Disclaimer: I do not own any of the X-Men: Evolution characters. They are all property of Marvel and I am using them in this story without permission. Don't sue me!!

A/N: Wow, Japanese is really hard to learn . . . Sorry for taking so long to update but seriously, I've been frying my brain!! Do y'all see a pattern developing? Here is another delightful little A/N which my or may not have to do with this particular chapter.

ABOUT ANA'S POWERS: Before anyone questions my originality, I must mention that this OC is based entirely on the little Forest Nymph from the Firebird Suite in Disney's Fantasia 2000 (the most BEAUTIFUL segment of the movie, in my humble opinion). So if you've been wondering what Ana looks like, skin tone and ability-wise, she's very similar to the Nymph. As for facial features-- basically characteristic to the drawing style of X-Evo, leaning more towards the style of Kitty's features, rather than Jean's.

La Loba


WARNING: This story in general deals with abuse and has some mildly graphic violence. Thus the rating PG-13. If that kind of thing offends you, or you don't like it, then don't read this story. You have been warned.

Bold — telepathically communicated, or spoken through comms


Botanik

By: La Loba de Mibu

Chapter 3: Of Vine and Brimstone

The cold rain poured heavily onto the eerily quiet pine forest; the only sound heard were the haunting howls of wind. Black shadows moved quickly and silently through the dense woods toward the sight of the explosion. The mutants were at large, that much they knew; and they would pay dearly for they're little act of rebellion.

Not too far away, she stood leaning against the trunk of a large tree, whistling a long remembered song from her childhood. The thick pine boughs above her blocked the rain, redirecting it to fall in curtains to the ground off the ends of its lower branches far from the tree's core. She waited patiently, for they were sure to come; an especially ruckus party like this one always attracted the officials.

Footsteps began echoing softly in the forest; right on cue.

She continued her whistling as they gathered around her, at least twenty; but she ignored them, waiting for the boss to arrive. She interrupted her own whistling with a laugh; this was going to be great.

"Cambrant."

Ah! There he was. She smiled like a grinch and turned to the tall, raven-bearded man clad in all black.

"Bonsoir, monsieur!" she greeted cheerfully.

"Wipe that smile off your face, girl. Explain this."

The French girl kept her smile in place, "Ehhh bien . . . Dr. Tomoe bit off more zan 'e could chew it seems. Notre petite Botanique 'as quite ze foul little temper. You see, she threw a wild tantrum and ripped tout l'endroit apart!"

The man frowned at the green-eyed girl as began giggling merrily while she continued reporting the events of the day.

"I'm afraid all of your employees took a permanent leave sans notice. M45 is probablement lying dans un ash pile somewhere in ze wreckage. M17 took M97 on a blind teleport; chances are zey rematerialized dans un arbre. As for M42 . . . Hmm, with 'is black thumb, je suis certain zat 'e won't make very good fertilizer — " Cambrant abruptly cut off as she was grabbed beneath the chin and slammed back into the tree trunk behind her. The metallic taste of blood slowly filled her mouth; she must have bitten her cheek.

"I fail to see what is so damn amusing, Rondelle," the man practically spat in her face, "This isn't a game. It is not for you to decide who is, or isn't worthy of this project. You are to track those who are alive, and bring them back to me."

He pulled Rondelle off the tree trunk by her jaw and shoved her out from underneath the branches and into the rain. She stumbled but managed to catch herself before she fell, standing still and silent in the rain, back toward the man who governed her life.

"I suggest you wise up, Rondelle. I don't need a collar to control you. Remember that."

Without turning, or giving any sign of acknowledgment, she tore open the space before her, disappearing with a loud zip and a flash of indigo.


The emerald light dimmed ever so slightly when she saw his body jerk on the bullet's impact. There were angry and surprised shouts from the rangers behind her savior as he slumped forward slightly, catching himself on the tree behind her, glaring at the rangers over his shoulder. Ana looked from him to the alarmed rangers, her confusion and fear written clearly on her face.

"Nightcrawler!" Rogue cried rushing toward her brother, revealing herself to the rangers in her panic.

At her appearance, however, the already disturbed ranger became trigger happy, screaming and shooting like a mad man in all directions in hopes of terminating the threatening mutants. Everyone ducked and dodged as they desperately tried to avoid his crazed aim; the other rangers shouting to their comrade, trying to bring him to his senses.

Rogue ducked quickly behind a tree, trying to judge her distance from the deranged man without losing a chunk of her face. Nightcrawler shrunk low to the ground, bringing Botany with him; the tree's roots rose around them defensively, blocking several stray bullets. Taking her chances, Rogue rushed the ranger as he turned his attentions back towards her brother, and daringly tackled him to the ground, hand glove-free and ready to make contact. Unfortunately his new angle from the ground, allowed him to bypass the barrier created by the giant tree's roots, and he managed one last clear shot just as he felt his strength drain away at Rogue's touch.

The other two mutants had yet to move from their spot; everything around them happening almost too fast to register. At the last second Nightcrawler noticed the bullet's trajectory;
without warning, he hugged the glowing girl close to him and bamfed.

They had arrived just in time to miss the big finale to all the commotion, everyone coming from different directions. The remaining forest rangers got up to find themselves inadvertently surrounded by the X-Men; they looked around nervously. Rogue stood up, putting her glove back on as her teammates appeared out of the trees.

"Rogue! Nightcrawler! Wha — " Cyclops began worriedly.

"Don't worry, he's alive. But," she paused to give the now unconscious man a glare, before continuing to explain, "He took a hit, and he wasn't in too much of a good shape to begin with. He had ta teleport, and he took the gal with him. She was pretty beat up too. We better find 'em before anything else happens."

Everyone nodded in agreement, before turning to look at the curious and frightened rangers.

"Jean, if you would be so kind," the Beast stated as he turned to the psychic and waved vaguely at the uniformed men. Lifting her hands to her temples to concentrate, she slowly wiped the memories from each of the rangers' minds before giving them a gentle psychic shock to knock them unconscious.

"This never happened, gentlemen," she stated simply as she finished.

The X-men then quickly exited the scene, heading toward the Blackbird to search for their fuzzy elf from the air.


They disappeared in a puff of smoke, and suddenly all her exhaustion, pain, and nausea returned as the strange realm they were passing through extinguished the emerald light in a flash of red and black. The world swam and tumbled at the same time all around her; but it was over as soon as it had started, and they were back, in a different place, all within a second. Unfortunately for the injured two, Nightcrawler had reappeared in midair, making them topple in a heap to the ground several feet below.

The impact made her black out for a few seconds, as she laid there laboring to breathe through the pain. Without her fear of the strange men in uniforms as a catalyst, she could no longer fully manipulate her abilities; leaving her powerless to speed up the natural healing factors she possessed to soothe her trembling, aching body.

After a long while, she slowly opened her eyes and found herself in a clearing somewhere in a different part of the forest. But how in the world did she get there? It was almost as if she had . . . There was a sudden flash of blue and gold in her mind; Kurt! He must have had . . . But where was he?

She heard the sound of someone retching behind her.

Managing to roll over to face the other way, she saw him a few feet away. He was leaning on a tree at the edge of the small clearing, while he retched on the other side, his other arm dangling limply at his side, blood steadily pooling on the ground beneath it. He wiped his mouth when he finished and slumped slowly down the trunk to the ground below, breathing heavily.

Tucking his head between his knees, he buried a tridactyl hand in his indigo hair fighting against the dizziness. He hadn't been this sick since the very first time he ported. Exhaustion, starvation, blood loss, countless injuries, fear, shock, stress; all a million different, and very good reasons to back off his teleporting, but of course, life never really likes to give its participants a choice. Kurt felt cold shivers run through his body, and the fur along his spine stand on end as the bile rose up his throat, and his stomach lurched once more.

Several agonizing minutes later he was still dry heaving, and fighting off an incredible wave of dizziness that threatened to black him out. He pushed himself back on his haunches; but an unforgiving bout of vertigo forbid him to keep his feet, and he slumped back, smacking his head against the tree trunk behind him. A piercing cold ran through his body, and everything flashed white for several moments, before he felt the prick of the rain on his fur again.

He opened his eyes, and had to blink when a raindrop hit one dead on. He tried again more slowly, and realized he must have passed out when he looked up into the dark clouded sky. He stared at the dark raining masses in a daze, trying to recall how he had gotten there. Slowly was he remembering the traumatic events of the day, one by one, when he felt a light squeeze on his hand. He turned his head, ignoring the way the world spun; when his vision settled again, he was staring straight into a pair of tearful mahogany eyes.

On the ground beside him within arms reach, lay Botany pale as ash, and shivering more violently than he was in the freezing rain falling around them. Nightcrawler's heart leapt up into his throat.

"Botanik?" he asked tentatively, squeezing her hand back gently.

She closed her eyes momentarily, and he knew tears were running down her face, even as the rain was washing them away.

"Botanik," Kurt spoke softly to the pale mutant, "Mein friends are finally here! They've come to help us. Do you remember about them?"

She made a soft, tired noise of confirmation; her eyes sliding shut for a while before opening again. He sounded as if he was talking to her from underwater.

"They will find us soon; hang on until zen, kay?" he told her worriedly; she already looked so dead, it was beginning to frighten him.

Another tired noise was his answer, but he couldn't help panicking a bit when her eyes slid shut once again and did not reopen. He had often seen her come back to the cells, pale, and weak; but she had never looked like this. She literally seemed as if she might fall into a pile of ashes if she were just touched; the only color he could see on her was the brown of her eyes when she had opened them.

The freezing rain was not helping either of them, and Kurt argued with himself silently for several minutes. Was he strong enough to move them? Should he chance moving them under the cover of the trees? What if he injured them further in the process? They shouldn't stay out in the open like this, should they? What if the X-men passed them by because they couldn't see them through the foliage? But Wolverine could track them . . .

Growling softly to himself, he made up his mind, and forced himself to his feet. He picked up the pale mutant as gently, and as best as possible with his only good arm. She cried out in pain, but that was inevitable, and he apologized softly. He moved them slowly beneath the large branches of the nearest tree, to shield them, if only a little, from the pounding rain. He sat against the trunk, and settled the deathly looking girl against his side, trying to keep her warm, although his fur was soaked through and cold from the rain.

After a few minutes of silence, he jumped suddenly when he felt her poke him lightly in the ribs. Understanding what she wanted, he held his palm out in easy reach of her trembling fingers, allowing her to clumsily communicate her thoughts. But before she could finish, however, Kurt closed his fist gently around her pale, trembling hand.

"Cambrant . . . she escaped through one of her portals, and left us behind. Everything vas closing in . . . Fuhen saved us . . . " Kurt was finding it hard to continue, "I took Kyoumu vith me and ported out of there . . . Fuhen . . . he . . . he didn't — "

Botany sobbed, and Kurt knew that there was no need to continue, even if the lump in his throat would have allowed him to finish.

"Es tut ich leid, Kleine Blume," Kurt managed to choke out quietly, in a failed attempt at comfort.

He held her silently under the tree sheltering them for the pouring rain, as she sobbed softly. There was nothing to do but wait until the X-men found him once more; he wouldn't risk teleporting again. Soon the wind began picking up, and it seemed as if the downpour became even stronger, pounding down on the earth unyieldingly.

Nightcrawler didn't know how long they'd been sitting there before he heard a very familiar and most unwelcome sound, but it was long enough for Botany to have settled some; lying quiet and shivering beside the fuzzy teenager. His golden eyes peered warily through the dark waterlogged forest. The sound went off again, this time accompanied by a flash of indigo in the distance.

Cambrant.

The sounds of her portal-making ceased, but now he could hear the young French woman walking toward them through the forest. She stepped out of the trees and into the clearing opposite the two visible mutants, her luminous eyes the color of the evergreens surrounding them, crinkled with mirth, and her expression absolutely catty.

"Oh! là! là!" She giggled merrily as she walked across the clearing toward them. There was a flashing patch of black and indigo spiraling above her, into which the rain fell, but did not come out the other side, keeping the portal-maker high and dry, despite the torrential rain.

"Halt die Fressa, Cambrant," Nightcrawler stated low and menacingly.

"Ah!" Cambrant gasped and feigned hurt, "Mon cher Nightcralwer, I zought we were friends?"

"How dare you!" Nightcrawler couldn't help raising his voice; his eyes narrowed as the dark-haired girl just laughed, "Hören sie auf, um zu lachen!"

Cambrant laughter merely grew louder, "Mais, Nightcrawler, vous êtes trop drôle!"

"You leave a man to die, and all you do is laugh about it?!" he could feel the heat rising in his chest; his anger was activating his internal furnace. He rested the injured girl gently against the tree and struggled to his feet, left arm still limp and useless at his side. He had yet to master control of his new gift, and it wasn't uncommon for him to begin spouting flames during a heated conversation with the aggravating portal-maker. Cambrant's laughter abruptly stopped, and all expression left her face.

"Neutral died ze moment Botany lost control. Ze nature of 'is power made 'is escape impossible. So you see, I did not leave anyone to die. 'e simply committed inadvertent suicide," the girl's stoic mask suddenly cracked and she began laughing insanely as if she had just been told a hilarious joke.

Nightcrawler felt the smoke seep out of his mouth as he growled, "Enough of this, Cambrant! Vas are you doing here, and vas do you vant!"

"Temper! Temper!" she chuckled, "I merely 'ave some friends zat are dying to meet you."

He gasped, feeling fire catch in his throat, as he realized for the first time that they were not alone. Out of the dark shadows in the forest stepped several men in black uniforms. He'd seen them before in the labs, always escorting a visiting Project official. What the hell was going on? Cambrant had been a prisoner too; why would she help her captors? Then again, the bitch was crazy enough to find the entire ordeal amusing.

His breath quickened as he began to panic, moving to stand before Botany's small form; flames beginning to lick out of his mouth with each breath. The agents advanced toward him as he backed into the tree, drawing their rifle-like weapons in case their target became overly-hostile. Nightcrawler emitted a low warning growl, flames spewing slowly into the air, warning the uniformed men away.

Cambrant tsked at the blue-furred mutant, looking positively smug, "Come, come now Nightcrawler. Vous êtes très cher, don't make zem damage you."

"Sie gefährliche Hexe!" He hissed angrily at her, training glaring yellow eyes at her smug face, tail lashing furiously behind him. He looked at the withering girl behind him; they were cut off without escape. After everything they had suffered through, fate wouldn't be so cruel as to let them be recaptured, after finally attaining a taste of freedom; or would it?

His heart pounded almost painfully in his chest; he and Botany were in no condition to put up a fight. All he could do was buy some time, and pray that his friends would find him soon. Taking a deep breathe, Nightcrawler launched himself at the nearest agent. The man quickly cocked his weapon, and fired, only to miss his mark when a cloud of smoke was left in his target's wake, and a wall of flame came rushing toward him instead. The man ducked away with a surprised and angry shout.

"We thought you said that he was too weak to teleport!" he shouted angrily at the raven-haired mutant.

She merely raised and elegant coal brow, shrugging her shoulders and heaving a dramatic sigh, "Ahh, zut-alors . . . Eh bien, just shoot 'im then."

The man scowled at the irritating girl, but reached into his vest and pulled out a small black box. Opening it, he removed a dart-like object and loaded it into a gun he pulled from a holster in his combat boots. Training his aim on the elusive blue demon, he waited for his chance to strike.

Nightcrawler panted; his entire body ached, his wounded arm felt as if it were on fire, and he could barely see straight. His struggled to evade a stun ray fired at him from the nearest agent, teleporting once more in a fiery frenzy, reappearing behind two agents and introducing them unceremoniously to the muddy earth below their feet. He tried to fire off another flame wall, but his stomach heaved instead. His throat was already aching from his pyrotechnics; his new ability was still in its developing stages, and overuse quickly resulted in second and third degree burns to his mouth, lungs, and esophagus.

He turned in time to stop another man from mashing him with the butt of his rifle, delivering a solid kick to his stomach and knocking the wind out of him. Then he felt it; a prick just behind his shoulder.

"Verdammt!" he couldn't help growling a curse at his carelessness.

He quickly ripped the tranquilizing dart out when he heard Botany's frightened cry; he glanced in her direction to see the agent who shot him quickly closing in on the defenseless girl. He ported, appearing right before the man and greeting him with a fireball straight in the face. The man howled, falling backwards covering his burnt flesh.

Nightcrawler could feel the tranquilizer slowing time around him, as he hovered protectively over Botany, flaming breathe deep and agitated, and mind whirling trying to think of a way out of their inevitable recapture. There were still three able agents left standing, and they were closing in on him slowly, waiting for the tranquilizer to set in before going for the kill.

His breathe was coming in slow pants now, flames still licking his mouth, but his vision was starting to dim; he was finding it hard to stay standing, and those damned agents were almost on top of them. He nearly stumbled off his feet, catching himself as an agent tried to grab hold of him.

"Bleiben sie zurück!" he snarled, taking as deep a breathe as possible before releasing a rushing, unbroken torrent of fire in an arc around them. The molten barrage would have been very effective at warding off his enemies if the pounding rain were not dampening its range and power.

The demon-like mutant suddenly choked and gagged, cutting off his continuous torrent abruptly, and sinking to his knees and elbows. Smoke billowed in excess out of his burnt orifice as he hacked painfully, blood pooling heavily under his chin, mixing with the mud below him. He'd overdone it; now they were caught.

Just as he was loosing all hopes of freedom, a blinding red light shot across his vision and he heard the loud roar of a familiar set of engines. The flurry of movement was hard to make out through his drug and pain-induced haze. But he could make out the sounds of his team members voices, and battle cries. He fought to stay conscious, every breath pure agony to his seared respiratory system.

Cambrant looked up uninterestedly into the shadow of the black jet hovering over the small clearing. She stood back behind the trees, watching the so-called 'X-men' foil their mission to recapture M45 and M17. Back-up had been called and was on its way, but she doubted it would arrive on time. She yawned loudly suddenly very bored; with a small sigh, the air beside her ripped open and she disappeared with a soft zip, leaving the agents behind to do the dirty work.

"Fuzzy!" Kurt heard her voice and a rush of footsteps through a haze, but wasn't entirely convinced that he had really heard Shadowcat call him by his pet name.

He heard more shouting, and the sound of gunfire, suddenly he was being thrown over a large blue-furred shoulder, carried up a ramp and shoved inside the jet. A strange flattening sensation ran through him as they took off in a hurry, before they leveled off in the air, leaving his head spinning.

"Kurt! Like can you hear me? C'mon, Fuzzy, answer!" Kitty pleaded with the bedraggled looking boy crouched on the floor of the jet laboring to breathe through bloody coughing fits.

His insides felt as if they were on fire, and in all reality they probably were. He couldn't stop his vitriolic coughing or the blood pouring out of his mouth as he slumped into Kitty's arms.

"Kurt!" Kitty cried, panic evident in her voice, "You guys! Help him!"

He couldn't see anymore; the voices he heard were disembodied and coming from far, far away.

"Prease!! Ret her herp!! She can heal him!" a young tearful voice pleaded in the distance.

Someone responded but he could no longer understand. Just as the darkness was taking over completely, he felt a terrible burning throughout his body, his vision flashing green. He gasped loudly, eyes flying open as he found his arms full of Kitty Pryde.

"Kurt! Like, you're okay!" she laughed though her eyes were still shiny with unshed tears.

"Keety?" he asked unsure.

She smiled and nodded, then cried out surprised when he crushed her to him in a sudden embrace, but returned it just as strongly.

When she pulled back, she gave him a peck on the cheek and laughed; even though it wasn't really noticeable through his dark indigo fur, she knew he was blushing as he laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oi! Neesan! Onegai, Ana-chan!! Okite kudasai!!" he turned sharply when he heard Kyoumu's frightened cries to see the boy sobbing over Botany's unconscious form.

Kurt's heart skipped a beat as he remembered the green that had flashed before his vision when he almost passed out. He watched in a bit of a daze as Beast carried the girl into the tiny corner that served as the jet's infirmary, before snapping out of it and following after him. When he passed through the doorway he saw his professor place the deathly still mutant on the small cot that Storm pulled out of the wall.

"Kurt. Forgive me for not giving you a proper greeting, but your friend is not doing too well," the Beast said absently to the furry teenager hovering near him, trying to get a look at the pale girl.

"Vill she be alright? She's n-not dying, is she?" Kurt inquired anxiously to the two grown-ups.

He felt guilt starting to eat at him. She had been so hurt, and still she opted to heal him, when the action would only recoil upon her already deteriorated condition. A hand at his shoulder broke him out of his thoughts, and he turned to see Storm looking down at him, expression something between sympathy and relief; she pulled him into a quick hug.

"It's so wonderful to have you back, Kurt!" she said quietly, brushing his wet disheveled hair behind a pointed ear, "Here you are; dry off and put these on, then wait up front with the others, please. We'll take care of your friend, alright?"

He nodded, taking the towels, and nice warm clothing Storm handed him. He noted with some delight that they were his own. He took his time before heading up to the front of the jet towards the other X-men. As soon as he walked in he was practically mobbed.

"Kurt! I oughtta knock ya inta next Tuesday! Next time ya gonna jump in front of a bullet, give me a warning!" Rogue scolded bonking him lightly on the head, but her tone was more relieved than anything, "Ya betta stop scarin' me like that or I'll hafta start makin' good on my promises, ya hear?"

He tried to pout, but he couldn't help breaking into a chuckle as he rubbed his head in mock hurt. The next thing he knew he was being tackled from behind by an overexcited Spyke, and he nearly lost his footing.

"Fuzzy-dude!" Evan laughed, "Man, you had us worried bad! Great to finally have ya back, man! No more disappearing aight?"

Kurt twisted out of the younger teen's grip and locked him in a noogie, laughing when he started squirming and yelling in protest. He let go eventually, as Cyclops approached him next, and an awkward silence settled in the room.

The team leader fidgeted a bit, looking his friend over before opening his mouth, "Kurt . . . I— "

"Don't apologize, Scott," Kurt interrupted quietly, "It's good to see you, mein freund."

He stepped forward and gave the older teen a hug. They clasped their right hands in a five as they pulled apart, laughing slightly.

"I never thought I'd say this, but your appetite at the dinner table was sorely missed!" Scott smiled when Kurt rewarded him with a booming laugh.

"Seriously, we needed somebody to eat all that food Kitty insisted on making," Jean added, stepping up to the laughing elf.

"Like, hey!" Kitty protested.

This only made Kurt laugh harder before he turned to the redhead with a wide smile. He noted that she held a nervous and still sniffling Kyoumu by the hand.

"Jean!" he greeted her with a hug as well.

"We missed you so much, Kurt," her voice wavered a bit as she stated the obvious knowing that he needed to hear it, as much as she needed to say it, before passing the crying child to him, "I think this little guy is a bit scared."

He looked sadly at the anxious child before crouching in front of him, "Kommen sie, Liebling."

Kyoumu rushed into his arms, burying his face in the crook of Kurt's neck, small shuddering breathes escaping from his tired body as he continued to cry softly. The child's wet rags had been removed and he was wearing what looked to be one of Kurt's old shirts, and wrapped in a warm blanket. The joy of reuniting with his friends had made him momentarily forget the awful events of earlier that day. But now as the small child, who had been his cellmate just this morning, trembled and cried in his arms, still mourning the death of his brother; as the quiet murmurs and sounds of Beast and Storm, working to keep the battered girl alive, drifted forward from the rear of the jet, reality came crashing back onto him.

His warm clothes suddenly couldn't keep the deep coldness that had settled within him from making him shiver once more. He swallowed past the lump forming in his throat, looking up at his friends.

"Vill we be home soon?" he asked quietly.

Looking down at their fuzzy elf, the X-men could not help but think how small and unsure Kurt looked in that instant; or how the cheerful light that had shined in his eyes just moments ago had been snuffed out to be replaced by a lost, and haunted gaze that did not belong in those golden orbs.

Jean placed a hand on his head bending down to look him in the face, brow furrowed with worry, but her smile reassuring, "Yes, Kurt. We'll be home very soon."

He nodded, averting his eyes to the floor to avoid her searching gaze. He stood, carrying Kyoumu, and let Cyclops guide him to a seat. Kitty and Rogue settled on either side of him, as the other three took their seats across from his.

Wolverine looked over his shoulder from the pilot seat, checking on the teenagers as they buckled up for the trip back to the institute, before speeding up the jet as much as he dared. Beast had quietly commed him, informing him of the urgency of the girl's condition. The elf had obviously already lost a friend that day; he didn't want him to have to lose another if he could help it.

A comfortable silence descended upon the family as they quietly reveled in the joy of being reunited; but they could not help noticing the somberness of they're fuzzy blue elf as the Blackbird speeded toward the mansion they called home.


Translations: I don't know German, I've only started learning Japanese, and my French is really rusty so please excuse any mistakes in syntax or meaning.

Notre petite — Our little

Tout l'endroit — The whole place

Dans un arbre — In a tree

Es tut ich Leid, Kleine Blume — I'm sorry, Little Flower (pet name)

Halt die Fressa. — Shut your kisser.

Mon cher — My dear

Hören Sie auf, um zu lachen! — Stop laughing!

Mais . . . vous êtes trop drôle! — But . . . you are too funny!

Vous êtes très cher. — You are very expensive.

Sie gefährliche Hexe! — You treacherous witch!

Zut-alors — the traditional textbook translation for this idiomatic expression is "Rats!" But I think we can all agree that nobody says that anymore. Today's equivalent would be something more like "Dang it!"

Verdammt! — Dammit!

Bleiben Sie zurück! — Stay back!

Oi! — Hey!

Neesan — Big sister; as with niisan, the term neesan can also act as a suffix , such as Ana-neesan

Onegai — Please

Ana-chan — -chan is a suffix used as a term of endearment for girls.

Okite kudasai!! — Please wake up! or Please get up!

Kommen Sie. — Come here.

Liebling — term of endearment meaning something along the lines of 'dear one,' or even 'beloved.'

A/N: The ratio between the time and effort I put into this chapter and the resulting length is extremely out of proportion. In the first draft of this story, this chapter had given me a lot of trouble as well because I totally SUCK at actions scenes. All I hope for is for this tricky chapter to be coherent, and easy to visualize. Which means you should review and let me know! Thanks for reading!!

La Loba