On the opposite side of the underground jungle, the atmosphere was far calmer.
Toni walked through the dense undergrowth with his guitar hanging comfortably over his shoulder while Nanami walked beside him.
Ashley followed a few steps behind. The young lady had barely spoken since they split off from the others. Giving nothing but brief warnings every once in a while.
"So," Toni said casually, "you've been workin on any new things N?"
Nanami adjusted her glasses. "Several things, of course."
Toni smiled brightly. "That's gotta mean something that explodes right?"
"Explosions can come after progress." Nanami replied and Toni laughed.
Ashley quietly watched their exchanges.
"You still working on the output of that ball thing?" Toni asked.
"Yes," Nanami replied. "I think I've solved all the instability problems."
"Didn't you say somethin like that before you exploded the Camp?"
Nanami quickly coughed. "Well I encountered much fewer explosions."
"That don't sound all that comforting friend."
Nanami ignored him completely. Toni took the quiet time to strum a few soft notes on his guitar as they continued walking.
"What about you?" Nanami asked. "Have you composed anything new for the journey, I expect you have something good to play for Rika?"
"Well of course I have!" Toni quickly responded.
"How about that one you've rewritten six times, it would seem it has you quite stressed out."
Toni looked back at her deadpan. "Art takes suffering, N."
Ashley glanced toward them briefly before looking away again. Despite herself, she found their back and forth strangely natural. Like they'd been together for years.
Toni's expression softened slightly as he played another quiet tune. "Honestly," he admitted, "sometimes I do get in a bad mood out here though."
Nanami looked at him knowingly. "Your sister?"
He nodded. "Yeah. Kinda hard not thinkin' about her all the time." He gave a small shrug. "I left her back home while i'm out here chasin' my dream." The music slowed. "Part of me feels guilty about it sometimes."
Nanami was quiet for a moment, as if she was searching for the words. Then she spoke softly, "I understand."
Toni glanced at her.
"I had a sister too." The atmosphere shifted almost immediately. "She passed away a few years ago," Nanami continued quietly.
Toni's face fell. "...Damn. i'm sorry, N.."
There was a small pause before another voice joined in. "Sorry," Ashley muttered from behind them. Both of them looked back at her. Ashley crossed her arms awkwardly. "What? It's sad."
Nanami gave her a small smile. "Thank you."
Toni immediately pointed at Ashley dramatically. "Whoa! You apologzin'? Didn't think you had it in you."
Ashley rolled her eyes, though a faint smirk tugged at her mouth. "Don't start." She warned.
Toni raised his hands. "You've barely said ten words since we met you."
"That's because unlike you, I know how to be quiet. Especially in a monster infested jungle."
Toni didn't say anything back just stared dumbfounded.
Ashley scoffed and looked away again. After a moment though, she spoke. "I get what you mean about your sister." Ashley rested a hand against the shield on her back. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost mine," she admitted. "Protecting her's the whole reason I picked up the shield."
For once, Toni didn't tease her. Instead, he gave a small nod before beginning to play again. Soft melodies echoed gently through the underground jungle, bouncing off glowing trees and massive roots.
Ashley listened quietly behind them. Maybe she judged these two too quickly. The thought had barely crossed her mind before the jungle erupted with screeching sounds. Large winged insects burst from the canopy overhead.
Toni stopped playing instantly. "Oh, dang it, this might be my fault!"
"That is absolutely your fault!" Ashley replied immediately. One of the giant bugs dove toward them. Ashley shrugged her shield free. Stepping forwards on instinct and slammed her shield upward,
Clang!
The creature bounces backward with a shriek. Nanami calmly reached into her bag and pulled out a strange metallic device.
Toni blinked. "What's that friend?!"
"One of my newer inventions," Nanami answered. Energy swirled through the weapon. A concentrated blast of Elara shot through the cavern and tore directly through one of the flying insects, sending it crashing into the glowing foliage below.
Toni stared in amazement. "Nanami, that thing is AWESOME!"
"Thank you."
More bugs descended immediately. Ashley planted herself in front of the others, shield raised as claws and stingers hammered against the metal. "Little help?!! She shouted.
Nanami fired again. Another insect spiraled from the air in flames. Toni ducked beneath a swooping creature and swung his guitar directly into it's face.
Unfortunately, a much larger bug slammed into him from the side before he could recover.
CRACK.
The guitar snapped in half. Toni slowly stared down at the broken remains in his hands. "No..." he whispered in genuine horror.
Ashley actually winced a little. Then another insect screeched overhead and her irritation returned instantly. "You seriously brought a guitar into the underground jungle," she snapped while blocking another attack. "You attracted all of them!"
"I was just trying to play music!"
"In the middle of monster territory!"
"It's what I like doing!"
Ashley rolled her eyes. "What did your mom even teach you?"
The second the words left her mouth, Toni's expression changed.
His grip tightened around the broken guitar.
"I ain't sorry I played my music," he snapped. "And you don't got the right to talk about my mom, so watch it."
Ashley frowned slightly. "...Touchy subject?"
Nanami hesitated. Then quietly answered, "His mother passed recently."
Ashley froze. The tension vanished from her face almost immediately. "Oh."
Toni looked away from her and crouched down, carefully gathering the shattered pieces of his guitar.
Ashley's voice came out quieter this time. "...Sorry."
Toni didn't look up. "Don't wanna hear it right now."
The jungle fell silent aside from the distant dripping water and the hum of glowing insects deeper within the cavern.
Nanami looked down guiltily. "I'm sorry too," she said softly. "My defensive positioning wasn't adequate. If I reacted faster your guitar might not have been damaged."
Toni shook his head lightly. "It's alright, Nanami." He looked down at the cracked wood in his hands. "Ain't nothin' to worry about."