And now for the next chapter. I will say this now: I don't own Mai. You will find out who she is in this chapter. It will be in Keira's POV again…

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any Tales game or their characters.

CLAIMER: However, I do own my OC's and story twists.

Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism.

Chapter 8: Fire

"All war is deception."

-Sun Tzu

All I could do was run. Run far away from the dark shadow that was chasing me. I screamed for help; but no one came. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I continued to call for help. It seemed as though all hope had been lost. The shadow that was going to catch me. There was nothing I could do. Suddenly, a figure appeared before me. I gazed up at it in surprise. It was a man. I could not see his face; his back was turned to me. But what I could see was a dark purple cloak and short, spiked auburn colored hair. I opened my mouth to call to him, but my voice never came. I moved my legs and tried to run to him, but I was frozen in one spot. Suddenly, he turned to me, and approached me. He stopped, and wrapped his arms around me protectively, before creating a blue flash. I looked up at his face, and was surprised to see that it was Kratos…

My eyes opened. A nearly white ceiling hung above me. I slowly sat up, and glanced around the room. It resembled the bedroom that belonged to the Inn. Sunlight poured into the room through the window. "I see that you're awake." A deep voice said. I looked at the table, and found Kratos tying his sword to his left hip.

It was odd, talking to the man who was just in my dream. I was a little embarrassed, "Uh…yeah."

"Did you sleep well?" he asked. He was a little more chatty than normal.

I nodded; I knew that he could see me, seeing as his head was turned slightly towards me, "M-hm."

"Good," The redhead said as he prepared to leave the room, "Hurry up. We need to leave immediately." I nodded in agreement and rolled out of bed. I paused to unfold my wings. They flapped, and glimmered in the morning sun. Why do I have them now? I wondered as I hid them once more. I gathered my things, which were on the wooden table, and then followed the redheaded mercenary down the stairs. We found Colette, Lloyd, Genis, and Raine waiting for us in the lobby.

"'Bout time you two got up." The brunette said from a nearby table.

Raine walked up to me, a soft smile on her face, "How are you feeling, Keira?"

"Fine." I replied.

She sighed, "That's a relief."

I hesitated, "So what happened after I passed out?"

"Kratos finished Botta off, and then we escaped from the base," Lloyd said excitedly. Lucky for him, there was no-one else but the half-asleep human woman behind the counter nearby. Raine turned around and whacked the side of his head with her fist. "OW! Why'd you hit me!?" he whined.

She glared at him, "Shut it!" she leaned in, and whispered something only he could hear. He huffed and stroked his sore cranium.

"Is everyone ready to leave?" Kratos asked in a bored tone.

Colette nodded, "Yes, Mr. Aurion."

"We've already gone shopping to replace some of the lost supplies, too." Genis added excitedly.

He nodded, "Alright then, let's go." He turned and left through the door. Colette, Genis, Raine, Lloyd, and I all filed out of the Inn one-by-one. The mercenary led us to the entrance of Triet, and after ensuring that we were all ready, we left the town…

The sand whirled around us as we made our way to the first seal. A small group of bandits attacked us. I managed to hold them off, but found it difficult to actually take their lives. Lloyd stayed nearby to fend them off when they drew near to Colette, Raine, Genis, and me. Kratos charged in and began slicing and hacking at the enemy, while Genis used magic to back him up. We managed to defend the Chosen, and then continue on our journey. Shortly after defeating the small group of bandits, another giant worm attacked us; it must have been attracted by the scent of the fallen men's blood. Kratos and Lloyd made quick work of the beast, so that we could continue on our way. Hours seem to fly by as we battled our way past hungry monsters and bloodthirsty bandits, before finally arriving in a clear zone. There, I saw a small group of old stone pillars, and one pedestal in the center.

"The Triet Ruins." Raine announced. I could see a strange spark in her eyes. She ran ahead and stopped in front of the pedestal. She began running her hands along pedestal, examining it. There was a small hole on the cobblestone ground, but it was sealed off.

Colette glanced over Raine's shoulder curiously, "Is this is the seal? It has my family's crest on it."

"Fantastic!" the white-haired woman shouted suddenly, causing me to jump a little. Everyone looked at her, wondering the same exact thing. She gestured to the slab that blocked our way inside of the hole, "Look at this slab covering the entrance! It's clearly of a different composition than the surrounding stone," she paused, and then giggled excitedly, "It's just as I thought!" She dropped to her knees and began lovingly stroking the stone around the slab, starring at it as if it were the Holy Grail, "This is polycarbonate, developed during the Ancient War to defend against magic. Oh, feel the smooth surface; it wonderful!" She sang merrily.

Everyone, including Kratos, was looking at her strangely. Is poly-what'cha-call-it even a word? Mai asked. No idea. I replied silently. The redhead was the first to speak, "Is she always like this?" Genis merely gazed at his feet. Raine moved away from the slab and began examining the pedestal.

"Is she?" Lloyd asked his friend, curious to understand his teacher's strange behavior.

The white-haired boy sighed, his face red with embarrassment, "I've been trying so hard to hide it, too…"

"Hmm?" Raine's voice caught our attention, "This depression reads 'oracle stone'…Colette, place your hand here. That should reveal the entrance."

The blonde nodded, and did as she was told. As soon as she did so, the slab pulled away, revealing an old, stone stairway. "It opened!" Colette cried, "Wow…I really am the Chosen after all!"

"Yes," Genis drawled, "I think we all know that already." He sounded a little annoyed.

Lloyd cheered, "This is getting exciting! Let's hurry up and go inside!" I could see the fire burning in his eyes.

"I hope you'll be able to maintain that enthusiasm." Kratos muttered. The brunette barely even noticed. Raine took the lead and began making her way down the steps. Lloyd, Colette, and Genis soon followed.

I hesitated, mostly so I could ask the question that had been bothering me for some time, "Are there zombies in there?" I asked.

Kratos began making his way downwards, "Probably."

"Goodie." I mumbled sarcastically, and followed the redhead inside. Resident Evil crossed with Indiana Jones , here I come…

The inside of the Triet Ruins was the same as Martel's Temple. The first corridor we came upon was dark and mostly made of old stone. However, it was not cool. It was very warm. I guessed that that had something to do with the desert outside. Candles lit our way, which was a little surprising, considering that there should not have been anyone to light them. There was a pungent odor in the air, and it made me slightly uneasy. I silently followed the others, looking for any sign of an enemy. A shriek caused me to jump, and my heart's pace to quicken. I cried out and looked at Genis, who scurried behind Raine, cowering because of something. Kratos caught the hilt of his sword, while Lloyd unsheathed his dual blades, ready for what was to come. Colette looked around in a confused daze.

"What is it?" the white-haired woman asked her brother.

Genis gestured towards the floor, "T-that!"

She looked down at it, and sighed. I followed her gaze, and yelped when I saw it. There was a rotting corpse lying on the ground. Its flesh was slowly disintegrating, revealing the remains of dead organs and the skeleton within the dying flesh. I could see some of the armor that they once wore, torn to shreds. A rusted, bloodied sword lay beside the corpse, still within the skeletal hands' grip.

"That must have been one of the former Chosen' guardians," Raine mused, "Looks like he didn't survive the trip."

Lloyd looked at her curiously, "How can you tell?"

I looked at him strangely, disgust and fright both still in my face, "Well, he's dead isn't he?"

"No, I didn't mean that," the brunette replied in an annoyed tone, "I wanted know how she knew that he was a guardian." He sheathed his blades as he spoke.

Raine looked at him, as if she were becoming annoyed, "Do you ever pay attention in class? I told you a few weeks ago that only the Chosen and their guardians can enter the temples. If this man's corpse is here, then obviously he was a guardian," she turned her gaze on the body, "and from the looks of it, he was the guardian to the Chosen before Colette." Seeing the corpse was a quick reminder of what lay within the temples. I was not eager to meet whatever had killed the man.

"We need to remain cautious." Kratos warned. No kidding. Mai replied. Just try not to die, okay Keira? I nodded. I'll try not to. There was a chuckle in the back of my mind. But with the 'handsome' Kratos here, I doubt any harm will come to you. I narrowed my eyes some. Haha, very funny. The group began moving forward, determined to unlock the seal and then leave as soon as possible. Everything was quiet. There had not been an enemy, or living thing for that matter, in sight. That changed when a low groan caught our attention. I jerked around to face whoever it was, and found Kratos already unsheathing his sword. He turned around and decapitated a human form's head. It fell to the ground. I stared at it for a second, trying to determine what it was. Then I realized that it was the deceased guardian. Whoever it was rose from the dead in an attempt to attack us. Oh yeah, that's real loyal to the cause. Mai muttered, sounding slightly annoyed. It's a zombie, Mai. His brain is deteriorating. I reminded her. I felt sorry for the man, but technically it was his body we were insulting, not him. His soul had already passed on, so I was making fun of the empty shell he left behind. It would be a different story if the soul, the actual person, was still in the body.

After that short skirmish, we continued on down the hallway. We soon came to a fork. Colette closed her eyes, and stood near the fork. There was a strange echo in one direction. I closed my eyes as well. If one closes their eyes, their hearing should improve. Or at least mine would. The echo continued to dance from wall to wall. I listened closely; it reminded me of a heartbeat. There was something, alive, waiting for us inside of this temple. I could also sense some strange force accompanying the sound. Uh, Keira, I think now would be a good time to learn how to summon me. Mai said, sounding a little nervous.

Summon you? What are you talking about? Aren't you supposed to be my conscience? I asked, feeling a little confused.

No. I'm not. Jeez, I thought you would've figured that out by now! Do you honestly not remember the last time we met?

No.

She sighed. Your memory is atrocious. Well, when we get to the seal, you'll find out exactly who I am, okay?

Fine by me. I want to make sure that I'm not going insane and inventing voices in my head, anyway. I thought, pleased with the thought of ensuring that my sanity has maintained itself over the years. "That way." Colette said, pointing in a random direction.

"What makes you think we that?" Lloyd asked.

She shrugged, "Dunno. But we're supposed to go to the left."

"Fine by me." the brunette said as he took off in the left direction. Colette chased after him, with Genis behind the two.

Raine glared at them, "Don't run around-THIS IS NOT A PLAYGROUND!!!" She raged as she took chase. I rolled my eyes. Was I this stupid as a teenager?

Yes.

Shut-up. I thought, deciding that Mai was beginning to get on my nerves. Kratos sighed and walked beside me, glancing around every now and then. It was not long before we caught up to the young teens. Lloyd stopped in front of a door, and smiled in amazement by whatever was inside. "Wow!"

"What?" the white-haired boy asked as he approached his friend. Colette followed, and ended up tripping over herself. There was a barricade made of old rubble and debris in the hallway, and the Chosen managed to hit her head on a rock. She was not knocked unconscious, but she did loosen one of the rocks. The entire barricade shifted dangerously. We held our breaths, but it never fell. I sighed in relief. The Chosen has been cursed with a shitty equilibrium. Great. Mai sighed; if she were real, I was sure that she would be shaking her head in disappointment. Watch your language. I scolded. Get over yourself. She replied. I did not respond.

"You okay Colette?" Lloyd asked curiously as he aided his friend in standing.

She nodded, "Uh-huh. I'm fine." She assured him.

He approached the barricade, and examined it, "Man, if you'd knocked that rock loose, the entire thing would've fallen down," He then shook his head, "Nah, I bet that'd happen if you hit this one," He pointed at a different rock, "The rock you hit is too sturdy." He reeled his leg back and kicked it, "See?"

Suddenly, the barricade began to tremble violently as the rock fell from the others. I knew what was about to occur. The rubble and debris began to fall, and I was in their path. Something wrapped around my waist and jerked me away from the descending boulders, while cries filled the hallway. I closed my eyes and embraced whoever had saved me, and waited for the excitement to cease. Once everything calmed, I opened my eyes. A wall of fallen rubble stood before me.

"Are you hurt?" a deep voice asked. I turned around and found Kratos, with his arms around my waist.

I blushed and stepped away, "Nope. Perfectly fine," I looked back at the rocks, "Answer me if your not dead!" I shouted at the rocks once I established that the others were nowhere in sight.

"I'm fine." Genis's voice whined from the other side.

"I have a little bump on the head, but it's nothing serious." Colette called back.

"LLOYD YOU IDIOT!" there was a loud thump, "NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!!!" The voice sounded like Raines'.

"OW! I'm sorry Professor!" the brunette whined.

I hate Lloyd right now. I really do. Mai growled. "Are you alright?" Raine called from the other side.

"Never better." I replied.

"I am unharmed." Kratos said.

There was an audible sigh, "Okay. We might have to find a way around. If we try to tear the barricade down, who knows what'll happen? Keira. Kratos. Try to go to the right and see if there's a door. If there is, then try to meet us in the next room. I managed to get a good look inside before Lloyd knocked the rubble down. We will be able to meet in there. Okay?"

"Understood," Kratos replied. He looked down at me, "Come." I nodded and ran after the redheaded man. We circled the corridor all the way to the right door, and found there was one. We quickly entered the next room. I was amazed by what I saw. The room was humungous. Platforms hovered in the air, while other platforms could only be accessed by a set of stairs. The ground was broken into stone bridges, and that was the only thing keeping us from sinking into the molted lava below. It bubbled, waiting for someone to slip into its fiery dephs. I could see a few burned out torches here and there. It was darkened, and the lava was our only source of light.

Kratos entered the room with me following closely behind. He stopped and glanced around. "There must be some kind of magic holding those platforms up." He muttered.

"But what?" I asked.

He shook his head, "I am unsure as of yet."

"Hey!" a female voice called. We both turned to the source, and found Raine waving at us from across the room. Beside her stood Lloyd, Colette, and Genis. I waved back. Kratos walked towards the nearest torch and examined it. Raine mimicked his actions and examined the torch on their side. I glanced around the room, and soon realized that reaching them would be a difficult task.

"Keira." The redhead called.

I approached him, "Hm?"

"Use a fire spell to light the torch." He ordered. I nodded and held my hand out to it. I'm opposed to fire magic, so this is going to be difficult for you. Your elements are water, ice, and the moon. But you can still cast fire spells. Remember, heated, angry energy and the spell will do the rest. Mai said quickly. I closed my eyes, and waited as the heated energy began to spill forth.

My mouth opened as the words appeared, "Fireball!" A small orb made of flame shot from my hand as I spout the incantation, and landed inside of the torch. As it lit, a set of stairs appeared, leading to one of the many platforms.

"It's just as I thought," Kratos muttered, "We'll have to decipher the puzzle in order to meet on the main platform," He gestured to it. There was a large platform protruding from the lava. It was the largest in the room, and I could see a strange, glowing purple symbol etched into it. There was also something that reminded me of the teleporter we used in Martel's Temple. "Did you hear me?" he shouted at Raine.

"Yes!" she turned to Colette, and began saying something to her. The girl nodded and held out her hand. A flame shot from it and into the torch. Our mission was to solve the puzzle, and then rejoin with the others. I thought that it would be easy, but I soon found that it would be much harder. A horde of enemies began pouring from a door nearby. Moat of which were zombies.

Kratos narrowed his eyes as he unsheathed his sword, "Focus on lighting the torches and solving the puzzle. I will handle them!" He charged at the horde and began slashing at them with his blade. "Sonic Thrust!" he chanted. His sword began to glow pure white as he released an ivory bolt that sliced through the horde, "Demon Fang!" the same attack that Lloyd made use of shot from his blade and chopped the head of one zombie in half. I quickly ran past them and on to the next torch. "Guardian!" a translucent force field encircled Kratos, and tore at the zombies, flinging some of them into the lava. I lit the next torch with my meager arsenal of fire spells, and then headed on to the next. The others appeared to be having the same amount of trouble. Lloyd was hacking and slashing at a horde of zombies, while Genis burned them with his stronger fire spells. Raine was followed Colette around, helping her with any and all enemies that attacked her. "Double Demon Fang!" Two ivory lightning bolts shot from his sword and ripped apart a small handful of zombies. They were never-ending. More and more would pour into the room. It was both Resident Evil and Indiana Jones all over again, just as I predicted. "Sonic Thrust!" I continued evading the zombies at all cost, and lighting the torches. Soon, both Colette and I lit the right torch, and we were given passage to the main platform.

I turned around, "Kratos, c'mon!"

"Guardian!" he shouted, sending another group flying. He sprinted after me, caught my arm, and then drug me up the stairs. The others joined us there. We quickly leapt onto the teleporter, and allowed it to take us away. I was relieved when we entered a smaller, zombie free room. It was a little dark. Intricate designs on the walls, and glowing symbols added a little flare to the appearance. There was an alter in the center of the room.

"This place was also built with magitechnology," Raine smiled as she looked around, "Absolutely fantastic!"

As we approached the alter, glowing red fireflies rose from the alter. The heartbeat was louder than before. It was all around us. The room heated considerably. I could sense the energy as it was enraged, and flared around us. Something was coming. And it was not very friendly. Get ready! Mai said, sounding determined.

Genis cried out in surprise, "What is this?" Lava shot from out of the alter, and poured onto the floor. Both Lloyd and Kratos unsheathed their blades, while Genis, Colette, and Raine ran to the back of the room. I pulled out my fan, ready for what was to come. The lava slowly mutated into a new form, and then changed into a solid being. The creature before us was a giant saber tooth tiger. Its body appeared to be dark orange, with black strips. Fire engulfed its sides and legs, and shot from its mouth when it breathed. Its eyes were the color of hot magma. Blue and purple horns jutted out of its flesh. The cat roared, and then opened its mouth. A torrent of fire shot from its jaws and flew at Kratos and Lloyd.

"Guardian!" the redhead called, creating a force field to guard himself and the teenager beside him. The shot bounded off his barrier and hit the wall, creating a deep crater. He immediately charged at the lion, and leapt into the air, "Tiger Blade!" he flipped around as his body began to glow as white as snow, and then descended upon the beast. A deep gash appeared on its shoulder blade, allowing magma to pour from the wound.

"Sonic Thrust!" Lloyd cried as he lunged at the feline. His glowing blades impaled the beast one after the other.

Kratos parried an attack with its claws, and then turned towards us, "Genis! Can you use ice magic?"

"Not yet!" the boy called back. The redhead turned away and sliced the monster's paw opened. It roared with pain and lunged at him, bent on revenge. It fangs would have sunk into his flesh had he not dodged the attack and landed on its back. He impaled it with his sword again, and then chanted "Demon Fang!" the monster screamed in agony.

"Sword Rain!" a flurry of slashes soon followed after Lloyd chanted the words. The creature roared, and created another beam of fire. The beam shot past the two males and straight at us. Raine leapt in front of Colette and her brother, determined to protect both her and Genis. I stood there, frozen with fear as the fatal attack the approached us. Do you need me? Or are you prepared to die? Mai asked in a serious tone.

I don't want to die! Not yet, at least. But what can you do to help me? I asked.

I will help you, as long as you keep your promise to me. Do you remember it?

I thought about it, deciding to listen to the voice in my head. The promise I made? I searched my memories, waiting for an answer. Then, it came to me. To Regenerate the worlds! I remember now. But Mai…how do you…?

Good. As long as you keep this promise, I will remain loyal to you. Now, call on me, and I shall aid both you and your companions!

A surge of cold energy filled me. I pressed my hand to my forehead as strange words formed in my mind. "Disciple of everlasting ice that turns translucent, by right as the pact maker I command thee. Come forth, Celsius!" Everything went numb. I could no longer feel my own body. A flurry of snow flakes and blue light engulfed me. A silver hand appeared before me, and created a barrier made of ice. The beam hit the barrier, and then vanished.

"Keira!" Raine gasped. My body moved of its own accord. It turned to face her.

"Sorry, but I'm not Keira. My name is Celsius, the Ice Spirit." A familiar voice replied. My body looked around, "Huh? Keira, where are you?" the voice asked.

I'm right here! I was surprised when I found that my voice echoed.

She blinked, "Keira? N-no way…" I watched as the silver hands trembled, "YOU IDIOT! YOU SCREWD UP THE SUMMON!" she raged, "I'm not really free, I just possessed your body!" Well sorry! It was my first time summoning you, alright!? I shouted back. She sighed, "No matter. I can still whoop this guy's ass either way." I gazed into the ice shield, and saw my reflection. I appeared to be a teenage girl. My hair was short, and spiked in an interesting style. It had become black with a dark blue hue. Ice blue irises gazed back at me. My skin was now silver. A golden band was wrapped around my neck, with two others around my wrists. Dark blue tattoos decorated my arms, shoulders, stomach, and legs. A white, sleeveless belly-shirt covered the top half of my torso; it was lined with gold. A golden belt was wrapped around my waist, and a long, dark blue skirt billowed around my legs. Tan, short boots acted as my footwear.

This is who I really am, the guardian spirit of Ice. My name is Celsius, and I made a pact with you when you were really little. It was during a snow storm, and I took pity on you. So I made a pact with you. Now, I'll just whip the floor with him and then let you take control, 'kay? Celsius explained.

Uh, sure, whatever. I replied, not entirely sure what to say. Celsius destroyed the ice barrier, and then grinned at the cat, "You wanna piece of me? Well then come and get it!" She lunged at it and created a small group of four sword, each made of frozen water. She thrusted her hands forward, and impaled the beast. The creature cried out and swiped at it with its claws. Celsius dodged the attack and delivered a powerful kick to its paw, creating a sickening crunching sound as her foot connected. "Sonic Thrust!" Kratos chanted as he sliced the beast's side open. "Sword Rain!" Lloyd added, creating a flurry of slashes.

Celsius cast two quick, yet powerful ice spells before landing on the ground, and kneeling down. "It's over!" she cried as she slammed her fist into the ground. Spikes made of translucent ice shot from the ground and impaled the tiger, holding it in place. Kratos and Lloyd leapt into the air, and then delivered three powerful attacks to its skull, tearing it apart. The creature screamed in anguish as it melted into a pool of lava, and then vanished completely. The room cooled to a comfortable temperature. Celsius sighed. It was good to get some exercise again. You can take over now… Feeling returned to my body. I looked down at my hands, and found that they were a normal color. I sighed in relief and popped my back. We defeated the first seal…

End of this chapter. Yes, Mai was actually Celsius. Please review and I shall update soon…