make sense," reminded Hotaru.

[RyderHakubi]

"Magic... just f'n great..." Ryder muttered as he sat back down in his seat...

Turning to Hotaru, he asked, "You got a mirror?"

[Shukuen]

"Sorry, Ryder. If I did bring a mirror, it would be in my purse," Hotaru said, motioning that she had neither a mirror or a purse.

"Same here. Why don't you use the side mirrors when we stop?" Ami asked, motioning to the mirrors of the car.

[RyderHakubi]

"Alright Ami, that'll do..." Ryder muttered as he watched the scenery go by wistfully...

'Alright, let's go over the facts here... I don't have my gems, and I can't feel the magic of the curse within me,' Ryder thought, 'So, the card did something to my DNA...  I wish I had Mom here right now.  She could help... hell, Dad could help a bunch with this.  Weird magic was always his specialty...'

[Dracos]

In the distance a large stone city began to appear as they approached by car.  Zitwan waited paitently at this point to reconnect with master.

Fearless Leader

[Shukuen]

The car slowed to a stop, kicking up sand as the hoverpads slowed the car down to the ground.

"So this is it?" Ami asked Zitwan.

[Dracos]

"Affirmative.  Coordinates match scanned humanoid settlement."

Fearless Leader

[RyderHakubi]

"Good, that's one problem solved..." Ryder muttered as he vaulted over the passanger side door.

"Now, there's our other problem to solve..." Ryder mentioned to Ami...

[Shukuen]

Ami glanced down at her wrist, feeling the Ginzuishou embedded into it. "Well, Ryder? What do you think this is? You are the expert on magic here, afterall."

[RyderHakubi]

Ryder turned to Ami, and took notice of the changes in the girl.  The shiney red gems in her wrist and neck; the increased, but not too bulky muscle mass; the bit of wildness in her hair; and most obvious, the deep golden eyes...

Taking account all these changes, Ryder replied, "Well... in laymen's terms, it was a abilty swap to the nth degree.  You're now what I was, with all the abilities that come with it... and I'm, well, normal.  No curse, no powers, no insane heritage... just an average incredibly smart individual."

[Shukuen]

"So in other words," interupted Hotaru. "You have Ami's powers and Ami has yours?"

This lead to the group imagining Ryder in a Sailor Mercury costume, frills and miniskirt and all. Hotaru boggled as Ryder-Mercury did the standard pose and then trembled with supressed laughter. Ami just hmm'ed thoughtfully.

Sniggering, Hotaru said, "I don't think the skirt would go with you're legs, Ryder."

"You would look cute though," commented Ami.