A/N: I've decided to re-edit and also change the title of this story while I'm at it (I always meant to change the title because I didn't like it, but I couldn't decide on what). This will probably be the only update I'll make in a long while, but since I doubt anyone is reading this, it won't make a difference. But if someone is reading, then I'm sorry (and if you want me to update faster PM me often when I least expect it until the point that I get annoyed and just have to update so I can get you off my case)

Disclaimer: If you read this before then you'll know that I'm only posting one up for the entire story because it saves me time and I'm lazy so um let's see, don't own Chrono Cross, Chrono Trigger, or Radical Dreamers. I only own OCs but I'm still deciding if whether or not I'm gonna end up using any on this story.

Code Thingy
"Speaking"
'Thinking'
ELEMENT/Tech
--Flashback--

Chapter 1 And So It Begins
It was raining in Arni.

It was the start of the rainy season, which occurred around this time of the year in El Nido. The rain came pounding really hard the day before early in the afternoon and onto its second day it was surely but slowly beginning to abate even throughout the night, but everyone knew that this would only last if just for a few hours before the rain would return and continue where it left off. So the villagers of Arni remained in their homes warm and comfortable in their beds as the rain pounded on the roofs of their homes. Yes everyone was sound asleep except for one sweet country girl.

Leena had awakened to the sounds of rainwater dripping down somewhere in her room. She groaned and rubbed her blurry eyes as she slowly got up, Leena tried to adjust to the darkness that surrounded her entire room. She looked to the left barely glimpsing the oil lamp that was stationed on a table nearby. She sat up and blindly but slowly reached over to try and ignite the lamp, careful that she didn't knock it over in the process. After a few times of fumbling with the matches, she got the lamp to turn on.

Leena shivered as her feet touched the cold wooden floor. She looked around and found a pair of sandals that she quickly put on, before she stood up. She was wearing a light brownish pink pajama dress that was long sleeved and reached down to her thighs. Her hair was a mess and was barely tied back with a purple ribbon.

Leena walked over to where she heard the noise and looked up in time to see a raindrop fall straight down on her forehead. She blinked a few times and wiped the water off her face with the back of her sleeve, she continued to stare at the ceiling while taking a step back to avoid being wet again.

She looked down and saw that the floor was absorbing the water, that wasn't good or at least she thought that was the case. She glanced around the room and retrieved the first thing she could find, an old towel. She shrugged to herself and then placed the towel over said area where the rainwater kept dripping on.

Leena was somewhat satisfied that she at least did something to temporarily fix the problem, and made a mental note to tell her grandmother about it in the morning, so that one of the carpenters can repair it. Leena glanced to her comfy bed and was about to return to it so that she could go back to sleep when she heard something.

It wasn't the rainwater coming in contact with the towel she had left behind, nor was it because of the rain pouring on the roof.

No, this was something else.

She held her breath as to not make a sound while she tried to listen closely, ignoring the rain. It definitely sounded like it was coming from outside that she knew, but she was having a hard time trying to discern the sounds from one another. It sounded almost like footsteps, but not quite the same. Maybe there was someone outside possibly walking by her home? But it seemed that whoever it was, he or she was in a hurry. Leena made her way to the window ignoring the fact that is was still raining, well actually it was more like a slight drizzle that they were experiencing now, but nonetheless water was still pouring outside. She wondered who else could possibly still be awake at this time of the night.

Leena carefully made her way to the window, avoiding the creaking floorboard here and there and pulled away the blinds, feeling the ice cold breeze against her face. She had pulled back and rubbed her cheek, but quickly looked out again in time to see that the mysterious stranger had already passed by and was exiting the village. She couldn't quite tell who it was but from what little light that was reflected from the moons she could at least catch a glimpse of blue.

"Serge?" A startled Leena said to herself aloud wondering if it really was her childhood friend that was walking out in the middle of the night. Or was it just her imagination? She looked to the grass and muddy ground that surrounded her house, and saw that there were indeed footprints coming from where Serge's house as well, though maybe they came from the chief's hut and trailed past both houses and towards the exit. She wanted to go and check it out, but at the same time she felt that it was better to mind her own business and go back to bed where it was warm and safe. Who knows, it could have been one of the adults keeping a lookout for anything suspicious.

'But what if it is Serge?' She found herself thinking again. Maybe if she went to his home and knocked on the door, 'No, that would be stupid' she could end up waking up Marge and Leena didn't want to disturb Serge's mother. Suppose she could try to sneak through the window?

'That won't work either he has them blocked.'

Serge's behavior had changed over the last few days and he has been acting strangely recently; ever since she found him unconscious on Opassa Beach nearly a week and a half ago. He had been rambling on and on about things that never happened, and places that she was sure never existed in El Nido or while they were on the subject even visited considering the fact that the farthest they had ever gone together was to Termina.

She found it hard to believe as did practically everyone else in the village, that after a while he simply gave up on trying. After that experience it seemed that things had gone back to normal, if only for a little while.

Then he began distancing himself from everyone else in the village, he was quieter; well he was always quiet but now more than ever. He rarely left his home, only when he had to run an errand for the chief. Other times when Serge was obligated to accompany her to Termina, he remained distant and aloof, ignoring her all together and left her as quickly as he could the moment they got back home. It hurt her feelings, though then again maybe she deserved it for not believing him.

But now he was sneaking away for no reason. Especially in the middle of the night in this type of weather? What could have possibly compelled him to do so?

'He could get sick.'

Her mind was made up and if it was Serge that was outside, she was going to get to the bottom of this and see what it was that he is doing.

Leena figured she had to put some better clothes on, there was no way that she was going to go out wearing a dress. She resorted to using a pair of shorts that reached a few inches past her knees, and a tunic with long sleeves though they only reached to her elbow. She fixed her hair quickly tying it back again, but didn't bother using any accessories because it would only waste more time. Leena exchanged the use of sandals for boots as they would prevent her feet from getting dirty with mud.

She took the still lit oil lamp and snuck out of her room carefully so that she wouldn't wake up her younger brother Una, or her grandmother. She looked to the kitchen and grabbed the nearest thing she could find. A frying pan.

It would probably come in handy later.

It had stopped raining when she stepped out of the door but was still greeted by the cold air, causing her to shiver once more though not as much as before. She made her way towards the exit before she could think of the next move. Leena looked down and saw the footprints that were still there.

"Well that's a start," Leena said to herself.

She followed the trail that was left behind and realized that the path that was being taken didn't lead to Cape Howl, one of the possible places that Serge could have gone if it was him. The path she was following was leading her towards the forest area, close to what was known as Divine Dragon Falls.

Leena was surrounded with trees as she walked further in, the moon's light began to dwindle forcing her to rely on the small oil lamp as her only source of illumination. Suddenly she heard someone cry out, it kind of sounded like Serge, but she wasn't sure. However, what she was sure of was that it sounded close, meaning that she wasn't far from him.

She walked a little faster and started calling out to her childhood friend, "S-Serge? Serge where are you?" She said, her grip on the frying pan's handle tightening while she kept the lamp in front of her to give her a better view of what was ahead.

"Ser-?" Leena paused when she heard something run by behind her. She quickly turned around flashing her lamp into the open space but saw nothing of the sort. Could it be that it was just her imagination?

When she turned back her gaze was met by a pair of glowing fiery red eyes, but that was all she could see before something reached out and smacked the oil lamp away from her hand. Leena gasped as the lamp hit the cold wet floor and shattered, extinguishing the only source of light.

Even without any light she could still see a slight outline of her attacker that must have been taller than her, but what caught her attention the most were the eyes.

Those flaming crimson orbs that seemed to gaze into her soul.

Leena raised the frying pan and swung it at the other being, but was surprised when her attack was stopped by a single grab to her wrist. The figure's other hand then reached out and yanked the kitchen item tossing it away, its red eyes never even left sight of her, never blinking.

"Serge!" Leena screamed out in hopes that her friend would hear her and come to her rescue, but he never came as she was suddenly pinned against a tree.

The creature's red eyes blinked once and she saw that they were getting closer to the point where she felt something brush up against her cheek. There was a faint odor of something coming from the other individual.

Blood...

The red eyes that she had seen before had vanished from her sight, but that wasn't a good sign at all.

The dark figure was still pinning her against the tree and she could now feel something breathing on her neckline. Suddenly Leena felt something sharp prick her neck, as the perpetrator sank its long white fangs into her neck.

Her eyes grew wide in shock as she felt the loss of blood begin to take affect on her.

Leena's strength began to fade making it harder for her to put up a fight against her captor. Her eyes grew drowsy and her body limp, as the last thing she whispered faintly was the name of her childhood friend before she lost consciousness and knew no more...

To Be Continued

Well what do you think? Is it any better than the previous version? Really, the only difference here is that this edited version is like 300-400 words longer than the last one. -shrugs- Leave a review, maybe some suggestions or flames (I always like a challenge when it comes to flames) or PM me, like I said up in the A/N if you want to get me to update sooner, then nag at me to update or something (that always seems to work for everybody else when they want me to do something)