¿OM: Oh my. So many reviews. But I have been asked to keep responses short and chapters long, so I shall endeavor to do so.

Ilvinaeda: I wasn't angry! Thanks for another glowing review. I'll try to make this one longer.

Moon-Cannon:Here you go.

KyasarinBurukkuTakara: ...eep...updating, updating!

Tropicalia: No! Me not want be inspiration! Too much pressure! Pressure... crushing lungs... can't... breathe... x.x

Ookami no Anubis: Thanks for both reviews. Glad you approve. As for your drawing, you're about to get a much better idea in this chapter.

Green Magicite: We've had our discussion; suffice to say that the tree will not be an issue any longer. As for Katz City, I already have an idea for a replacement...

LAME LEGAL FORMALITIES (i.e. THE DISCLAIMER):

I do not own Namco or its Tales of Symphonia production. All copyrights and trademarks belong to their respective owners.

Fic now! Today's fic will have a wee touch more fluffiness in it, just to warn you. (I gave you a warning, go easy on me.) It will also show some POV changes, unlike the other chapters I've written in the past.

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PRESEA:

"... uhh, it'scoldI'mheadingtobedg'night" Genis mumbled at high speed as he bolted for the tent, still crimson-faced. I chuckled lightly at this, until a gust of wind sent a shiver radiating through my body. Pulling the blanket tighter, I too retired to bed, slipping down quietly into my sleeping bag so as not to wake Raine. I pretended not to notice Genis' mock-snoring from the sleeping bag next to me, and soon dropped off into a dreamless sleep...

I awoke early next morning to sunlight streaming in through the open tentflap. I stepped outside, squinting as the sunlight seared my still-tired retinas. As my vision refocused, I saw Genis preparing a breakfast of toast over the campfire, a trick he had learned from Lloyd over our early journey. He either didn't notice me or was ignoring me, still slightly embarrassed over last night; the light pink shade of his face testified to the latter. I decided to leave him alone until he was good and ready to talk. I went back inside to dress properly, awakening Raine once finished. By the time I had done so, the toast was ready and we sat down to a silent breakfast. Once we had finished, Genis took the dishes while Raine read.

I decided to take this free time to sharpen my axe, a habit I found relaxing. As I fell into the pattern of passing the stone across the blade, I found myself sinking into deep contemplation...

GENIS:

It was after breakfast, as Raine was reading, when I mustered up the courage to talk to Presea again. Once the dishes were done, I found her sitting on a log, sharpening her axe with the stone I gave her back at Flanoir.

"Umm... h-hi Presea. ...Mind if I sit with you?" I asked, somewhat shakily.

She nodded her assent, and I quickly sat down as she returned to her sharpening. She appeared to be deep in thought, so I decided to wait till she was done before talking to her. So, I sat there, waiting and watching her rhythmic sharpening motions for what seemed (to me at least,) like hours. The hypnotic, back-and-forth motions finally started to get to me; before I realized it, my head drooped until it came to rest comfortably on Presea's shoulder. She didn't reject my presence either; instead, she subconsciously shifted herself until I was resting pressed up next to her, curled around her motionless left arm as the right one continued sharpening.

Unfortunately, I was barely aware of this; the mesmerizing sharpening motions had pulled me as deep in thought as Presea was. I found myself wondering exactly what it was about this strange girl I found so entrancing; she was pretty, yes, but not overly attractive. She had a beauty that was entirely her own. But that wasn't just it. I realized that it was probably the fact that she knew what kind of life I had lived; she sympathized with me, which instinctually drew me closer like a moth to a flame. She, too, had been somewhat prejudiced against, although granted it was to a lesser degree than my kind. As her fellow townsfolk grew older, she had stayed young; more than that, she had become oddly vacant, placid, obeisant. As a result, the villagers tended to shy away from the enigmatic young girl, only coming near when it pertained to the sacred woodcutting. Over time, this shyness evolved into bigotry, even rejection. She had suffered greatly at the hands of these humans; even if she didn't realize it at the time, she had to have realized it now.

Humans... no wonder Mithos worked so hard to destroy them. If it weren't for people like Lloyd... and, Presea... I probably would have joined Mithos. It was because of them that Raine and I were constantly on the move when we first hit Sylvarant, always chased as they found out the truth and their hatred won out. But then again, if it weren't for Lloyd and the other humans, I wouldn't even be here, sitting on a log in a unified, peaceful world next to my one and only Presea.

Presea...

'I wonder, does she feel the same way about me? Does she know what she means to me? She's the only human left I can truly trust... It's true though. The others, though trustworthy, are now off on their own separate paths. Lloyd settled down with Colette in Iselia; I haven't heard from him in months. Zelos, well we just saw him 4 months ago! He was so wrapped up in his duties he barely had time to say hello; we did most of our conversing through notes and aides. I can't really place my trust in him. Sheena? We can't even find her! Her and that entire blasted village vanished off the face of Symphonia. Regal is always too busy running Lezareno, and Kratos is gone who-knows-where. I'm not even sure I would have trusted him had he stayed. Thank the Tree for Presea; she's the only human left I can really trust, with my mind, my heart, and even my life...' Subconsciously I snuggled closer to my Presea as I drifted off into sleep.

PRESEA:

As I finished my sharpening and came out of my reverie, the first thing I noticed was the loose body of Genis, face pressed into my shoulderstrap as he slept curled up against my arm. Blushing furiously, I searched my memory only to find that it was me who had shifted him into this position. As I tried gently shifting myself, his limp form slid forward until his head landed squarely in my lap.

'I am fairly certain that was not my goal,' I mentally admonished myself. Looking down, though, I couldn't help but notice his expression of absolute contentment as he rested against me. Absent-mindedly running my hand through the sleeping half-elf's hair I sank back into thought, this time about the one in my lap.

'Current situation aside, Genis has always been rather mature for someone his age. Aside from his above-average intelligence, there is something else; behind his blushes and stutters lies a fierce, burning pride, and a passion for his quest of half-elf acceptance. It's as though he has the soul of an adult trapped in the body of a child... much like myself.' I thought bitterly. One glance at the sleeping bundle of half-elf in my lap quickly banished the thought. 'It's interesting, how just being near him when he's not blushing and uncomfortable is enough to make me relax.'

'It's a shame he's asleep; he looked like he wanted to talk before, and I think I'm ready to talk as well. I guess it can wait till he wakes up...' Back to playing with his hair, it wasn't long until I joined him in peaceful slumber.

GENIS:

You know those first, blissful moments when you just wake up, and the full impact of all the day's trials hasn't hit you yet? I woke up in one of those moments, still contentedly recalling being with Presea. Then I opened my eyes, looked up, and had the truth hit me like a ton of bricks.

I... have been sleeping... in Presea's lap!

Gods, if there's a deeper shade of red than scarlet, I was it. I swear I blushed purple as I realized where I was. Thank the Tree she was still asleep, or I think I'd have died. I tried to slooowly, gently, lift my head without waking her up, when I made another discovery.

Her hand is tangled in my hair!

Oh Gods. Forget blushing; I nearly passed out. After a few seconds of embarrassment, I realized two things. One: Presea had obviously put me in this position, the realization of which sparked a bout of warm fuzzies. Two: there was no way I was getting out of this one without waking her up. "...presea?..." I managed to squeak out at the volume of a dying mouse. Of course, she didn't hear me; she slept on, unaware of the round of love-struck torture she was putting me through. I tried once more to lift my head, hoping her hand would slide out; Presea, however, had other plans.

Presea mumbled in her sleep and pulled me closer, until she was snuggling me like a teddy bear for comfort. Images of a Genis plushie being squeezed in half streamed unbidden to my mind. Luckily for me (or unlucky as the case may be), her sleepshifting did the one thing I hadn't expected; part of the log's bark slipped off, and we went tumbling over the back of the log. As the gods of irony had deemed it, Presea landed on top of me, with our faces pressed together.

Her eyes fluttered open to meet with my wide blue ones. With a muffled squeak she practically jumped off of me, allowing me to get to a seated position. "...Genis? What just happened..." she managed to get out.

"I-I don't know... It was k-kind of a surprise to me too; I mean, I woke up with my head in your lap and your hand in my hair! You s-started snuggling me like an oversized plushie, we f-fell off the log, and t-that's when you woke up." I was able to stutter.

Presea's blush was easily a match for my own. "Y-you, you're not... hurt, are you?"

"N-no! No! I'm fine! Really!" I said, a little too quickly. "...are you okay?"

She quickly checked herself over, then replied in a slightly calmer voice, "I am unharmed. We should commence striking camp, if we wish to reach Meltokio in time."

"Oh! Right! Ok..."

PRESEA:

As Genis bolted off to wake Raine, I began disassembling the tent. He soon returned to help pack everything away, and we set off within the hour. As we walked, I noticed Genis straying behind us, still a light shade of pink. I slowed slightly, until I was walking next to the little half-elf.

"...Genis? Are you all right? You do not seem yourself as of late..."

"Me? I'm fine! Really! I was just... thinking..." He blushed slightly and turned away.

"About what?" I responded.

"About, well... earlier..." He trailed off, blushing deeper.

"I see. ...Genis, your predicament was entirely my fault. Although you did fall asleep on my shoulder, I accidentally slid you into my lap. I also have an old habit of sleeping with a stuffed animal for... comfort... during nightmares; I confess I was having one earlier, and probably used you as my... well... teddy bear..." I blushed slightly before continuing. "I apologize if I put you in an awkward position. That was not my intent."

"...awkward isn't the right word for it." he chuckled lightly. I smiled in return, recalling our positions as I awoke. Truth be told, I was glad Genis was not angry at me for... using him... in that way. 'He was rather comfortable, in more ways than one,' I thought, recalling the softness of his hair and how light he was. The thought brought with it a blush and a giggle.

Genis looked over, confused. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Do not worry about it."

RAINE:

We soon reached the gates of Meltokio. I looked back to find Genis and Presea, chatting amiably. I smiled at this, recalling how both of them had lived such isolated lives; it was good that Genis had a friend he could rely on, after the whole Mithos incident. Presea could certainly use a companion herself, after being alone for so much of her life. I was glad that I could trust Presea; the little axemaiden had always been true to her word, and showed a certain... fondness... for Genis that I found admirable. If it had been someone else, I might not have been so approving of their relationship, out of a sense of protectiveness; Presea was not only trustworthy, but certainly willing and able to protect him. Looking back again, I suddenly recalled their adorable little episode from earlier.

I remember looking up from my book earlier to find Genis asleep against Presea's shoulder; it was so cute I could barely contain myself. 'I'm glad Genis has a companion he likes, and so clearly likes him back. He deserves it after all he's been through.' Then later seeing the two of them fall off the log together, and their awkward positioning and reactions; I had to bury myself deep in my blanket to hide that I was shaking with silent mirth. I remember how hard it was to keep a straight face when Genis came over and asked for my help in taking down camp. Feigning ignorance, I rose and began packing the kitchen supplies...

I mentally shook myself out of my reverie. 'Now is not the time to reminisce. We have work to do.' Gathering Genis and Presea, we headed off towards Zelos' mansion, where we were greeted by his mysterious butler, Sebastian.

"Good evening, madam Raine. You are here to see Zelos about your half-elf campaign, yes?" He intoned gravely.

"Um, yes, if he's free we'd like to talk to him about gaining an audience with the king." I replied, slightly surprised that he knew our goal before we'd even said hello.

"Ah yes, master Zelos has been expecting you. He told me to pass along this note, since he will be busy for much of today." The butler produced a note out of thin air, and handed it to me. Genis, Presea and I made our way to the nearby park bench and opened the note.

My dear Ultra-Cool Beauty, little Rosebud, ...and the brat:

As Sebastian probably told you, I'm gonna be busy for most of today. (So sorry my Ultra-Cool Beauty! 3) Anyway, since I got back from Derris-Kharlan I've been working with the king to get rid of all the horrible things the Pope's done. One of them, lucky for you, was the half-elf legislation. Since the topic came up, I talked with the king already, and we got rid of (under my leadership, of course,) the majority of the anti-half-elf laws in Meltokio and Sybak. Most of the people around here have even begun dropping their prejudices against the half-elves. It's still not perfect, but hey! It's a start.

Since your work is just about done here for you, I'd like to ask if you'd like to meet tomorrow morning around 8-ish for breakfast, and to discuss where you're going next. According to my sources in the ZHA ("The Zelos Hunny Association," Genis said with a snigger, earning him a sound cuffing), you're probably headed for New Mizuho. And, according to said sources, you have no clue as to where it is. Lucky for you (So lucky today! 3) I've been keeping tabs on the village, in the hopes of getting to talk with my voluptuous Chief Hunny! I'd be glad to tell you where the village is, in exchange for a favor...

Yours truly,

Zelos Wilder, former Chosen of Mana

I crumpled the note into my pocket, wondering what "a favor" was going to be. 'Knowing Zelos, it's probably a date or something equally horrible.' I thought in disgust. 'Oh well, beggars can't be choosers.' We headed off to the nearby hotel, to book us a room for the night. Zelos had been true to his word; the staff were kind and respectful to us, despite most of us being half-elves, and gave us a quality room that had already been cleaned and pressed.

Compared to the service in most other towns we'd come across, our room was luxurious to the point of poshness. Genis quickly claimed a bed, and flopped himself down with an expression of bliss on his face. I had begun setting up our belongings for our stay when I was interrupted by Presea. "Um, Ms. Raine..."

There were only two beds.

Unfortunately, the staff told us that this was the biggest room available, and not many who stayed had parties of 3 or more without taking a second room. Since we could not afford a second room, we had to make do with what we had. After a short bout of debate with Genis, it was determined that Presea and I would each take a bed, with Genis taking a couch.

"But why do I get the couch?" Genis whined.

"Because if you don't, Presea will have to. Do you really want Presea to have to sleep on the couch?"

"I can take the couch, Genis. You may have my bed." Presea piped up.

"N-No! NO! I'll take the couch! You get the bed, Presea. I don't need a bed." Genis quickly responded, a light blush crossing his features. Presea merely shrugged and began setting up her bed.

After a light sandwich for dinner, we headed to bed.

GENIS:

Man was it cold. I shivered and pulled the thin blanket I had tighter around myself. 'Can't believe this damn hotel doesn't even have a fireplace!' I thought darkly. I guess most people usually slept in the beds; that explained the 73 1⁄2 blankets on each one. I shivered again, my teeth chattering. It was so cold I wasn't even tired anymore. I bolted upright upon hearing a rustling sound; worried, I scanned the room for its source. My gaze fell upon Presea rolling restlessly in her bed, moaning softly. Concerned, I padded softly over to her bedside.

She was clearly having a nightmare. Her body was twisting and turning violently back and forth, and she was mumbling and moaning in her sleep. I couldn't bear to see her suffer like this; I shook her gently to wake her up.

"Presea! Wake up!" I told her in a hushed voice.

Her eyes fluttered open; she gasped and quickly looked back and forth over the room as if being hunted.

"It's okay, Presea. It was only a dream."

"Oh Genis..." She grabbed me in a desperate hug, squeezing me close. Not sure what else to do, I gently rubbed her back as she cried into my shoulder. "It was horrible! I almost lost you..." she sobbed.

"Shh... It's okay. I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere." I said soothingly.

She released me to dry her eyes, and managed to regain some of her usual controlled manner. "...I think I am alright now. Thank you, Genis."

"Don't worry about it. You should probably go back to sleep."

She looked slightly troubled at the idea of sleeping again, but laid back down and closed her eyes. I was stopped halfway to the couch by her imploring voice.

"Genis? Could you come here for a moment?" She called out softly.

I padded back over to her side. "What is it?"

"Umm... this is somewhat of a selfish request, but would you mind sharing the bed with me? I do not want to be alone again," she whispered, her voice tinged with fear. Honestly, her request was more embarrassing than selfish, but I couldn't stand the thought of my Presea suffering again. Hesitantly, I climbed in bed with her.

"Thank you, Genis. Good night." She gave me a soft hug, and almost immediately fell asleep again.

At least I wasn't cold anymore; Presea took care of that with her body heat. And the bed was certainly more comfortable than the couch. It was just the thought of sleeping, with Presea, that kept me awake for a while longer. At last, exhaustion claimed me and I drifted off into dreamless slumber.

PRESEA:

As usual, my biological clock woke me up precisely at dawn. After the nightmare had passed, I had had a wonderfully peaceful sleep. I opened my eyes to find that my body had not been as calm, or as still, as my dreams; instead, I had wrapped myself around Genis in my sleep, whose arms were draped lightly about me. 'Oh not again!' I thought, blushing deeply. Carefully untangling myself from Genis, I came to the realization that, 'If Raine finds him here, there will be trouble. I do not want Genis in trouble for my own insecurities.' I gently lifted the half-elf and carried him over to the couch. He moaned softly when I let him go, causing another blush on my part. With Genis securely on the couch again, I headed into the bathroom for a quick shower before Raine woke up.

RAINE:

I awoke to the sounds of a shower running. Checking to see that Genis was okay, I searched the room for any sort of dangerous foreign objects. That done, I knocked on the bathroom door to confirm that it was indeed Presea in there. My nervous habits sated, I sat down on the couch next to Genis, gently rousing him from slumber.

He looked about disorientedly for a moment, as if expecting to be somewhere else; the moment passed, and he rose to his feet to help me pack. When Presea got out she helped Genis pack while I took a shower, the warm water lifting my various pathos's away. After a relaxing shower, I got out and allowed Genis (forced, really) to take a shower of his own. Once we were cleaned, dressed and packed, we checked out of the hotel and moved to Zelos' mansion for our meeting.

We were greeted at the door by Sebastian again, who quickly ushered us inside. After leaving our belongings at the door, we were shown to Zelos' expansive dining room, where it was only a short wait until the ex-Chosen arrived.

"Good morning, my Ultra-Cool Beauty! My little Rosebud!" He called out cheerily. "...Oh, hi brat." He added after a while. He quickly seated himself at the head of the table, close enough that he could talk to us all.

"So, was I right? You are headed to New Mizuho, right? Huh? Huh?" Zelos asked, a chuckle in his voice.

"Yes, Zelos, we are headed for New Mizuho..." I responded with a sigh.

"Yes! Then my plan can work! All right, I'll make you a deal. If I tell you where New Mizuho is, will you..."

'Here it comes...' I thought bitterly. 'Martel, go easy on me!'

"...deliver this letter to Sheena?" Zelos finished, producing said letter with a flourish.

My jaw almost dropped, I was so shocked. I was expecting a kiss, a date, or something equally ridiculous from the perverted ex-Chosen as a favor; delivering a letter!

"...Sure, I suppose..." I took the letter, still eyeing the Chosen with distrust. "What's the catch?"

ZELOS:

'If all goes well, Sheena will be my catch...' I thought mischievously. Out loud I replied, "Oh, no catch. I just need someone to deliver the letter for me, and since Sheena probably doesn't want anyone else knowing where the village is, you three are the only ones I can send. I'd go myself, but I've been kinda busy with my new job as advisor to the king. Anyway, the village is now located in the Linkite Tree Valley. I'll loan you some Rheiards, since you don't seem to have yours. ...After breakfast, that is!" On cue, my servants streamed in, carrying a breakfast fit for the King. 'If there's one thing I've learned, it's that food will smooth over any negotiations.' We began eating, Genis looking like he hadn't eaten in days. My little Rosebud ate in measured, controlled bites; Raine, eyeing the food distrustfully, barely touched her plate. 'You'd think I'd drugged the food or something! Such a waste... Ah well.' I began digging in myself, relishing the giant waffle adorned with various exotic fruits, a dish I had ordered by special request. 'Remind me to thank Serlucci; I never knew he could cook so well!' I thought with delight as I savored my first bite.

After breakfast, I escorted them to the hangar out back. "Ooh... oops. This is gonna be a difficulty. It looks like my newest Rheiard hasn't arrived yet!" There were only three Rheiards; an ornately decorated red one with light pink swirls, my own personal model; a deep royal blue one, a gift from the King; and a light orange one, the one I had learned to fly on. "I can loan you the blue and orange ones, but I'm afraid I'm gonna need the red one; I have a meeting in Sybak I need to attend, and the Rheiards are the fastest form of transport."

RAINE:

"I suppose we can make do with only two. Thank you for the loan. When do you want them back?" I asked.

"Oh, whenever. I don't really need those, just one for myself. Sebastian never leaves, and all my stuff comes in by EC, so those are just extras. Just bring them back when you're done with them." He left, back to whatever-it-was he did during the day. After some deliberation, it was decided that Genis and Presea, weighing the least, would take the blue Rheiard, while I would take the orange one. Genis looked positively delighted at spending more time with Presea; Presea, too, looked pleased at the company.

We set off immediately for the Triet Desert, where we were able to spot the Linkite Tree from the air. The tree had grown larger in the past few months; what once was a wispy, willowy thing was now a giant, pale green tree whose loose branches swept at the ground in the breeze. The purple Linkite nuts jangled like wind chimes as the Rheiards landed; of course, we were immediately beset by ninjas.

"Stand down!" A familiar voice called out. The group of ninjas parted to reveal Sheena, dressed in a light red robe, the robe of the Chieftain. The ninjas dispersed, leaving her to talk with us. We bowed, showing respect before our friend-turned-Chief.

"Oh stop that. You know how much I hate formalities." she snapped, clearly troubled at the idea of her friends bowing before her. "Well, come on in! You have to tell me about your journey. How is it going?" she inquired as she led us towards her house in the center of town.

After brief tales were exchanged, I remembered the letter in my pocket. "Oh, here. Zelos had us bring this letter to you, as price for telling us where the village is." I drew it out and handed it to her. She tore the letter open and quickly scanned the writing; upon reaching the bottom, her visage softened. She almost looked wistful as she mumbled, "...stupid Chosen..." Suddenly remembering she had guests, her gaze shot back up from the letter. "So what brings you to Mizuho, besides the Chosen's errand?" Sheena inquired as she pocketed the letter.

"We came to see if we could convince you to abolish your half-elf legislation." I replied.

Sheena looked embarrassed as she responded, "...well I'm sorry to disappoint you guys, but Mizuho never had any anti-half-elf legislation. Ever since the King dubbed us traitors, we've simply not allowed anyone in who wasn't here already. We aren't prejudiced against half-elves; in fact, my personal bodyguard is one. Aramil!" She called out.

A lithe, shadowy half-elf seemed to step right out of the wall behind me, making me jump three feet in the air. The half-elf, if it was a half-elf, had pointed ears, midnight black skin and hair, and piercing blue eyes. "Yes, master Sheena?" he intoned in a sibilant voice.

"Nothing, Aramil. Please return to your post." Sheena commanded. The half-elf ducked his head once in respect, and sank back into the shadows. Within moments he was completely gone.

"...how on Symphonia does he do that?" Genis inquired in a shaky voice.

"We're not exactly sure. We think it's some form of magic he was born with. We've asked him, but his responses are usually too cryptic to know for sure. He's always been true to his word, though, so we asked him to be my bodyguard." Sheena responded.

"...So you really don't have any anti-half-elf legislation or prejudices," I said in a disbelieving voice. Sheena shook her head.

"We have all the lawcodes right here in these scrolls; check them if you want." she said, handing me a roll of seven golden-edged scrolls.

"No, I believe you. It's just that, out of all the villages we've covered so far, not a single one has been able to say what you just said."

"What?"

"That we aren't prejudiced against half-elves," I responded wistfully.

Sheena looked troubled at my statement. "I'm sorry that's the case. If it were me, I'd do something; sadly, Mizuho has very little influence in the outside world."

"It's not your fault. Don't trouble yourself over it." I responded, still thinking about the enormity of her statement. ' "We aren't prejudiced against half-elves." Is it really true? It seems that way...'

Sheena startled me out of my thoughts with a hand on my shoulder. "It's probably been a long journey. Our guest rooms aren't as stately as Zelos', but they're yours if you want them." she said, gesturing out the window to a larger building, presumably the guest house.

"...Thanks, Sheena. If you don't mind, we'll take you up on that offer."

PRESEA:

On our way out, I saw Genis touch the back wall where Aramil had vanished; feeling only cold wood, he shook his head in amazement and followed us outside. We retired to the guest house, as it was already sunset. Luckily, this one had four beds; the last one was covered in our belongings, while each of us claimed a bed for ourselves. We were not destined to get much sleep, though...

A loud explosion followed by people shouting awakened me from my slumber. Quickly slipping into my usual outfit, I awoke Genis while Raine grabbed her staff. Moments later we were out the door. What we saw was horrifying.

A giant orange, four-legged reptilian creature with glowing red eyes was attacking a house with its thick, spiked tail. After a few swings, it grew tired of this and breathed on the wall; the entire building burst into flame, exploding with titanic force moments later. "Salamander. Fire elemental; weak to water and ice. Renowned for its pyrotechnic skills against wood and vegetative substances. Probability of our success in 3-on-1 combat: 38 percent." I intoned in a monotone voice, sinking back into old habits.

We saw a large group of ninja start an attack on the creature; shuriken, darts, and familiar-looking cards went cascading around the beast, most simply sticking to its tough skin. Only a few were able to break its thick, armor-like hide. The creature laughed, a hideous, rasping noise, and attacked with its long tail sending ninjas flying everywhere. A group with katanas were only mildly more successful, managing to leave a couple of long gashes before they, too, were knocked flying by its powerful tail swipes. The creature laughed again, and turned back to the burning building. It scooped up some of the ashes in its mouth, and began its slow march back to the woods.

Too late to attack the beast, we dashed to the battlefield to try and help those that were wounded. As Raine began casting her large-area healer spells, Genis and I stopped by Sheena to see if she was alright.

She was badly hurt, but Raine's Revitalize spells seemed to be working. Soon she was able to sit upright without our assistance. "...Where is it?" she asked in a breathless voice.

"It's gone." Genis replied. "It left the village and headed for the southern forest."

"We have to go after it—" Sheena started to get up, but a burst of pain forced her back to the ground. "There's no way out of this valley. If it isn't destroyed, it'll come back and cause more destruction."

"We'll go." Genis said, turning to me. I nodded my assent, and he turned back to Sheena. "With Raine to heal us, and my water magic, we can take care of it."

"Be careful. I'll never forgive myself if you get killed because of my weakness." Sheena wished us good luck, pain still evident in her ragged breathing and dilated pupils. Genis and I went over to Raine, and explained what we had to do. She did not look happy about it, but agreed that the creature could not be allowed to return with the people in this shape. Leaving the healing in the capable hands of the ninjitsu-medics, we set off towards the forest.

It was not hard to track the beast; its footprints left blasted, charred scars in the ground and underbrush. Every plant it touched became blackened, as if it had burned for days yet never set fire to anything else. Whole trees had exploded, with long splinters of wood embedded in the surrounding wildlife. We followed its path of destruction to a clearing with a giant pile of ashes and burnt logs in the center. Seated atop it, like a reptilian king on its throne, sat the Salamander. Its red eyes flicked brighter with delight as it jumped from its throne to land with a massive, earthshaking THUD right in front of us.

I took up the melee front, while Genis concentrated on peppering it with water attacks. "Drown! Spread!" he called out; a circle of mana energy surrounded the beast, and water shot from a nonexistent spout in the ground beneath it. It was thrown into the air, to land heavily on its side a few meters away. I dashed forward, taking advantage of its momentary weakness to score several hits down the creature's side. As it rose to its feet I backed off, realizing what Genis was going to do next.

"Ice Tornado!" The beast was pulled straight up, its body beaten savagely by large, sharp stones of ice as it was thrown about by the winds. As it landed, I saw the ground beneath the beast begin to glow a bright white.

"Holy Lance!" Raine called; giant swords of pure energy slashed through the beast's hide, scoring massive damage. I charged forward, readying my strength for my final swing.

"BEAST!" I called, swinging my axe. The blade cleaved its head from its long neck; the blast of energy sent it flying into a tree, where it ricocheted and hit Raine, knocking her over, presumably unconscious. Immediately I realized my mistake: I was far too close to the Salamander. Flailing about in its death throes, I saw its spiked tail come right at me. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the end...

...and was pushed aside as a gray-and-blue blur took the attack meant for me.

'No. Oh GODS no.'

"GENIS!"

His limp form went flying into a nearby tree, which bent slightly before throwing him roughly to the ground. I ran over to him, stopping and falling to my knees in front of him. With Raine out cold, I would have to administer first aid if he was to live. I unbuttoned the remaining buttons on his shirt, and beheld with revulsion the extent of the damage. His little body had been rent by half-a-dozen deep gashes from the beast's tail; I cracked open a gel and began desperately smearing it into the most serious wounds. "Genis, please, hang in there!" I begged, tears streaming down my face. "You can't leave me! Without you, I'm... all alone again..."

I was interrupted from my ministrations by a hand on my shoulder. Looking up, I saw Raine standing over me, a nasty bruise covering most of her arm. The sleeve had been singed off by the beast's scorching-hot hide. I nodded, my eyes still streaming, and rose to give her room. And so I stood there, useless, as I watched Raine struggle to save the life of the only person I had left. I realized bitterly that I had never felt so helpless in my entire life...

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BEWHAHAHAHAHA! EVIL CLIFFHANGER! FEAR THE CLIFFHANGER! Since I made this chapter so god-forsaken long, (It took me 2 hours every night till now, and my entire snow day on Friday, just to write this thing! I hope you're happy!) I figured I'd take my revenge on you by leaving you hanging in such a cruel way. Don't worry, this isn't for too long, just until next Friday at the latest. I'll update soon.

ß®££§¥: You're going to need a Muse of Life-Giving; the readers are going to flay you alive, you realize that? If you die, I go down too! You'd better update soon!

Okay, okay, relax. I'll definitely have it up by next Friday, possibly sooner based on how many reviews I get.

¿ObviousMan?