Sorry for not updating in forever! I blame it on school and that ugly thing called procraustination. I've had this sitting halfway done on my computer for a while and I finnal got it finished. I feel so guilty.

This is a weird chapter. I'm pretty sure the first part is fluff and the other parts are whatever they are. Any way its my first time for fluff, Please tell me how I did. Or not.

I hope you like it.

Tear's secret obsession

Time skip

It was getting close to 6 when the sun (I think it's called Rem) set so everyone was on the lookout for a place where they could stop for the day and set up camp. Luke and Guy were up in the front, Anise and Natalia were right behind them, Jade was in the back as usual and Nel and Tear were in the front of him but behind Anise and Natalia. Though there was something a bit different about this one particular time. Nel was currently holding a small, blue, and fluffy monster who's species were quite sacred to a lot of people. You got it! She was Holding Meiu the group's little mascot or otherwise known as a cheagle.

Now it wasn't as if she was forced to hold him it was more that she felt a little obliged to hold him and was perfectly content with him resting on her shoulder and occasionally on her head.

Normally he would be near Luke, or his Master as he so liked to call him, he didn't want to bother Anise or Natalia because they were deep in a conversation, which was mostly about the management of money, tear had to fight the urge to take him or lest everyone would find out her secret and ruin her soldier image, and of course he didn't really want to ask Jade. (I mean could you imagine it. Uhhh I didn't need that mental image.) So that left him with two people. Guy and Nel. Normally he would have went to Guy but since Nel was new to their little group he decided to spend a little time with her. Thus his position on her shoulder right now.

"Hey Meiu."

"Yes Nel?"

"You know what. You're really soft." After hearing that the little blue cheagle turned a little pink.

"So soft." So while saying that she started to pet him all over from his ears to his small little belly. But as she was petting his ear he started to laugh because unknown to everybody else he was ticklish.

"Oh Meiu your ticklish? Well then I'm just going to have to make sure that I tickle you there from now on." She said with a smile while she was true to her word and started to repeatedly tickle him causing him to squeal with laughter. Though this action did not just affect Meiu, there was one of the others, in particular long brown, haired oracle knight. Unnoticeably to almost everyone she stiffened up and tried to keep her composure while having an inner battle with herself between keep walking or risk a glance of the cute little cheagle that was now a little bit out of breath from laughing but still laughing none the less. Though in the end she kept walking, trying to focus on Anise and Natalia's oh- so- interesting conversation, with her heart breaking and then shattering in tiny little bits blowing away in the wind like the insignificant dust being mindlessly crushed under their feet.

'Wait. Where did that come from? Ugh. I must be spending too much time with Anise and now she's rubbing off on me.' Tear thought after she originally thought that very descriptive thought on how her heart was breaking then— 'Stop it Tear! Get a hold of yourself. You're doing it again. Note to self: spend less time with Anise. … Wait am I talking to myself now? Oh no, Anise really is rubbing off on me.'

So while Tear was having her inner battle with herself Nel had stopped tickling Meiu when she noticed how quite and distant Tear had gotten, or well more than usual.

"Tear are you alright?" No response from the afore mentioned girl.

"Tear…?" Now a little hand waving was added on.

As nothing seemed to be working she went by Tear's left side and took a deep breath yelling, "Tear!" She yelled it loud enough for her to break out of self induced 'trance' but not loud enough to get everybody else's attention.

"Huh? Nel, What are you doing?" She asked a bit confused after finally coming back to-well in this case- Aldrant.

"…"

"Nel?"

"Hmm…"

"Now I'm sorry for zoning out on you but don't go zoning out on me."

"Tear will you come here for a second." It was worded like a question but was spoken like a command.

"Uh sure?" So they slowed down their walking slowly making their way to the back of the group. But on the way when they passed Jade Nel and him made eye contact, seemingly having a conversation in the few short seconds. Then they broke away and went on like nothing happened, with a confused Tear along the way.

So while Nel and Tear were now in the back of the group, when the rest of them got out of hearing range, Nel suddenly stopped and stared at Tear.

"So was there something you wanted to talk about?" Tear asked curiously.

"… Tear you saw me and Meiu right"

"Uhm yeah I did." She replied while trying not to remember the cute little interaction between the two aforementioned. But while thinking—or trying not to think—of the thing that caused her to have a mental debate with herself her mind wandered a little bit and ended up thinking of the very thing that she was trying not to think of.

Breaking out her revere she came back to the present and focused on Nel who was patiently waiting on her once she saw that she was currently going through some 'inner turmoil'.

"Oh I'm sorry I spaced out again. What was it that you wanted?" She said sheepishly.

"Here." She replied by holding up Meiu who had been silent the whole time.

"Wha?"

"You were watching us, looking longingly I might add. And it seemed like you wanted to do it to. You do like them too right."

"… How did you know…?" She asked shocked that someone—other Anise—now knows about her secret obsession—ergh—fascination.

"Well I saw you staring at those monsters that look like bunnies, well that is before they try to eat your face off." She easily replied sounding not interested to try to save some of what's left of Tear's pride. "So I figured that you must like things like that. The cute part not the bloodthirsty part where they you know, try to eat your face off."

"Oh well thank you but please don't tell anyone."

"Tell anyone what?" She said slyly.

"That I—oh thanks."

Though before she was given the chance to reply somebody else interrupted their 'secret conversation' from up on the small little hill further along the road. "Hey! Tear Nel! Come on, we found a place to stay for the rest of the night and after we set up were going to have dinner!"

"Okay Luke we'll be up soon!" She yelled up back to him. "Now Meiu what happens has to stay a secret from everybody else okay?" She asked the little blue cheagle now in possession of Tear.

"Okay!"

"So Tear I'll see you soon okay." She said while smiling and then she started to walk up the hill. But when she took a quick glance behind her she saw Tear with her back towards her and heard a few bits and pieces of Meiu's laughter.

"Tomorrow. Tomorrow is when we'll make out move. We'll start off a hour after dawn and if we keep up a fast pace then we should get to them around 8 in the morning." Was all he said while staring off along into the horizon.

"Okay I'll get my friends gathered and ready so when its time we'll be ready to head out." A small pinkette determinedly stated with fire in her eyes and confidence that they would not lose.

"Good. Good… We will get you back just you wait."

"We will."

"…"

"… Um Dist … being so serious and quiet isn't like you … Why don't you go work on a robot or something? Get your mind off this. And get some sleep too. If we want to rescue her then we will need to be in top shape considering how all of our other fights have gone when we engage them."

"Right I will." He just replied. Still deep in thought.

'I will rescue you. No matter what.'

Natalia's Dangerous Meal

A little bit later

"Okay ~ay! Were Back! We got some extra firewood to last us the night and probably enough to make it to breakfast." Anise yelled striking a pose and announcing her and Nel's arrival from previously gathering firewood.

"That's good Anise, Nel, out it near the other firewood." Tear replied. When she got back not long after Nel did she went straight to the bags, where Jade was, and started getting out the supplies that they would need for the night.

"We're back too." Guy made an entrance similar to the one Anise had just made but without the pose and instead of carrying firewood he and Luke were carrying some water in everybody's canteens and some buckets. (A/N where would they get the buckets? I would understand if they had wing packs but I can't remember if they do have them.) So with that he and Luke moved their way over to where everybody else was. Well almost everybody.

"YAY ! Everything is done and collected so now I'm gonna lay down and relax."

"Maybe I'll join you Anise."

"Ohh Nel if you join me then we can think of another way to scam peop- I mean get some free cas- No! Uhh… I mean …" Now the groups money lover was trying to think of a way to say that they were scamming people without out rightly saying that they were in fact scamming people.

"I'm sure what Anise meant was that you two could think of a way to bring happiness to people from the rapid succession of spells in such a coordinated way that they don't explode or destroy each other but combine in an awe inspiring show of beauty and grace thus compelling people to try to persuade you in your artful trade by handing you certain amounts of payment in hopes that you would one day come back and give them another wonderful performance that would brighten up their dreary and dreadfully poor existences they call their lives." The colonel calmly stated without even pausing once to take a breath.

"Uhh… yeah… what he said…" Anise unsure of how to reply to that tried to as discreetly as possible, which in the end wasn't very much at all, move slightly away from Jade while everybody else joined her with sweat drops on their heads.

And a few more "…"'s followed shortly.

Though Luke was the one to break the silence after taking a good look around at the group and seeing one person was missing. "Hey… Has anyone seen Natalia?"

Now bringing this new subject up everyone looked around for the afore mentioned princess and seeing as she was not in sight then proceeded to try to remember the last time they had seen their blond headed archer.

"… Oh! I think I was the last one to see her." Tear spoke up after a moment.

"You did, then do you know where she is?"

"Umm… let me think… It was right after I had gotten back with Meiu shortly after Nel-"

"Oh! That's right! What were you and Meiu doing?" Anise slyly said, having already guessed what she was doing after remembering finding Tear looking at the cute doll in the store window, and then happily remembering the sweet taste of the chiffon cake she got shortly after that.

"Hm! Uh, w-we weren't doing anything just talking." Tear stammered out. Also remembering the same incident that was going on in Anise's head as well, "Any way were getting off topic." She said trying to change the subject, "When I got back Natalia said she was going to do something…" Too bad she couldn't remember what it was. "Uhh…"

So while they were thinking a weird/disgusting/odd, whatever you want to call it, drifted up to their noses and caused some of their faces to scrunch up in a grimace.

"What is that smell?"

"It's disgusting."

"My eyes I think they're burning."

"Well I'd say that is a truly … horrible smell."

"Where is it coming from?"

So now the smell was surrounding them and getting stronger by the second. Almost everybody was covering their noses, everybody that is except for Tear, Jade, and Nel.

Tear was trying to keep her face impassive and you could clearly see she was suppressing a grimace. Jade being the awesome guy he was seemed not to be affected by the smell too much but if you looked closer you could see that his chest was not moving and from that you can clearly figure out that he was barely if at all breathing. And lastly Nel she just had a thoughtful look on her face and when everybody saw that they began to stare at her.

"That's a very," She hesitated looking for the right word, "peculiar smell." And that was all she said. Then the younger and less composed ones looked at her like she was crazy.

"Peculiar! That's all you can say about this this this Stench!" Luke yelled in disbelief, he would have yelled louder but that meant that his mouth would be opened wider and the 'stench' as her so delicately put it would be able to get in more.

"Well I've smelt some pretty odd things … though this has to be pretty high on my list." Only saying the second part as an afterthought.

"Like what? Tell me what could have topped this?"

"Well … I'd really rather not talk about it." She replied kind of sheepishly, a sweat drop on the back of her head."

"Fine then, but let me tell you; I pity you if you had to go through something just as or even more terrible smelling as this, and have you now still not want to throw up you breakfast."

"Luke enough talking. Lets just find out where this … smell is coming from ok?"

"Fine, but when I find it I am going to dig a big hole throw it down there and spit on it when I cover it back up."

"You can do whatever you want to it but let's just go."

So with that they all set out to find the 'smell' but when they did they came upon a sight that would scar them forever and as long as they would live. It was her. The one they've been looking for. And she cooked, if you could even all it that, a monstrosity of a dish. Well actually it was more like a bowl … but well you get the point.

"! Oh hey guys. I was just about to go looking for you guys. I though since Nel was here I would make her a special dinner. Here try it Nell, its curry." So excited that she doesn't have to go get then Natalia spoons up a few well spoonfuls pf her 'curry' and hands it to Nel with a smile on her face. Though she didn't hear everybody else's comments.

"Special? What are you doing trying to kill her?" Says Luke.

"She's a guest were not supposed to poison them." Tear replied.

"Nel Nel don't eat it. Not if you don't want to live." Anise whispered to Nel, trying to save her.

Though it was in vain because the plate and spoon were already in her hands. She kept a straight face when facing one of Natalia's creations but you could obviously see, well not so obvious to Natalia, that the groups little side comments had gotten to her and she started to worry.

Picking up the spoon she gingerly got a small really small portion onto her spoon and carefully brought it up to her mouth, cautious like it was going to jump out and bite her. Though we all know it couldn't Guy swore that night that he say it move a little.

Keeping her poker face on she opened her mouth and took the food into her mouth. Slowly chewing. Then swallowing.

"Well umm Natalia it was … edible." She managed to get out, "But if you would please excuse me for a minute I have to umm … talk … yeah that right talk to Tear."

So she went over and whispered a few things to tear who understood knowingly and they went off out of the groups sight momentarily. Though they came back after a minute Jade had sensed the small shift in the seventh fonon that is only caused by a healing spell. Thinking of what must have transpired he smirked.

Now back and looking a little better Nel turned to the cook and said "You know what, if I'm a guest I should cook for you." Everybody holding their breaths hoping that Natalia would except her offer and spare them the pain of eating her food.

"No you're a guest and I can't have you cooking for us. What kind of cook would I be."

'A better one.' Luke thought.

"No really I insist. As a guest I should cook." Nel trying to be as kind as possible and let Natalia off as easy as she could. Though Natalia still didn't relent.

"No, what kind of princess would I be if I had you do that."

Nel seeing everybody else getting desperate decided to use the princess card too. "Well I happen to be a cook myself and it would be an honor to cook for someone as a high status as yourself Princess."

Everybody holding their breath.

"As a chef it is my uh … dream! Yeah dream to cook for someone as prestigious as you your highness." Going so far as to use titles and flattery.

"Well if you want to so badly…" Natalia finally relenting and everybody letting out a sigh of relief. You know what they say, "Flattery will get you everything." Or something like that.

Time skip

"Ookkay! I'm finished. I hope you all like it." After slaving away at a hot stove all afternoon, or more like half an hour (Actually I have no idea how long it would take.) The dinner was finally ready and Natalia free.

"It's Miso soup. I hope you guys like it."

"It's delicious." Guy said.

"It's really good." Luke said in between bites.

"I think I've died and gone to Miso heaven." Anise got out before going back to digging in.

"Its really really good." Meiu squeaked out.

"Yes everyone else is right it is very good." Tear complimented.

"It makes me thankful that I let you cook. Though since you cooked for us I'll cook for you next time." Guess who said that.

"NO!" Everyone practically choked out.

Jade who had been watching the whole predicament silently, smirked as he watched everyone's reaction.

Quickly changing the subject Anise asked Nel a question, "Hey Nel how did you get to be such a good cook?"

"Hmm? Oh Well when I was on my one I had to learn so I could eat, and right now my job is in a big kitchen as a cook. So you can say I get a lot of practice."

"Wow! That's really cool. If I be a cook and get really good then people will pay tons of money to eat my food." Anise said in glee as she thought of the prospect.

So after their delicious meal of Miso stew everybody was feeling tiered so they all went to sleep. The boys with full bellies, the girls happy and content and Anise dreaming of money and being so rich that she would never worry about anything ever again. Of course then there was Jade and know body knows what's going on in his head.

So I really have no idea when I'll update next. I have a general idea of what its going to be but I just dont know how I should start it. It will be the last chapter so this a pretty big accomplishment for me. Wow. If thats big then I really need a hobby. Any way thanks for favoriting and story alerting me.

I feel so happy that you like it, though I feel sad because the only reviewer is the same person. Please excuse me while I go find a corner and some knives to cut my wrists.

Review if you want to, though you don't have to. (Hmm maybe thats why I dont have any other reviewers.)