Ruri turned and hustled the boy further into the forest. She stopped after only a few steps, though, and turned back. "You come, too! No one can blame you, so you'd better be right behind us!" She ended her shout with a firm nod, then sprinted into the forest.

The small girl's legs wanted to carry her right up into the air again, so elated was she feeling after the flight. The boy she was protecting, though, had suffered much the opposite. His legs were weak, making his already short steps come slowly. Ruri hadn't the size to carry him, so she wrapped one arm around him and tried to pull him along. The pace was less than enough to make Ruri comfortable, but it was gradually improving as the boy regained his confidence in the ground.

Ruri sneaked a peek back over their shoulders, hoping to see their rescuer behind them.