Lightning to the Symphonia

by Afrodestinyfan

Self-insert. Dean is a boy who woke up at a young age near Iselia. The locals found him and raised him as one of them. Having learnt how to fight with a sword and pocessing lightning and wind magic, what else can the boy do but go on The Journey of Regeneration?

21. The Renegade Base Again

Just like I said before, another chapter. What, do you think I was going to give you guys another big cliffhanger? Not this time.

So enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia.

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Dean woke up bathing in cold sweat. The room he was in, was a strange one and he was disoriented. Panic overtook him and he curled into a ball while sitting on a soft bed. He tried to control his breath in order to calm himself down. The room was dark and he couldn't see a thing.

Still, he could see that this was not his prison cell. The bed he was sitting on was softer than that hard mattress he had slept on. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he could see there seemed to be shapes on the wall, most likely paintings. There was also furniture in the room.

Dean seemed to calm down a bit as he knew that this was certainly not his prison cell. He then remember flying, an escape and… Alice!

Dean got to his feet. If Alice had saved him, then he should be at the Renegade Base he had been before. If they had put him in the same room as the last time, than he should be able to find the light switch. He brushed with his hands against the wall, trying to look for a familiar spot or a switch. After a few minutes he managed to get some light in the room.

It looked just like the last time he had gotten there. Dean also noticed that he wasn't wearing his prison clothes anymore, but some kind of pyjama. He was wearing black pants and a black sweater made from a very soft cloth. His body was still covered in sweat due to the nightmare he had dreamed of.

He wondered if he ever would be able to sleep without having nightmares. He decided to take a shower. He had to set the temperature of the water to a slight warm one. His skin was now very fragile due to the burn markings all over his body. He also noticed that he tripped a lot more now and that he had difficulty perceiving depth. Trying to grasp the handler of the door of the bathroom was especially difficult.

The shower was still very refreshing. During the shower he noticed that he still had the watch on his right wrist that Alice had given him at the ranch. The Exsphere in his left hand was no more however. He carefully dried himself, not wanting to rub open his skin. It was then that he noticed the mirror in the bathroom. When he looked at himself through it, he almost collapsed because of the shock. Was that really himself he saw through the mirror?

He knew about the burn markings all over his body. That didn't scare him. No, his face was the most horrible thing. He had no more hair left on the top of his head. There were only burn markings there. His face was also full of scars, overlapping each other. The area around the iris of his left eye that was once brown, was now white and distorted. He now linked his likeliness to trip more often with what had happened when his left eye had gotten melted. He was blind in one eye.

He didn't recognise himself. Was this his new appearance? He looked like a monstrosity. Dean fell to his knees and started to cry once more. Through the mirror he saw that there were only tears coming from his functioning eye. His left eye looked like a white gaping hole.

Alice hadn't almost recognised him when she had come to save him and now he knew the reason. It could be that the others would doubt his identity as well. He left the bathroom, unable to look at himself anymore.

There were clothes folded on one of the chairs and Dean got dressed, still in shock. The clothes were all in black and it was the same set he had worn before. When he tried to open the door, he noticed to his surprise that it opened. He braced himself, took a deep breath and stepped outside.

As soon as he saw the hallways, he had trouble breathing. It looked too much like a Human Ranch. Fear struck at him and he felt like he was choking. He quickly closed the door and stumbled towards a chair. The world went black before he could come closer.

He was shaken awake gently. He saw the floor as he opened his eyes. He slowly got to his feet.

"Careful…" a gentle female voice said to him. The world spun around a little bit as he had gotten back on his feet. He closed his eyes, waiting for the dizziness to go away. Alice was standing in front of him, holding him and stabilising him as he slowly opened his eyes again. The young woman was wearing a red dress which looked really good on her. It helped Dean feel more at ease around the young woman.

"Thanks…" Dean said to his friend, to his saviour.

"How are you feeling?" Alice asked him, a concerned look on her eyes. She let him go and sat down on one of the chairs that was standing around a small round table. Dean sat down across her and he looked down at the table.

"I don't know…" Dean confessed. "Relieved for the most… Yet, still afraid, suspicious and tensed. Even though I have looked at enough evidence for me to realise that this is real… It still doesn't feel real."

"Just take your time." Alice said. "You've been through a lot." Dean smiled at the young woman. He liked this gentle and caring side of his friend. He hadn't seen it before.

"You can say that…" Dean closed his eyes for a short moment. "Where is Thomas? Is he also here?" Dean asked, wanting to change the subject. He didn't want to think back what had happened to him. The face of Alice darkened and she looked sad.

"He's still at the Human Ranch." Dean looked at her questioning. "The two of us infiltrated the ocean base together. The Renegades have been supporting Rodyle in building the Mana Cannon as we want to use it to blast away the Tower of Salvation. However, we can't trust Rodyle as the man has plans of his own. We learned that he had abducted both you and the Chosen of Sylvarant." As Dean heard that, he immediately opened his mouth, but Alice interrupted him. "Don't worry, Colette is fine. Your friends managed to save her." she said with a smile. Dean sighed out of relief.

"The plan was to get you out of that range as we learned what Rodyle was planning to do with you, what he wanted to use you for."

"Create Cruxis Crystals…" Dean muttered. Alice nodded to him.

"We wanted to prevent that from happening. We also needed to infiltrate the base in order to keep tabs on Rodyle so we could prevent any schemes he had running."

"So you only got me out of there so Rodyle couldn't use me to create Cruxis Crystals?" Dean asked with a harsh voice. It came out a lot harder than he had wanted.

"Of course not!" Alice then said a bit shocked. Her face softened and Dean thought he could see tears appearing in the eyes of his saviour. "Although Thomas and I were ordered to keep tabs on you and we were forced to betray your trust, we still considered you our friend. He and I immediately volunteered to infiltrate the base when we found out that you had been captured. I didn't want to be so harsh and distant on you during our meetings in Tethe'alla… but… I just…" She was at a loss of words and seemed to about to burst into tears herself as well.

"Didn't know how to act towards me?" Dean asked gently. "It was the same for me. I still considered you my friends, but I just didn't know how to act around you. I knew it could trust you, but not the organisation you were part of. I still don't trust The Renegades nor Yuan. I acted distant in order to protect myself." he confessed. He didn't want to lie to the girl who had saved his life. He wanted to be honest.

He also realised that she must have gone through a rough time. He now realised that she was actually a really gentle and soft natured young woman. Yet, she was raised to be murderous and cold blooded. Even in this organisation, which had been like a haven to her, she was forced to do cruel things.

Then she volunteered to infiltrate a Human Ranch. She needed to look at all the prisoners and wasn't able to do a thing, needing to keep her identity a secret, but she had to torture them as well and prevent that she was a half-elf that despised humans. Looking at the suffering, even participating in the tortures. That had been a normal day for her. That time must have been hard for her.

"Hey…" Dean softly said as he put his hand on hers, trying to calm her down. "We're out of there, both you and I. Just let the tears out." She was comforted by his words and let the tears flow out of her eyes. In the base and outside of it, Thomas was the only one who she could trust. She too was an experiment of Cruxis. She didn't want others to know what she was and found it hard to socialise with others. She knew Dean was different and that was the reason she could trust him.

"So, want to walk around the base for a little bit?" she asked while wiping her tears away. "I want to walk around for a little bit." Dean's body tensed. His smile had disappeared from his face. "What's wrong?" Alice asked him. She had already gotten up and was waiting for him at the door.

"I… can't… go outside this room…" Dean answered. The young woman looked at him confused. "I tried to go out of this room before. This base… looks way too much the same to the Human Ranch. I'm being immobilised by fear if I see it. It makes me sick." Dean softly confessed.

"Going outside of the room makes you feel ill?" Alice asked. Dean nodded. His saviour seemed to be thinking then. After a while she started to search the room. Dean kept watching her, curious what she was thinking of. After a while she found what she was looking for. She was holding a piece of black cloth. She ripped a piece off of it. She then stood him and blindfolded him. He could still feel her through the air. She grabbed his hand, helped him get out of the chair and guided him outside of the door. Going outside made Dean feel anxious, even though he couldn't see anything.

He had gotten so used to using the air spell, he didn't need his sight anymore to manoeuvre through a room or a hallway anymore. He couldn't notice delicate movements, unless he focused around the area directly around of him.

"Is it scary like this?" Alice asked him as she was guiding him through the hallway. They had gotten out of the room already. She was holding his hand and guiding him through the building.

"No, but that's because I can still sense what is happening around me through the movements of the air. I figured out a way to detect movement around me through the air. I don't really need my eyesight to move through these hallways. I also notice were the walls are." Dean explained. He tried to sound calm, but his voice seemed to be trembling a bit. "Although I can't figure out how someone looks by using it. I'm glad Rodyle didn't make me blind."

"Maybe we should find an eye-patch for your left eye." Alice proposed.

"I don't know… Wouldn't that make me look even more?" Dean asked, unsure if it was a good idea.

"I think that how your eye looks right now is scarier than having an eye-patch." Alice said to him. Dean noticed that they weren't walking to anywhere particular. They were just walking around.

"Can I ask you to fix one for me then?" Dean asked politely.

"Any colour you have in mind or do you want a symbol on it?" she asked seriously.

"Just plain black." Dean answered.

"Oh, you don't want a terrifying skull on it to scare your enemies away?" she joked around.

"Nah, I'll just show them my blind eye and they'll run away eventually. Maybe a mask is better now with all these scars on my face."

"Oh, it's not that bad. Some women fall for dangerous looking guys like you Dean."

"I don't think Colette is one of them."

"Don't worry too much about Colette. She is a sweet girl. She'll accept you no matter how you look."

"Thanks Alice…" Dean softly said. He was honestly scared that she didn't want to see him, or thought that he was too scary or just… a monster. Nobody would recognise him like he was now. He was scared about that too. That his friends would just pass by him if they ever saw him. That would hurt him. At that moment the stomach of Dean made a large sound.

"You hungry?"

"Only a little bit." The two of them walked towards the cafeteria. Once they were there Dean took off the blindfold. Although the walls were made out of metal, the room didn't feel or looked like a Human Ranch. The chefs had already cooked something warm, so Dean grabbed some food on a plate. Alice said she hadn't had lunch as well, so she joined him.

"This looks so much better compared to the tasteless garbage I had to eat at the ranch." Dean said as he tried to eat with his cutlery. It wasn't going that well though. His hands were constantly shaking. His blind left eye didn't make things easier as well. Alice looked at him concerned, but Dean tried to ignore her as he slowly was able to eat. He was stubborn and didn't accept her help.

"Yeah, the food here is much better than at the Remote Island. The Desians don't really get the good food, but it could also just have been that place. It was located under water with its only access point on the island. Getting supplies there won't be that easy, I figure." Alice responded, wanting the keep the conversation going. "You sure you don't need any help?"

"I'm going to need to learn how to eat in the state that I am now. It could be that my hands will never stop shaking. Not being able to notice depth is also irritating." Dean complained. He then stopped eating and smiled. He looked up at the ceiling. "You know, I haven't complained in a long time…"

"You can complain as much as you want now." Alice said with a smile. She was looking at him in a particular way. She was mimicking his gestures. Dean wondered if that meant anything.

"I'm not really the complaining kind. I'm more a guy that either does something about the things that irritate me or just ignore them if I can't do anything about them."

"That's not a bad way of handling things. Still, it's good to vent some things. You can always complain about things to me if you want."

"Thanks, Alice." Dean softly said after a while. "For everything."

His hands were shaking the whole day. Dean also tried to act cheerful, but he was still afraid, even terrified. He was glad he could sense his surrounding through the air or else he would jump up at every shadow or person that would come around the corner.

The food was delicious and there were always tears of happiness coming down his face. Just eating food that tasted great made him feel so much better.

"Hey, take your time to get used to things again. I'm not going anywhere soon as well. My boss ordered me to take a forced vacation. I'm glad you are here. I don't really have anyone else here now that Thomas isn't around." She seemed to be a little uncomfortable. More people were getting into the dining hall. She eyed the people suspiciously.

"You and Thomas are really close, aren't you?" Dean asked with a smile on his face. Alice started to get a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Yes. He looks after me quite well. He's one of the few people that I truly trust. He's also big and strong. Still, he has a golden heart. I feel at ease with him wherever I am." A content smile appeared on her face as she was thinking of him. "I miss him so much. I hope I get to see him soon." There was a sound of longing in her voice. "Don't you miss Colette and your friends?"

Dean looked glum. "I do." he softly whispered. "I do, but I'm afraid that they don't recognise me. I also don't know if I can continue travelling with them." His hands started to shake even more as these awful thoughts went through his head.

"Hey. Your voice hasn't changed. They'll recognise you. I'm sure of it. Why are you afraid you won't be able to travel with them anymore?"

"Because I have nightmares every night. What if I wake up in a mad frenzy? I don't longer know if I can trust myself…" Dean said much loader than he wanted to. People were looking in his direction for a second, but kept on chatting and eating after a moment.

"You don't have to go after them immediately." Alice said with a convincing, yet soft voice. "You can take your time here and recover nice and quietly. Of course, you're free to go as you please, but please… Take your time Dean." Again that gentle and caring nature of hers. Dean figured that if they had met in different circumstances, he might have fallen in love with the young woman sitting in front of him. He was glad that she was his friend and was there to calm him down.

"I'm sorry…"Dean said. "You're right. I need time, but I don't think these nightmares of mine will disappear."

"Want to see Steve again? Maybe that will cheer you up." Alice suggested.

"He's still here? I thought the guy would want to get out in the field sometimes."

"Hahaha. Yes, that's something he would like to do. He doesn't like being inside this base the whole time, but he has his orders and responsibilities. He's still in charge for the training of the soldiers." Dean had actually forgotten about Steve. The half-elf always seemed to be in a good mood. Although he was really bored training the soldiers in this base. He and Dean got along quite well the last time Dean was here. Steve didn't like things to get boring and he couldn't stand people who looked down on others. Unfortunately, there were enough people who felt superior to others at the base.

"That might not be a bad idea. I'd like to see him again." The two of them put their dirty dishes at the appropriate spot and left the dining hall.

"Want me to put on the blindfold again?" Alice asked Dean as they got near the hallways again. Dean's heartbeat increased enormously now that he saw the familiar sight again. He shook his head and tried to go on, taking it step by step. Still, his hands trembled like crazy. His body started to sweat like crazy and he was breathing heavily.

"Oh, you're really stubborn, aren't you? Why do you push yourself too much?" Alice asked as she forcefully put the blindfold in front of the eyes of Dean. He stopped and let her do it.

"It's one of my charming points." Dean joked around. His voice wasn't steady and was shaky. He didn't want to show the girl that a simple sight was so difficult for him. "Thanks…" he said after she was done. She just sighed, took his hand and guided him towards the training area.

"Why are most men so stubborn?" she asked a bit irritated.

"Oh, I take it that means Thomas is stubborn as well?" Dean asked, wanting to keep the conversation going. Now Alice let out a really big sigh.

"He might be even worse than you are. Once he gets an idea in his head, you won't be able to get it out of him, even if it is a stupid one. Honestly, he can be so tiring sometimes."

"Hmm… I thought people couldn't get more stubborn than me. At least people can argue with me and I can be reasonable."

"So you're reasonable most of the time?" she asked sceptical.

"Not really, but I can be." Dean said with a smile on his face.

"Oh, you can take off your blindfold again." Alice said while she kept holding his hand. "I can already see Steve. Let's go greet him."

"Do you and Steve get along?" Dean asked curiously. He had taken off the blindfold and had put it in one of his pockets.

"He's a nice guy. He do likes to talk though. Also, we don't see each other that much. Most of the time I'm out in the field and he's stuck here."

"Stuck here is the correct word." Steve said with a grin on his face. "Hello there Alice. And this is…?" Steve looked at Dean a bit confused. "Do I know you?" Dean had suspected it, but it still stung hearing from the half-elf himself that he didn't recognise him.

"Hello Steve." Dean just said, forcing a smile on his face. The eyes of the man got big as he immediately recognised Dean after hearing his voice. Steve then looked at Dean for a while, observing his new look.

"Man… You look like you've gone through hell." Steve said, being not so subtle. He got to the point most of the time and wasn't the type for subtleties. Still, Dean could see the half-elf didn't like what he saw.

"Worse." Dean answered keeping the forced smile on his face. He then let it disappear. "Rodyle had captured me. I was his personal toy experiment. It seems torturing people in the most cruel way is his hobby."

"Well, I'm glad that you're out of that place and back here. Want to spar with me a bit? I've been dying for a worthy opponent for some time now. I still think back pleasantly to our little fight." The man said with a grin on his face. He was an honest man. Dean was glad he didn't ask any further questions and didn't gave him a pitied look, like he was some kind of kicked puppy.

"I have just gotten out. I think it's better if I take things slowly now." Dean said. He felt comfortable around the man all right.

"How about you Alice?" Steve asked the young woman. A neutral look was on the face of Alice. She kept eyeing the people in the room and didn't seem to be comfortable in this place.

"What? And use some kind of perverted spell so you can see what kind of underwear I have under this dress? No thank you." It was true that Alice was still wearing the red dress. As far as Dean had seen, only he and she had been the people that weren't in uniform.

"Augh, do you have such a low image of me? That hurts Alice." Steve said with a grin on his face. For some reason, Dean thought Steve and Zelos would get along just fine. That, or they wouldn't be able to stand each other from the beginning. For a half-elf, Steve was also good looking. His skills with the spear were nothing to laugh at as well. Dean had experienced that himself.

"Let's just keep it that I'm not comfortable fighting in this dress." Alice replied, her face still not pleased.

"Oh, can't you… you know… change your clothes by…" Steve gave Alice an all-knowing look. The young woman didn't like the look in his eyes and walked away. The man ignored her and grinned at Dean.

"Steve, I think you went a bit too far there." Dean said to his friend.

"Ah, she needs to put that behind her. If she keeps getting mad over it, she'll keep distancing herself from others, afraid to get hurt." Steve reluctantly said. Dean knew the guy had a point, but didn't agree with his methods.

"You can't force people to do that…" Dean said and he turned around as well. He ran after the young woman, determined to catch up with her. She was already in the hallways. Dean hesitated and stopped, afraid to go on. He then forced his legs to keep going and ran towards Alice again.

"Alice, wait up!" Dean shouted after the angry shape-shifter. The young woman finally stopped and Dean was able to catch up to her.

"He went too far." she said angrily. She still had her back faced to Dean. Dean was trying to calm himself down in the meantime. His whole body was shaking and rejecting the sight that was in front of him.

"It's just a hallway… It's just a hallway… It's just a hallway…" Dean softly said to himself, trying to strengthen his revolve. The charm wasn't working however. "I know he went too far. I told him as well." he said to Alice, his voice trembling. He closed his eyes, but the feeling that his chest was being squeezed together didn't go away. He even had trouble breathing.

Alice was saying something again, but he couldn't hear it. His legs gave away and he fell with his knees to the ground. He could feel his stomach protesting and soon he was throwing up.

He was grabbed by his arms that dragged him back to his feet. He stumbled towards somewhere else. He didn't dare to open up his eyes. He was being pushed into a room. He fell down on the ground again.

"God dammit Dean." a male voice said frustrated at him. "What the hell was that?" Dean opened his eyes and saw Steve standing in front of him. He looked angry at him and also… disappointed. Dean didn't blame the man. He must be looking pathetic right now. "You sick or something?" Dean shook his head.

"No. Can't stand the sight of that hallway." Dean replied with a shaking voice.

"What? You got sick because of the hallway?" Steve asked confused. His voice was still harsh. Dean felt like he was a soldier getting lectured by his commanding officer.

"This fucking base looks too much like a Human Ranch. It suffocates me. With each step I'm reminded from the hell I escaped from." Dean retorted back, sounding more frustrated and angry than he intended.

"So you just throw up in the middle of the hallway, huh?" The man had his back turned towards Dean. It looked like he was planning to leave the room.

"You think I like doing that?" Dean shouted at his friend. "You think I act this way because I choose to. You have no idea what I've been through!" Dean was trying to get back on his feet, but his body refused to listen.

"I thought you were stronger than this." Steve said softly, disappointed. He left the room, leaving Dean alone. Fear overtook Dean again now his friend was gone. He was inside a small room now that he looked around. The walls seemed to be getting closer towards him. Dean couldn't take much more than this… He curled himself into a ball. He just trembled as panic, fear and despair were the only things he felt.

A hand was placed on his shoulder. As he opened his eyes he saw Alice standing in front of him.

"Hey, let's get you back to your room." his saviour said with a soft voice. She helped him up and put the blindfold in front of his eyes again. She supported him and guided him back to his room.

"I just want to be alone for a while." Dean said softly as he stumbled to his bed. He got into the bed after taking of his shoes. He crawled under the sheets. He pulled a pillow against him and started to cry.

Weeks went by and Dean refused to leave his room. He just stayed in bed the entire day, filling his days by reading books. The room was full of them anyway. He didn't care what the subject of the book was. He just wanted to escape. He didn't want to think about his own situation. He started to neglect himself as well.

He didn't want to take a shower, unable to look at himself through the mirror. Even if he walked through the room and saw himself in the mirror, he only saw a defeated man. A broken monstrosity that was unable to face reality. He hated what he saw there. One day he even slammed his fist against the mirror, breaking it with his bare hands. His hands bled like crazy, but he didn't do a thing about it. The pain was better than feeling the void that was in his heart.

Alice brought him his food and tried to talk to Dean, but he didn't answer her. He wasn't able to look her in the eyes. He felt weak, a child, a powerless being. He kept thinking back of the look he had seen in the face of his friend. That look of disappointed had hurt him more than anything.

He couldn't face Steve anymore, not in the state he was now. He kept thinking of his friends as well, but he didn't know how to face them as well. He didn't want to see looks of pity or disappointed in their faces as well.

"Are you going to stay like this forever?" a harsh male voice asked him one day. He was reading a book about the anatomy of the human body. He had figured he would be able to heal wounds of people better if he understood their body.

"Don't you want to become strong again?" the voice asked another question. Dean ignored it and didn't look up from his book. He found it hard to concentrate on the book again now that he felt the presence of the person in the room. He wished that person would just leave and give him back the peace and silence he was longing for.

"You're really pathetic, you know that?" the person said and left the room again. Dean knew it had been Steve. He also knew that his friend was trying to help him by insulting him. He knew that his friend was right. He truly was pathetic. He was weak. He was unable to do anything to do anything. He kept relying on Alice all this time as well. He was being a bother to everyone around him, acting all selfish.

Dean got out of bed and got dressed. He knew he smelled terribly, but paid no heed to it. He put his hand on the handle of the door and gathered his courage. He had no idea what time it was and whether it would be bright in the hallways or not. He kept his own room dark at all times, keeping just enough light in the room to read.

He pulled down the handle of the door and slowly opened it. The hallways were dimmed as well and it had to be late in the evening. He stepped into the hallways. His body started to shake immediately, but he ignored it. He needed to walk, he needed to move. He had been sitting around for too long.

Black spots appeared in his eyes again and he had to turn around. He had only taken a few steps. He quickly moved into his own room again.

"What am I doing?" Dean asked himself out loud as he sank to the ground, his back against the door. He started to cry once more.

Each night was filled with nightmares. Each day he woke up crying. Each day he tried to leave his room. With each passing day he was able to get a little bit further.

He started to shower again. He looked at himself in the mirror each day. He wanted to get used to how he looked now. He practised his healing artes on himself each day as he deliberately got himself hurt. The healing artes wouldn't work if he wasn't hurt himself. He kept torturing himself in this way each day. He had no trouble breaking his own bones and healing them again after a while.

For him it was like he was getting stronger with each day. He saw more and more often determined eyes in the mirror in the bathroom. He was able to get to the cafeteria on his own now. He only got out at night. He didn't want to meet any people and he started to avoid as much contact with people as possible.

One morning he even made to the training area. He felt his body relax again as soon as he entered the big spacious room. Now that he had gotten there, he wanted to get himself used to having a sword in his hand. He hadn't fought for a long time, let alone hold a weapon.

He started with grabbing a wooden sword and swinging that around for a while. Unlike he had anticipated, his body still knew how to swing around a sword. It felt familiar and natural. He then searched for a real sword.

He practised his own artes and got a feeling for fighting again. He had forgotten how good he really was at fighting. All that time the Desians, Rodyle and he himself had convinced him that he was weak or that he couldn't do a thing. That he should just accept his fate as an experiment whose only use was creating Cruxis Crystals.

He exercised the irritation, tge frustration and the anger at himself out his body. He was getting really tired and was sweating like crazy. Still he kept going. He couldn't stop, not anymore.

"Looking good." a voice said as Dean was catching his breath. He was taking a quick break before he would continue. He looked up and saw Steve standing near him. He smiled at the man.

"I'm still rusty." Dean said, not wanting to take the compliment.

"If that's rusty than you're still better than most of the spoiled brats that I get here." Steve said like he was annoyed with the ones he was training. "Come on, let's get you something to eat. That's an order." Dean had to confess, he was hungry.

"Shouldn't I get a shower first?" Dean asked, knowing that people would be able to smell from quite a distance.

"What? And risk you holing up in your hole again? No way." The man took the sword and put it away before dragging Dean towards the cafeteria. "But man, you really do smell." Steve pinched his nose with his fingers.

"That's what I said, didn't I? I warned you, but you wouldn't listen."

"Ah, maybe I'll just throw a bucket of water over you, that should work as well."

"Yeah, like I would let that happen." The two of them then started to laugh. It was early in the morning. Dean was glad that the base operated twenty-four seven. He wouldn't have been able to get a nice warm meal if it hadn't been.

"Something like that early in the morning?" Steve asked as he was eating some kind of sandwich. There were only no people in the dining hall. It felt like the place belonged to them.

"It seems I've become a night person." Dean explained as he started to eat his food. "I've actually been awake for several hours. It's almost time for me to get back to sleep."

"Don't want to scare people off with that face of yours?" Steve asked jokingly. Dean didn't laugh.

"Something like that." he answered. He couldn't make jokes about his own appearance just yet. It was still too fresh. He was still adjusting his own self-image on how he was looking now.

"Ah, sorry. I don't really know when to make a joke about something or not." Steve said, the smile on his face gone as well. He was focusing on his food.

"So I've noticed. Is Alice still angry with you?" Dean asked while he kept on eating his dinner. The food was doing him good.

"Maybe… You think I should apologise?" Steve asked honestly. Dean had to laugh a little bit.

"You really don't know when you've gone too far, do you?"

"Well, no. I like strong people, you know? I can't stand it if someone can't move on if something has happened a long time ago. No, that's not it. I just can't stand weak people or weak willed people. That's the reason I acted towards you like that the last time." Steve paused a little bit. Dean was listening closely, but didn't know what to say. "I somehow looked up at you, you know?" Steve confessed. "When I saw a good friend of me pissing his pants because of the sight of something that reminded him what he had gone through, something just snapped inside of me. Something inside of me refused to acknowledge that the person I looked up to was suddenly so weak. That's why I scolded you that much."

Dean knew it was hard for Steve to talk about personal things like this. The man never told about his own thoughts and feelings. He liked to talk, but it had always been idle conversation or complains about his job. This was different.

"If you feel sorry about it, then can you help me get strong again?" Dean asked without looking up from his food. He was already finished with it and was now putting together the leftovers and eating that. He was still hungry.

"Oh, I'll drill you into shape again." Steve said with a grin on his face. "Although you'll have to change your sleep rhythm, because I'm not planning on training you during the night."

"I guess that can't be helped." Dean said with a sigh. He wasn't looking forward to moving around at day again. He wanted to keep his distance from people. "I'm going to grab another bite." He got up and grabbed a sandwich at the cafeteria.

"You'll get fat if you keep eating that much." Steve said joking around.

"Oh, I don't get fat. Even if I will, I just need to train some more, don't I?" He took a bite from the sandwich. Dean was glad. It felt like Steve and he would be able to get along again. He hadn't lost his friend.

Dean really hated to move through the hallways during daytime. He had promised Steve he would join him with training the following morning. He had stayed awake for the rest of the day even though he had been really sleepy. He hadn't even woken up early like usually did. He was running late already.

Moving through the hallways still wasn't easy and it was even harder for him during the daytime. His hands were shaking and it felt like the walls were closing in on him, even though they were really wide. He just focused on the path in front of him, careful to avoid the people surrounding him.

"You're late." Steve said when Dean had finally arrived. He was sweating like crazy and was taking a little break, resting his hands on his knees.

"I'm sorry, I overslept." Dean answered. "It won't happen again."

"You're right about that." Steve said with a strict voice. "You sure you're okay?" Steve whispered concerned when Dean passed him.

"I'll be fine." Dean answered truthfully.

"Okay, I found some sparring partners for you today. Go easy on them, okay? Wooden weapons are only allowed today." Steve said, acting like the commanding officer like he was. He couldn't treat Dean any different because he was his friend.

Dean grabbed a wooden sword and greeted his first opponent. All of the Renegades in this base were using Exspheres. Dean still didn't have one. Even though he had this disadvantage, he had way more experience than the rookie soldiers training here.

Dean kept defeating one opponent after another. After a while some people were even challenging him and he didn't have to look for an opponent himself.

"God dammit. He's not even using an Exsphere, so why do I keep losing?" a boy asked himself out loud, frustrated with himself.

"If you keep attacking so recklessly, it doesn't matter if the opponent has an Exsphere or not. Come at me again, I'll give you some pointers." Dean answered as he got into a fighting stance again. It almost felt like the last time he had gotten here. He had been giving tips and even training some of these soldiers himself the last time he had been there.

"So, feel like a sparring battle against me any time soon?" Steve asked Dean at the end of the day.

"What? And get my ass kicked? I wouldn't count on it." Dean answered with a grin on his face. "Besides, I still have no Exsphere, so it wouldn't be a fair fight."

"What happened to the one you once had?" Steve asked him. They were walking together to the cafeteria, looking forward to a well-deserved meal.

"I'm not sure. As far as I know it, Yuan has it. When I got to Tethe'alla I didn't have it on me anymore." Dean answered. The curry at the base looked really good and he decided to eat it. After dinner, he wanted to search for Alice. He hadn't seen the girl for some time and he wanted to thank her.

"Mmm… That's strange." Steve muttered.

"What is?" Dean asked.

"Ah, nothing. Maybe I can convince Yuan to get you back that Exsphere."

"Would you?" Dean asked a bit surprised. "That would be great." he answered happily. Somehow, he was still attached to that Exsphere. He couldn't explain it himself that well why. It felt like the Exsphere had gotten part of himself. In that sense, he hadn't been complete for quite some time now.

"Just leave it to me." Steve said with a grin. "But you went to Tethe'alla? You never told me anything about that." The two of them sat together at a table. Dean wasn't associating himself with any others just yet. He was okay if he only knew Steve and Alice at the base. He felt no connection with any others of the Renegades.

"So, want to hear about it?" Dean asked while eating the curry. It was great, but spicy. He couldn't really handle spicy food that well and his mouth was burning in no time. Steve was laughing at his red face. Now that he was bald, people could see that his entire face got red while sweating heavily.

"Want to hear it? I'm dying to hear it?" Steve said with a dramatic voice. So Dean started to talk about his adventures in Tethe'alla. How he had met up with his friends. What the Chosen One of Tethe'alla was like. How he had trouble with Presea, who was suffering from another Exsphere experiment. About Meltokio and the difference between the rich and the poor. He talked about the discrimination and hate towards half-elves and how much he hated it. He told him about the happenings in Sybak, Gaorachhia Forest, Ozette and Toize Valley Mine. He even told Steve about how in love he was with Colette and how sweet the girl was.

"So, you're in love with the Chosen One of Sylvarant, huh?" Steve asked. He hadn't been paying attention anymore that much when Dean had started to talk about Colette. Dean had a dreamy look in his eyes when he thought back of the blond girl with her beautiful blue eyes.

"I think I had fallen in love with the girl when I was really young. I never imaged myself getting lucky enough to call her my girlfriend." Dean answered, still lost in his daydream.

"Don't you want to catch up with her and the rest of your friends?" Steve asked out of curiosity. Dean's face darkened when he asked that.

"I want to… I really do… But at the same time I don't want to…" Dean answered honestly. Steve raised his eyebrows at this. "It's just… I look like a freak right now, you know? You barely recognised me? What if they don't as well? And that's not all, I'm not strong enough yet."

"I wouldn't worry too much about that. If they truly are your friends, they'll recognise you immediately. Even if they don't, they'll accept you into their arms at once when they do." Steve said confident. "And if you're not strong enough, nobody is strong enough."

"Thanks…" Dean said with a soft voice. He now truly was longing to see his friends again. "But I'm afraid I won't see them for some time. I mean, they're still in Tethe'alla and I'm here in Sylvarant."

"And? This base is connected to both worlds." Steve answered.

"Yeah, but will Yuan allow me to travel through both worlds?" Dean asked.

"You haven't met with Lord Yuan yet?" Steve asked surprised. Dean shook his head.

"I've been an emotional mess. This is the first day again I have been able to leave my room without problems. Well, I still have problems with that, but you know what I mean." Dean answered, getting off trail. "Anyway, he hasn't summoned me yet as well."

"Is that so…" Steve answered. He seemed to be lost in thought. The two of them had finished their food a long time ago. There weren't many people in the dining hall left. Telling about his adventures in Tethe'alla seemed to have taken quite a long time. Then, Dean thought he saw Alice. He waved towards the young woman, but she turned around.

"Excuse me for a moment." Dean said to Steve who just nodded, as he still seemed to be lost in thought. He ran after Alice. He almost lost her, but was able to track her down. "Alice!" he shouted after her, but she didn't turn around. He was thinking for a while that he might have mistaken her for another person, but it seemed she was fleeing from him. He wondered why. He stood in front of her, blocking her way as soon as he caught up with her.

"Why are you avoiding me?" Dean asked her. Her face was neutral and he was unable to read it.

"I'm not avoiding you." Alice said as she pushed by him and walked away again. Dean increased his pace to hers.

"Are you in a hurry then?" Dean asked.

"Not really." she answered. Something fishy was going on. Dean grabbed her shoulders and halted her. "Let go of me."

"Not until you tell me what's going on." Dean said with a determined look in his eyes. He thought he could see tears in the corner of her eyes and he let go of her. "What's wrong?" he asked concerned.

"Can you follow me to my room?" Alice asked softly and Dean nodded. They walked to her room in silence.

Dean really hadn't been in her room before or he couldn't remember getting in her room before. The room was small compared to his with a two-person's bed in it, a working desk and a small table with two chairs on each side. On the desk was a photo of Alice and Thomas together. They were both smiling and looked happy. Other work material was on it as well. There weren't many personal belongings in the room.

"So, what's going on?" Dean asked as they both got seated at the table. Alice still remained silent. "You know you can tell anything. Please, don't keep silent like this."

"Do you promise me you won't get mad at me?" Alice then asked with a soft voice. She was looking at the table and wouldn't look Dean in the eyes.

"Why would I do that?" Dean asked confused. The young woman stayed silent. "All right, I promise." There was yet another pause.

"I haven't been honest with you…" Alice then said to Dean. He looked confused at her, not meaning what she was getting at.

"What do you mean?" he asked. His saviour just shook her head. Dean then waited before she was ready to talk.

"I consider you my friend. You know that, don't you?" Alice asked him then.

"As I consider you mine." Dean answered.

"I don't have many friends, nor do I know how to make one." Alice then began to talk, a bit reluctant at first. "That is why I was really glad when I was able to become friends with you. I was really happy and I didn't want to lose my friend. I also wanted to protect you."

"Alice, what are you saying? I don't follow you." Dean asked confused. The young woman paused again and didn't answer the question.

"Why couldn't you just stay like that?" Alice then softly asked. "Why couldn't you stay weak?"

"Do you want me to stay weak then?" Dean asked confused. He had no idea what was through the mind of the girl, nor what she was thinking.

"Yes! No… I don't know…" she said as she was shaking her head. "It's just…" tears were in the eyes of the girl as she found it really hard to tell him this. "I wanted to protect you, so I took away your Exsphere when you headed into Tethe'alla. I thought that if you didn't have it, you would stay in the back and wouldn't be in so much danger. But you still kept on going and kept on being reckless and got hurt so many times." Dean kept quiet for the time being. He had told her he wouldn't get angry and he feared the words he would lash out to her if he opened his mouth now.

"Then you got captured by Rodyle and I blamed myself for it. That if you still had your Exsphere, it wouldn't have happened. That I had abandoned one of my friends. I had to save you!" She was crying now and Dean put his hand on her hand, trying to calm her down. She pulled away from his hand however, like she was afraid of him.

"It was awful to see you in that state at the ranch. I was really relieved when the two of us were able to get out, even though I had to leave Thomas behind. He had supported me all this time and even urged me to save you, even though I didn't want to leave him behind." Dean couldn't help but feel sorry for the young woman, for his saviour. Even though she had done things to him, she had done it in order to protect him. He kept that thought in mind. He didn't agree with her way of working though.

"Then back here at the base, the last few weeks you looked so lost. I wished you could just stay like that, so you wouldn't get hurt anymore or be put to danger anymore. You've suffered enough!" The shape-shifter couldn't stop crying. "But it hurt… seeing you like that hurt so much. It was worse than seeing you go through the dangers you faced before. Yet I kept wishing for you to stay like that. I'm a horrible person and a horrible friend." She got up and wanted to storm out of the room, but Dean grabbed her arm and didn't let go. He looked worried at her.

"Let go of me! I don't deserve to be your friend!" She somehow managed to break free and ran out of the room. Dean ran after her. He didn't know what to say to her, but he wanted to help her. She still was his friend, after all. She was much quicker than he was since he was already tired from exercising the entire day. He lost sight of her and stopped while he tried to catch his breath.

He searched for the young woman for the rest of the evening. Yet, he couldn't find her. He even managed to gather the courage to ask several people if they had found her, but no one had. In the end, he thought she might be back at her own room. It was back in her room that he found her, curled into a ball, sitting on her bed while hugging a pillow. It reminded him too much of the state he had been in.

She had helped and supported him all that time. Although she had kept things from him, she had done so with the thought of protecting him. She didn't want to lose one of her dear friends. She had been there for him, so now he had to be there for her.

"Hey…" he softly said as he sat down on the bed. He then brushed his hand over her hair, hoping to calm her down like this. She was still sobbing and couldn't look him in the eye. "I'm not mad at you, I'm not. That's why… It's all right Alice." She looked up and him, put her pillow away and gave him a hug. He embraced her back.

"But… because of me…" she said with a shaking voice.

"Shh…" Was all Dean did as they sat there, holding each other.

"You really don't hate me?" she asked him full of doubt. She had pulled her head up and was looking him in the eyes. Dean stared right in those brown eyes of her and he had to look away, afraid he would get drawn to her if he held her gaze for too long. He looked at her eyebrows instead.

"Of course I don't. We're friends, remember?" Dean softly said back to her. He then ended the embrace as she did as well. She wiped away her tears.

"I'm sorry." she said after a while, feeling a bit awkward that she had suddenly hugged him.

"Don't be." Dean said truthfully. "I should be thanking you instead. You got me out of that horrible nightmare and supported me when I got back here. I'm still an emotional wreckage, but you're here for me. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be sitting here right now. So, don't be sorry."

"Okay…" she softly whispered again as she leaned against him. Dean could feel his heartbeat increase by this gesture, but he knew he had to stay strong. He couldn't and wouldn't betray Colette. In his mind, he had gone through all those horrible experiences for her. He still loved her and couldn't afford to fall in love with anyone else. Alice also had Thomas. The two of them should remain friends.

"I'm glad you wanted to protect me, but don't do those things for me anymore, okay? Instead, help me become strong again." Dean said. He had to give the young woman another chance. He owed it to her. Alice then got up and grabbed something out of a drawer from her work desk. She then put something in his hand and closed it. As he opened his hand, he stared a shining red orb. Dean had finally gotten his Exsphere back. There was now a Key Crest imbedded into the Exsphere.

"Let me put it on you." she then said. He gave her the thing that was part of him and she installed the Exsphere in his left hand. It had originally been on his right hand, but his left hand still had markings of where the last two Exspheres had installed at the Remote Island ranch. It was a better place for it.

As soon as the Exsphere was part of Dean again, he could feel power flowing through him. He somehow felt whole once again. He had created that thing with his own life after all. In his eyes, part of his soul was in the thing.

"I still have the other one that you had at the ocean ranch. Do you want it as well?" Alice then asked him as stood a bit uncertain in front of him.

"No, I don't need that one. Give it to Yuan or keep it yourself. I don't really care." Dean said with a soft voice and a smile on his face. Alice smiled back at him.

"There is still one thing." the young woman said as she was shuffling her feet around. "I was ordered to take you to Yuan as soon as you were capable of meeting him."

"Let's do that tomorrow, shall we?" Dean said. Alice nodded. He was tired of the day and didn't really feel like meeting the leader of the Renegades that day.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow morning then." Alice said with a smile on her face. She seemed to be blushing a little bit. Dean had to admit the young woman looked very cute like that. He immediately pushed the thought out of his head. He shouldn't betray Colette anymore with thoughts like that.

"Okay, then I'll let Steve know I'll come around later that day." Dean answered and he got up. Alice led him out of the door.

"Will you be okay?" Alice then asked as she noticed that Dean's hand was shaking.

"Yeah, I can handle it now." Dean answered. "Although… How do I get back to my room from here?" Dean asked. He had no idea where he was in the base. Alice had to laugh because of this.

"I'll walk with you then." She then said and closed the door behind her. The two of them walked back to his room in silence. Somehow, it was really awkward walking around with her now. Dean's heart was still beating like crazy.

"I'll pick you up at seven tomorrow." Alice said to Dean with a smile on her face as they were standing in front of his room. She seemed to be nervous for some reason.

"Okay, that's fine with me. See you tomorrow." Dean said with a smile back to her. He wanted to open the door, but then felt a kiss on his cheek.

"Bye…" Alice said softly and walked away. Dean kept his hand on the handle. His mind was blank. What had happened just now? Why was his heart beating so fast? He pulled open the door after standing there for a minute. He pulled the door close behind and sighed. It had been a long day and he was really tired.

"Dean." a male voice then said. Steve was standing near his bed. He looked grave and had a serious look on his face. "I hate to bring it to you, but Alice has been hiding things from you."

"Yeah, I know…" Dean said sighing of relief. He had jumped up of surprise a bit when he suddenly heard a sound in his room. He walked towards his friend. "She already told me everything."

"As well about the fact that you were supposed to meet up with Yuan already and that she was the one who has stolen your Exsphere?" Steve asked, his face still serious. He was standing there with his arms behind his back.

"Yup." Dean said as he showed his friend the Exsphere. "Thanks for your concern though. I'm going to meet up with Yuan tomorrow, so I will be a bit later in the practice area. I wanted to tell you that." The face of Steve was one of disbelief. He couldn't believe his eyes or ears. He probably had imagined something totally different to happen and now didn't seem to know what to do. He then cleared his throat.

"Oh, that's quite alright. Then, I'll see you tomorrow." Steve said as he walked towards the door. "You sure you're okay?" he asked as he hand was on the handle.

"Yes, I'm fine Steve. Thanks for asking. I'm going to sleep now. Good night." The half-elf stayed there for a few more seconds before opening the door.

"Yes, good night…" Dean let himself fall on his bed. His heart was still beating like crazy and somehow he couldn't get the sight of Alice's her smile out of his mind. Had he fallen in love with someone else? Why? Just why was this happening to him?

Just like he had done so many times, Dean woke up at five o' clock. For once, he hadn't had dreamed of anything. It was nice to not be waking up bathing in sweat. He would meet up with Alice in two hours. Even thinking of her made his heart skip a beat. How he hated himself for that. What a despicable man he had become. No… That was not right. He shouldn't see himself like that. He was faithful to Colette and he would stay that way.

He went to the practise area that morning and entered a state of a blank mind. There was nothing in his thoughts. He didn't feel anything. He was just there, swinging his sword around.

The effects of the Exsphere granted him strength and he was swinging a broad sword around like it was nothing, with only one hand. He had lost the sword Zelos had bought him, but Lloyd had been right. That sword would be too light for him now. He didn't need it. What he needed, was the sword he had been giving by Steve the last time he had been at the Renegade Base.

Dean returned to his room in time and took a shower. He put some clothes on that didn't reek of sweat and waited for Alice. He was getting hungry as he hadn't eaten anything yet. He should have done that. It was too late now.

The door opened and Alice entered. She was wearing her Renegade soldier clothes that day. She still looked good and Dean could feel butterflies in his stomach. How twisted love could be.

"Good morning." he said to her with a smile on his face.

"Good morning Dean, shall we get going?" A small smile was on her face as well, but her body language was more serious. They weren't meeting up to hang out together. She was there to escort him.

They walked together in silence. Dean couldn't guess what the young woman was thinking. He caught himself glancing at her from time to time, but she didn't notice or acted that way. It wasn't a long walk to Yuan's office and they were there quite fast. It still felt long though. It felt like he could feel each second passing.

"Lord Yuan is ready to see you." a Renegade soldier guarding the office said to Dean. Dean nodded and stepped inside. Yuan was sitting behind his desk and seemed to be waiting for him. He gestured him to come inside.

"Good morning Yuan." Dean said to the blue haired leader of the Renegades. Like always, the man had a serious look on his face. In the past he and Dean had been playing around during their conversation, but it seemed that this wouldn't happen today.

"You seem to be doing well." Yuan answered, observing Dean carefully. "Especially with what you've been through." Was the guy always snapping at everyone, or did Dean just imagine that. He felt himself tense up. This guy wasn't the leader of the Renegades for nothing.

"I'm still having trouble adjusting. That place has left many scars on me and I don't mean only the scars on my body." Dean answered with a neutral voice

"So I can see." Hearing about it still hurt Dean, even though Yuan was just being frank about it. "I'll get to business immediately. Your companions have been spotted in Sylvarant. They are in Palmacosta at the moment. We wish to join forces with them. I'd like you to be the ones who contacts them." Dean couldn't believe his ears. His friends were here, in Sylvarant?

"Wait? How the hell did they get here?" Dean asked, flabbergasted by the reveal.

"Does it matter?" Yuan asked sceptically. "That's not what I wanted to hear. Will you agree on being our contact person, our medium?" the blue haired half-elf asked again. Dean didn't have to think about it.

"Yes, of course!" Dean said excited. He would get to see his friends again! He would get to see Colette again.

"Good." Yuan said. "However… I will need to test you on your skills first." Dean hadn't expected that. First the guy asked him to help him and then he was going to be tested. "Follow me to the training grounds."

Yuan got up and expected Dean to follow him. Dean did as he was told. Outside, Alice was waiting for them and led them to the area. As they arrived at the training room, nobody was training. Instead, a lot of people were lined against the walls of the training room.

"What are these people doing here Steve?" Yuan asked irritated at the half-elf in charge.

"It seems word got out of what is going to happen my lord. I don't know how, but it seems these people are here to watch." Steve answered while having his hands behind his back. There was a giant object next to him. It seemed familiar to Dean.

"It matters not. Now, Dean. Face me in battle." Yuan suddenly declared as he took of his cloak and handed it to Alice.

"Wait? You wish to fight me?" Dean asked perplexed. He hadn't expected this to happen. "That is the test?" He had expected some kind of mental test, not a fight.

"What did you expect?" the leader asked with his eyebrows raised. "We have prepared a weapon for you." Steve then opened the large object next to him. Inside of it was a sword Dean was familiar with.

"Your weapon, sir." Steve politely said. Dean looked in awe at the weapon and grabbed it at the handle. The sword was larger than he remembered it. It was bigger than himself. The blade was as broad as Dean himself. As he picked it up, it felt like it had the perfect weight. A smile appeared on his face. Steve then grinned at him which Yuan was unable to see. His friend then winked at him.

"Your companions were able to defeat me in battle. If you are unable to do so too, you are unworthy. Don't worry about killing me… You should worry about yourself first." The half-elf had summoned a double-bladed butterfly sword from thin air. Dean wondered if the man could teach him how to do that. The others had gotten out of the way. Dean got into a battle stance himself.

Then the two of them charged at each other at the same time. Their blades connected. Adrenaline started to flow through Dean and he couldn't help but reveal a smile on his face. Their blades disconnected and Yuan went into the offensive. The half-elf danced and jumped around, swinging his heavy blade around like it was nothing. His moves were graceful and precise.

It reminded Dean on the way Zelos fought, but unlike the Chosen One of Tethe'alla, this man left no openings. His movements connected one another in a most graceful way. Still, Dean didn't really have trouble with dodging, blocking or evading the attacks. This was a test, so Yuan wasn't going all-out against him just yet.

For that reason Dean parried one attack coming from the left and then pushed the attack away, breaking the attack pattern of his opponent. He then went on the offensive as he swung around the huge blade with only his right hand. Yuan was being pushed back with each hit. Dean fused his sword with mana and prepared for one of his artes.

"Wind Gale!" Dean shouted as he unleashed a shockwave of mana along with blades of wind that cut at his opponent. Yuan was blasted backwards by the attack.

"Most impressive. I should have expected no less from a student from Kratos. It seems your Exsphere has evolved into a Cruxis Crystal as well. If that is the case, I will unleash my full potential as well." Yuan said with smile on his face. The attack hadn't harmed him at all.

His body started to shine as blue angelic wings sprouted from his back. He was unleashing the full potential of his Cruxis Crystal. The fight would get a lot more serious from now on. Dean didn't know how to do that technique, but he felt he was capable of that as well.

As Yuan charged at him, both his speed and strength were at least doubled. Dean had trouble blocking the attacks. The blue haired leader of the Renegades wasn't holding back alright. Still, he enjoyed the battle. He then got hit hard by a kick against his chest and was sent flying backwards.

Dean knew he would lose if this would keep up. He had been gathering mana up until now and it was time to put it to use.

"Healing barrier." he softly whispered. A defensive barrier wrapped around his body. It even protected his muscles and his bones against any sudden movements or movements that they normally couldn't handle. If they got damaged, they would get slowly healed as the spell had a healing effect to it as well.

"Wind infusion." Dean said with a determined look in his eyes as the half-elf was storming towards him. Their blades clashed once again, sending out a large resonating sound. Yuan and Dean were both standing still. Dean realised that Yuan relied on speed, grace and skill. His strength was nothing to laugh at, but Dean knew he was stronger, especially now his movements were sped up by the power of wind.

He pushed the man away and went into the offensive again. He struck from the right, from the left, from above as he turned around and kept attacking.

"Flame Strike! Lightning Blade!" Dean shouted as he unleashed two sword artes directly after each other. Yuan was struck by a bolt of lightning, but it didn't affect the man much. The half-elf then smiled as the area around started to shine.

"Guardian Field!" Yuan shouted as bolts of lightning appeared in the circle around him. Dean was inside that circle as well.

"Thunder Shield!" Dean shouted as he created an electric field around him. The bolts of lightning were absorbed by his shield, rendering the attack useless. Yuan hadn't expected that.

"Blaze Spear!" Dean shouted as he twisted around, launching his opponent into the air and jumped up in the air after that twisting around his body and slashing around with his sword. Yuan was hit three times and launched towards the ground when the third, most powerful strike, had hit the leader.

Still, the half-elf kept on going. He wasn't defeated, not by a long shot.

"Thunder Blade!" Yuan shouted as a blade of lightning fell from the sky with great speed towards Dean.

"Thunder Shield!" Dean shouted again, rendering this electrical attack useless again. It seemed that Yuan was a master of lightning based artes and spells. He had trained himself to be resistant against lightning attacks as well, but they still hurt him. Dean knew how to render the attacks useless and could even absorb them. He gathered mana for a spell. Yuan rushed towards him as soon as he noticed this.

"Atlas!" Dean shouted as numerous strong and huge blades of wind struck at Yuan. This spell was an upgrade of the Air Trust spell. He immediately went after Yuan with his sword as well, knowing that the man was able to take this many hits. Yuan's face was grimacing and there was a line of blood flowing down on his face. Yet, Dean did not stop. The man wasn't defeated just yet.

"Thunder Explosion!" Yuan shouted in the middle of a sword clash. An explosion of thunder erupted between the two fighting figures, knocking both of them back. Dean hadn't seen this attack coming, so had been unable to block it. He was sent to the ground. Yuan had gotten to his feet before he had, having trained himself to be able to take such a spell. The half-elf was resistant to lightning attacks. Yuan kept coming closer and closer and still Dean had trouble getting up.

Dean could see the blade coming at his face. His mind went blank and he rolled away. He then jumped up from the ground and was back on his feet. It was going to be a draw if the two of them kept going like this. He needed to do something if he wished to win. Luckily, his barrier had caught part of the attack and was healing his body. Dean was surprised he wasn't having mana shortages just yet. It seemed he was capable of more than he thought.

He had no time to hesitate as Yuan was coming at him again, fuelled with new determination and convinced he could win this fight. Dean closed his eyes and focused on his surrounding two metres around him through the air.

Sensing the attack, Dean knew it would come from above. The attack would shift from the left angle to towards his head. Dean sidestepped and dodged the attack.

"Firestorm Slash!" It was his new arte. A fusion of fire, wind and lightning. His blade was set aflame and the flame was strengthened by the element of wind. Lightning was infused into the fire. Yuan was unable to do anything to the arte and took it head on when Dean brought his weapon down on his opponent.

The half-elf was sent to the ground. Part of his face was burned. His weapon was lying on the ground. Dean immediately dropped his sword and rushed towards the man, gathering mana as fast as he could.

"Heal!" Dean said calmly as he held his hand above the face of the leader of the Renegades. He wouldn't be responsible for scorching the face of this man. Slowly he saw the burned skin disappear and new skin appear in its place. When Dean was done, it was like nothing had happened. The others wounds on the body had been healed as well.

Yuan quickly regained conscious. He slowly opened his eyes, having a look on his face that told he was wondering where he was.

"Dean?" the man muttered confused. He raised himself to a sitting position. "I see… Then I've lost." Dean grabbed the hand of the man and pulled him up. It was then that the crowd gathered at the training grounds burst into cheering. The names of Dean and Yuan were screamed both equally. Dean had forgotten that there had been people watching the fight. He was glad no one else had been hurt in the fight. He had paid them no attention whatsoever. He waved his hand at the people and smiled and the cheering even increased.

"Come see me after lunch." Yuan calmly said to Dean, but loud enough to be heard above the cheering. "I will teach you some tricks as well inform you more about the mission." The man had regained his composure already. The weapon he had been using was nowhere to be found. He had his cape around his shoulders again. "And bring that weapon with you." With those words, the man left.

As soon as the man was gone, the crowd slowly disappeared as well. Some of the people congratulated Dean personally or shook his hand. Dean just accepted them with a smile. Why felt this scene so familiar?

"You sure showed him who's boss." Steve said with a grin on his face as he punched Dean softly on the shoulder.

"Pfff. I barely won that fight." Dean answered and sighed. Only he, Steve and Alice were still in the room. Steve had put the giant blade back in the box where he had pulled it from.

"Oh yeah, it sure didn't look that way. You were kicking ass." Steve added. "I have to admit, looking at our leader getting beaten was something I enjoyed a bit too much."

"Yes, it was a good fight." Alice added with a smile on her face.

"You two knew this was going to happen, didn't you?" Dean asked sceptically, finding the behaviour of his two friends a bit strange.

"Well, what do you think? I was the one that got this sword here, you know?" Steve said. "Of course the two of us knew! I made sure the entire base knew about this fight. I even made some money." The half-elf man grinned at Dean.

"What? You were gambling on this fight?" Dean asked surprised.

"Ah, what can I say? A bit of extra Gald always comes in handy." Steve shrugged of the question. Alice seemed to think it was funny as she was laughing.

"You two are too much. Come on. Let's grab a bite. I haven't eaten anything yet." Dean said as his stomach began making loud noises.

"You won that fight with an empty stomach? You're unbelievable." Steve joked around.

"Shut up! I had no more time to eat breakfast after my morning practise." Dean said, going along with the flow of the conversation.

Dean was hardly able to eat a proper breakfast however. He kept coming across people in the hallway who congratulated him again. In the dining hall it was the same. It was really crowded and the peace and quiet Dean was longing for was taken away from him.

The three of them even went to Dean's room for a while in order to escape the madness for a while. Dean was wondering if he should skip lunch.

"Ah, these people are annoying." Dean said irritated while letting himself fall on the bed.

"Well, Lord Yuan is considered a hero at this place you know?" Steve said. "It's no wonder that they look up to you now as well."

"Well, it's good that I'll be leaving this place soon then." Dean said with a sigh.

"You what?" Alice then asked. Dean looked confused at the surprised young woman.

"What? You didn't know?" Dean asked. Alice shook her head. "What did you think that fight was for then? It was a test. Yuan said that my friends are back in Sylvarant. He wants me to meet them on behalf of the Renegades, but he needed to know how strong I was for some reason." Dean explained. For some reason Alice seemed to be sad all of a sudden. It was no surprise. One of her friends was going to leave the base.

"You know. You could always join our traveling band of idiots. Join me, Lloyd, Colette and Genis." Dean proposed to Alice. The girl seemed to be reconsidering the offer, but then shook her head.

"No. My place is at the Renegades and with Thomas. Besides, I don't know if they'll accept me. I'm a shape-shifter after all." the young woman said a bit down.

"And? They're not closed minded people, you know? You'll get along with them in no time. However, you should keep your guard up around Zelos. That guy will hit on you even if he knows you're in a serious relationship. I swear, I could punch that guy sometimes in the face." Dean said with a sigh.

"Why don't you do so?" Steve then asked with a grin.

"Oh, I don't need to. He keeps hitting on Sheena all the time and she answers his confessions with a fist in his face." Dean said with a smile on his face, thinking back of those two.

"Ouch…" Steve said with a grin on his face.

"Ah well. Every other girl except the ones on our group seem to fall for him immediately though. I have to admit that he is really good looking. Add his flirting personality and his ways around a woman and he gets almost everyone he wants in bed." Dean said a bit annoyed.

"Oh, he's that good huh?" Steve asked with a mischievous smile on his face "Maybe I should ask him for some tips."

"Oh, he'll be happy to give them to you. More than you want to."

The three of them chatted some more like that before it was time for lunch. Training sessions were cancelled for that day. Both Alice and Steve had a free day. Alice seemed to be working again, but only had been giving office jobs. She wasn't sure when to go back into the field again. She would hear from her boss that afternoon.

It was more quiet during lunch this time. Dean quickly ate his food as he was eager to meet up with Yuan. He couldn't wait to find out when he would meet his friends again. He said goodbye to Steve and Alice and headed towards his office on his own. He nearly forgot his sword and headed to the training ground to pick it up. It was really strange to walk around with such a giant sword in his hand. People kept looking at him and were whispering at each other. It made Dean feel really uncomfortable.

"He's been expecting you. Please enter." a female Renegades who was now standing guard said to Dean as he came near. "Also… You were really cool out there." the woman added. Dean thanked the soldier and headed into the office. He put his sword against the wall as it had no sheath.

"Please sit down." Yuan said with that snapping voice of his. Dean still wasn't used to the sound of his voice. It always sounded so commanding and Dean always got the feeling the half-elf looked down on others.

"We're planning on giving you that sword." Yuan said to Dean as soon as he got seated. The leader looked at Dean with strict eyes. "You can't however just carry that around, so I'm going to teach you a little spell of mine. I'm sure you'll be able to pick it up immediately." Yuan got up and closed his eyes. After a second Dean noticed a distortion in the space in front of the man, especially right above the hand he had held open in front of him. The double-bladed butterfly sword appeared from the distortion of space and landed in the hand of Yuan.

Yuan then taught Dean how to use that spell. After a few tries Dean managed to let the sword materialise and disappear. He really didn't fully understood the workings of the spell, but as long as he could use it, that was fine with him.

"Good, now practise that in your own time. There is another thing I wish to teach you." Yuan continued as he sat down in his chair. "Please remain standing." he said to Dean as he too wanted to sit down. "I have noticed that your Exsphere has evolved into a Cruxis Crystal. If you manage to grow wings, you can tap into the full potential of the Cruxis Crystal. It has a showy effect, but it comes in handy. Now, I want you to close your eyes." Dean followed the instructions of the half-elf. "Focus on the place where the Cruxis Crystal is imbedded."

Dean focused on his left hand. As he did, he could feel a power lying dormant there. He then imagined that power flowing through his body. Power rushed through his entire body and he felt stronger than ever. When he opened his eyes, he could feel that wings has sprouted from his back.

"Good. In order to reverse the flow, guide the flow of energy back to your Cruxis Crystal." Dean did so without closing his eyes. He was now aware of the power inside the crystal at all times. It wouldn't be hard to unleash its power the next time.

"Now that is done, we can focus on business." Yuan said with his commanding voice.

"Thank you on teaching me that." Dean interrupted the man. The blue haired man just raised his eyebrows at this gesture.

"It was necessary. Now, I told you that your companions are in Palmacosta. We have already send a few of our soldiers to the Palmacosta Base. That should lure your friends to the base. That will be the rendezvous point. As I have said before, we plan to ally ourselves with your companions."

"Why do you want to join forces now?" Dean asked, a bit suspicious of the timing.

"There are several reasons. We already told you about the Great Seed, didn't we?" Dean nodded to this question. "The Great Seed is being protected by the mana links which are formed between Summon Spirits of opposing elements. Your group has started to form pacts of Summon Spirits of both worlds. As soon as the protection around the Great Seed is gone, we can let the Great Seed germinate." Yuan explained.

"I see. So in order to let the Great Seed germinate, we first need to erase the mana links. Because Sheena is able to form pacts from both worlds, this is possible. That is a good reason to form an allegiance." Dean confirmed.

"We also wish to ask for their aid in stopping Rodyle. The mana cannon is complete and who knows what he'll do with it. We need all the help we can if we want to stop him. Fortunately, Rodyle hasn't gotten his hands on a Cruxis Crystal…"

"He has a Cruxis Crystal." Dean interrupted the leader of the Renegades. The eyes of the man suddenly opened up in disbelief.

"What? Are you sure of this?" Yuan had gotten to his feet all of a sudden.

"I was the one that created it. I was there when he ripped it from my body. I'm sure of it, that was a Cruxis Crystal." Dean answered. Yuan's face went pale. This hadn't been part of his plan after all.

"Then there is no time…" Yuan said, apparently panicking. "If he fires that thing too soon, then all of our plans will be in ruin."

"Yuan?" the man didn't listen to him as he was lost in thought. "Yuan!" Dean shouted to the half-elf leader. The man almost jumped up from surprise. "You can figure out what needs to be done soon, but right now you need to inform me." Yuan regained his composure and sat down again, his face calm again.

"I've already sent Botta to the Palmacosta Ranch. Now, I have a request and a question for you." Dean raised his eyebrows at this.

"I'm sure you've figured this out yourself by now, but we wish for you to infiltrate the remote Human Ranch, the Mana Cannon, so you can stop put an end to Rodyle. Are you up to this?" Now Dean's face went pale. He hadn't expected to ever go back to that base before.

"But… I don't know about the layout of the base." Dean confessed, his hands suddenly trembling.

"That doesn't matter. Rodyle is not an opponent to be taking lightly. The test was to see if you're strong enough to take him on. The real test is to see if you'll be able to get into the ranch again without breaking down again." Dean was breathing heavily. He didn't know if he could do it. Was he really up to it? It hadn't been that long since he had gotten back from that nightmare.

"You can decline, you know?" Yuan said to Dean. Deep inside Dean knew he didn't want to accept the offer, but he also knew that if his friends and companions went to the remote island Human Ranch, something he knew they would, then they would be in grave danger. He wanted to protect his friends, but was he able to stay calm in the ranch? He probably couldn't…

"How long do I have before I have to decide?" Dean asked, needing more time to decide.

"Unfortunately, no time at all. Now that I know that Rodyle has a Cruxis Crystal, time is of the essence. I have decided that I will join this operation myself as well. I'm giving you this offer so that you can be reunited with your friends, as well as seeing how far your resolve to save the worlds goes." Dean knew enough. He couldn't refuse. If he wanted to leave this base, if he ever wanted to move on, he needed to go back to the ranch. This time he wouldn't be a prisoner. He would be go as a saviour.

"Then I have no choice…" Dean muttered. "All right. I will go." Dean said, still a bit uncertain.

"Are you certain? We'll just leave you behind if you are unable to move on." Yuan wasn't planning on going easy on Dean. He didn't expect any less from the guy. Dean gathered his courage and looked Yuan in the eyes.

"I'm certain. I accept your offer." There was no turning back anymore. He had made his decision. All he had to do now was keep going. He knew he was going to regret this, but he had to press on.

"Good. Gather your belongings. We will leave in a hour. Meet me at the Rheaird bay. That is all." Dean nodded and left the room. Once he was out of there, he had to take a deep breath before he could continue. He immediately left for his room.

His hands were shaking. His heart was beating. He was breathing heavily and he wasn't feeling good at all. Why was he doing this? He didn't want this. Why had he said yes? Just why? Why? Why?

"Hey Dean. You okay?" a voice asked him. Dean turned around to see Steve. He was standing in front of his room.

"No. Definitely not okay." Dean answered while he tried to grab the handler of the door. He kept missing it. Only after five tries he managed to get his hand on the handle. Why had he missed it? Was it the lack of depth since he now could only see with one eye?

"Oooookay… So, care to tell me why you're not okay and why your hands are shaking that much?" Steve asked, following Dean into the room.

"What do I need? Clothes, bag, bathroom stuff and books?" Dean muttered. He kept looking around the room, grabbing random stuff and putting them on the table. Meanwhile Steve was following him with his eyes.

"Um, Dean? Talk to me?" the half-elf asked.

"Can't really talk Steve, need to pack. Need to be in the Rheaird bay soon." Dean answered while putting a set of clothes on the table. "Where the hell is my bag?" he asked out loud and annoyed.

"Okay, I can't look at this anymore." Steve said. He grabbed Dean by the arm, dragged him towards the bed and forced him to sit there. Dean gave his friend a bewildered look. Steve put his hands on his shoulders, pressing him on the bed, making sure he couldn't move anymore.

"Now, tell me what happened." Steve said with a strict voice. Dean could feel the glare piercing right through him and he swallowed.

"I agreed to go back to the ranch." Dean said. Somehow, tension left his body and his mind when he said that. "Yuan asked me to contact my friends." Dean started to talk. "Said that he wanted the Renegades and them to join hands, to work together. He also told me they were planning on breaking into Rodyle's ranch. He said that if I wanted to join, that I had to go back to the ranch again. I agreed. Why did I agree? I don't want to go back there…" Dean muttered while he kept looking around the room. "I don't know where the Rheaird bay is…" He then looked at Steve again. "You know where it is, don't you?"

"Dean, take a deep breath." Dean did what his friend told him. "Now breathe out." Dean released the air inside of his lungs. "Now repeat. Close your eyes as well." Dean focused on his breathing while he kept his eyes closed. Thoughts were still spinning through his head, as were the various emotions that were rushing through him. He lost his focus on his breathing several times as his mind wandered away and had to start over again. Eventually he was able to focus on his breathing alone.

"Better?" Steve asked as Dean was breathing out. Dean opened his eyes and saw his friends with a bag in his hand. He then pushed the bag into his hands. "Now, let's go." The half-elf walked away and left the room. Dean stayed seated on the bed for a few more seconds before he got up and followed his friend.

"Steve?" Dean asked when he had caught up with his friend. He had put the bag on his back.

"Yeah?" the man said while keeping his gaze in front of him.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." The two of them walked to a part of the base Dean hadn't explored yet. He had seen several parts of the base and he thought he had seen almost the entire base, but he had been wrong. Steve entered several codes at some doors that were closed. Dean hadn't been allowed access into those rooms before. They entered some kind of hangar after a while. Yuan was already there as well as Alice.

"Ah, Dean, Steve. You guys made it." Alice said as she came closer. She had a small smile on her face. Dean's heart jumped up again when he saw her. "Oh, Dean, come over here for a moment." Dean walked over to the shape shifter. She put something over his head. He felt something over his left eye. He put his hand against the thing.

"An eye-patch?" Dean asked.

"Yeah. I told you I would get you one, didn't I? It even has a skull with two crossing bones beneath it. Just like on a pirate flag. Pretty cool, right?" Alice told Dean excited. Apparently, she was clearly enjoying this.

"I thought I told you I didn't want a symbol on it?" Dean asked a bit annoyed.

"Ah, it looks good on you. You look really menacing."

"Yes, that's what I want to look like when I'm reunited with my friends. A pirate flag symbol, really?" Dean asked her.

"You look menacing all right." Steve said to Dean with a grin on his face. Somebody cleared his throat. The three of them turned their attention to Yuan who was looking at them impatiently and annoyed. He had his arms folded over each other. Steve and Alice immediately regained their composure.

"You kids done playing?" the guy snapped at them.

"Yes, Sir!" Alice and Steve said together and saluted their leader.

"Good. Let's get going then." Dean nodded to the man and walked towards one of the Rheairds. He then noticed that Alice and Steve were also walking towards them.

"You're coming too?" Dean asked them.

"What? And have you all the fun the whole time? I'm won't say no to an opportunity like this." Steve said with a grin on his face.

"Thomas is still at the base. There is no way I'm staying here. Besides, someone has to keep an eye on you at the base." The shape-shifter gave him a wink. Alice gave Dean a quick explanation how to ride the Rheaird before they got on to it. They each rode one and set off towards Palmacosta.

---

And that's another chapter. How many temples did I just skip in two chapters? Well, I haven't figured that out yet.

Good news, I will be done with my studies really soon. So I get to enjoy a holiday. I'm also going to Japan (again)!

Bad news, I haven't found a job just yet... That's bad news for you guys as well, since I don't have a lot of inspiration nor will to write when I'm using most of my time looking for a job.

So I hope I can get a new chapter out within a month. Or else you readers will have to wait for quite some time.

One last thing. These last two chapters were mostly improvising and trying to give the story a different twist. Please let me know what you thought about it in a review. I will be eternally grateful to you if you do.

Until next time~