It was another beautiful day in the Oracle Headquarters. Legretta had a smile on her face, probably because of the preparations going well. Not until..

"Sync!! Give it back!!" a high-pitched voice echoed through the halls, causing the soldiers to be distracted.

"Huh. No wonder Anise calls you Gloomietta. You always hide your face with this… thing." A male voice followed, carrying a doll in his hand.

"What now?!" Legretta growled in anger.

"Syyynnc.. Come on.." it was Arietta, and Sync was apparently holding the doll out of her reach.

"Then come and get it, Gloomietta." Sync taunted.

"I am not gloomy!! Don't be mean, Sync!!"

"What? I'm just telling the truth." He smirked.

Legretta saw what happened and let out a big sigh. "SIGH. Again?!"

"They started fighting ever since Arietta wanted to know what was under Sync's mask. She succeeded but she still doesn't know the truth..." Largo was behind Legretta, drinking a bottle of water.

"They HAVE gotten closer, but I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing." Legretta added. "What happened again? I guess it went something like.." Legretta then recollects her memories of what happened.

FLASHBACK

(I accidentally hit Sync's mask, causing it to fall on the floor. I said sorry and helped him out. I got his mask to express my sorry, but… He suddenly snatched it away, I looked on the floor, embarrassed, but then it hit me. Just as he was about to put it on, I tried to see what he looked like but… He was already mad so.. I didn't want to worsen the situation... It's that mask. That stupid mask. I need to know what's under it.) Arietta was eager to know.

Sync was given a mission in Chesedonia. While he was wandering around, Luke and the others bumped into him.

"Sync..!!" Anise growled. Sync smirked as if he was taunting them. But then Arietta barged in with her Ligers. She bumped Anise without even glancing at her, she went towards Sync. "Oww! Hey, that hurt!" Anise whined, but Arietta completely ignored her.

Just when Sync was about to leave, obviously he didn't want to see her, Arietta, stepped on his foot. "It's your mask.. Take it off!!" she demanded. Anise and the others were just as confused as the people were.

Sync remained silent. Ignoring Arietta's demands, he walked past her. But Arietta grabbed his hand anyway.

"Don't ignore me! Sync, take it off!!" She was serious now. "..If you're asking to see what's behind this mask, well. It's nothing trash, done." Sync replied, he sounded bored and uninterested.

"What trash? I just need to see your face!" Arietta was pleading. He let out a big sigh.

"You're so persistent." He tilted his head a bit, allowing her to see his eyes.

"Wait, Gloomietta. Why so curious all of a sudden?" Anise cut in.

"It's none of your business, Anise!" Arietta shot back. She grabbed Sync's hand and pleaded, she really wanted to know. "Sync! Don't! It's better Gloomietta doesn't find out." Anise called. Guy looked the other way, he knew what was under that mask, so he insisted, "Yeah, it's better Arietta doesn't know, she'll just get hurt."

"Is there something you all know that I don't?! What's under that mask?! Take it off already!!" Arietta asked. "What a pain, I know that if I'll show you now, I'm just gonna regret it anyway, so don't bother." Sync was irritated.

"I don't care! Just… show what's under that mask. I promise I won't do anything that'll make you mad!" Arietta said.

"…Fine, but first let go of my hand." Sync grinned.

Arietta blushed a light pink, (How long was I holding his hand anyway?!) she thought.

Sync leaned closer to Arietta, making her blush a little. "You up for it?" Sync smirked.

"Yes! Now remove it already." She sounded impatient.

Sync slowly removed his mask, his whole face seen now. "..I-Ion?!" she snapped.

This made Sync flinch a little, he didn't want to be called Ion. He was mad, really mad.

"..Tch. I knew it. I KNEW IT." Sync's expression darkened.

"Wait!! Why do you..?" Arietta's words broke.

"…You'll find out soon." Anise explained.

"..W-what? Anise, you know too?" Arietta was already on the edge of crying.

Sync remained silent. Hiding his face with his bangs. "..Pathetic. " Sync said in frustration and walked away. He put his mask back on.

"W-wait Sync…" Arietta said, without glancing at him.

"…What?" Sync didn't glance at her either.

"I… I'm sorry for the trouble." She said, trying to hold back the tears.

"Arietta…" Anise said in a comforting manner.

"Arietta's sorry Sync, and it's not like she did anything wrong." Guy said. But Sync kept on walking farther away. Arietta started crying and whimpering silently.

"…Are you just gonna stand there and wait for Legretta and Largo to come here just to pick you up?" Sync turned his head.

"Huh?" Arietta's face brightened a little.

"..Or would you prefer letting me drag you all the way there?" He said.

"R-right… Thank you, Sync.." She smiled sweetly, Sync looked away, his cheeks with a shade of light pink.

"Hurry up." He called her. "Aww… Sync, you're so sweet. I didn't know you had a soft spot for annoying, gloomy, pink-haired girls." Anise teased.

"Shut the hell up, Anise." He growled. Arietta ran towards Sync, and went back together.

"Hmm…"

"What is it colonel?" Anise asked.

"This is just a theory…but, perhaps Sync may have an attachment to Arietta, just as his original has." Jade explained holding his chin.

"What do you mean? Like he carried over some 'things' the original had? ..Well, now that I think about it, the original Ion, was feared by the people before. But he had his good side too. And he was close with Gloomietta… So the Ion I knew got the original's good side, and Sync got the bad side?" Anise asked.

"Something like that." Jade replied.

"Huh. So maybe that's why." Guy held his chin.

"You know what I think? They're kind of cute together." Natalia said, locking her hands, wearing a wide smile.

"You think? you think about it, they ARE kind of cute together.." Guy said in awe.

"—But I'm still cuter." Anise blurted.

"Yeah, you're right. Tokunaga IS cute." Luke grinned, copying Jades usual mocking.

"Booo!!" Anise booed.

END OF FLASHBACK

"SIGH. Well, even if Arietta found out Sync's appearance, she still doesn't know the truth." Legretta sighed.

"When are you planning to tell her?" Largo asked.

"..Not now. Ion recently died. It would be wrong to tell everything all at once." Legretta said with a dark expression.

"You're right…" Largo sighed.

"Syyync!! Give it back!!" Arietta whined. "The get it, I'm not running anymore, see?" Sync smirked.

"I can't reach it, stupid!!" Arietta said a matter-of-factly. "Then jump. Stupid." Sync smirked and seemed to be amused.

"Sync, knock it off." Largo sighed. "Tch. Fine." Sync dropped Arietta's doll. She caught it.

Arietta sticked her tongue out, as if she was taunting him. "You're lucky Largo's here, Gloomietta." Sync threatened.

"So?" she kept on taunting him. Sync's temper was short so.. yeah. He grabbed her arm, but since Largo was there, he grabbed Sync's arm. Sync let go of Arietta. This made Arietta laugh out loud.

But Legretta came and flicked Arietta's head. "Oww! That hurt!" And now Sync was the one laughing, but Largo did the same to Sync, causing both teenagers to whine.

"That's it! I can't take it anymore!! I'm going to punish you two!!" Legretta raised her voice high, which caused Arietta to tremble and Sync to flinch. "Listen, don't scare the kids too much, you're traumatizing them." Largo sighed.

"Whatever, Largo, bring them to my room. Now!" Legretta demanded.

"Yes ma'am." Largo had no choice but to do so. "It's all your fault, Gloomietta!!" Sync murmured. "Mine?! You started it." She shot back. "Quiet!" Largo bumped their heads together. "Ouch! If you didn't have a thick skull, maybe this didn't hurt too much!" Sync mumbled. Arietta glared at him.

They entered Legretta's room. It was quiet, probably because of Legretta staring at them with bloodshot eyes.

"The punish that will be given to you is simple. I will leave the both of you in the Inista Marsh. You'll have to learn how to get along, got it?!" Legretta shouted.

"The Inista Marsh?! What the hell?! There's a freaking Behemoth there! There is NO WAY I'm going there!" Sync protested.

"Me neither, the last time we went there we came back severely injured—and there was six of us!" Arietta protested as well.

"I'm going to pick you up tomorrow—dawn. The mosters there aren't very active at night." Legretta ignored the both of them, which means that they have no option left.

"Legretta, are you sure?" Largo asked nervously. "Yes, if we were in the battlefield, we must learn to work together." She explained.

They boarded the ship in silence, and waited to arrive in the marsh. They didn't say a thing, that goes to show how Legretta can be scary when she's real pissed.

"I'll be back, in the meantime, wait quietly until we arrive." Legretta warned. She went outside and headed to the deck. Her footsteps quietly faded…

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!!" they blamed each other, glaring with bloodshot eyes.

"MY FAULT?! IT'S YOURS!!" They said in unison.

They both growled and glared at each other. "Humph, when we arrive at the Marsh, don't expect me to come when you get your butt kicked." Sync smirked.

Arietta flinched, in truth, even if she has fonic artes, she's still done for without her liger friends, "O-oh yeah? Wouldn't dream of it! Besides, I can still survive by avoiding fighting. I'll just use my fonic artes when I need to." She shot back.

"Heh. Fine by me, just don't go crying back to me." He smirked.

"As if!" She yelled. The door suddenly banged, "We're here!" Legretta announced.

Sync and Arietta quietly exited the ship. "I'll come back here at dawn." Legretta reminded.

(A/N: It's both a land ship and a ship… that can also board on water. The way to Inista Marsh is by land, so yeah—you get my point.)

Sync walked away, "Hey, Sync?" Arietta called. "..What?" he turned his head, facing her.

"Why are you still wearing your mask? I've seen your face already. And I know that it has something to do with me, the reason why you wore that." She looked on her feet.

"..The commandant gave this to me the time you joined the 6 God-Generals. And I'm still wearing it because you'll go all Ion on me again." He said with a bored tone.

"Just tell me already! Are you, or are you not related with Ion?!" Arietta demanded.

"What if I told you I was?" he wasn't looking at her. "Y-you are?" her eyes widened.

"Tch. I knew I shouldn't have told you. I also knew I shouldn't have shown you my face." He growled.

"Why?!" she yelled. "You know why!" he shot back, clutching his fists. "What?!"

"Ion." He said. One word. Ion. "Why? Do you hate him?" Arietta asked.

"..A lot." Sync replied. "Why?!" she asked.

"..Because, he's the reason I was born." Sync explained. "W-what? What do you mean he's the reason?" she asked.

"I don't need to explain myself to you!" Sync finished their Q and As and left Arietta confused.

"…" she stared at him as he got farther away. "Fine, be that way." She mumbled.

Arietta walked her way through the marsh, completely unaware of the presence behind her. She heard a loud cry behind her, "Awwwooooooooo!!" It was a wolf. "ah!" She managed to dodge it.

It charged at her, and tried to bite the hell out of her. She dodged it, but it ripped a portion of her sleeves, it bled. "ugh…" she grunted at the pain. She didn't have time to cast an arte, the wolf was too fast.

It glared at her and charged again. Only this time it jumped, Arietta closed her eyes, putting her hands on her head and trembled in fear.

(I'm done for..!) She thought.

(A/N: Until the next chapter! ^_^)