Hey, readers. Glad to see you've stuck with me so far. This story is becoming more popular than my Zelda story, and that's just hit 30 chapters! I'm happy that you like my writing. It's really encouraging.

I just found out some pretty odd news, too...I learned from the Television Tropes website that the 9th Doctor was also the Invisible Man in Heroes. Then I found out that Alexander Corvinus (Underworld Evolution) is also Mr. Linderman from Heroes! I almost keeled over when I read all that, then freaked when I saw the pictures.

Anyhoo, there is a reason why I'm describing my dreams, not to mention it's practice for me, so tell me how I'm doing. Don't try and guess anything, or I'll...oh forget it. I'm thinking of giving all my reveiwers each a title, i.e., I'd probably give myself the title Deadpan Snarker or something...maybe...

Okay, let's answer some questions:

Shinomi7: I hope you plan on explaining where Ari learns how to read the mind of hollow skeletons eventually.

Regal Bryant Lover: Hey, what does "fear of one" mean? you forgot to include it.

Fanfic-AddictYuki: What does fright of one do to the enemy?

Yeah, I kinda forgot to explain that. Fear of One is her new tech. It's pretty much looking into the mind of the enemy and viewing their fears. Well, fear, and then manifests that in their mind, effectively paralyzing them, and Ari, for a few moments. I titled it that way because it's the fear of being the only one around. The fear of being alone, in a sense. It's not a title, sorry about that. I messed up. Again. Sorry.

SalanTrong: I was just wondering though, Ari asks several questions about maybe being a half-elf. Will that come out for sure in that scene in Tethe'alla? The one were the papal knights arrest them and Zelos inside of the academy in Sybak I mean.

Aha! Speculation! I'm glad you asked, but I cannot explain it. Much. Ari is very much human, but something will happen in that scene in Sybak. Something big. ...I think...There's still a lot of time between now and then, so I may tweak it, but it will more than likely hook you into reading the entire thing. I hope!

Chapter 7: Fishing in my Memories

"Fresh tuna! Git yer fresh tuna here!"

"Octopus for sale! Freshly caught this morning!"

Izoold. The village of rotting fishy smells and crabby fishers. The one inhabited place, aside from Palmacosta, that you can see the ocean up close (Thoda's just a tourist attraction. Raine had said no one lives there). Seafood vendors lined the cliff side, shouting their inventory and prices at shoppers, and some even turned to us, but were quickly avoided. The houses were small and made of wood, contrary to my impression that wood was warped by water unless treated properly. Did they have some form of wood sealer here? Oh, forget it. I am not going to focus on the little details.

We managed to make it to the city just as the sun hit its highest point in the sky, and thank goodness for fighting monsters. We had just enough Gald for two rooms (minus the money for stocking up) which we promptly labeled them one gender each, with Raine, Colette and I in one, and Lloyd, Genis and Kratos in the other.

Grateful for a moment of rest, I took it upon myself to do some peaceful shopping with Genis, and together we prowled the village, looking for the best deals on gels and foods while Raine and Kratos looked for our next method of transportation; a boat. Oh, that would definitely not be fun. I get motion sickness.

"Do we know any recipes that call for seafood?" I asked, looking over several bins of fish and squid.

"Not that I can think of. I doubt anyone would want a beef and seaweed sandwich."

I grimaced at the image. Oh, that was unpleasant. "It sounds like something Raine would come up with."

"Yeah…she's been making up those recipes since we moved to Iselia," he said with a sigh. Then he laughed. "Once, she got this idea in her head that she could start a cooking class for all the mothers in the village."

"What happened?"

"Half of them got food poisoning."

I laughed so hard I nearly dropped the fish I'd been inspecting. "Are you serious?!"

"You've seen her food before. You also know the horrors that await those who even sniff it."

I stopped laughing, remembering a dish from not to long ago. It had been near the middle of our trek to the Ossa Trail, and Raine had 'generously' offered to cook without even telling us. And when she'd revealed her 'masterpiece' at dinnertime, everyone took one bite of her food and raced off into the trees. I'd accidentally taken the 'food' with me, so I dumped it and headed back to camp. Later that night, Lloyd and I discovered a group of large grasshoppers surrounding the stuff, and boy did they look horrible! Their green coloring had gone from grassy emerald to pale purple.

~Raine obtained the title: Lethal Chef~

"Not even monsters can survive your sister's cooking," I said quietly.

"Exactly."

"Should we try teaching her the basics?"

"What do you think I've been trying to do for the last seven years?"

"Good point." I frowned, and we began our trek back to the inn when something caught my eye. It looked…really familiar. I think it was…

"No way…," I whispered.

"No what?" Genis asked, peering up at me with an eyebrow arched.

I pointed to the small pelican carving set up by the steps of the nearby house.

"I think…I think it's the Wonder Chef."

"Huh? Where?"

"The pelican carving!"

"The Wonder Chef…Wait a minute, I know exactly what you're thinking," he said curtly. "Don't even try it. Raine would dissect him before they got anywhere near cooking something."

"Oh…that wouldn't be pretty…" I imagined a meeting between Raine and Wonder Chef, and it ended…somewhat gorily in my head. "Then let's just surprise everyone with a new dish for dinner!"

"I guess we can do that. Let's go talk to him."

I led Genis over to the carving and poked it.

Several times.

"Dang it. I thought it was the Wonder Chef…," I muttered, scratching my head in confusion. "I was so sure…"

"Why'd you even think it was him in the first place?" Genis asked as we turned back towards the inn.

"I…It just looked out of place, in my opinion. I mean-"

Suddenly there was an explosion of smoke behind us. Both of us screamed/yelped and twisted around, ready to defend ourselves. I was ready to charge up an attack, but I put my hands down with an exasperated sigh.

The wooden bird had transformed into the Wonder Chef. His light blonde hair was close to Colette's hair color, but his eyes were a greener shade of blue. He wore the same outfit he always did; Green and white chef's uniform, giant white chef's hat, red cape, and (of course) the giant fork. And that goofy grin! I resisted the urge to burst out laughing and settled on coughing.

"Hello, Wonder Chef," I said simply when I'd recovered.

"Felicitations, my friends! I am delighted to see you again!"

"Same here. So what recipe are you planning on teaching us today?" I asked, hands on my hips.

"Let's make some rice balls!" he exclaimed.

Oh, I could say something really bad about that, but Raine would kill me for saying it in front of Genis.

The Wonder Chef tapped the ground several times with his fork, and we were suddenly in the inn's kitchen, dressed in aprons. Genis was wearing a white one, and, unfortunately, I was wearing a frilly blue one. I pushed away the tempting idea that involved me punching the Chef to kingdom come.

"Why am I dressed in this?" I asked him as he poofed the ingredients out of thin air. He shrugged.

"Blue is a relaxing color!"

"I mean the frills," I hissed.

"Let's begin!" he shouted, acting as if I hadn't said anything. I'd get him, sooner or later…

First he showed us the basic steps, and to be honest, I'd seen someone make rice balls only once on TV. I'd tried it once as well, but the rice hadn't been fully cooked, so they tasted off. Not to mention I'd messed up a few times during preparation. Oops. Hopefully, these would turn out better.

We finished cooking around five, just as the sun was going down. I placed the last of the rice balls on the big dish with a glance out the window. I sighed. I could see the ocean from here. It was tinged pink from the sky. It looked like one of those Thomas Kinkade seascapes where everything is really peaceful and colorful. The houses are picturesque and cozy, and life is perfect. No trouble, no conflict, no racism. Nothing horrible or distract like the terrors of life.

"Hello in there!" someone said in my ear. I jumped, nearly dropping the food, and whirled around to see Lloyd. I took a moment to breathe, but something was off, though. He looked like he was choking.

"Lloyd? You okay?"

"What are you wearing?" he asked between several snickers.

I looked down at myself and immediately turned red. I was still wearing the apron.

"Oh my god!" I shouted.

I set the tray down quickly on the kitchen counter and ripped the apron off, flinging it at Lloyd's head. He ducked it with a laugh and I slipped past him, heading for the main room with the tray in my hands.

"You tell a soul, and I'll eat yours," I hissed.

He wasn't even fazed by it. He just shrugged and followed me.

I headed into the main room and smiled. Everyone was already gathered around the table, awaiting the meal that Genis and I (well, mainly Genis) had made. A warm feeling slowly wormed its way into my chest as I sat down and began passing the food around. Was this…was this what it truly felt like to be…a family? Sitting down for dinner with those you hold dear. I wish I could feel this at home. But with my mother working nearly every moment I was home, I didn't get much of this feeling. It was nice, and a little awkward, but comforting, too.

"What are you thinking about, Ari?" Lloyd asked. "You're spacing out."

"Huh? Oh, nothing."

"Come on. Tell us."

I sighed, and then told them one of the few truths I'd ever be able to tell.

"I've never had a real dinner with friends or family before, so I'm just…a little out of place, I guess. But it feels really nice. I think I like it."

"Well, that's good to hear," Genis said. "That means you're not a weirdo."

"Oh, thanks, Genis," I said sarcastically.

"I'm not surprised you feel like this," Raine said. "You've been alone for a long time, aside from your friend, haven't you?"

"Yeah...well, I'm glad I met you guys. You're really awesome people."

"Dork," Lloyd muttered. I grinned at him comment and bit into my rice ball, savoring the light fruit filling I'd added to a few of them behind the Wonder Chef's back.

"Yeah…I know."

I had a different dream that night. I was no longer standing amidst the golden magnolias under a sunny sky. I was walking, for one thing. It was a bit dark, and when the world came into focus, I realized I was standing in the middle of a big grey city. Its buildings stood five stories tall at the most, and the sun was down, explaining why it was dark and why I could see stars. I could hear a flute and something that shounded like a electronic keyboard being played somewhere, but I didn't know where its source was. It seemed to be coming from every direction, even the ground below me. How strange…my dreams were getting weirder by the day.

I continued walking down the empty streets, looking for some kind of landmark. Anything to tell me where I was. But I had no such luck, and I was soon lost amidst its cold stone walls and cobblestone roads. Everything looked the same. It was like I was in a hall of mirrors or something. No landmarks, no signs, not even a street light or an open door.

Wait a second…

I stopped walking and turned my attention to the nearest building. I circled it once, twice, and a third time, stopping only to frown at it from the place I started circling. There were no doors. But how could that be? How else could you get inside?

I headed to the nearest window and peeked inside. I saw a living room of a small house through the glass pane. The walls were a deep russet red, the floor was hardwood, and there was a fire going in the fireplace in the far wall. But…it was a stone building. No one would decorate the inside like that. It looked like a cabin on a lake or in the middle of nowhere, not an office building.

Then I saw a small family enter the room. A mother and father and their two kids, one boy and one girl. The mother had blond hair and bluish grey eyes while the father had brown hair and hazel eyes, and the kids looked to be twins no more than six years old. The little girl held her doll tightly to her chest and climbed onto the couch, taking her place on her mother's lap. The little boy, on the other hand, ran in circles around the room, playing with his model airplane he must've finished recently. Their mother and father looked at each other with looks so happy and proud that I had to turn away before I burst into tears.

They were so lucky to have that happiness. My happiness seemed to have abandoned me a while back. Had it left the moment my father had disappeared from my memories? Or had it been my first year in junior high, where I'd known little to no people and had had no friends? To be honest, I couldn't remember a time when I'd been truly happy, aside from my arrival in Sylvarant.

I left the cozy home behind me and continued walking; stopping only a few times to look into the windows I passed. I saw happy families and friends every time I looked, and it grew to be so painful that I barely stand it.

"Why can't I be that lucky?" I whispered to the nearest window, watching a large family sit down for Thanksgiving dinner. "I barely even know my own family…"

I sighed, stepped away from the window, and continued walking down the street. Then, out of nowhere, I saw a building with a door. I rushed towards it, but I began hearing a voice.

"…ella, it's time for dinner! Come inside before it gets cold!"

I froze in mid-step. That voice…not again. Not here. I never wanted to hear that voice again!

"Okay, mom!"

A small silhouette dashed past me, running for the door, but stopped and turned around. I bit my lip until I couldn't stand it.

Standing in front of me, not ten feet away, was none other than a ghostly me as a child. I knew it was me. I was wearing a short denim dress I remembered easily. It had been my favorite thing to wear when I was six.

"Who are you?" the younger me asked.

"I…I…you are…"

"My name's Ariella. What's yours?"

"Ariella! Come inside this instant!"

My head snapped up in a heartbeat, bringing my attention to a ghost that resembled my mother, who stood in the doorway with a stern look on her face. Her brown hair tumbled around her neck and shoulders in large curls, and her eyes were deep brown like mine, but she was…different from my mom on Earth.

"Coming, mom!" the younger me called. She turned back to me and smiled. "You wanna come in? Is it okay if my friend stays for dinner, mommy?"

"I don't see why not, Ariella, but let's ask her first." My mother looked up at me and smiled. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

I don't know why I did what I did, but when you see something like this, you do the first thing that comes to your mind. I didn't go in, speak, or even stay in the same place.

I ran in the opposite direction.

But as soon as I took that first step away, the house my younger self and mother were in front of shattered like a broken window. But the shattering didn't stop there. The building cracked and splintered apart, and soon the street was filled with fissures and cracks. And it was catching up fast. I couldn't run fast enough, but I was too scared to stop and accept it.

So I kept going until the road under my feet shattered and tumbled into the infinite darkness below, and as I fell with the shards of glass, I glimpsed the ghosts of me and my mother laughing as they fell, unfazed by the darkness surrounding them.

"Will you always be around to help me, mommy?" I heard my younger self ask.

"Of course," my mother said happily, taking my younger self's hand. "I'll always be there for you."

And together, they disappeared from the darkness, leaving me alone. I sighed sadly and looked into the darkness I was still plummeting into.

"Bull," I whispered.

I jolted awake in a split second and sat upright, pressing my hand over my heart as it hammered away in my chest. If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought I was having heart palpitations. I couldn't breathe in the small inn room, my head was a mass of fuzz and fog, and I was having a bit of trouble keeping my eyes focused.

But when all that cleared, I got up from the bed as quietly as possible, grabbed my shoes and crept as quietly as I could from the room. The floor, thank goodness, was well made, and barely squeaked while I walked and hyperventilated at the same time.

Once I was outside, I walked down to the beach and sat on one of the wooden posts by the dock. The water lapped playfully at my toes, and I couldn't help but smile. It reminded me of a trip not too long ago to Duluth, MN, to see my aunt in her small cabin in Carlton. Anyway, we'd spent the day at Canal Park with her and my other aunt, and it had been like a trip into my childhood. I'd fed the seagulls there popcorn and Cheetos, and then I'd hopped along the rocks on the shore. The cold air had been relaxing and cool, just like fall in my hometown. Sitting there on the rocky beach in my jeans and sweater had been one of the most surreal moments in my life, which says quite a bit about my life; it's not very exciting.

I sighed and picked up two large stones off the beach and began some strength exercises I remember from playing the Wii Fit. Fun game, but it got boring really fast. Not to mention I couldn't even do a proper push-up without falling flat on my face. But I was slowly improving, and hopefully that would help me get stronger faster.

Training with Kratos had been getting easier and easier. I definitely felt exhausted most of the time, but since Lloyd joined us after leaving the Ossa Trail, Kratos' attention focused mostly on Lloyd. Nevertheless, the mercenary still trains me. As a bonus, my training allowed me to learn Mana Quake, my first Earth-based attack. Hooray for me!

I stopped doing rhythmic boxing and started some yoga, but I found it hard to keep my balance in the soft sand. Shrugging it off, I kicked off my shoes and leggings and wadded ankle deep into the salty water. I felt seaweed slowly wrap around them, but it was okay. I'd just clean it off later. It was better than washing off monster guts.

I spotted something hidden under the dock and grinned. It was a fishing pole. Oh snap! I love fishing! But was it okay to use something that was just sitting around? What if it was someone else's and they'd just gone home for a few minutes?

"Screw it," I muttered, snatching the pole off the wet sand. It was really simple and extremely old fashioned, but what had I been expecting? One of those super awesome fishing poles with a built in radar? Nah. This was good enough for me.

I retied the hook and baited it with a small piece of meat from a nearby pot, then cast it out into the foggy sea. I tugged the line a little, making sure I hadn't hooked a boat, then got comfortable. Fishing takes patience, and I have plenty of that when it comes to this sport. Once, I'd caught a bunch of sunnies in an hour, and I had only been ten years old! My uncle had ended up catching one of those fishes with the spiky bone fins, and it had stabbed him multiple times. Ah, the old days of my childhood…

I fished until the sun rose a little bit above the horizon, and by then I was muttering, "Here, fishy, fishy, fishy…" in a menacing tone. A normal action, I assure you. I tend to do this a lot.

Suddenly, after another half and hour of re-baiting and re-casting, I finally caught something. I was reeling in the line as fast as I could (without breaking said line) when Lloyd came up next to me, grinning.

"You like fishing, Ari?" Lloyd asked.

"Yeah!" I said through gritted teeth. "I love it! Just hold on a second! Let me reel this thing in…"

I turned my attention back to my fish and yanked one last time. My catch surfaced with a splash and landed in the bucket in front of me while I toppled backwards onto Lloyd. I stuck the fishing rod into the ground and lurched forward, kneeling happily over my catch.

Then my face fell.

"Oh…oh my god…"

"What?" Lloyd asked, leaning over the bucket. "What did you catch?"

"Oh…nothing," I said uneasily.

For all you readers out there who've never seen Bill Engvall, please take the time to go look up "Bill Engvall Fish" on Youtube or something. For those of you who've seen it, I'm guessing you know very well that I've just caught a…a…

"A Dorkfish," I said quietly, forcing back a laugh. "It's here too...?"

I grinned and poked the fish several times, enjoying my memories of the watching the Blue Collar Comedy Tour on Comedy Central. I'd watched it with my mom, but she'd been doing something else. I had been enjoying it to the max, but whenever I'd laughed, she'd ask what had just happened. Then I'd have to pause it to explain it to her, and…well, you get the idea.

"Ama Dorkfe-ish!" a voice from the bucket shouted.

I burst out laughing and slapped a hand to my head, unable to keep my composure any longer.

"Hey, this sure ain' the oce'n! Wha'm I doin' 'ere?" it asked me. I shook my head.

"Sorry about that. I caught you," I said with a wave of my hand. It stared at me with crossed eyes and flicked its tail.

"Y'all gone 'n caught me ona h'tdawg!"

"Hot dog? Oh, my god," I muttered, "Bill was right!"

"R' yoo gon'a eat meh?" it asked.

I shook my head.

"No. I'll let you go back now. Sorry about catching you."

I picked the bucket up and set it in the water, then watched the Dorkfish swim back out into the ocean. Ah, what a story that would make. That is, if anyone would believe me back on Earth.

"What the hell was that?!" Lloyd shouted, still in shock. "I've never seen that before!"

"It's called a Dorkfish. Or, that's what I call it. I mean, did you hear the way it was talking?"

"Yeah…that was pretty weird, but how'd you catch it? What bait?" Lloyd asked.

I tapped my cheek, then crouched over the small pot of bait near the bucket. "I used this stuff. Do you know what it is? The fish said it was a hot dog."

He leaned over it and sniffed it, then grimaced. "It's pork, but it's off. It smells bad."

I sniffed it, then grimaced and scooted backwards. "That is absolutely rank!" Yep, that's hot dog, but it was rotting.

"Hey Genis! Get over here and smell this!" Lloyd shouted.

I did an inner face plant. Oh my god, now I was thinking about Jeff Foxworthy's 'Courtesy Sniff' jokes. Ah, men and their predictability. I rubbed my nose, trying to get rid of the foul odor as Genis trudged across the beach, looking suspicious of Lloyd.

"What do you want, Lloyd?" he asked briskly. "Our boat is here. We have to go."

"Genis, smell this!" Lloyd said, shoving the pot in his friend's direction. Genis took one whiff, froze, and stumbled backwards, covering his nose with both hands.

"Jeez, Lloyd, that is so rancid! Where did you find it?!"

"Ari said she found it under the dock with a bunch of fishing supplies. It smells like rotting pork, doesn't it?!"

"What's going on, everyone?"

We turned to see Colette walking towards us, smiling brightly. Oh no...not her too, Lloyd.

"Ari found this stuff under the dock," Lloyd said. "She even caught a fish with it!"

"Colette, don't smell it!" Genis said, still covering his nose. "It's absolutely horrible!"

"Really?" Colette asked, looking confused. I nodded as I stood up and brushed off my backside.

"Seriously, Colette, I wouldn't advise it. It's rank."

"I'm sure it's not that bad," she said, taking the pot from Lloyd.

One whiff, and her eyes were watering.

"Wow!" she said, blinking several times. "That's…really smelly!"

I bit my lip, trying not to laugh, and distracted myself with the 'courtesy sniff' standings.

"Now let's see the score so far. Lloyd owes Genis and Colette one courtesy sniff, and I owe Lloyd one sniff. I believe that's right."

"Courtesy sniff?" Genis asked.

"It's a thing I saw once between a bunch of guys. When Man A shows Man B and C something that smells horrible, Man B and C must top Man A's smell. Which means B and C must find something that smells far worse than what A showed them. Make sense?"

"Does that mean Raine owes up a bunch of them?" Lloyd asked.

"No," I said. "It's mostly between men, but women can be involved as long as they know they are owed or owe a sniff."

"Oh, I get it," Genis said with a devilish grin. "So all I have to do is find something that smells worse than rotting pork…easy." He snapped his fingers.

"Oh, Lloyd, you are in for it now," I said with a grin.

Everyone laughed at my joke, and then we headed for the docks. My legs were covered in goosebumps now from the cold water, and I was about to ask Raine for my leg warmers when I realized something. I'd left them back in the Triet Inn. Oh crap…well, best not to dwell on past mistakes. But those would've come in real handy on the ocean, where it's windy and cold. Phooey…I'll have to customize a new pair in Palmacosta.

I helped Colette aboard the ship and headed to the prow, running my hands over the beautiful craftsmanship. It definitely wasn't an ordinary fishing boat. Was it even a fishing boat at all? It was more like a big cargo ship. The entire hull of the ship was filled with boxes and bags. It smelled like fish, too. Eww.

"Hey Raine, who owns this ship?" I called to her. She was clinging to the main mast like a wrench to a screw.

"A m-merchant f-f-family from P-Palmacosta owns-s it," she stammered. I sprinted over to her and put a hand on her arm.

"Raine, do you get motion sickness?"

"A little," she muttered, loosening her grip on the mast.

"I get it too," I said with a grin. "I get really sick when I do."

"Small world," she replied, giving me a shaky smile. I smiled back and headed up towards the prow again, but this time Lloyd, Genis, and Colette were there, smiling at the horizon. Their eyes were full of determination, and it made me smile. They were gearing up for huge adventure, and they didn't even know the half of it. Were they ready for the hardships ahead? Would we survive the Seals, as well as the Tower of Salvation?

The answer to that silly question is, of course, one big fat HELL YEAH!!

And so, with eyes blazing with strength and resolve, we set sail, setting our sights on the far horizon, heading for Palmacosta, Governor General Dorr, Magnius, and the next seal.

Now if only I could remember the order of events to come…heh heh…

So, this chapter kind of ended up as a kind of happy nonsense chapter. I hope you didn't mind the dorkfish thing, but I had to stick that in there. After all, the dorkfish obviously fell through a rip in the dimensional wall and dropped into the California desert (or wherever that was). That's the only possible answer.

Okay, now for the details of the chapter

1. The song from my dream is called The Heart of Reiki by Andreas Mock. It's album is Merlin's Magic Healing Harmony. You can find it on Imeem, so check it out if you have the time. It's really soothing. You can click the link from my profile. Vote in the pole, while you're at it.

2. Deadpan Snarker: Usually one who is 'rude to no end' or very sarcastic.

3. Lethal Chef: This is too obvious to describe...

4. The Dorkfish. The Courtesy Sniff. Go watch the clips on Youtube. 'nuff said.

I think that's everything. Have a great day/night! I hope to update within a week or two, if school allows it!