[Fallen_Snow]

Sage gave SnowStorm a quick look of anger and hurt. "She's not my sister. She never was. It was all a lie, a lie she made up to help me! But it didn't, did it, Mri?" he hissed scornfully, wiggling out from under SnowStorm. He flicked the mud off his ears, and started to slowly push the mud off his back.

The Rollaby's eyes flashed violet. "A bell... I remember that bell... it used to ring so softly and so gently in my ear..."

Violet was replaced with brown-gold. "That's all I remember... I'm sorry. I think I like you too... I'm just not sure." She somehow missed Sage's comment, which made him furious. He suddenly jumped at her, driving her into the mud and splattering her with it too. "You don't remember, do you? How you broke me with that one small note, after you die and leave me already greiving, just to give me more bad news. You're a horrible pet, and I wish I hadn't known you." he said through clenched teeth, tears now running freely down his furry face. The Rollaby's eyes turned a fiery violet, now creased into angry eyes.

"Sage, get off me. Yes, I left you that note but I did it because I thought I wasn't going to come back, and I thought that you would appreciate knowing-"

"Knowing what? That I had no REAL family? That you... you pretended all this time? No, Mri. No. You did that out of guilt and pity. You didn't do it because you loved me. You did it so I wouldn't get mad at you for leaving me after your life was supposed to go with Xai're. But noooooooo. You come back to life, and you expect me to greet you with open paws, don't you?" he growled, pushing her deeper into the goo.

Even though she didn't want to hurt Sage, she had to do something or drown in mud. Quickly getting her feet under the Rollaby's body, she pried him off of her, him only coming her for a few seconds. It was all Mri needed to get up, shaking the mud out of her ears. "And I'm not Mri anymore. I'm not the same person. It's Nri now." she said, looking at Sage with both a furious and saddened gaze. Then she looked at SnowStorm, and tears welled up. "I... I never thought I'd see you again. After the battle." she reached into her Body Pouch and pulled out a small silver bell, it's shiny surface dotted with rain as it splatted against it. "They let me keep it. But not the dagger. I've missed you." she said, walking forward and embracing SnowStorm in a hug, holding the bell tightly in her left paw.

[robopup24]

Everything was a confused blur, and SnowStorm stood there, confused. Mri wasn't Sage's sister? What... how...? Suddenly, Sage jumped at Mri and SnowStorm quickly moved after him, intent on pulling the enraged Rollaby. "Sage, stop!"

He didn't need to though, and Mri pushed him off.

"And I'm not Mri anymore. I'm not the same person. It's Nri now."

Nri? SnowStorm had so many questions swirling around his head, but they all disappeared when Mri... Nri... started speaking again. She held out the bell and SnowStorm managed to smile, the first time he had done so in a long time. He gladly returned the hug, holding her tightly, and he never thought he would let her go ever again.

"I missed you too," SnowStorm whispered in her ear. "No matter who you are, Mri, Nri... I still love you." Ignoring the soaking rain, ignoring Sage who was still standing by, SnowStorm kissed Nri.

[Fallen_Snow]

Nri felt the kiss, and she kissed him back. She knew that it was a special moment, and she didn't want to let it go. But her eyes were dimming to purple-brown. She pulled away sadly, staring into SnowStorm's eyes as her's gently changed color. "I'll always be with you..." she whispered, and she blinked. Opening her eyes again, they were the familar golden of a Treasure Rollaby's. She looked at the bell in her hand, then at SnowStorm, and finally Sage. "I... I don't know why I'm here. But I must be important, because you're looking at me like I'm needed. Both of you." she said, turning to stare at Sage warmly. He fidgeted under the gaze. He now felt uncomfortable but comforted at the fact that Mri's fiery spirit was somewhere in that clueless body.

[robopup24]

SnowStorm felt Nri pull away and stared as her eyes began to change color. They were soon golden again and, with the return of the color, was the clueless Rollaby. The Cuniflare forced a smile on his face as she spoke, trying to remind himself that Mri was still there, somewhere. He wiped away the rainwater from his eyes and said, "Yes, we need you. We're your friends."

SnowStorm glanced at Sage. "We should get out of here... the storm's getting stronger..."

[Fallen_Snow]

Sage fidgeted again. "Uh... yeah, I guess so." he said, looking around. They'd gone so far that the Temple couldn't be seen through the sheets of rain. "Uh... does anyone remember what direction we came from?" he asked, his back almost clean of the mud now that the rain was washing it away. Nri was just shaking some off her tail, trying to get her fur sparkling golden again.

Nri smiled. She felt at her ear, finding the hole there... from what, she wasn't sure. Ignoring that fact, she strung the bell through her ear and tied in a nice, strong knot. "There." she said in an accomplished tone, as if she'd hit some kind of breakthrough, tying the bell to her ear.

((Heehee, I like your siggie. o3o *fiddles with Kody's wittle paws*))

[robopup24]

(Kody: D: S-some random person's touching my feet... -Hides- Thankies, Snowy o3o)

SnowStorm looked around him uneasily. Oh, it would be horrible if they were lost...

As if to emphasize the thought, a bolt of lightning struck the ground near them. SnowStorm yelped and jumped back, his fur standing at the end. The rain ceased to let up and the low rumbling of thunder grew steadily louder. "We just have to pick a direction," SnowStorm said. "If we stay out here, I swear we'll get killed." He looked at Sage, then Nri and smiled. "Which way?"