Here is the second chapter! Thank you for your review, I'm so happy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World

The anger, still boiling on all of Emil's burners, woke him up. Under the anger, there was a sharp pain in the back of his neck. It cut through the anger with every insistent throb, making it dull in comparison. Emil cursed and sat up, gently rubbing the back of his neck. His cursing amplified as he scratched over a deep scratch. He retrieved his hand and examined the thick, evil red liquid on his hand. It gently seeped over four of his fingers, then dripped onto the scratchy cot beneath him.

By then he had the sense to look around him, at the dingy, gray brick walls, the torch outside the barred door that lit only just enough and left the corners and more than half of the room in sticky darkness. His eyes slowly adjusted to the creeping darkness, but still the darkness clung to the corners as cobwebs. A thick, airless heat, making breathing harder for the already half-strangled Emil stifled the room.

With a flourish, he pulled out the bow tied out of his scarf and disgustedly threw one of the longer sides over his shoulder. How am I supposed to protect Marta when I don't know where she is? Angrily he jumped off his makeshift bed and made his way over the crooked cobblestone floor to the barred door.

"Hey! Alice!" he bellowed, flinching as his voice resounded around the walls, echoing his angry words around the empty hallways. "Come on out and fight me fair!" The echoing command was answered by a giggle. She came skipping down the hallway, the shadows making her childish face a grim, demonic sneer.

"Emil!" she whined, stopping before the door. Just out of reach… he thought angrily. "You don't have to yell. Silly, I'm always nearby!"

"Never near enough…" Emil snarled, his throat vibrated with the hostility, and his hand clenching around the bar with the itch to strangle the sadist.

"Aww." She apparently took the threat differently. She winked and bent her face closer to the bars. "If MartMart saw you, she'd be green with envy!" Emil very nearly had to bite off his tongue to keep in his now past livid anger. "There she is, spending months trying to lure you with her," she coughed, "charms." She paused and bent closer to the bars, taking a step so that her nose was almost touching his. His anger meant to take a step back, but something in her dirty golden eyes, the stifling heat, and the near-blinding pain that continued to throb, made him stay put. "And here I am, I've got you locked in my house…" she brought up a finger to tap his nose gently. "Right where I want you!" At the tap, Emil came to his senses and took a step back, instinctively grasping his sword. Instead, he groped at the thick air. He cursed.

"My, my," she chided, taking a step back and rocking back on her heels. "Such a mouth on you, I wonder why she would want to kiss it!" Against Emil's better judgment, he blushed in embarrassment, the feeling took over for one split second, but that was all it took. The rational part of his mind took control, smothering the anger and standing triumphantly on it.

"Alice?" he whimpered, looking around the cage. What happened? Why am I here? Emil's mind whirred, and he flinched, reaching back to tentatively touch the scratch on his neck. He yelped as he felt it, then noticed the large rusty stain on the cot, it stuck out like a siren.

"Well! It looks like the nice Emil is back!" Alice laughed, making the blond knight walk back up to the bars. She continued to giggle, uncontrollably grasping her stomach. He wanted to ask what was going on. He wanted to scream it at her face and throttle the childish smirk off her face. But all that came out was a meek:

"What's going on?"

"Don't you remember the forest?" she asked, sickly coating it over with so much sugar, Emil thought he was getting a cavity. He dug back into the recesses of his memory, but only found a white haze.

"Does this have anything to do with a mushroom?" he asked, feeling rather stupid. Alice was caught off guard for a moment before laughing.

"A mushroom? Oh dear Emil, I think you should lay down," she gently patted his head, making him flinch. Alice giggled and skipped down the hallway, humming a little tune. For a moment, he just stood there, blinking his pristine eyes. Then, his shoulder's dropped and his gaze wondered to the filthy floors. What he saw there made him look back up. Ragged, crimson stains dotted the floor. Sporadically, they seemed to be screaming at him to run for his life, do whatever he could to get out of here. If you're chained, bite your leg off! They shrieked.

Emil swallowed the lump in his throat and stumbled over to the cot. He collapsed on the hard thing, careful of his neck and stared the opposite of the floor, the ceiling. There was blood there, too. He looked around and there were splatters all over the room. Even on the cot, he noticed as the lifted up the rough covering, to reveal ageless rusty stains.

Sheer revulsion formed a lump in his throat, so he cinched his eyes closed and balled himself up on the cot, hugging himself tight as though to keep himself together. Marta… wherever you are… I hope you're okay.


They had heard the fight almost before it had broken out. Like a cloud of colorless smog it had fallen on the group like a blanket of cotton, apprehension. Sheena became fidgety, pacing around the camp and muttering under her breath. Marta and Tenebrae had exchanged nervous glances, wondering where their blond knight was. Regal's chopping sounds forgot their rhythm and he cursed everytime he made a mistake. But, then again, the apprehension could've been something else.

"Hello my precious hunnies!" Marta and Sheena froze their hair on the back of their necks standing up. It was almost like a 6th sense, what they had. It was a nagging sensation that bugged them and bugged them until he showed up.

"What's that idiotic Chosen doing here?" Sheena growled, clenching her fists. Marta, though slightly pleased the womanizer was back, noticed the raven-haired ninja's faint blush. He entered the clearing like a bloody wraith. His untamable red hair flowing out behind him and his cheery eyes sparkling. Oh, and of course his smirk.

"Well, I knew I got lost, but lost enough to get into Heaven? I must be one lucky guy," he said, eyeing Sheena, but never meeting her eyes.

"Nice to see you too, Zelos," Regal muttered, a slight humorous note making his tone light. The redhead laughed jovially.

"So you're the one cooking for this party? I think I'll stay, then see if Sheena will make dessert!" He laughed, then whined as Sheena slapped him with a practiced arm.

"You're form's as flawless as ever…" he laughed, sporting a new bruise. No one in the clearing missed the double meaning, so as the bone-breaking chill settled over the camp, Zelos decided to change the subject. "So where's Mr. Vengeance at? Thought he followed you like a shadow," he said, looking pointedly at Marta. She huffed and stomped her foot childishly.

"His name is Emil! And he's off collecting firewood." she sniffed. Zelos laughed, put a hand on his hip, and raised a slender eyebrow.

"Touch-y…" he snapped his tongue on the roof of his mouth and turned back to Regal.

"Smells good! Can't wait to dig into that…"

"Hey!" Tenebrae cut through the redhead's hunger-fed sentence. His urgency brought the attentions of the group to focus on the dog-like Centurion's features. "I'm sensing Solum's core nearby."

"Solum? Isn't that the dirt one?" Zelos asked, innocently sticking his finger in the stew, retrieving it and sucking off the broth. His inquiry rewarded him with a withering glare from 'Tenny'.

"Yes, you twit. Solum is the Centurion of Earth," he spat out the last word. "And if you haven't noticed, the Vanguard is always nearby when Solum is."

"Oh yeah!" Marta said, her eyes widening slightly. Another hushed chill settled on the camp before Marta let out a strangled 'eep'. "Emil's out there!" All activity stopped in the camp for a split second before it erupted with action. Everyone was shouting at the same time, making it difficult for anything to get done. But, finally above the rushing waterfall came the booming voice of reason, or Regal, whatever you prefer to call him.

"We need to go look for Emil. Now, Marta, do you remember which way he went on his search for wood?" A shush fell over the small group a moment before Marta supplied the answer.

"He went that way," she tentatively pointed a finger to the farthest side of the clearing, and on a single command that could've been as loud as a dog's whistle, they flooded towards the forest, only to be stopped again by the more feminine voice of reason.

"It's freakin' dark in there!" Sheena shouted, halting their impromptu search party. Zelos jumped up, quickly grabbing a branch and breaking it off. He gently whispered words, almost in a way that was loving, making the air sparkle with magic before the end of the branch caught on fire with a blazing inferno.

"Problem solved," he smirked, but something about the way Sheena's face had flushed when he was whispering the words, made Marta wonder. Without another moment's hesitation, they rushed again towards the forest. The flickering fire set their shadows against the moist ground, allowing them to dance awkwardly as they ran. Sheena, the most used to running through thick terrain, ran a little ahead of the gang, seeming to slip in and out of shadows as though one herself. Regal ran with more agility than should be possible with one of such bulk. Marta looked to see Zelos running almost as smoothly as Sheena, carefully keeping the flame from catching on anything. She noticed that his smirk was gone, and replacing it was a face of worry. He ran like a cat, in fact both he and Sheena ran like a cat. Ducking in and out of the trees, weaving around almost like snakes. Marta felt a hot pang of jealousy. The two of them were made to fit each other. He was born to ogle, and she was born to be ogled.

Marta ran on with a renewed burst of energy, determined to get to her 'missing half' before…

"Holy…" it must've been pretty hard to curse with a faceful of dirt. Sheena stopped and caught the discarded stick before it could touch the ground.

"Zelos! You klutz," she muttered, walking over to the discarded Chosen and bending down to see if he was hurt. He took his head out of the dirt, whimpered something that sounded like a muffled 'my face', then wiped off the muck.

"Do you honestly think I'm that clumsy?" Marta stifled a laugh and a no. "I tripped over something…" he finished turning around and then propping himself up on his elbows. Sheena helpfully moved the torch closer to his feet (and Marta didn't miss the blush either of them had as she leaned over his chest, her face next to his), then flinched back. "I think we found the Vanguard…" Zelos muttered, strangely sober sounding.

"Do you think…" Sheena trailed off, her voice horrified but she couldn't stop staring at the mangled body before her. Regal kneeled down beside the body and, beckoned with his hand for the torch. He put it closer to the wound and grunted.

"Yes, this wound looks like so many others I've seen before, volatile and hasty. This was Emil, but in Ratatosk Mode." Sheena sighed, and then looked around.

"Zelos, could you give us some more light?" Sheena asked, offering her hand. He stood and his swift eyes flashed around. Quickly, he gathered up branches, grunting as he broke each of them off.

"Marta, stand a few feet back. Regal, over there and Sheena stand where you are," he commanded, handing off the sticks and lighting them in turn. Once Zelos was back in his designated position, they made a circle and their small circles of light converged to light a scene of mangled gore. Bodies littered the ground, their ruby blood soaking into the spongy soil to later tint the grass. The cadavers were contorted their faces agonizingly peaceful in their sleep. Their wolf that they had made a pact with, growled at one of the bodies, then tried to bite at it. Sheena stabbed her wood into the ground, fire down, to extinguish it, then collected the small wolf like a cat and gently patted his head to calm him down.

"If Emil did all of this, where is he?" Sheena huffed, absently kicking a body. Tenebrae appeared, floating tentatively over the bodies. His head turned this way and that, his mouth drawn up in a scowl.

"You humans and your carnage," he muttered, stopping suddenly. He turned to the closest person next to him, Regal, and sniffed. "Do you smell that?" Marta sniffed at the air, but all she could smell was the acidic note of blood. Regal sniffed at the air and sighed roughly.

"The smell of blood, the smell of hate."

"No, no, no!" Tenebrae shook his head. "Under the blood! It's that horrid cologne!"

"Eau de Seduction?" Marta piped in, feeling a sinking feeling of in her stomach. The Centurion nodded. "That means Decus was here! Which means Alice was too…" Marta bit her bottom lip, trying to hold back the oncoming yelp. Decus and Alice were here. Emil was here too. Now none of them are. "You don't think," she stopped herself short, not wanting to saw it. It was bad enough thinking it.

"Marta?" Regal asked, his voice soft and kind. "Where's the nearest Vanguard base?" Marta dug through her memory (though she tried her best to forget them, she was glad she had them now). The other's converged around her, still holding their burning sticks. Then it hit her, and it rushed over her like hot, boiling water.

"The closest base is really far. The closest place would be Alice's house," Marta felt like she was going to throw up.

"That sadist?" Sheena asked, her eyes opening wide. Marta chanced a look at Zelos.

"So, she got him too?" he asked, sickly sarcastic. "Why don't you just kill the witch already? She's more than earned it!" Everyone turned to look at him, then Sheena snorted.

"I'm sure most people would say you have too." But he wasn't in the mood for kidding around.

"Would you?" It was a simple question, but it knocked the ninja off her feet.

"I-uh-wouldn't quite…" she trailed off and sighed. "We should hurry. If he gets in his Ratatosk Mode, he might say something and set her off her already cracked kilter."

"And that wouldn't be good for him." Zelos muttered, scratching his head. Or her, the violent side of Marta growled. "We better get going," he said, turning around and walking off. Marta watched him as he left, shocked that someone so narcissistic could be so worried. He walked with such conviction, she was jealous for a moment that he could be so fearless as to march in on a sadist. A cute sadist… part of her mind said wryly, rationing his hurry.

"Zelos! How do you know that's the right way?" Sheena shouted, picking her way over the bodies after him.

"It doesn't matter!" he snapped, whipping around, then putting on an innocent face. "Besides, no matter which way I go, as long as I go straight I'll get out of the forest eventually, right?" he shrugged, blinking and raising his eyebrows.

"Marta?" said girl snapped out of her horrific reverie and looked at Regal. She vaguely heard Tenebrae agreeing with the redheaded pervert.

"Ya?"

"Which is the quickest way to get to Alice's house?" he asked, bending down slightly so as to meet her gaze. Marta opened her mouth to answer, but closed it again. The forest had disoriented her. She didn't even know which way she had come from. All the trees seemed to be circling around her, dancing and swaying their leafy arms. They laughed and mocked her, asking her where her Emil was. Maybe they ate him, maybe they buried him so he could sleep soundly under their ancient roots. Burning tears blurred her vision, but she refused to let them fall.

"I-I don't know…" she whispered, her voice wavering uncontrollably. Even though it was a whisper in a clearing of arguments, everyone quieted at her wavering song. Zelos was immediately up and beside her, gently hugging her.

"Oh, baby. Here's a shoulder to cry on." Marta gently pushed him away.

"No. I'm fine. Let's go this way." She took off into the forest, heedless of the direction, she just wanted to get going after her knight, her Emil.


He didn't know how long he'd been sitting there, unable to sleep because of the pain, the blood that surrounded him, and the thoughts of what might happen to him. I'm in her house… he thought, wondering what she could've done to these people to make them bleed this much, on the ceiling. He kept expecting her to show up, throw open the door and kill him with one fell swoop, but he knew that would be getting off easy. She would have her fun with him before she killed him, and Emil hoped that maybe Ratatosk would take over. He hugged himself tighter as he shuddered violently despite the stifling heat.

After he was tired of looking at the wall, closest to his cot, he rolled over to stare at the bigger part of the room, though shocked to see Alice standing by the door, a small monster carrying a tray of food.

"Alice?" Emil asked, hopping gently off the bed and going to the door. She giggled and opened a small slot, the monster dropped the tray and gently pushed it into the room.

"Can't have my favorite captive dying of hunger or thirst, now can I?" she said, gently pulling out her whip. She snapped it at the monster and it went scurrying down the hallway.

"How could you do that? It didn't do anything to you!" Emil reasoned, feeling pained for the poor monster. She giggled and slashed the whip under his neck, but stopped so it settled under his chin without hurting him. He let out a faint whimper.

"Oh Emil. Cute, innocent Emil. You know nothing of these monsters! They're beasts, you must tame them." Emil thought of his wolf traveling with them and felt a surge of anger.

"They're not all evil, it all depends on who they learn from!" he shouted timidly.

Alice gave him a triumphant grin, "And they learned from me, so what do you expect? Silly," she giggled and retrieved her whip, only to slam it against the bars near the food. "Eat, you look thin! Is MartMart not feeding you enough?" she paused and something in her childlike face aged and she looked her actual age. "She always did like her men thin."

All the while keeping an eye on the small girl, he bent down to the tray and gingerly picked up the water. This time, his rationality jumped off his fear, knowing something was wrong. It washed over him as the surprise from the sudden rush made it come all the quicker. For a time quicker than a second everything was covered in a red mist.

"You poisoned it! Didn't you?" Emil hissed, running to throw the cup through the bars and on the sadist. She quickly reached through the bars and grabbed his wrist, showing surprising strength. She smiled and enjoyed watching him struggle as he tried to move his hand.

"Why would I poison you? That's too quick of an end for someone like you, you adorable little knight," Emil grunted. "And beside, you can't not eat, it'll ruin my fun." She pouted, mock sadness filling her eyes. Is this wrench capable of any real emotion? "What's the fun of tormenting a man going through hallucinations?" she laughed, digging her nails into his arm though the black glove before letting it go. Emil's anger overshadowed the pain and he took a swig of the water.

"You sick witch."

"Flattery will get you nowhere!" she giggled, blushing like a schoolgirl. Immediately, the anger and fear began to die down. Confused, Emil walked back to his bed. It wasn't leaving, it felt like his anger, his pain was being balled up and confined in the back of his mind.

"What'd you do?" he tried to shout, but the numbing sensation that was flowing through his body stopped him. It wasn't fear, it was actually numb feeling. His mind was buzzing anxiously, as numbness of the brain for anybody could not be a good thing. He tried to glare at Alice, she was giggling again, but all his anger had gone, ran away and deserted him. Emil blinked and thought he heard Alice mutter something about gorgeous, green eyes and that it was a shame they'd have to close forever. He tried to be scared, he had no clue why he was numb. It spread to his chest and to his limbs, giving them no feeling. He sat his head down on the cot, as the numbing sensation turned tiring. Why isn't there anger? Where's the fear? I'm scared, but I don't feel it. The last thing he remembered, seen out of clouded and emotionless eyes before he lay down an apathetic doll, was Alice giggling so hard, she had to grab the bars to support herself.

Anywho, like they say, sequels are never as good as the originals (I'm saying that for chapters as well). Sorry it's not as good as the 1st chapter (in my opinion). Chaoi!