Chapter 1

Marta

Damn Alice, she just shows up and tries to kill us, this damn girl comes out of nowhere and… and just… UGH! I hate her much, and poor Emil he just looked so scared when all this happened, he just stood there with his mouth open, looking right at all that's happening. That is of course until Ratatosk took him over, then, then he just flipped his lid. He got ridiculous. He got all… manly and just didn't stop, in the end we fought Alice and thankfully got out alive. But then that red-hair man from Palmacosta showed up and… well… after that I don't really know what happened. All of a sudden it was over, and Zelos showed up, then they all left, everyone was gone, just me and Emil where left! 3

"What are we gonna do now?" Emil asked once he had regained himself.

"We go in farther, to find what's been going on with all the storms."

"Are you sure? It looks kinda scary in here…"

"Don't worry, I have you to protect me." I could almost hear him going, 'But that's not what I meant.' But I didn't want to ruin the whole "MY KNIGHT!3" thing he he he!

As we wandered deeper into the ruins I think we finally realized we didn't really know what we were looking for. "WOW! I've never seen indoor waterfalls!" I exclaimed.

"Lady Marta! Don't touch that water!"

"Whoa! Tenebrae, have you been here the whole time!" I shrieked.

"Oh Lady Marta, how I do enjoy your endless attention."

"Shut up Tenebrae…" we continued walking deeper through the tunnels, passing archway after archway, door after door, statue after statue. Eventually after some number of these passing-throughs we stopped and talked.

"Emil… it's getting really dark and scary in here… could you… hold my hand?" I said.

"Um… Marta…" I looked at him, "I… I…" there was a small dropping noise behind us, and suddenly a bright flash of metal.

"Marta Lualdy… of the Vanguard…" a boys voice came from behind me.

"What?" I whirled around to see a boy around seventeen holding a sword to Emil's neck, with his other arm firmly held around Emil's torso. I've known Emil longer than this boy and he's got more body on Emil at this one time than I've gotten total. Emil was looking intently at the boy, not an ounce of fear in his eyes, just staring at this boy. And for some reason this boy was looking back at Emil.

"Yes, that's me, I'm Marta Lualdy, EX-member of the Vanguard." I said rather pointedly, all I have to say is that if this boy is gay, he better not turn Emil, that boy is MINE!

"Ex… like not anymore?" he asked. Part of him relaxed, that was only his hand, which held his sword. However his arm around Emil stayed as taut as a bough-line, and his eyes never left Emil either.

"Yes ex like not anymore!" What an idiot.

"Well then I'm terribly sorry to have disturbed you…" he said, "And… who might you be…" he said directing this phrase at Emil, even though the whole time through he never once looked at me.

"Who are you to ask his name without giving yours!" I yelled.

"Hmmm." He said contentedly, as if recalling a happy memory, "Right, my name is Arias, Arias Aurion." He said. "And you?"

I noticed Emil's cheeks turn red, "I'm Emil Castagnier."

"Nice to meet you…" I hadn't noticed before, but Emil's hand was placed on this boy's… excuse me… on Arias' arm, and at this time Arias took the opportunity to take hold of Emil's hand and spin him out -almost in a dancing manner—towards me. "Now such a lovely creature would excuse me… I must be on my way." I wasn't sure whom he was talking to, because he was staring directly between Emil and I.

Emil burst in—almost too quickly—with a, "What are you here for!" Arias stopped, "Maybe you could come with us!"

"Maybe… I'm here researching the cause of all these storms… Raine would be so proud of me, being all scientifical!" He practically started giggling with glee.

"Us too, we could work together and maybe get it done faster." Emil said.

"I AGREE! We should work together for the good of our excavation!" I cheered in a false happiness to try and match Emil's.

"It would be my honor to accompany someone as breathtaking as you." Once again looking right between us. I rolled my eyes and once again we set off down the tunnels this time with one extra companion.

In one of the darker parts of the cave I looked at Emil, "It's getting kinda scary, maybe if you held my hand it wouldn't be as bad for me." I tried to say as cutely as possible.

"Oh… okay I guess," I felt him take my hand and we continued to walk, I began to feel my face getting hot, and looked at Emil, his face was starting to turn beet red. I felt truly flattered, that is of course until I noticed Arias' fingers playing with Emil's hand. It wasn't long until I held Emil's hand and he held Arias' and Arias held Emil's… notice how I never said Emil was holding my hand… 'cuz he wasn't! UGH!

Their fingers laced through each other's while Emil's fingers were limp in my hand. Trying to ignore that little detail we continued on our merry way. That is of course until we entered into a giant room, with long corridor-like platforms (minus the walls) with stairs connecting them down to a main platform.

"C'mon guys, let's go!" I cheered us on.

"Lady Marta I suggest we think of a plan in case we are attacked by a monster in here, these platforms are small and look easily broken…" Tenebrae's voice came from behind.

Arias' reaction to Tenebrae was surprising, he just looked at him, "Summon Spirit?" he asked very matter-of-factly.

"No, I am a centurion, Centurion Tenebrae, of Darkness." Tenebrae corrected.

"Hmmm, " he nodded and with me tried to egg us forward. After some motivation and a reassuring touch from Arias, Emil was fine to go! All happy and pleasant, UGH! What could he see in a boy that didn't apply to me! Maybe I'm thinking to far into it and Arias just seems like the kind of person that can be very persuasive and reassuring in general, that's probably it, yeah that's what it is.

We walked down the steps connecting out platform to one diagonally below it, and did the same with that one, and so on, until we reached the bottom platform, an octagonal shaped platform with a layer of water that somehow we could stand on.

"Hmmm… this looks like the end, but I didn't see anything." I said.

"Look Marta, it looks like an underground lake." Emil ran towards the edge of the platform.

"Em…"

"Emil!" Arias interrupted. "Don't get so close, just because we can stand on this water doesn't mean we can't trip on it, or slip, and it would be such a waste if you were to fall." He said.

"I'm sorry…" Emil walked over with his head slightly cocked to one side, although I don't know why.

"Lady Marta, this is an underground freshwater spring, it seems like it connects right to the ocean!" Tenebrae said, as he finished a giant whale like monster rose to the surface and hovered above us. "Oh no, that's a Manitou, a saltwater creature that is highly territorial, it must be the cause of this weather!"

The Manitou attacked us and even though we definitely hurt it, it just didn't see to get any more tired or weak. It kept up with the onslaught of attacks until we all fell to our knees.

"Oh no… it's too strong!" I cried.

"This isn't good…" Emil said, whom Ratatosk now possessed.

"This won't end well!" Arias exclaimed.

"AHHHHHH!" we screamed as the Manitou engulfed us, I thought we were as good as dead…