Hikaru: If any of you readers know and like Kingdom Hearts, please, please, please check out my only story about it! Thank you!

--

Not long after the battle with the raptors, the Fire Monument loomed in the distance. And as Senel and his allies drew ever closer to the building, it steadily grew hotter. It wasn't long before even Tear was uncomfortable. Kratos, however, even dressed in long sleeves and pants, never complained once.

Sand grains floated on the slight winds, but instead of making it cooler, it only served to make it seem even warmer still. Senel wished Will were around to use Spread like he used to when they first were here.

Inside the monument, it was infinitely hotter than the outside. As they traveled through, Senel had to say something.

"Do either of you know any ice or water based spells? Because this heat is killing me."

This statement was painfully true, for Senel was in the front lines whenever a monster or two crossed their path in the monument. When one used his own body as a weapon, he was worn out and hot enough even in moderate climate. Here, it was murderous.

Kratos shook his head sheathing his sword after they'd done away with the fifth monster.

"No, I do not. However," he glanced at Tear, "I know that Tear knows a handy water spell. Don't you, Tear?"

Senel started, remembering one spell that Tear had used on him before. He smiled at Tear.

"Pretty please, with a cherry on top?"

Tear couldn't help but smile, too.

"All right . . ." Holding her staff, she began chanting.

"O purest water of life . . ."

Of course, in such a hot setting, invoking moisture and transforming it into water was much more difficult than if they were in a moderate climate. The wait was too long for Senel.

After what felt like an eternity, Tear cast the spell.

"Meditation!"

Senel never before gave much thought to plants, rooted in the earth, soaking in the sunlight, waiting patiently for the rains or their gardeners to water them. Now Senel was sure to care for his plants more attentively from now on.

For when Tear's spell gave him the kiss of life, Senel knew what it was like for a plant dying of thirst to finally be watered.

Rather unfortunately, the intense heat in the area sapped all the coldness the water had, and the air to Senel felt humid.

Senel gave Tear a hopeful glance.

Tear sighed, walking on ahead.

"No. We have to conserve what energy we have for serious situations."

Kratos followed the healer, and Senel walked on, still begging Tear to use the spell again.

"C'mon, Tear, please? Pretty pretty pretty please?"

"No, Senel. Let's go."

"Grr . . ."

"Don't argue, Senel. Making Tear waste energy will get us nowhere."

--

Chloe sheathed her sword, buckled on her armor, and equipped her accessories once more.

Will had reclaimed his hammer of doom, and Moses was quite happy to see his lances unharmed. In the corner, Giet was gnawing on a bone, left over from Nerifes knew what.

Not too far from where Will and Giet had taken out the Radiant guards, Chloe and Co. had discovered a chamber where all the equipment had been stored.

What worried Chloe the most was the fact that Grune's urn and Norma's straw were here as well, yet they failed to locate the actual people.

"Raynard," Chloe approached Will as he tied on his crystal eren robe, "where do you suppose Norma and Grune are? I'm worried."

Will attached a Field of Effects charm on his belt, slipping an emerald ring.

"Well, my guess would be in the event of cases like these, where their prisoners escaped, they separated us in the dungeon to slow us down."

Silence.

Moses was curled up in the corner with Giet. The lancer's lips were pulled into a prominent frown, and even Giet looked sad.

Will clenched his hands into fists.

"Dammit! They separated the stronger from the more vulnerable! Norma and Grune have their crystal eres, but what use will they be if they have nobody to protect them?"

Chloe was silent. She had nothing of comfort to say, for what Will said was true. Instead, she walked over to Grune's urn, picked it up. It was heavy, and made of strong material. Well, it had to be, since Chloe did see Grune hit a monster or two with it if they got too close during battle . . .

The sides of the urn were engraved with mysterious runes that Chloe didn't know. The characters didn't look like Relares. Even though Chloe was not a Radiant or in any way affliated with them aside from her current situation, Chloe knew to recognize Relares from the various writings all over the Legacy. Chloe sighed. Written words speak. But there was no possible way to find Grune and Norma by looking at the writing on Grune's urn. Even if Chloe knew the language, it couldn't tell her where to find her missing comrades.

She sighed, bending down to put Grune's urn down. Something rattled inside it as it moved. Chloe quirked an eyebrow. Curious, she peered inside the urn. It was small, but it was there--a beautiful crystal, shining a light blue and shimmering in the light. Chloe reached for the item. It was cool to the touch. She pulled it out of the urn--stopped. Chloe tried pulling her hand. Horrified, she realized what had happened.

"Oh . . . my hand is stuck!"

--

Jay didn't live among the Oresoren for six years and learn nothing. Since the Oresoren were in fact a deviated species from normal otters, they did swim, and often.

When Walter had gone, Jay was amazed the Radiant didn't think to look in the water. Jumping over Walter and knocking him down was merely a distraction for the Radiant while Jay made for the water. Manipulation of magical energy was a wondrous thing, as Jay had realized so long ago. He had eluded Walter with the help of his sacred eres; for when he jumped into the lake the Mirage Palace was submerged in, he manipulated the water to make no sound.

Granted, of course Jay could never hope to achieve the Radiant's level of power over the water, nonetheless the sacred eres from the Quiet Nerifes served him well enough.

Walter was gone. He never went back inside the palace. Instead he invoked his black teriques and flew off, presumably to the Quiet Lands. In the water, Jay couldn't help but smirk. The only other way to the Quiet Lands was to use the lighthouse in Werites Beacon. Flying to such a faraway place was undoubtedly faster than going on foot, yet if Jay moved quickly, he could reach the Quiet Lands faster via the tram.

Smirk still plastered on his face, Jay climbed out of the water, heading for the way out.

Going down was somehow harder than going up. Although Jay knew all the teleportation pathways, and escaped monsters well enough, he didn't seem to be moving fast enough for his own liking. Walter may like his wings, but using the ducts might not be below him. Good thing Jay accessed the duct system via the last Puzzle Booth and twisted all the pathways of every single duct existing on the Legacy. Such a massive, simultaneous path-twisting would create a very large, very difficult Puzzle Booth; Jay doubted even Puzzle Guru Senel could handle it.

Jay splashed seawater as he ran across the smooth pathways and corridors of the palace, making his way to the place where the tram rested.

In the final floor before the tram station, Jay stopped to rest. He'd been running nonstop. Panting, he sat on a small set of smooth, circular stairs, graced with a small stream of water running down.

In a place so full of water and moisture, the air was cool, and with so much water around, salt and fresh alike, he never had to worry about dehydration. He fished out of his pocket a small lunch box. Jay was glad he made it waterproof. He munched on his apple pastries. The Mirage Palace was truly a beautiful and peaceful place. It was too bad that the rift between the Orerines and Radiant rendered this place a battleground.

A battleground that Jay and his comrades had lost . . .

How could they have lost? Jay had planned everything perfectly. He had even accounted for Walter's enhanced strength and abilities due to the Raging Nerifes's power. Was it the new crystal eres of Walter that Jay hadn't foreseen?

Jay took in a deep breath, loosened his tightly clenched fingers. The crumbs of what was left of the pastry fell from his hand.

Water splashed nearby.

Jay leapt to his feet, dagger out in an instant.

Standing on a few platforms above Jay was a galf. Unlike the other galves that Jay had faced so far, this one stood completely still. It also didn't look much like the commoner strains of galf. It strongly resembled the dark galves from the Chaotic Zones scattered throughout the Legacy, except it was darker, black as pitch. Its eyes glowed an ominous molten gold, but they didn't seem threatening.

Those eyes were focused on Jay.

Jay blinked, puzzled. Why was this galf, a wild animal, not attacking? The dark galves were much more vicious than their mild counterparts . . . save the grand galves. Jay's dagger glowed with a dark light once more.

The galf threw its head back, howling once.

Jay gasped. Something sparkled about the galf's neck--

The galf vanished, nothing more than a wispy, fleeting shadow.

Jay looked at his dagger.

The blade never lost is dark luster.

--

"Merines, I implore you, activate the Wings of Light so we may be done once and for all with the damned Orerines!"

Maurits's request was voiced with such passion that it echoed throughout the throne room. Walter had already gone. It seemed an eternity ago to Maurits, the glorious day when the Merines had finally awakened from her state of dormancy. Of course, those filthy Orerines had set foot on Ferines holy ground, intruded on a very important and sacred ceremony, and killed even more Ferines to get at the Merines, but it was all worth it. Now that the Merines had relcaimed her power, become one with Nerifes, the Ferines had the power to end the savage four thousand year reign of the Orerines!

Yet now that the Merines took her place upon the throne that would herald the salvation of the Ferines, time passed far too slowly for Maurits. He'd waited all his life for this one moment, ever since he first bestowed the Merines with her oh so fitting name: "One Who Prays."

So what was the Merines waiting for?

She took a deep breath, and for a moment Maurits saw in her eyes the will of Nerifes give way to the eyes of the shy girl she had been before--

No!

"I understand the will of Nerifes," she began, voice soft but full of power, "as well as the heinous crimes done to us at the hands of the Orerines."

Maurits before had not dared to question the Merines, their leader almighty and representative of Nerifes Herself.

Now he found himself speaking against her, his voice filled with rage.

"Then why do you hesitate to deliver the salvation of our people?"

She lifted her gaze, her eyes brimming with the power of Nerifes once more. Maurits in that instant wished he hadn't spoken; those eyes pierced him right through his very soul.

"I will take no further action until I have spoken with my brother."

Maurits was taken aback, all the rage drained from his voice.

"Your . . . brother."

She nodded.

"He at the very least deserves to know my resolve . . . and I wish to bid him farewell."

Maurits clamped his mouth shut. So, the Merines knew of Senel's wish to speak to her. He found the strength to speak.

"Why? He is an Orerines, and therefore cannot be trusted. Orerines have wronged you countless times before."

The most recent atrocity that should fuel the Merines's will to slaughter all Orerines was the fact that the Orerines used the Nerifes Cannon, using her and her sister! Not to mention the second firing and her use of her teriques to stop the cannon fire cost Stella her life. That was a true shame. Maurits had taken a liking to her--she was always so wise and helpful . . . and her teriques looked like the fiery gold wings of a pheonix, a being born of the stars.

So Maurits, as was his right as village chief, named her--Stella Telmes, "Guiding Star."

And that damned Orerines had deceived her and the Merines!

Not only that, but it was the fault of Senel that Stella was captured by the Crusand army in the first place--and he had kidnapped the Merines!

These crimes could not go unnoticed.

The Merines spoke.

"Though they have wronged me, three years of memories with my brother are not so easily thrown away. Though I am the Merines, agent of the will of Nerifes, the sea itself, I am an imperfect vessel, burdened with a soul and emotions. I am only an unworthy mortal. Rest assured that I will carry out my duty as Merines. But first I will have my peace."

At this Maurits could not help but smile wryly. He bowed to acknowledge the Merines.

"As you wish, Merines."

He turned, exiting the throne room. He knew just the thing to fully convince the Merines . . .

--

"Kratos."

They were resting in the antechamber before the deepest part of the monument, eating a lunch that Tear had made beforehand.

She also had cast a powerful spell to keep the intense heat at bay.

Kratos ate, occasionally taking a drink from his water canteen.

"What is it, Senel?"

Senel did eat, but as he did so, he couldn't help but think . . .

"Why are you helping me?"

It was all very strange, wasn't it? Though Senel was glad to have allies once more, they didn't state their motives, only vague answers that made little sense to Senel. What's more, they were immensely powerful, and Senel had to question their motives in helping him.

Kratos calmly took another bite of the beef stew Tear had made, swallowed.

"Is preventing the second cataclysm not reason enough?"

Senel's grip tightened on his spoon.

"Then why not help my comrades--" Senel stopped. Comrades? If that were so, why did they leave him with virtually nothing but a endless pit of despair? He regained his composure, continued.

"You're powerful enough, and Tear, too. They were already heading for the Mirage Palace to stop Shirley; if you knew Nerifes rejected me, then you must've known where they went!"

Indeed, these two never told him how they knew of Nerifes's rejecting Senel. He had thought before that he and the others were the only ones currently occupying the Quiet Lands.

Tear said nothing. Senel knew that many women tended to be emotional, but here, Tear looked nothing more than a statue, her face a mask. She didn't even appear to be affected at all by Senel's question.

Kratos took another bite of his stew.

Senel hated the way Kratos was stoic about anything and everything. It was so . . . inhuman.

"Senel. You are the only one who can stop the Merines. You are the only one with a ghost of a chance of persuading her from this second cataclysm."

"Why?" Senel pressed. "It's possible that the others could have done it!"

Kratos shook his head, the most emotion he'd shown ever since Senel first met him.

"The others had no mind to do anything to stop the cataclysm except to kill the Merines, the one you called 'sister' for three years."

Senel's jaw worked, nothing of speech forming. That was true, wasn't it? Senel had insisted on going to convince Shirley not to wipe out all humanity, yet the others had denied him, telling him that without any sacred eres, without any power, he could do nothing. They were most likely going to have to kill Shirley anyway, so why bother?

Why, indeed?

"So you know she's important to me." Senel said barely above a whisper.

"That's not all," Senel started; Kratos should not have heard, "since the Orerines and Ferines have lived on the same planet for four thousand years, this mindless slaughter of one against the other has to stop. They've fought for so long, they've forgotten why they started to fight, other than the simple fact that they are different. Preventing the Cataclysm with the Merines alive is key to the end of this bloody coexistence. If the leader of the Ferines is killed, it will be infinitely harder to meet diplomatically with the Ferines."

Senel had to admit, Kratos put up a good argument. The only thing that Senel did know about the Ferines-Orerines fued was that it had been going on for four thousand years--he did hear something about the Ferines waiting four thousand years for their Merines to appear and save them all.

He sighed, continued eating his lunch. There was no denying it--Kratos was right. He had no time for doubts; he had to do what he could to stop Shirley without needless bloodshed.

If completing Kratos's tests was the only way to do so, then so be it.

--

Hikaru: I do believe this story is flowing along quite nicely! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some sketches to attend to, a certain one-winged bonus boss to beat (who beat me thirty-three times so far . . . I kid thee not!), and to cry in my "powerfully invoked emotions from listening to beautiful music" corner. :P If you watched the Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix Secret Ending trailer, then I rest my case.