Oh. My. Goodness.

I cannot possibly explain how it feels to revisit fan once again. Its almost like, how do I put this….. it's like watching Tales of the Abyss all over again. Even the first season of Fairy Tail.

But it is official.

I'm back.

I apologize to all of you guys that it's taken me so long to update. Years. Dang. Most of it was me procrastinating, losing interest, dealing with personal issues *ahem*school*ahem*, but most frustratingly…. This MAJOR case of writers block. I would constantly pull out my stripey little notebook brimming with my ideas, flip through and say, "TODAY IS THE DAY." And I'd start typing away. Then distractions happened….. let's just say….

Ideas: Hahahaaa! Sucker! *flies out window*

But now I am back! I really am. And with balancing my schoolwork, web comic ideas, and start of a YouTube channel, I am being completely honest when I say I have absolutely NO CLUE when I will update or how frequently. I'll hope to have a new one up each week, but I'd say those are more of guidelines….

Anyways, let's begin with our trip to Auldrant, once again! Oh, this chapter might be a little short. I wanted to do an I'M BACK thing. I'll update next Friday if I can.

~S.T.G.G

It was exactly seventeen hours, fifteen minutes, and forty-two seconds until the traders were supposed to arrive. Dawn exactly. But with the shadows the dark clouds above were casting, and the turmoiling noises from within, I doubted they would make it one time. The stench of rain and thunder was thick in the air; the animals seemed to smell it too, since most of them had disappeared into their burrows in the ground or their dens, blockaded heavily with fallen trees which only they could get into. I peered to my right and narrowed my eyes at a liger in the clearing a little ways away from where I was hiding in the tree. It sniffed the grass a little bit where my foot was once, and then turned away with its nose sniffing the air, allowing me to relax my tense muscles and once again look down the trail.

As nice as it was in the woods, I never really cared much for the smell of trees.

Don't know why.

It might've been because I was raised around machines and the stank of death…. either way, it didn't matter. Even with the pitying glances from the kids at school, and the adults trying to wipe the grime off my face and make me into a good little boy, I didn't much care about it. My attitude and personality is just like the fire that fueled our mechanisms and smokers: fiery, temperamental, quick-spreading, and always, always, a lethal killer.

Just like my pop taught me.

I groaned inwardly and immediately flicked my wrist.

Oww! Stop it!

You're the one that's in my mind. I have the right to needlessly flick my wrists whenever I choose.

It's not like I have a choice, stupid. Your little thoughts about your 'fiery personality' and 'lethal killer' is starting to flame into my corner, so I suggest you scoot out before I douse it.

Stooping low, I swung a leg over the branch and let it hang there, then twisting my neck so I could still see through the gap in the trunk. Still nothing seemed to be climbing over the hill, so I slowly grabbed the hand scythes off my back by their handles, flipping them around incessantly.

You're going to get me killed.

Stop referring to us as me. It's getting irritating. I thought. He wouldn't shut up, and I really needed to concentrate. My right hand jolted and clenched into a fist.

It is me. Just because that stupid man we chose didn't fix us right, this is my body. I had it before you did.

My right hand slammed roughly down onto my knee and I moved my leg before it slammed down again, blinking as the rough bark scratched my skin off my hand.

Stop. We need both hands right now.

Then stop moving.

I woul- A sound of pebbles being kicked aside brought my attention back.

I looked up at the sky to get a good look at the sun, but it was blocked by the oncoming clouds. No-one should be arriving this early. The score said they'd be coming in…. sixteen hours or so. It was odd that someone be around here. Lest anyone at all.

I swung my other leg over and leaned, gripping the orange-red metal of the scythe's handle hard. After only a moments wait, the scuffling of the dirt path came closer, and I saw that it was a guy, yes, but not the ones I was looking for. Even so, a fun game of cat and mouse would be good to get my muscles freshened up and my mind witty enough for the next one.

Stupid boy. We don't need any blood yet.

A man with blazing blue hair and full black outfit came into view, toting a large bag stuffed with gels and clothes, and two pouches by his side. I felt my lip rise into a snarl. An easy kill.

Work with me correctly this time, idiot.

I jumped and propelled myself silently towards the man; the wind couldn't have even heard me.

But he did.

In a swift movement, he had snapped one of his pouches open and threw some kind of small, glowing missile at me. My right arm swung in front of me and spun the scythe quickly, creating a small vortex of air as my lips spoke a Fonic arte for me. The missile bounced off, headed for a nearby tree… and exploded.

"Gaah." I said angrily. My left leg twisted, fully in control by the person in my head, and with it my body turned also into a perfect and graceful flip.

"I have a mission. I am undeterred." A voice spoke. It took me a moment to realize it was the man.

I looked up and watched the blue-haired man with a suspicious gaze. He seemed unfazed, and picked up his bag, which I hadn't realized he had set down. With a scuffle of feet, he began to walk away again, gently patting his side as if looking for something.

What are you doing? Pick me up.

Stop, Cleff. Didn't you see that arte?

I grunted and struggled to turn my left leg and right arm to help me stand.

DO IT! I yelled in my mind.

My arm and leg moved finally, and I launched myself forward. I raised my scythes, but he was quicker than ever, dashing right next to me and reaching to grab my arm. I ricocheted off a rock and landed back on a branch.

"I understand you probably want money, but I need this right now." The man said easily. "So I'll keep moving along. You can follow me if you want but that will do nothing for you."

Calmly. He says it CALMLY. GET YOUR HEAD TOGETHER IDIOT DON'T YOU REALIZE THAT NO ONE WITH THAT FONIC ARTE SPEAKS CALMLY TO A MUGGER LIKE YOU.

I don't give a crap.

He's with the Abyssal dumbo. That arte? Same one that took out your ear.

My hand reached for the charred and horrible stump that once was my right ear. I felt the skin and closed my eyes with a sigh.

"Don't talk much? Ah well."

The footsteps continued, so I stood up and followed quietly in the trees.

"Well, as I can hear you're following me, I might as well have a conversation."

I peered through the leaves and saw that the man wasn't even looking for me. He was casually walking and talking, his gaze straight forward on the path out of the Cheagle Woods. I hopped to another branch and pushed off two cheagles that were sitting there, careful not to lean so far as to fall into the burbling creek below me.

"My name's Jalek. My favorite color is…. Green. Yeah, I love the forest. Even these guys."

I threw a spare knife I had at him and he leaned backwards, petting a small Cheagle as it wizzed by him and thunked into the thick wood. I cursed.

"Wish my friend could see them. She loves monsters, even though she's all rough and tough. Well, the nice ones anyways."

He hopped over another knife and blew up a monster that was preparing to lunge from the shadows, then proceeding down the path.

Stop. Stop.

My right hand twitched, but I kept my muscles in order.

Go.

"I think my mother was a merchant…. My older sister was a soldier… my dad worked at a pub in Grand Chokmah…. and thats pretty much it. I wear glasses sometimes, because I can't read my scrolls or the score at night without them."

I got close enough, slipping my way through the shadows of the trees and trying to keep an eye on the man. A liger approached, sniffed, and then backed away back to the woods.

"I'm looking for a lost friend. Do you think you've-"

I leaped, flying towards his head with my blades aching to slice him, but was blown against a trunk forcefully. The impact caused my image to blur, and extreme pain lanced through my side. I winced.

Get up! Get away!

Can't….

My vision blurred and I felt blood.

"That was rude of you… oh." The blue mop of hair turned to face me. "I thought you dodged that." It came closer, bobbing and weaving against the green background of the forest. My eyes grew heavy and I swore internally.

"I can't fix this. I'll have to pick you up….."

The voice was faint.

Can….t….

Cleff!

Before I passed out, far ,far, far, in the distance, I swore I saw a flash of red and brown. My hand was rested on my stomach, and I felt the blood and bones jutting out.

"Be okay…. In a second…."

The man's voice was the last thing I swore to kill before I was consumed by the pain and black.