I'm baaack! Whoa! *ducks a tomato*

Jr.: What the hell do you think you're doing, just coming back in like this after almost a year of not writing?! And only one chapter? Come on!

Hallie: Hehe… yeah sorry about that… Real life got in the way. It happens, you know. Well, now that you've forgiven me, would you care to do the honors, Jr?

Jr.: Like hell I forgive you! But whatever. Disclaimer goes like this: Hallie owns nothing. If she owned Xenosaga it wouldn't even have made it to Episode III taking into account her great fear of finishing projects. *dodges a mallet* Yikes, well I'm outta here!

Chapter 2: Loss

It couldn't have been more than a few hours later after he had finally fallen asleep. The only thing that Jr. knew for certain was that he had just been rudely awakened by a violent shuddering throughout the Elsa. His first instinct was to cling to the side of his bed, preventing himself from being propelled into the walls of the cabin. After he was able to clear his mind from the hazy fog of a dream he couldn't quite remember, he got up and dressed, quickly throwing on a shirt, some pants and his duster. Then he headed for the bridge. Once inside, he hollered out, "What the hell, Tony?! Some of us are trying to sleep, you know!"

He vaguely noticed Shion had entered in after him, Allen beside her. "Is everything all right? What's happened?" She yawned tiredly, wiping her eyes.

"Little Master! We hit something huge! It just appeared out of nowhere! It's a big sort of asteroid or something. The sensors are scrambled, and the engine's fried, though," Hammer said, adjusting his glasses and leaning into the screen. "Before we attempt flight again we're going to have a lot of repair work cut out for us. But look! There appears to be life sustained outside. There is vegetation growing here. So maybe we can get outside to repair it." He paused and took another long look at the monitor. "Think it could be another part of a land mass left behind by Lost Jerusalem?"

"That's way too easy," Tony argued. "Then this would already be the end of our journey. We've only been gone for two months!"

"Just because we find this doesn't mean we're home free," Hammer argued right back. "All I'm saying is that this could be a piece of it left behind. I know it's long gone now."

"Well there's only one way to find out, guys," Jr. cut in. "Let's get on out there and check it out." He pulled one of his handguns out for a quick inspection. Satisfied, he put it back in its place. "Let's move out!"

Allen moved in front of the door, blocking Jr.'s way. "Wait a minute, Jr! We don't know what's out there. I think it would be wise to stay in here and plan a move other than recklessly running out there into who knows what!"

A death glare from Jr. prevented Allen from saying any more. Who was he to give orders to Jr? It was almost as if he was secretly gloating to Jr. It was bad enough that Shion stayed by his side, even though he was a complete wuss. But now he thought he could compare to Jr. enough to give him orders? Jr. was going to put a stop to that right now. "Get the hell out of my way, Allen! This isn't even your ship."

"No, it's not. It's mine," Captain Matthews said, breaking the two up. "And I happen to think it's better to listen to Allen on this one, Little Master."

"Damn it all, if you follow everything Allen says, nothing's ever gonna get done! He's too scared of his own shadow to even make a move to find out what the hell slammed into us!" Jr. growled.

"Little Master, please," Shelley was the one who spoke up in Allen's defense. "Do not speak ill of others this way. We are all in this situation together. I believe that Allen's suggestion on the course of action we should take is in the best interest of everyone on this ship, as well. We must think rationally, and not rush into potential dangers without thinking through all of the possibilities."

At this Jr. pushed past Allen. "All right. Fine. Let me know when all of you are ready to find and fix the problems, instead of hiding in here like cowards and waiting for them to fix themselves. Because," his sharp blue eyes narrowed at the group, "I promise they won't."

Everyone watched him leave. After a moment's silence, Shion spoke up. "I'll go get him. Maybe you guys can figure out a plan. When we get back, we'll all be ready to do something, I hope. Right?"

"We'll do our best, Shion!" Mary assured, waving Shion off the bridge. When Allen moved to follow Shion, Mary grabbed him. "Ah, no ya don't! You gotta stay here with us and figure somethin' out! Leave Little Master to Shion. She seems to understand him, after all. They're a lot alike!"

"But…" Allen began to protest.

"After all, it seems to me that Little Master seems to be a bit ticked off at ya for some reason or another, so going with Shion would only bug him more. And that would get us nowhere with 'im," Mary continued her reasoning. "And… Don't forget! You came up with this plan in the first place. You're the leader this time, big boy," she finished, teasing.

"That is quite enough, Mary," Shelley said softly. "After all, we have much to discuss, haven't we?"

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Shion didn't have to look too hard to find Jr. He was sitting in the men's cabin, seated on his bed leaning against the wall, reading a book. The Red Badge of Courage was printed on the cover. Shion herself had heard of that book, but had never bothered to read it herself. Of course she knew Jr. took an interest in those types of things. "Hey," she started softly. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," he said coolly, not bothering to look up from his book.

"Look, I understand your worry," she started. "We all are just trying to do what we think is best, and-"

"So, here to defend Allen, too?" His intense blue eyes fixed on to her.

Those eyes, she thought, squirming under them. Shion found it hard to speak her next sentence underneath his piercing gaze. "I… I never said that," she stuttered. "I meant that I understand how you feel. I-I'm nervous about this situation, too. I want to just leap out and take action myself. Even running out and getting myself killed is starting to sound better than waiting here for something to happen. We can't go anywhere with the ship in this condition, and with that dream…"

Jr. leapt to his feet. "Nothing's gonna happen to you, Shion! Not anybody! I won't let it!"

"J-Jr?" Shion stammered, feeling mildly uncomfortable with the suppressed angry aura spilling from him, threatening to pour out. Matching his gaze with her own, she calmed a bit. "I see now. You're afraid, too."

Looking away, Jr. fell back onto the bed. "Well, yeah," he confessed. "I guess you could say that when it happens, I just… get angry. Like I want to go out and kill the threat right then and there. I don't like waiting around, feeling like a coward. I want to take care of the problem right away." He chuckled. "Why the hell I'm saying this to you of all people I don't even know myself."

"Maybe because of what I said to you last night?" Shion supplied. "Maybe it bothered you, too. And I'm sorry if it did."

Finally regaining a bit of his composure, Jr. stood once again and attempted a weak grin for her. "Nah, don't worry about it, Shion. It wasn't you." Like hell it wasn't, he thought in the back of his mind. It wasn't her fault or anything she did. It was just her very presence that bothered him. It was almost like his feelings toward Sakura. He knew he had lost his first love and would never have her, and it was the same for Shion. Or maybe it was worse with Shion, because he was forced to watch as the woman he wanted was growing closer to another man. And there wasn't a thing he could do about it. Not one thing.

Shion herself sighed. The tension in the room seemed to be getting thicker. She thought that she would be able to help Jr. just the way he'd helped her, but maybe that wasn't the case. For some strange reason, seeing him so unhappy caused her to feel uneasy. She couldn't explain it. She cared for him. He was one of her closest friends, after all, and to be truthfully honest, she always felt safer with him around. No offense to Allen, of course. She knew Allen would do what he could to protect her, but Jr. was a bit better in the combat department. "Well, I guess I'll be going back. They're going to be deciding on a plan of action, so we should be up there." She turned to leave.

"Shion."

Turning to him at the call of her name, she was met with a genuine smile, which strangely caused a blush to grace her cheeks prettily. "Y-yes?"

At this, his smile deepened. "Thanks."

"Sure," she said, turning quickly on her heel and hurrying out of the room. What in the world is the matter with me?! She found herself half-asking, half-demanding. Once she reached the bridge, she took a deep breath, hoping that her face wasn't red anymore. The door slid open and she found everyone seated. "What did I miss?"

"We have an idea. One that Little Master would approve of," Shelley answered with a smile.

The Professor, who must have joined the conversation after Shion had left, had a gleam in his eye and took over for Shelley. "It's my golden opportunity to test out my new prototype robotic suit. It's a combat suit designed for people out in space. It should enhance everyone's abilities by ten times at least! I've decided to temporarily name it the Ultra-Tech Arm. We'll see how it lasts. It was actually Assistant #2's idea to test it. Since we only have two suits made, only two can wear it, naturally. We still have the A.G.W.S. which I have taken the liberty of tuning up, myself. So we can send some out in those, while the last two test out the U.T.A. for me."

Allen spoke up. "Since it was my idea, I'll test out the first suit. Anyway, I assisted the Professor in its creation."

"I also assisted them in building it, and I know how it works every bit as much as Allen on how it works, so I will be the second person," Shelley added. "It would only be a waste of time to try and explain the controls to someone on a prototype, so we decided that only those familiar with the U.T.A.'s should test drive them."

Her sister nodded in agreement. "So that leaves me, Shion and Little Master piloting the A.G.W.S. The rest of the crew's hangin' back to fix the Elsa. How's that sound?"

"Good." Jr. spoke up from behind Shion, startling her. "Then let's get the hell outta here!"

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It took only an hour to prepare to leave. They wanted to prep the equipment and make sure there were no noticeable malfunctions before they left. But soon, Allen, Shion, Jr., Shelley and Mary were out exploring the strange mass of land. It was definitely smaller than the last land mass, being maybe half the size. It held a small field where the Elsa had crashed, and then a forest.

Something's wrong, Shion thought uneasily. It felt as though something was calling to her from the other side of that forest. "I think… we should go explore beyond that wooded area," she said softly.

"Something the matter, Shion?" Jr. asked, unconsciously stepping closer to her A.G.W.S. unit with his own in a protective fashion. He seemed to pick up on her nervousness right away.

"Um, no, not really," she lied. "I just think it's a good idea to check the entire parameter, right?"

"I think Shion's right," Mary chimed in. "It seems like a smart way to go about things. Think we should split?"

"No," Jr. said, still sensing Shion's fear. "I don't think it's a good idea at this point. Besides, with those crazy untested gadgets the Professor built, I'm not sure if they'll hold up as good as our A.G.W.S. if we run into some kind of trouble."

Allen nodded. "It's safer to stick together."

Not much was said in the few minutes it took to reach that wooded area. Everyone seemed lost in his or her own thoughts. Allen took this time to test out the speeds on his U.T.A. unit, while Shelley and Mary exchanged a few words about the amazing views of the area. Shion was fighting the growing dread, especially since this area looked familiar somehow…

This place… I know it. But where…? Her eyes widened. My dream! Jin, he was standing in the clearing. He kept warning me that I would lose something. Is this what he was warning me about? But… but why?

Jr. stayed silent, definitely in tune with Shion's emotions. He could feel the fear rising within her, and had to fight to keep his own emotions in check. He didn't want to lose his composure. If he did, he knew he would make the same mistake as he had before, those first times with MOMO. Both times he had almost lost her because he had allowed his anger to get the better of him. Ziggy had been right about making rational decisions, and he realized that now more than ever. So whatever was bothering Shion, Jr. couldn't allow himself to get worked up over it.

They stopped at the clearing. "Hey, everyone! I see something!" Mary exclaimed, pointing to a small marble monument. Just then, a bright light flashed from the stone.

A sudden sharp pain in the temple made Shion cry out. "Sh-Shion?!" Allen stammered.

"Something… is here…" Shion managed. She took a step toward the stone and scanned it.

"You okay, Shion?" Jr. asked. He remembered what Kevin had said about U-DO affecting Shion, and in that instant he definitely felt its presence.

"Y-yeah," she replied. "I just scanned this thing. I think we should leave now."

The glow from the stone intensified. "I think that Shion is right," Shelley agreed. "It would not be wise to stay."

They wasted no time in turning heels and rushing back. Unfortunately, a shockwave emanating from the stone passed through, and the ground began to shake. "Let's pick up the pace, guys!" Jr. shouted. "Let's also hope those guys fixed the Elsa by now, or we're all goners!"

Another sharp pain struck Shion and she stopped in her tracks. "Ugh… Not this again…" She whispered.

"Watch out!" Jr.'s A.G.W.S. shot a missile, blowing apart a heavy chunk of debris that had almost fallen on top of Shion.

Another shockwave struck and Allen cried out, "Hey, I've lost control of the U.T.A.! Shelley!?"

"I… I cannot seem to get my unit to respond, either," she would have sounded calm to anyone else who didn't know her, but Jr. could tell she was terrified.

"Hang on, you two!" Jr. shouted. "Mary, take Shion and get to the Elsa!"

"No! We're all going together!" Shion argued. "Allen, Shelley…!" She made a move to grab onto Allen's mech arm, but cried out in pain as yet another wave of light flashed from the forest, engulfing Allen and Shelley right in front of her.

All Jr. could do was grab onto the stunned Shion and pull her A.G.W.S. away from the seemingly dangerous light. He covered both Shion and Mary until the shaking stopped. When it was over he dared to look up. The light was gone, along with the forest, replaced by darkness and empty space. Allen and Shelley were also gone. "Damn it…" Jr. cursed, trying to make sense of it.

All was silent now, save Mary's soft weeping for her sister. "Wh-what happened…?" She whimpered.

"Mary, are you okay?" Jr. asked shakily. He heard a faint reply and turned his attention to Shion. "How about you?"

"That… was the power of U-DO… right?" She asked weakly. "I… don't feel so well… And Allen and Shelley are…"

"Don't worry about it," Jr. cut her off. "Save your strength. Mary, take Shion back to the Elsa. I'm gonna stay and look for Allen and Shelley." He felt the pressing need to get Shion out of there. If Shion was admitting that she was feeling ill, he supposed she was in a rather serious condition.

Mary, too much in shock over what just happened, obeyed in a silent stupor. She guided Shion back in stunned silence to the Elsa.

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After hours of tireless searching, Jr. found nothing. He could feel the presence of U-DO everywhere, which worried him. "I thought U-DO wanted us to succeed. Just what the hell is going on?" He kept asking himself.

A transmission from the Elsa interrupted his thoughts. "Little Master, we're picking up major dimensional disturbances in the direct vicinity. We need to get out of here, and fast!" Hammer's panicked voice rang through.

"But what about the others?" Jr. demanded.

"Not a trace, yet, but if we disappear, too, we won't be able to do much to find them," he pointed out.

Jr. reluctantly returned to the Elsa and watched through the lounge window as the small land mass became smaller and smaller, then disappeared in an explosion of light. "Damn it…"

"Little Master? The Professor sent me to get you," the Professor's assistant said. "It's about Shion."

"Shion?!" Jr. whirled around, blue eyes stormy. "What about her?"

"Come with me."

Author's note: Wow! After almost a year, I have finally come up with the second chapter. I am so sorry for disappearing off the face of the earth, to everyone who started this story. But for your relief, I finally think I may have a good idea in my head. I have been struck by the wonderful light of inspiration.

I have had a truly trying year, from huge life altering problems, to hectic schedules. But maybe in the end that is what gave me the inspiration to write. I have always seemed to be hit with inspiration when terribly stressed. As a result, unfortunately, it seems this story may lean toward the angst category, and I must apologize for that. But what's important to me is that I will do my absolute best in finishing this story. I hope that you all will enjoy this, as it came from my stressed and depressed mind. Please feel free to review and let me know. Please, though, be gentle! Thank you and I assure you that I am already hard at work on the next chapter!

– Sincerely, Hallie (Atoli)