Considering how work on NM is really slow — and I have two stories to help co-write — I decided to do a little something to show you all I'm not giving up on writing. My friend, Kazo the Hedgehog, found this little thing for me to do. For those of you who are also interested in doing this, it's really simple. There is a list of thirty prompts, and you just have to write a little entry for each one. But, what makes this one so unique is that some are not random. Some of these paragraphs contain references to possible spoilers (indicated by a *) for scenes in upcoming stories! Note: I said possible spoilers, so some may not happen that way if they do happen at all. But if you like any of these, PM me and I'll see how to work them in.

I sincerely hope you enjoy this little piece of literature.

Prompt One: Dance

She continued to flutter across the tiles, never breaking stride as she twirled around, her eyes closed as the soft music played, its quick tempo matching her every step. Hands held poised above her crown, one leg held slightly higher than the other, one inch heels clicking softly. If there was one thought going through Shun's head, it'd be easily vanquished whenever she made another step. Alice's dancing was unrivaled, and he was enraptured, no doubt about it.

Prompt Two: Smile*

It seemed that no matter what the situation, she could never break out into a large grin. Not there was anything wrong with the small smiles she occasionally flashed, but it just seemed so incomplete. Like, she was still afraid to crack out of the awkward little shell she had created over the years of self-doubt. Was it the fact that she was still new to the whole save-the-world thing? Or was it because her life was such a mess because of her former friend? He wasn't sure of the reasons, but he was sure of one thing. No matter how long it'd take, Marucho would find a way to make Nicole smile wider than ever before.

Prompt Three: Garden*

Billy whistled as he followed his girlfriend of five years through a large field of plants. He could see tame grapevines, small apple trees, hibiscus, violets, and several other unique flora, not normally found in the area. Even though he was no girly-boy, he had to admit it was impressive. Julie just whirled around, squealing like a kid in a candy store. She was as happy as a lark, chanting about the romantic air about the place, asking if they could have a possible date in the location. The baseball-capped blonde chuckled in response. Sure, it was a nice place and all, but Billy doubted that Julie's grandparents' garden was the perfect spot for a romantic picnic.

Prompt Four: Breasts

Dan groaned as he stood by the bathroom door, his impatience not as hidden as he wanted it to be. Runo had been in the bathroom for two hours! Surely it wasn't that that hard to find a good look. He had asked her several times if she was going to be done anytime soon, but Runo would yell back saying that she still hadn't found a decent bra. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Sure he had asked ten minutes ago, but he had to get his goggles! He whined out his question once again, imploring her to get out so he could retrieve the headwear. But Runo was adamant on freshening up first, yelling back once again. However, at this time, Billy had decided to walk by when he heard the blunette's reply and scoffed, implying that Runo's under-average chest had no need for one. The result? Temporary blindness and second-degree burns.

Prompt Five: Unexpected*

It was such a peaceful day in the Hidden Leaf. Shinobi were out on missions, and civilians were happily strolling about the town. But, in one small area, a strong ire permeated the air. The source? Amy Rose. The reason? Sonic had just given her the most unwanted surprise she could ever get. The pink hedgehog had just gotten done with a lovely meal at a local barbeque restaurant, and had met up with her team when Sonic came back looking rather ticked off and disturbed. Naturally, Amy asked what was wrong—Sonic was still her idol, no matter what—but the azure hero shook his head until Dan pretty much annoyed him into speaking. Sonic took a deep breath and explained that he had overheard some people accusing Speedy of being… messed up for dating a girl nine years younger than him. Amy ground her teeth together, blocking out her boyfriend's insistence that he wasn't bothered… Someone was probably gonna get hurt…

Prompt Six: Alcohol

Daisy stood gobsmacked as Klaus waved his hand to his right—her left—and displayed his most prized collection. It wasn't the precious gemstones, the rare fossils, or even the Bakugan. No, Klaus' best shelves were lined with Médoc, Beaujolais Nouveau, and other various exotic wines. She never would have imagined the young man to be rich enough to afford so many various alcoholic drinks. Naturally, he assured her there was a special rack of wines that were prepared in a way that ensured the same flavor with less alcohol. Klaus gave a small grin as he surveyed Daisy's reaction, quite pleased that she enjoyed the neat gift. Upon presentation, he decided to further wow the girl by preparing her a three course meal with a small glass of the wine of her choice. Now, if she could only choose…

Prompt Seven: Joke*

It was well known that Masquerade was the number one Darkus Brawler in the known universe. It was also well known that Dammy was his biggest fan—her ever-present mallet said it all. But, what few people, save Dan and Runo, knew was that the two were incredibly devious pranksters. It could range from simply a pie in the face to getting covered in smelly goop. But, today, the Legendary Warriors and the Tamers were in for something a bit different. The Tamers were showing their card collection to the other kids when Takato noticed his cards becoming black and sticky. He blinked several times, but was unable to react when they flew right at everyone's faces. Terrified shrieks (sans Ruki, who never screams if she can help it) echoed throughout the room. Outside, Dammy was barely managing to hide her laughter as Masquerade twirled his hand and fingers in a pattern, the cards following his silent commands.

Prompt Eight: Sometimes

Sometimes, Marucho sits in his bedroom in front of a computer, compiling data of battle strategies to better his own—even though Alice is leagues above him. Sometimes, he strolls through embellished hallways and revels in the wealth he is surrounded by—his parents don't know the meaning of excessive, yet they don't shirk anything. Sometimes, he sits on a sofa, surrounded by his friends as they cruise at eight-thousand feet—it's the only way to travel across the globe. Sometimes, he just prefers to sit back and just do nothing, to not care about the daily stresses—everyone needs a break. But no matter what he does, he never stops thinking about ways to help his friends—especially Nicole.

Prompt Nine: Rose

A rose was a very interesting thing to Speedy. Sure, it wasn't helpful in the masculinity department, but that was who he was: a person who took the time to notice the beauty and symbolism in things. The flower was a symbol of love; it represented it completely. It came in different types and colors, it was bright, it was sweet, and it had just the occasional thorn. A perfect metaphor. What was truly remarkable to him, though, was that whenever he thought of a rose, there were no adjectives that couldn't match the qualities of his own Rose. Amy was the human—or rather Mobian—manifestation of the flower. She was sweet and friendly to those that cared, but vicious and sharp to those that would treat her wrong. Dainty yet sturdy, she possessed so many qualities that reminded him of his mother. Even now, with her sprawled out lazily on the couch in her pajamas as she quietly slept.

Prompt Ten: Lost

It was completely, utterly, and totally like a maze. Daisy's naturally peppy step was dulled as her mind whirled with confusion. Every corridor she walked down was the same: white brick walls, mahogany archways, and long purple carpets lines with gold embroidery. Even though she was in her mid-twenties, her short-term memory was more like that of someone twice her age. In retrospect, she should've written the directions her boyfriend gave her on her notepad, but that was so boring! Now, twenty minutes later, she was about ready to just throw Clayf and let him bust through the hallways. Her fist reflexively twitched, as if memorizing the action on instinct, when a rich chuckle invaded the area. Daisy turned and leveled a glare at Klaus as he turned a corner, smirking, "What's the matter, babe? Lost already?" Sometimes, that guy could be so snobby.

Prompt Eleven: Song*

Alice sighed contently as she sat on the tree house windowsill, relishing in the cool air that blew by as Tempest's go-kart screeched down the road. The sun was shining softly, the birds were chirping… it was her favorite type of day. It wasn't long before she started to hum a little tune out of the blue. Shun, who'd been standing in a corner, turned to her as he spoke just loudly enough to be heard over.

"You know… that's the third time you've hummed that tune…" His amber eyes turned quizzical. "What is it, anyway?" Alice stopped for a second, half turning her head so she could look at him. A grin formed on her face as she beckoned him to sit next to her. Shun blinked in a slight bit of amazement that the board was big enough for two people to sit in. He took his seat, waiting silently.

"It's… an old lullaby my mother was sung as a child. My… my grandmother… she once told me that the notes once told of an amazing time where people didn't know the meaning of war… I think it's Latin."

"Really? A song that old?" Shun asked, his attention fully on his girlfriend, enraptured by her tale.

"Maybe." Alice chuckled softly, remembering older days that no one else knew. Not even Shun knew about her past. "No one really knows. Masquerade tried to find out, but… you know how things are. But this song… it has power behind it. My mother would sing it in the kitchen when the weather was nice."

"Like today?" Monty asked, popping his head up through the door. Alice smiled and nodded to him and Shun, knowing he was about to say the same.

"Mhm. No matter what mood I was in, when she started singing, I always felt happier." Alice's grin never left her face as she started humming the song again, almost creating a wash of tranquility over the other occupants of the tree house. That song really did have power behind it.

Prompt Twelve: Light*

Runo whooped with glee as she hit another target with her Flash Bomb attack, causing it to explode in a brilliant glow of white-yellow light. She and Dan had been training the day away with target practice since they had a mission tomorrow, and she had to say, she was pumped! Dan groaned as he watched his girlfriend eliminate and illuminate another wooden target, while his fireball sizzled out inches before. That girl's light attacks had her on a ten-point-lead! Ten! Runo stuck her tongue out mockingly as she blasted another target. It was morbidly funny to see Dan become the victim of environmental shifts. But it was nice to see he was improving. Now the score was 16-26. Usually Dan would give up after missing eight times. It was really making her proud. Dan was growing up to be a competent guardian…

"Yeow! Ow ow ow!" Runo deadpanned as Dan dramatically whined as a gust of wind blew the flames in his face. Why he had to act like that, she'd never know. Dan had a heat tolerance so great he could probably touch the sun for a second before needing to backpedal. But, at least his drama made things fun. After all, she didn't want him to grow up too much.

"Aw, poor baby," she taunted, shooting another light ball and hitting her 27th target. Sometimes, it felt really good to be in control of light.

Prompt Thirteen: Stars

Amy, to this day, found it so incredible and yet so odd that Speedy could somehow talk to his parents by seeing them in the stars. It was a great gift, but it was just so unusual. She often tried to do it herself, to find out things about her boyfriend that he hadn't shared with her, but could never even see the stars shift. Even so, it just felt nice to see them twinkle in the night sky. Often times, she'd close her eyes and just soak in the relative peace from her balcony, letting the sound of cars driving on the street below fade away. It was times like this that she remembered all the times she wanted Sonic to join her on a picnic under the stars. She had to admit, it was fun seeing him get all flustered during the very few times he agreed. But nothing felt better than the times Speedy would pull up a chair and sit right beside her, enjoying the night sky all the same.

Prompt Fourteen: Family*

Amy couldn't help herself but to beam as she stood beside Samus, wielding her hammer. For once, Speedy actually managed to stand up with them and fight, in spite of the odds against them. Orochimaru may have had an army of freaks on his side, but Amy felt her teammates were different. Even though only a few of them were bonded by blood, they were all family. They had a unity that couldn't be broken. Strained severely at times, sure. But they always knew how to come together. It was something that Orochimaru could never overcome, and that fueled her desire to win. For her family, she would do anything. And it seemed Speedy was welcoming that same mindset.

Prompt Fifteen: Hair*

Masquerade shook his head as he watched his blond locks wave around before standing straight up again. He really wanted to have a change in style—the plain look just didn't fit with his hairstyle—but he couldn't get it styled without gel or spray, and he really didn't want that. And there was no way he'd let anyone hack at it with scissors. So, he stood in front of the mirror, almost forlorn as he tried to determine what would go with his gravity-defying 'do. But, at least Dammy was able to help out with what she could, even if the pile of clothes was getting pretty big. He just wondered what Ash and the others would think when he was finally done.

Prompt Sixteen: Angel

Julie couldn't help but coo as she cradled the golden locket Billy handed her. She loved anything jewelry, and gold went with everything, according to her. It amazed her just how much of a soft side the seemingly roguish teen had such a soft side. Well, everyone did, but to her, Billy was much more OK with showing it with the others. But what really tickled her was that on the back, the word angel was inscribed on it, obviously in Billy's handwriting.

Prompt Seventeen: Voice*

Nicole squeaked as a fireball zoomed past Zorano, who was being forced to sidestep on her own accord. Her mind wracked itself for answers, flipping through her cards as she struggled to think of what to do next. Marucho stood off to the side, shouting all kinds of encouragements. She tried to activate a card, but was distracted by Zorano taking a huge blow to her abdomen. The circular health gauge dropped down by two whole sections, leaving her with about half of her health left.

"C'mon, Nicole! Focus!" Zorano shouted down at her, flexing her wings as she fired a few arrows at Solero.

Dammy just smirked, flicking her hair as she called out another attack.

"Shining Flare!" Solero let out a war cry as he shot out a blinding flame from his wing-like appendages. Zorano leapt high into the air and dodged expertly, waiting impatiently for Nicole to shake out of her stupor. Marucho kept trying to motivate her nicely, like a cheerleader, but the girl's inexperience with the battles in general was wreaking havoc on her nerves.

"Nicole! You can fight back! But you have to try harder! You can't attack unless you call them out!" Marucho stated, his fist clenched in determination. He knew the girl had it in her. But she was going to need one hell of a push to actually say anything in her state. Zorano yelled suddenly, bringing Nicole back to the battle as she saw several small fireballs hit Zorano's wings.

"Zorano!" she called, starting to sweat from the trepidation coursing through her. She tried her best to focus on the cards in her hand, but she had no idea which one would work! She couldn't call out anything useless; she'd lose if she did. 'Come on, think! What attacks are going to work?!' She pulled out one, glaring down Dammy as she went to call it out.

"Fury Blaze!" Dammy suddenly interrupted, which made Solero punch the air with flaming fists, forming a ring of fire that seemed to glow brighter as it went on. Nicole gulped, judging the card in her hand. She hadn't experimented at all with Zorano's techniques and was officially at a loss with this new battle. Why couldn't things have stayed the same…!

"Nicole! Just use it! It doesn't matter what it does! Your voice is the only thing that'll let you know if it works! You just have to trust yourself!" Marucho's words suddenly reached her, causing her to jolt. Her green eyes blinked in surprise as she stared at the battle. A strange sense of calmness washed over her as she took the words to heart.

'He's right… Win or lose, I won't know what all we can do unless we do it…'

Zorano, in spite of the pain, smirked as Nicole seemed to get the idea. She stopped letting the attacks ruin her concentration as she pulled out not one, but three cards.

"Alright! Time for a triple assault! Ability, activate! Twilight Shot!" Zorano felt power rush through her as she filled an arrow with Darkus energy, pulling the string and letting it fly. This was further fueled by Nicole calling out her Wing Blade and Dark Strike abilities. Zorano leapt into the air, causing a white sheen to form over her wings, which were then engulfed in purple flames. With those two strikes, they got Solero's health down to the last section.

Simulation ended. Winner: Nicole.

The area around her faded, going back to the glass dome she'd stepped into about fifteen minutes ago. She was greeted with a hug around her legs, to which she picked up her stouter boyfriend and hugged back with a thank you spilling from her lips.

"You were great, Nicole!" he said happily as he hopped down, taking her hand in his own, soon starting to discuss future strategies. And for once, Nicole seemed to be eager as she talked with him, finally using more of her voice than she ever had in years. And she really couldn't have been happier for it.

Prompt Eighteen: Children

Klaus always prided himself on being mature compared to any kids his own age. Being mature gave one a better sense of self, and it was an easier way to garner respect. Acting his age was never something he thought of doing. But upon the day he started dating Daisy, his outlook on life began to shift. Her bright, bubbly personality seemed to radiate youth and life, making him often stumble when he tried to think like the adult he wasn't. Little did he know, that was the woman's idea from the get-go, to loosen him up. He couldn't help but feel somewhat jealous at times, watching Dan and Marucho splash each other in the ocean as he settled for reading a book and sipping tea. At times, he thought they acted like little children, scoffing at the idea of joining in. But now… it was becoming all too enticing to get his own pair of swimming trunks so he could join in the fun. But it was hard to tell if he was more entranced by feeling like a kid, or the sporty bikini his girlfriend was wearing as she swam laps along the coastline.

Prompt Nineteen: Reincarnate*

Runo couldn't believe her ears, even as there were four other credible witnesses. To think, Dan, her boyfriend of five years, was the reincarnation of a hero from another dimension. She never would've guessed the hero trait came from a past life. In a twisted sort of way, it made sense why he was the Pyrus Guardian, with how he was the Legendary Warrior of Fire as Takuya Hanbara or whatever his last name was. The Haos Guardian was starting to kick herself for being such a jerk to him over his rash decisions, wondering how he was taking all of this in… Hopefully he was alright… After all, Dan was still Dan, and he was headstrong no matter what…

Prompt Twenty: Scarf

Alice frowned as she watched Shun practice outside in his usual outfit. Sure, it was summer, but it was still cold in Moscow. She couldn't help but feel rather worried for him, even though he seemed to know when it was time to stop. She slowly managed to tear her eyes away, but then they settled on something. A half-finished scarf, colored green, was lying there, accumulating dust… Alice suddenly got an idea and grinned, going over to it and cleaning it up. Perhaps now that she had a good reason, she could finish it at last. After all, nothing was a better excuse than to make sure Shun stayed warm.

Prompt Twenty-One: Tear

If there was one thing that always got Marucho, it was the crying scenes in movies. If just one character let a single tear fall, he'd quietly blubber like a baby unless an action or comedy scene happened soon after. It was one reason why he always tried his best to make sure any movie he and the others watched on movie nights had no crying characters. So, upon the day Nicole saw Marucho trying to watch some sort of dramatic 'reality' series and quietly sniffling, it was hard to mask her disguise. Of course, Zorano was left in shock at the irony, when he went into such a serious persona when the world was about to end. Nicole walked into the room, sitting down beside the blonde and thoroughly surprising him. But before he could stutter out an excuse, she gently put an arm around him and patted his shoulder. Marucho sighed as she pulled him against her, wiping away the single tear on his cheek.

"Y'know, it's OK to be a softie," she stated. After all, she herself was an emotional wreck more than half of the time. "If it makes you feel any better, the only reason it doesn't bug me is because I've watched this too many times to count."

"Really?" Marucho asked, raising an eyebrow and losing focus on the TV. Nicole giggled, soon mouthing the words he heard from the screen.

"Yeah. So don't worry about it. Besides, everyone needs to shed a tear every once in a while."

Zorano shook her tiny body at their antics.

"Feh… humans."

Prompt Twenty-Two: Forceful*

Klaus hadn't spent a whole lot of time with Daisy, to be fair. Really, from their adventures through Naruto's, Pikachu's, and the Digital World, they were so distracted trying to stop the bad guys that he'd never really gotten to know the girl all that well—how Speedy and Amy managed their time was beyond him. So really, he felt it was completely natural to be surprised when Daisy suddenly transformed from her usual self to an almost domineering figure of power. He could only watch as she shouted ability after ability, causing Clayf to utterly destroy the army of zombie-like Medabots. He'd never known her to be so…forceful. She radiated bravery and strength as she got Clayf to jump in the air and come back down, crashing down on the arena to send metal and rock soaring into the air.

"Hope we can have enough money to repair that," Sirenoid suddenly spoke up. Klaus chuckled, tapping his wallet.

"I think we'll manage. So, shall we join in?" Klaus grinned as the mermaid Bakugan closed up, allowing him to toss her into the fray.

"Sirenoid, stand!"

Prompt Twenty-Three: Complaint*

Dammy grumbled under her breath as she stood by the door. Sure, it was a good day with lots of sunshine, but there was one complaint on her mind. Masquerade was late. And not the usual five or ten minutes late. More like, an hour late. Really, though, she knew from prior experience of watching the show that the Chunin Exams would be a while, but he promised to meet up with her as soon as CF's first match was done! Seriously, what was he doing there?

"That boy…" she muttered, tapping her Bakupod as Solero remained silent. He just knew that his lack of human customs would just get him scolded. But that girl needed to curb her temper. "I swear! If I find out they reorganized the battle, I'm gonna sue whoever did it!"

"Are you sure that's wise, Dammy?" Solero asked, unable to keep his silence this time. Dammy gave him a half-hearted glare, but reigned in her annoyance as she ran a hand through her hair.

"I guess not… Hey! There he is!" she shouted, looking at a figure emerging from the shadows. Though, her mouth suddenly went from a grin to a dropped jaw as she saw him scrubbing at what looked like glow stick gel. His clothes and hair were in a mess! "Whoa! Maskerado-kun, what happened to you?!"

"I had to deal… with kids. A lot. All wanting autographs…" he said, his voice oddly clipped. "There was more squealing and hollering from those kids than the whole arena! They ran me into a gift shop…"

Dammy buckled in laughter as she took in his disgruntled appearance, pointing as she went to her knees. Masquerade sighed, wiping off the green lenses of his new mask.

"Gee, thanks… If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go take a bath…" Dammy giggled to herself, skipping along behind the blonde. "I mean, really, who was in charge of that mob? No respect…"

Prompt Twenty-Four: Passion

Runo stood in front of a certain brunette, tapping her foot angrily. Said brunette kept his head lowered as he scratched the back of it in embarrassment.

"Let me repeat that. You lost the necklace you bought me? The eight-hundred dollar necklace you promised me a month ago?" she emphasized each important word, making Dan wince. Right now, she couldn't believe it. Sure, Dan was a bit forgetful, but how could you lose something like that?! The thing stuck out like a sore thumb! What, did he put it in a pile of dirty clothes? Dan honestly had no excuses. He really had no idea what happened to it. He last remembered putting it on the kitchen table, but it wasn't there when he went to put it in a gift box.

Dan's only saving grace was the tired and hopeless look on his face, meaning he had been searching for the thing for several hours.

"I'm sorry… And it just had to be at the end of the Red Hot Passion Week Sale, too… It'll take me another year to get that money…" he frowned, looking at his shoes. He just knew Runo had her face in an angry pout, throbbing forehead possibly included. Sighing, Runo leaned against the counter, staring up.

"Did you ask your mom if she took it?" she asked after a minute, prompting Dan to look at her with an expression of disbelief.

"Duh, yeah! I looked everywhere in that house!"

Runo pinched the bridge of her nose before grabbing something from the cabinet. Dan's eyes widened as she showed him a coupon for the store he got the necklace from. It was a sixty-percent-off-coupon.

"Here… This should cover it…"

Dan gave a small sigh of relief mixed with sadness. Runo had been saving that coupon. And now he had to go spoil it… He mentally kicked himself for losing that necklace. He often wished he wasn't such a clutz.

"Oh, Dan! There you are!" The two heard Miyoko say as she ran through the door before the bell even rang. In her hand was a shiny chain. "I found Lila playing with this under the chair. Is this yours?" She opened her palm to show a gold ring containing six large gems: a ruby, a topaz, a diamond, an amethyst, a sapphire, and an emerald, all joined together to create a circle of color. Dan whooped with glee as he took the necklace from his mom and handed it to Runo.

With her eyes glittering in joy, she clipped the chain around her neck as she let the gem ring dangle. She threw her arms around Dan in an embrace as Miyoko left the room with a smile.

"Ah, young love," she spoke to herself as she exited the café. "Guess I was wrong about Dan. His passion doesn't have bounds after all."

Prompt Twenty-Five: Face

Julie frowned to herself as she examined several pictures of faces in a fashion magazine. No, she wasn't looking into plastic surgery, but she was desperate for some sort of new look. She flipped through countless make-up combinations. Some seemed too subtle, while others were hideously overdone, in her opinion. She wanted to find just the right look for the ball Marucho was throwing next week. It'd give her time to perfect the art of her new look so she wouldn't over- or underdo any shades or blush. She wanted Billy to have a wow moment—if not several of the guys to. She always wanted to put on a show… but what could work with her face? It was so hard to tell… But whatever it'd end up being, she just knew she'd knock him dead.

Prompt Twenty-Six: Opposites

Marucho knew the saying 'opposites attract' but he never believed it would work in personal matters. Being of a scientific nature, he only believed it worked with magnets and electricity. But now, as he watched Nicole battle against Alice, he could see that he was attracted to his opposite. Nicole was shy and timid, especially in battle, often getting confused on what to do. He was confident and always had a strategy planned, and he wasn't afraid to talk. So perhaps there was some sense in that saying, after all. Because he couldn't help but feel pulled toward her, even though he was the one pulling her along.

Prompt Twenty-Seven: Proposal*

Sonic usually wasn't one to be shocked by anything. Sure, he could get surprised, but he was sure this was the first time that he couldn't come up with any comprehensible reaction.

"Hu… wha…?" was all he really managed as he eyed Speedy, who was currently examining a book on some crystals said to exist throughout Atmos. He was sure the look on his face was a camera-worthy moment. Really, what was going through that hedgehog's head?

"What? Is that that crazy to you?" the taller, orange furred anthro said with a whimsical smirk. "Our father did the same thing, you know."

"S…So?! Dude, that's back on our planet, where the gems don't exactly have the tendency to shoot lasers!" Sonic threw his arms out to his sides and down sharply, wildly gesticulating his point. He could understand Speedy wanting to make his own covenant ring or whatever he called it—the guy was crazy about romance, even if some of his views weirded him out—but he honestly couldn't get why Speedy was interested in using crystals. For goodness' sake, they were like natural batteries!

Speedy closed his book to level a half deadpan, surprising the blue blur. Since when could he do that?

"…You already forget about the Christmas present you got Roll?" Sonic blinked, somewhat paling as he remembered. Sonic had gotten Roll a black bracelet he found her ogling once, only to realize the outside metal was made to superheat when exposed to Chaos Energy—turned out it was some weapon G.U.N. developed and lost. Sonic still felt a phantom pain from where he accidentally grabbed it once when Naga pissed her off.

"H-Hey! That was different! At least in my case, it was a surprise! You know those things can be dangerous!" Speedy just smirked, flipping to a page, showing off a particular blue crystal before showing it to Sonic. "…Sparkles in the sun and glows in total absence of light…"

Speedy closed the book with a grin, setting it aside.

"So, what do you think?"

Sonic looked at his brother with a smirk before standing up and walking off.

"Good luck, bro. Dark Ace won't be too happy if he sees you in their sector."

Speedy frowned before flipping back to the page, dichromatic eyes widening as he saw their location.

Sonic smirked as he took a sip of water from a fountain, spitting it out as he heard Speedy's response.

"…Dammit! That was the best one, too!"

Prompt Twenty-Eight: Gone

Alice sighed to herself as she stared outside at the scenery of the city. Snow was falling down steadily, starting to blanket the streets and rooftops in white fluff. It wasn't really a nuisance to her, having grown up in Moscow, but she wasn't very happy that it happened today. Usually, snow was uncommon in Wardington, even in the deepest part of winter. Naturally, she and Shun had planned a picnic out in the park for the evening, but Mother Nature decided to tease them. So, with nothing else to do, she sat at the table and doodled on a notepad. Hydranoid smirked from his place on Alice's shoulder as an outline of Skyress' head began to take form. Alice was oblivious to it as she thought about how the picnic with Shun would go. A whimsical smile appeared on her face as she lazy penciled in intricate details without even noticing. Human and Bakugan stayed in that spot for over an hour, one daydreaming and the other in total astonishment.

It was only when a shadow loomed over her that Alice finally stopped. Shun rested his arms over her shoulders, eyeing the portrait.

"Impressive," he stated simply, causing Alice to look down and feel a surprised grin make its way onto her face. It was a perfect drawing of the two of them laughing together as they held onto Skyress' head feathers. Their hair was shown as being blown backwards, meaning they were flying.

"Thanks. Now if only I could do that and notice it," she giggled as she carefully tore out the paper and shared it with her boyfriend.

"Speaking of noticing, I just happened to notice the snow's gone. Want to go have that picnic?"

Alice, in spite of her excitement, simply nodded and stood up. Shun folded the paper and stuffed it in his pocket as Alice grabbed a picnic basket. Grasping each other's hand, the two walked out of her home and out into the now sunny and snow-free streets.

Prompt Twenty-Nine: Cut

Klaus felt his eye twitch as he watched Daisy take another snip with her scissors. Normally, he was fine with her fashionista moments, but that was some expensive material she was practically abusing! He wasn't going to say anything, though. If he did, it was going to seem undignified. And Klaus prided himself on his dignity. Another piece of the fabric was cut off, falling to the floor as a tiny triangle. What was she even wanting to do with it? Make some sort of curtain? Or shirt? It didn't really make sense—that material was very delicate and not meant for casual wear or near-constant light. Something kept preventing him from asking, though. Daisy continued to cut sections out of the fabric, eyeing every little snip to make sure it was even and perfect. Scrap pieces were cast aside, forgotten. Klaus wanted to interrupt her, but halted as the girl pulled out a spool of thread… It was white, which went well with the rich indigo of the fabric. He watched as a practiced hand stitched the thread through the fabric, giving just a few millimeters a gap to keep the threads from unraveling…

Only fifteen minutes later, Klaus blinked as Daisy made a strange shape with the thread line, almost like forming two straps of something… Daisy soon cut just outside the thread, and the material was separated from the rest of the sheet. Soon, he found the material pressed to his back, and two pieces fell over his shoulders—so they were straps after all. Nothing, though, could keep his frown from turning into a grin as she clipped the ends to a bright, gold medallion. The piece fell to his chest, and Klaus was able to feel the material end just at his waist. It was a cape of sorts. It stayed to his back, and had a wide space for further embroidery. He turned to Daisy, who promptly gave him a peck on the cheek as she examined him.

"Nice, right?" she cooed, her first words in about half an hour. Klaus could only nod in delight, wishing he had a mirror. But it seemed Daisy wasn't done, as she cut the air with his scissors twice. "Klaus… when was the last time you had an expertly done haircut?"

Before he could respond, Daisy had ushered him into a chair as she set to work on fixing a few uneven spots. That girl loved using those scissors…

Prompt Thirty: Valentine*

Valentine's Day was the girls' favorite holiday, aside from their birthdays. It was a time for romance, gifts, and just getting a kick out of seeing their crushes blush as they gave and received their presents. While most girls wanted something cliché, like roses, chocolate, or a picnic, Julie had a different idea…

"You wanna what?!" Billy asked, feeling his jaw drop. Julie was standing in front of him, wearing traditional female explorer gear. Well, not completely. Julie made it clear to embroider some fancy designs on the sleeves in silver and pink. Gorem was sitting on her right shoulder, giving the impression of an awkward feeling to Cycloid, who was sitting on Billy's left shoulder. The two Subterra Bakugan could only sigh and wonder.

"Aw, c'mon, Billy~!" she cooed cutely. "Don't you think I'd make a good assistant?" She flashed a few books out of her backpack so fast that she seemed to pull them out of a hammerspace. "I went through all the trouble of learning all sorts of tips and tricks and methods for months!"

Billy had to hand it to her. She was cute, and if what she said was true, she was persistent, determined, and confident. 'Maybe she would be a good assistant… I mean, it is just a small temple in South Africa…'

The blonde shook his head and sighed. "Well, I guess… I mean, it is Valentine's Day…" It wouldn't be a big deal to bring her along. He had to admit, he would enjoy some company on his expeditions… He smiled in seconds, nodding as Julie squealed.

"Thank you, Billy! You're the best!" the Subterra Guardian said happily before Billy pulled out his Core Crystal, slashing it to rip through the fabric of space-time and create a wormhole. Billy bowed to Julie, stepping to his right.

"Ladies first." Julie jumped into the portal as Billy followed, ready for their next adventure.

Hope you enjoyed this little work! So any of you who've read BSCC: Ninja Madness and are worried I'll never done can relax a little bit. It's just really, really slow work. But I will get it done!

Now, I have a question for all of you. Kazo has asked me to write him a set of prompts featuring a pairing he really likes. It involves Ino, and his OC Toka. While this will have character appearance spoilers, it's a good work in our opinion. If you'd like me to publish it, let me know!