The Catalyst
Chapter Four
Job Change

They had to be superbly stealthy as they reentered Prontera. Various signs hung around the city looking for Zakia and the mysterious Priest who had warped her away from Yoyo. A bounty of 2 million zeny had been placed on his head, and Roose sighed.

"You girls are always getting me into trouble…" he murmured, Sai ignored him, she was outraged.

"What the friggin hell? They didn't' even mention me! This is ChronChron shit!"

Zakia pulled Sai's red hood over her eyes, "I don't see why your so mad, Sai. You have nothing to worry about, and at least Roose knows why they want him. For me though…." She said nothing else, just looked away.

Sai put her hands on her hips and closed her eyes, "You guys have something great going for you and it's like I'ma no body. Your way to naïve to understand, Zaki."

"Zaki, I like that name. It fits you well." Roose chuckled as he led them to the Church.

Zakia turned her head, "My name is Zakia. Not Zaki, that sounds like a dumb boy's name."

Sai giggled, running around Zakia, "Zaki! Zaki! Zaki!" she chanted over and over again laughing. Ever since Zakia had woken up she seemed a bit agitated, Sai was loud and Sai was happy…and Sai wanted everyone to be like her.

Zakia turned her head, Roka's ears perked up and he quickly jumped off of her and onto Roose startling him. Roose turned, and looked back at Zakia, she lifted her hand and was gathering up energy in the form of a cross.

"Holy light?" Roose whispered, Sai didn't' even notice and continued to dance around Zakia. He found himself mystified that Zakia was conjuring up a skill that took the usual acolyte years to acquire; and she was still just a novice.

She shot Holy Light out, barely missing Sai who scampered out of the way. She fell back onto her butt, and looked at the wall where a cross had torn through. Sai's eyes were wide, and she looked up at Zakia who continued walking on.

"What the hell?" she asked, feeling challenged by the novi. If it wasn't for her, Zakia would be getting spanked for not listening to her father and grounded by now. Sai encouraged her to leave, Sai bought all her novice stuff and Sai even tanked her! She stood, eyes narrowing on Zakia and whistled for her Falcon to come.

Zakia walked on, and Roose looked back and fourth between the two girls. He had a feeling a fight was brewing, and ran to stop Sai.

"Sai, Sai, calm down!" he pleaded, she pushed past him.

"Zakia. Here. Now. Fight me."

Zakia stopped, and turned looking at Sai, "I don't' have time for this. Take me to the Church so I can become an Acolyte."

"Listen kid, I don't know what the hell your problem is but you coulda blew my ass away with that attack. Nobody challenges Sailita of Morroc like that, get your ass back here now and fight me." Her falcon cawed at Zakia, and Roka hissed at it.

Roose frowned; he had seen yesterday the power Zakia had drawn creating that shield that killed all the Baphomet Jr.'s and the one only the GM could break. Sai was as fast hunter, but against Zakia's abilities she would certainly fail.

"Come on girls, please don't fight. Zakia," he turned to her, "What's wrong? Why are you in such a bad mood?"

Zakia stood silent, switching her gaze to the cobblestone road. "I had a dream last night. In it, everyone died and it was my entire fault. I made something…something bad happen…This big monster with a skeletons face was making me hurt everyone, because I am this Catalyst thing…I didn't want to hurt anyone, and I didn't have any control…"

Sai lowered her guard, with big childish tears in her eyes, "You poor baby!" she dropped her bow and ran to Zakia, hugging her, "It's alright! Nothing bad is going to happen as long as me and Roose are here! You shoulda told me you had a bad dream and I could have lightened up!" she pulled back, looking down into Zakia's eyes.

The cold stare had left Zakia's eyes, and she smiled brightly, "M'kay! I'm sorry too!"

Roose watched the two girls and they hugged, apologizing to one another for being inconsiderate. He and Roka cocked their heads to the side, "Are all girls this confusing?" he asked.

"Hey!" Zakia and Sai said at once, giving Roose a cold stare.

He laughed, and point down the street, "Come on you guys, just a bit more ways to go."

Zakia skipped down the street with Roka, Sai and Roose watched her. "You know who she dreamed of?" Sai asked, her falcon lazily flapping above her.

"Yes…" Roose said, "Let's hope this isn't a premonition." Sai nodded in agreement, and Zakia froze at a turn in the road.

She stood in front of the Church of Prontera. It was bigger than any building she had ever seen before, with stained glass windows depicting the god Odin and the Goddess Freyja. Zakia gasped, "It's beautiful…" she said.

Roose, and Sai stood besides her, the trio admired its beauty, and then went to the entrance. Two guards stood attentively guarding it, watching them.

"What business do you have here?" one of them asked in an irritated tone.

"She's here to job change." Roose pointed back to Zakia who took out her recommendation from Father Yosuke and presented it to them. The guards read it, looked them over once more, and handed it back to Zakia.

"The priest and girl can go in." the other guard said, pushing them along, "You stay here, Huntress."

"What! Why?" Sai demanded, stomping her foot.

The guard point up to a sign, "No birds allowed in the Church. You'll have to wait here until your friends are done."

"Humf!" Sai turned, "I'll be waiting for you guys, hurry up now."

"We will, Sai!" Zakia said cheerfully, "I'm going in a novice and I'll be back an Acolyte!"

"Good luck, Za—", Sai covered her mouth. If she said the girls name they would surely be caught. She laughed, giving Zakia thumbs up instead.

Zakia looked around the huge hollow Church. Few people were inside, and those that were had their eyes closed and praying. The sounds of an organ echoed through the building, everything felt at peace.

A clergymen and a young girl stood at the intersection of rooms, the only ones talking. When Zakia and Roose approached, their chat ended and they seemed shocked.

"Oh my! Is that you, Roose?" the girl asked, she covered her mouth and her brown eyes grew wider.

Roose nodded his head, "Yes, I'm here to help my friend job change."

The clergyman shook his head, "Roose, what sort of mess have you gotten yourself into this time? Everyone within the Church knows you're the Priest who helped that girl escape."

"The one the GM's are after." The girl said, eyeing Zakia now.

The clergyman walked to Roose, pinching his cheek, "You have to turn down a pretty face every now and then! You can't help everyone, Roose, no matter how strong of a Priest you are."

Roose grew quiet, and turned his head away. "That's not true." Zakia said, "Roose can help everyone if he just sets his mind to it."

The girl walked to Zakia, looking under her hood; Zakia quickly pulled it over her eyes and Roka hissed. "You're that girl, aren't you?" she asked.

Zakia said nothing, and Roose took her hand; leading her to the job change room. The clergyman and girl watched them go, and then walked away.

Zakia blushed again, the second time she had touched the priest, and once again he came to her rescue. She still wasn't to sure if he liked her or not, but he had called her pretty and that meant something, didn't it? Just two days had passed and it felt like so much was going on; more adventure than she would have ever experienced her entire life in Alberta.

They went to a back room, where another clergyman with blonde hair and a blonde beard sat signing papers. He didn't even look up when Roose and Zakia were finally in front of him, he didn't say anything either for a few moments, either.

"What can I do for you?" he finally asked, not looking up from his papers.

Roka moved from Zakia's shoulder to her side pouch taking out Father Yosuke's recommendation and plopping onto the clergyman's desk. He took the paper from the Lunatic's mouth, read it, and looked up at Zakia.

He eyed her silver ring, "Tell me, where did you get that ring, girl?"

Roose looked at the ring as well, and Zakia frowned, "A bot gave it to me." She said, wondering why everyone wanted to know about her ring.

The clergymen nodded his head, "Are you ready to devote yourself to god and his ways? To help all those who come to you and lead them to the way of light?"

Roose raised his eyebrow; this was not the same talk he'd been given back in his Acolyte days. Zakia thought for a moment…she didn't' care about God or leading people to the light; she just wanted to help others.

"Um…sure." She said, nodding and smiling.

The clergyman stood, lifting his hands into the air as Zakia was once again pulled up and a white aurora surrounded her and the hood disappeared. When the light dispersed she was brought back to the ground, finally an Acolyte.

Roka cheered, hoping up and down and Roose smiled. "Go out and bring light to the world." The clergyman muttered, and went back to signing papers. The sun outside the window behind him suddenly disappeared, and a loud crash of thunder was heard.

Zakia didn't have a moment to be happy, and dropped to the floor. Even Roka cried out, covering his eyes with its ears. Neither of them apparently liked storms much. The rain pattered against the church roof hard, the clergymen looked down at Zakia on the floor.

Roose kneeled next to her, and rubbed her back, "It's alright, Zakia. Just a little storm." He said comfortingly. She let go of the ground and held onto his chest as if he would make the storm go away. He blushed, and hugged her gently.

"God damn it!" Sai shouted, drenched in water and trying to shake herself dry. "Leave it to a god damn storm to ruin my angelic band!" she stopped, seeing Roose and Zakia in their embrace and laughed, "Oh my god! I didn't mean to ruin anything! You two should really get a room!" she laughed. The two parted away from each other, blushing.

Roka hopped onto Zakia's lap, and gave Roose a cold hard stare. Roose wasn't paying attention, though, because a GM's voice echoed throughout the Church and bellowed through the city.

"Attention citizens of Rune-Midgart. This is your GM Team speaking. W.O.E. will go on tonight as scheduled. The search for girl known as Zakia is still going on, and the reward money had been boosted to 10 million zeny for her capture. Please report to a GM if you happen to come upon her or her where abouts. Thank you."

Sai and Roose looked at each other, then at Zakia. They both frowned, and Zakia sighed, "You guys have to go, don't you?"

"Eh…yup." Sai said softly, "Don't' worry, we'll be back."

Roose nodded, "We'll return as soon as W.O.E. is over, until then I want you to stay here in the Church. Arial," he called back to the young girl they'd seen before, "Please watch out for Zakia, alright?"

The girl nodded, her curly blonde locks bounced, "You got it, Roose. I won't let anything happen to her."

"Be careful, Zakia. Don't talk to anyone you don't know." She said, hugging Zakia and making them both wet. "This GM shit is serious, and I really feel closer to you than anyone else…just be careful."

"You too, Sai." Zakia said, hearing Roose open a portal behind them, Sai pulled back and smiled, then hopped into the portal.

Roose looked back at Zakia, and then at the portal. He had a nagging feeling he should stay…but she would be safe in the Church. After all, it was a Sanctuary. Not even the GM's could violate its holiness and forcibly take her away, without losing their control over Midgart itself. He let out a sigh, hoping he was right.

"Good luck Roose!" Zakia said, Roka rolled his eyes.

"We'll be back, I promise Zakia." He waved, and stepped into the portal. Zakia watched it close, and sat down on a bench, hugging Roka close to her body.