It's Saturday again and here's the next chapter. I hope you'll like it. =)


Chapter 3: In the darkness

Constantly the snow was falling in the dark night. The temperature had fallen in the last hours about five degrees so that nobody was in the mood to leave the house before midnight and start the fireworks.

Yuan didn't care about that though. The blue haired half-elf was sitting in his penumbral room and stared concentrated at some records of the renegades. He had given them all the day off; many of them had family that wanted to celebrate the end of the year after all.

Yuan wasn't into celebrations in general and that's why he had decided to immure himself in work. He of all people, he, who used normally every opportunity to escape the paperwork to do more pleasant things. But that's the way he was. When nobody else worked he made good for everything he usually didn't do.

"… Criminal has been detained … Gald has been paid back …" he murmured. Sighing, he let the record sink and rubbed his eyes.

"You will ruin your eyesight if you keep sitting in the dark, sir," a voice sounded behind him.

He turned around in his chair and saw a young woman with shoulder long light brown hair that was slightly curly. She wore a plain self knitted pullover and a black pair of trousers. The glasses in front of her turquoise eyes reflected the light as she lit a few more candles.

"Kacey. What are you doing here? You have the day off," Yuan said while looking questioningly at his assistant.

"Well, I've just checked the hangar and on my way back I saw the light in here – although only weakly. So I wanted to check it. But the more important question is what you are still doing here, sir. You don't work, do you? It's New Year's Eve!"

Yuan just shrugged. "It's a day like every other. Well, not completely. It's a day I do my work for a change."

"Sir, it's very commendable that you want to take care of the paperwork for a change but it can wait until tomorrow," Kacey replied.

"Tomorrow … Tomorrow I'll sneak out of it again … And besides, where should I go? The base is my home. I could only go to a pub …"

"Then we do that! It's New Year's Eve after all, so a little bit of alcohol is appropriate," Kacey said smiling while pulling him out of his chair.

"We?" Yuan asked a little bit confused.

"Nobody's waiting for me either." Kacey continued smiling and nodded with her head towards the door. "So, are we going?"

Yuan looked at his assistant skeptically. He hadn't known this side of her. Until now she had seemed like a reserved, stern woman who was very responsible and intelligent. But it seemed like she could be totally different as well.

Yuan sighed. What harm did it do to drink a little bit and toast the new year? "Alright."

So the two of them left the base and walked towards the only pub in Flanoir which had the name Melting Ice which was also the name of the exclusive cocktail.

:::

"I'm so tired …" Genis murmured.

They were still in the cave underneath Lake Umacy.

"It's probably already dark outside. Maybe we should stay the night here," Raine said.

"Here?" Genis asked frightened.

"We have no other choice. The way back would take too much time and because we don't know what lies ahead of us we should better rest now," Kratos explained.

"Oh, it will be an uncomfortable night …" Genis sighed. "We don't even have blankets with us. Or something to eat. I'm as hungry as a bear."

"Oh, in that case … I have some cookies that I …" Raine started but she was interrupted by Genis.

"Did you bake them? No, thank you. I'd rather starve to death." The white haired half-elf lay down on the cold stone ground and tried to make himself somehow comfortable.

"Alright, it's your own fault," Raine answered offended before lying down as well.

Kratos, however, walked on.

"Where are you going?" Raine asked confused and Genis looked at him questioningly as well.

"I'll search for something to burn so that we can make a fire. You two should rest." And with that he disappeared into the next hallway.

"He hopefully finds something …" Genis murmured yawning.

Raine cuddled against her younger brother. "He'll find something. And if not … It's only one night."

"Hm hm … That's already enough …" A second later Genis was already asleep.

Raine smiled and brushed a few strands out of his face. How much he had already grown … In one, two years he would be taller than her. Although it seemed like it had been only yesterday when she had stranded in the world of Sylvarant with her little brother. Alone, totally confused, without a clue … She had often questioned herself what would have happened if she hadn't gotten any help. But she didn't have to ask that. She knew it. She would have been forced to continue working as a slave for the rich like she had done before she had appeared. She had taken care of her, freed her and helped her to get along in this unfamiliar world.

She remembered the long blonde hair which was tied to a pig tail, the blue warm eyes and the friendly smile on her face. What had happened to her? Raine hadn't seen her in years.

She was startled out of her thoughts when Kratos came back. In his arms he carried a few bones and pieces of cloth which he lay down on the ground. After piling it he lit it with a weakened version of Fire Ball.

"It seems like we're not the first ones who found this cave," Kratos said.

"But I hope we don't end like …" Raine nodded towards the improvisational camp fire.

"You should sleep now as well. We don't know how long the way in front of us is," the auburn haired swordsman said.

Raine nodded and closed her eyes. Soon after that she fell asleep and dreamed of another time, another place where she met her again. Unknowingly, a smile spread on her face.

:::

At the same time something similar happened in another cave.

"Ah … Finally a fire …" Nariko sighed contented while warming her hands at the fire.

"Yes, what would you be without me? Wasn't it clever of me to think of firewood?" Edoph asked proudly.

"Yeah, very clever. Now get the bread finally out of your bag," Cozid demanded unimpressed. The cold didn't really affect him after all.

Edoph grumbled something incomprehensible and obeyed. Apart from the bread he got some cheese, salami and a bottle of red wine out of his bag.

"Do we have something different to drink as well?" Nariko asked while nodding with her head towards Retisa. "No alcohol for minors."

Edoph shook his head. "No, we have only wine."

Cozid just sighed. "Idiot! Why did you bring wine? We need water."

Edoph looked at him angrily. "If you know everything better why didn't you pack our provisions?"

"Because I thought that your brain is still intact!" Cozid snapped at him.

"Guys, please! Stop it, I'm getting a headache!" Nariko interrupted their argument.

Retisa, however, kept quiet and stared into the flames.

Sulking, Edoph set down in front of the fire and stoked with a stick in it.

Cozid sighed, closed his eyes, spread out his hand with the palm upwards and concentrated. Slowly a water ball formed in his hand which he let float into an empty flask.

Edoph stared at him as if he were a creature from another world. "Why do you snap at me if you can produce water just like that?"

"Because it's only for emergencies and costs me much energy!" Cozid answered annoyed before sitting down a little bit away from the fire. Just like Nariko was weak against the cold he had his problems with warmth.

Nariko wanted to change topics and asked: "How long do you think it will be until we have reached the end of this cave, Cozid?"

The Diaos with the light blue hair shrugged. "I don't know. But the pulling gets stronger so we should be soon there."

"We have to be careful," Retisa remarked quietly.

Cozid nodded. "Here are definitely some traps. We mustn't forget who we want to free here."

It was quiet for some time. Everybody was quietly wondering about what was lying ahead of them while chewing on the bread.

"I wonder what our special friends are doing now …" Edoph remarked suddenly.

"Probably living in comfort. But not much longer …" Cozid said quietly.

"We will stop the prophecy," Nariko replied and the other three agreed nodding.

Down here in the cold cave illuminated by the fire it seemed almost like an oath. An oath which they wouldn't ever break in their lives because the achievement of their aims depended on that oath.

Suddenly Edoph cried out loudly and piercingly. The stick which he had used to stoke in the fire had caught fire and burned his fingers.

"Idiot!" Nariko and Cozid said simultaneously.


Whenever I imagine Yuan doing his work I just have to think of Roy from Fullmetal Alchemist who doesn't want to do his work. xD So there had to be a character who is like Riza as well and that's Kacey. ^^ Although she isn't quite like Riza and she doesn't have a pistol either. xD

No matter how hard you try to find out who that mysterious she Raine is thinking of is, you won't find it out. xD You don't know that person yet. (Which implies that sometime this person will appear. xD) So, Kratos, Raine and Genis are still in the cave underneath Lake Umacy ... And they'll stay there for some chapter. xD

Ahh, I love Edoph. xD I think he's one of the greatest characters in this story. ^^

To be continued ...