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?

25. Recovery in Iselia

Hello fellow readers and writers,

No, I haven't died. I've just been busy with RL, games and much more. I'm now renting an apartment with a friend of mine, so I finally have a place for myself, which is good. I also visited Vienna and Moscow in the meantime and of course a couple of anime conventions. But enough of my private life now.

This chapter is basically an emotional roller-coaster. I had some new ideas which I like and I'm now at peace how the story is progressing for OC Dean as I was beginning to feel I was pushing the story towards a direction.

Anyway, enjoy this new chapter.

---

He was flying through the sky. Mountains and grasslands passed by underneath him as he flew at the height of the clouds. He was chasing a pink light in the distance that he couldn't get closer to.

It felt like he flew for hours. Eventually he got closer and closer to the pink light. He descended towards the ground, flying towards her, towards the light, towards his love.

As soon as he hit the ground, the pink wings on her back disappeared. She turned around slowly. He smiled at first, but his eyes grew big and his mouth fell open.

Inside the blue clothes she always wore, there was now a crystal in the shape of a human. Hollow eyes looked at him and the place where the mouth had been opened. A high, painful screech sounded from the opening. He stretched out his arm as his legs refused to respond to his commands. The sound suddenly stopped and the crystal scattered into a million pieces.

"Goodbye, my love..." Those words were whispered in his ear in the voice of Colette.

---

Dean woke up in cold sweat. Although the dream had started as a nice one, it had eventually turned into a horrifying sight. It had been different from the usual nightmares where he was being tortured or where he could do nothing to stop the death of his beloved ones. Somehow, this dream seemed to be worse compared to those 'normal' nightmares, because it showed an element that could become reality. The body of Colette was covered in countless tiny crystals. That dreams showed the end result of the state she was in right now.

Dean looked around in the room where he was and saw a sight he was familiar with. It was his own room. He couldn't remember the last time he had been sleeping in the room. Times had been different then. He had been a different person.

He climbed out of bed only to notice that he was only wearing his underwear. A new set of clothes were placed on the wooden desk he had used in the past to make his homework. He put on these clean clothes which were old clothes of him.

They were a simple brown sweater, brown pants, white socks, a change of underwear and a pair of brown boots. The sweater was a little tight, since he had become a bit broader and had more muscles compared to when he left the village of Iselia to embark on the Journey of Regeneration.

When he walked past the mirror in the hallway, he stopped for a moment to look at himself. The top of his skull where his hair used to be was covered with skin with burn marks. The scars on his face were countless and overlapped each other. Parts of his left ear were chipped away. His right eye had no more iris nor any colour in it. It was like he was looking at a white hole.

He shook his head and headed downstairs. The rest of the house looked empty and he couldn't hear any sounds. The light shone through the windows. A plate with a few pieces of bread, a glass of water, some butter and jam was placed on the kitchen table. It seemed that morning had already passed. Dean sat down and ate his breakfast in silence.

When he looked around his old home, he noticed that the door to the bedroom of his parents was open. When he walked towards the room to close the door, he noticed that somebody was lying in the bed. His curiosity overcame him and he stepped into the room.

He immediately recognized the girl sleeping in the bed of his parents. It was Chocolat. The girl had more colour to her skin, but she was still really skinny. When Dean looked at the Exsphere, he noticed that there was still no Key Crest attached to it.

Her breathing was barely detectable and Dean feared for the worst. The girl needed a Key Crest. An idea formed in his head. He took off his Cruxis Crystal. The Renegades had equipped the thing with a Key Crest. He hoped that if he would place the evolved Exsphere on the girl, the attached Key Crest would negate the effects of the already present Exsphere.

There was only one way to find out. He just hoped the girl would remain in her sleep until she would have recovered enough. He pressed his Cruxis Crystal on the hand where there was yet something attached. The thing sank into the flesh of the girl, accepting its new master.

Chocolat gasped for air as her body noticed the change. Dean held his breath. The girl let out the air trapped in her lungs and her breathing returned to normal. Dean put his hand on the stomach of the girl. He then gently and slowly poured a small amount of his mana into the body of the girl.

He then returned to the kitchen to fill the glass with water. He gently lifted the head of the girl as he put the glass on her lips and put the water in her mouth little by little. It took him several minutes before the glass was empty.

"Th..." a sound came from the throat of the girl before she started to cough. "Th... Tha... Thank... You..." the breathing of the girl got faster after her attempt of speak. The words had been less than whispers, but Dean could hear them loud and clear.

"Don't force yourself to speak. Take it easy." Dean softly said to the girl. "You've been through a lot. You need a lot of rest. Sleep." The girl slightly shook her head.

"Are you hungry?" The girl shook her head again. "Are you still thirsty?" Another no.

"Wh... where..." the girl tried to speak again, but coughed weak again.

"You are in the village of Iselia. You were rescued by the Chosen and her followers. You are safe here. Please, try to rest. Your body needs time to recover." A small smile appeared on the face of the brown haired girl. Soon after that the breathing of the girl returned to slow rhythem. She had fallen asleep again.

Dean had feared that the girl would wake up because of his actions. Still, her mind was still dazed and slow. She hadn't had the strength to speak nor the strength to even lift her eyelids. Dean was grateful for that. He didn't want her to see his gruesome face.

It would still take weeks before she would recover. Dean silently left the room, but left the door open. He left his old home in search for his comrades.

---

The village was quiet. Most of the people were working on the fields. The elder people who were unable to work were the only ones walking through the streets. They looked at Dean with a look of pity. It seemed the villagers knew his identity by now.

Dean came across the people of Tethe'alla who were just walking around the village, having nothing to do. Presea was the first one to confront him. The others turned their eyes to the ground when they saw him as they seemed to avoid him.

"I'm sorry Dean." the pink haired girl said to him. "If we would have listened to you, then this disaster could have been prevented. If only if we trusted you..." the girl seemed to be at a loss of words and directed her look to the ground. Dean just wanted push his hand over the head of the girl. She shouldn't be the one apologizing. Nobody should be apologizing to him.

"It's not your fault. I'm the one to blame. If I hadn't broken your trust, then this wouldn't have happened. Heck, if I hadn't broken your trust I would have travelled with you guys and would have defied Kratos as well. You are not to blame." Dean said with a soft voice.

"Still, for us to have treated you that way. It does not feel well." Regal said. The big man had come closer to the two when they had started to talk. Dean just shook his head before looking at the man.

"What is the damage?" Dean then asked as he tried to shield him for what was about to be said.

"The Tower of Mana was destroyed along with the city of Palmacosta. The rest of the villages sustained some damage as well, but fortunately no devastating damage was done to them. The Tower of Salvation is gone as well. Causalities are in the thousands." Regal fell into silence and he stared at the ground again.

"All those lives lost, because of us." Presea said in a somber voice. Dean shook his head. He wanted to deny his companions the truth, he wanted to tell them they were wrong.

"We thought we were saving Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. It seems we were wrong." Sheena said to her three friends. She smiled to Dean as a greeting, but the smile faded away again. Zelos opened his mouth, but closed it after a few seconds. Dean looked at the four people from the other world.

"Well, the only thing that is left to do is to try to make up for the damage we have done." Dean said in a louder voice, trying to cheer the people up. "Where are the others?" Dean asked after a few seconds of silence. He wanted to change the subject. He didn't like this gloomy atmosphere. It was making him depressed as well.

"They are at the Mayor's house, deciding what to do with all the people we freed from the ranch. The former captives are now at Dirk's place, getting the Exspheres removed from their bodies. Lloyd went along to guide them. Colette is still asleep in her own house however." Regal answered the question.

"Why didn't you tag along with Lloyd?" Dean asked his four friends, a bit confused why they were wandering around the village.

"Kratos glared towards us, warning us not to go along with him. Lloyd said he would be fine on his own." Sheena answered. "We stayed at Colette's place, but it had gotten too crowded and we were chased out by the old woman, I believe Phaidra was her name."

"So we're hanging out in the village now, but there is absolutely nothing to do here in the middle of the boondocks." Zelos said with an annoyed voice. "Everyone is working and flirting with the elders is only fun for a few minutes." Sheena gave the red haired guy a hard poke in his side. "Ow. What the heck Sheena?"

"Show some respect Zelos! Dean and the others grew up here." Sheena retorted, annoyed by the behaviour of her companion.

"That's alright Sheena." Dean smiled at the behaviour of his two friends. Those two wouldn't change, no matter where they were. "There really isn't that much to do in this village. I just went to school, made my homework, played with Lloyd, Colette and Genis and practiced my swordsmanship before I went along with the Journey of Regeneration. There really isn't that much to do in this small village." The others didn't answer him. "I think I'm going to check on Colette. Don't cause too much of an uproar Zelos." Dean smiled at his friends before walking towards the house of Phaidra.

---

Dean knocked on the front door of the house. He could hear a chair being pushed back and footsteps before the door opened. The old woman Phaidra, the grandmother of Colette, opened the door.

"Ah, Dean. Please come in." she said to him. Like always, the old woman was smiling. Not an inch of pity was in her eyes. He could only see sadness. "Colette refuses to leave her room. Maybe you can talk some sense into her." Phaidra was trying to sound irritated, but Dean could still hear the concern for her grandchild in her voice.

"You've heard the truth of Cruxis?" Dean asked as he entered the house. He kept his eyes on the woman as she slowly walked back to the table. Her face got serious as soon as she had taken a seat on her favourite chair.

"To think that the very Goddess we believe in is a lie... This is very upsetting." She placed her hands together like she was praying. "People need religion as it is their source of hope in these desperate times. Now that the Tower of Salvation is gone, Colette will go through an even harder time while she travels through Sylvarant."

"I'll do my very best to protect her, but we first need to find a cure for her." Dean said with determination in his voice. He then shifted his gaze towards the stairs that led to Colette's room and from that, towards the ground. "Although I have no idea how to convince the people that Colette isn't to blame. They won't believe my word even if I tell them the truth. I will need some kind of proof or a living miracle to convince the people." Dean sighed as he was out of ideas.

"I think that saving both Sylvarant is this world you call Tethe'alla is the first step. We can search for peace after that." Phaidra said to him in order to cheer him up. Dean nodded to her and smiled, but shared a different opinion.

The people would first need to be informed about the state of the world and the truth. If they would bring Sylvarant and Tethe'alla together with the power of the Eternal Sword, the people wouldn't know what to do. Their whole world would suddenly just change and the people of Sylvarant would meet the people of a world which is far more advanced than they are.

Knowing how things were in Meltokio, Dean knew that the people of Tethe'alla wouldn't just aid the people of Sylvarant. They would probably treat them like they were filthy rats. Knowing that they have superior technology, they might even try and conquer the people originating from Sylvarant and enslave them.

No, he would need to start to inform the leaders from both Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. If they knew the truth and would be able to make contact with each other, then truly the world would become a better place for all. After that the discrimination against half-elves needed to be fixed as well.

But that was all for later. Right now, he would need to put his energy in curing Colette. The girl would first want to be cured as well. He headed up the stairs on knocked on her door. There was no response however.

"Colette? I'm coming in." he softly said before opening the door. Colette was lying in her bed with her clothes still on. The room itself was dark and the curtains were closed. It seemed Colette had put on new clothes which were identical to her last ones as they looked clean and new. The girl looked at him and crawled up into a sitting position at the end of the bed. Dean sat down on the bed and looked at her. "Hey there." He smiled towards the girl who seemed to be at the edge of tears.

"Dean..." Colette just softly said back. The two of the just looked at each other. "Now you know it. Now you know that I'm hideous like you. Maybe we are meant for each other as well." The words she said should have made Dean happier. It should have given him hope that he still had a chance with her. They didn't. They only filled this heart with sadness.

"No Colette. Compared to me, you are beautiful." Dean said as he got up. He then pulled up his sweater and took it off. Colette diverted her gaze at first, confused what Dean was playing at, but then she looked at his chest. Her eyes filled with tears when she saw his body.

"Do you see it now?" Dean said softly. "Do you see what is different between you and me? Your body is just covered in crystals. Crystals are still beautiful. My body is covered in scars. Scars that make me ugly. You can still recover. My scars will never go away. Not the ones on my body, nor the ones inflicted in my mind." Dean pulled his sweater back on and sat down on her bed again.

"I'm sorry." Colette said, but Dean didn't answer. "I'm sorry Dean. Here I am acting like it's the end of the world, yet its different for you. People don't even recognize you anymore. My problems are peanuts compared to yours." Dean shook his head again.

"You don't need to apologize. I would be freaked out as well if my body was covered in crystals that kept on spreading all over my body. There's nothing to be ashamed of. We can still cure you. You need to get out of bed if we want to do that though." Dean smiled at her and wiped away the tears on the face of his beloved one. She smiled back at him.

"You seem different Dean..." Colette said when Dean had gotten up again.

"I don't know... I feel different. Empty, I guess?" Dean answered as he turned himself towards the door. "The Desian Leaders that were responsible for my capture and tortures are all dead. I used to think that killing them would make me feel better, but it doesn't. They are dead and finally the people of Sylvarant aren't oppressed by the Desians anymore, but I don't feel happy. I feel like I have lost everything." Dean was surprised by his own answer as well. It was true that he wasn't feeling anything. He was just thinking of the next thing to do. He felt like he had to keep on going. He knew he would only get sad and depressed if he thought about himself and his situation.

Arms were wrapped around him from behind. He felt the body of the girl he loved being pressed against him. Tears began to flow over his face.

"I wish I could do something to help you..." Colette softly said as she kept embracing him. "But I can't, can I?" Dean put one of his hands on one of her hands and savoured the moment.

"Just don't abandon me." Dean whispered back. "You, Lloyd, Genis, Sheena, The Professor, Zelos, Regal, Presea and even Kratos, you guys are all I have left." The image of each of his friends appeared in his mind as he mentioned them.

"Don't forget your parents." Colette had stopped embracing him and was standing next to him and was smiling again. Dean was glad. He didn't like that she had been crying so much.

"I don't know how my parents think of me now that I'm like this." Dean answered.

"Then talk to them." Colette answered. "I'm sure they still love you." Dean thought about the shocked reaction of his parents the last time he saw them. He didn't know if he was ready to face them again.

"I will." Dean answered. The two of them left the room and headed downstairs.

"Ah, you're finally up. Up for a cup of tea dear?" Phaidra smiled at the two of them when they came down.

"Yeah, thanks grandma." Colette answered with a smile.

"You too, Dean?" the old woman smiled at him again and it seemed a little warmth filled the heart of Dean again.

"Yes, some tea would be nice." He then sat at the table and they talked about old times, bringing up memories of the past.

---

After eating lunch with Colette and Phaidra, Dean decided it was time for him to go to Dirk. He still owed the man an explanation why he had suddenly left. He said his goodbyes to child and grandmother, thanked them for the food and left the building.

When he came upon the square near the school only Zelos and Presea were still hanging around. Dean walked over towards the bored red haired Chosen of Tethe'alla.

"Hey Zelos, where are Sheena and Regal?" Dean asked, still approaching the guy. Zelos was leaning against the school building and looking towards the sky. The guy really looked bored. Presea was sitting near a tree, busy with some craftwork.

"Those two?" Zelos answered while yawning and stretching his arms in the air. "They joined the discussion about the freed people after a while. I guess they were looking for something to save them from this boredom."

"I see..." Dean muttered to himself. He looked at the red haired guy and then at Presea before letting a smile appear on his face. "Do you and Presea want to go with me to Dirk's place? I need to talk to Dirk about something and I still have unfinished business with Kratos. I could really use some bodyguards since I removed my Cruxis Crystal." Zelos raised his eyebrows then.

"You... Removed your Cruxis Crystal..." Zelos worded.

"Yeah. I've been taking care of that girl from the ranch, Chocolat. She's really weak and she wouldn't be able to make it without a Key Crest. Time was of the essence so I gave her the only Key Crest that was available at the moment, the one attached to my Cruxis Crystal." Dean started to explain. Zelos had almost opened his mouth and looked at him with disbelief.

"At first I wasn't sure it was going to work, since I had to give her the whole Cruxis Crystal. I couldn't just detach the Key Crest from that thing, you know? Fortunately, it worked. I need to go to Dirk so he can make a Key Crest for her." Dean finished his explanation. The Chosen from Tethe'alla was still staring at him and he rubbed his eyes like he was dreaming.

"Are you sure you should just give something so precious to a total stranger? I mean, do you even know that girl?" Zelos asked, not understanding Dean.

"It's just a temporary fix you know. Besides, Chocolat means a lot to Lloyd and Colette. I can't just let someone like that die." Dean explained. "Anyway, are you coming or not?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong buddy. I'm in!" Zelos let his serious attitude fade away and grinned towards Dean as he laid his arm over Dean's shoulder and pulled him closer towards him. "Presea! You wanna ditch this village and go for a walk?" Zelos shouted towards the pink haired girl who was focusing on her work. She looked up, still lost in her work and not accustomed to reality, looking a bit confused a first as the words still needed to reach her. She then nodded, put her tools and the piece of wood she was working on in a bag attached to her belt and got up.

"Where are we going?" Presea asked as she wiped away the dirt from her dress.

"Towards Dirk's place. I still have some unfinished business there." Dean answered. The girl nodded to him, stating that she was ready to go. "We have to go through Iselia Forest. It is inhabited by monsters, but they should leave us alone if we won't disturb them." Dean explained to his two companions before they left the village. He waved goodbye to the guards on duty as he passed them and put a smile on his face. He was still feeling empty though.

---

The trip through the forest was a calm one, just like the last time. Presea had her axe out and seemed wary of an attack the whole time. Zelos on the other hand was walking around like the forest was part of the garden he owned. Dean let it seem like he was relaxed, but he was feeling the air around the three of them for any sudden movements.

All was going well until they reached an open spot just before exiting the forest. A most unfamiliar sight was awaiting there. A person was waiting for them there with a sword in his hand and angelic wings on his back. The strange thing was, he had the face of Dean before he had been tortured.

"I've been waiting for you!" the stranger shouted towards the three of them with the same voice of Dean. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to see you, my dear brother!"

His hair was cut short. He was wearing pure white clothes outlined with gold stripes. He was holding a katana with a golden handle. His eyes were the same, his face was the same and his voice was the same. It was like Dean was watching through a mirror of his past self, in ridiculous clothing.

"Uh, Dean... Do you know this guy?" Zelos asked while rubbing in his eyes again and pinching himself. "He kinda looks like you before you, you know, got all those burn marks and scars all over."

"He also sounds like you..." Presea added.

"The only difference is that he has orange angelic wings... I thought mine were green..." Dean answered, not sure if he was able to comprehend the idea of a person exactly like him standing there. He thought he had been the last clone. If this guy existed, did others who looked like him exist as well?

"Why aren't you answering me brother? Too stunned to see the still perfect version of yourself?!" the clone shouted towards the party again. The clone then slowly started to walk towards the three of them, his sword still drawn and his eyes wild and dangerous.

"He isn't really friendly, is he?" Zelos asked. "Maybe you should try talking to him before he attacks us. He is addressing you, you know?" Zelos jokingly said. The guy was holding his hand on the handle of his sword, ready to draw it. Presea was in a battle position as well. Dean then realized he didn't have a sword on him. The blade he usually kept in the void was probably still lying near the Human Ranch and he didn't have any other weapons on him.

"Who are you?" Dean asked when his clone was within hearing range. Unlike his two friends he was still standing quite relaxed. He folded his arms in front of him, just like Kratos usually did.

"Well, I'm you of course. Isn't that oblivious? I was born a week after you. I've been watching you all my life and have been preparing for this moment my whole life." the clone answered. He had a devious smile on his face. Despite looking exactly like the former Dean, Dean didn't recognize one bit of himself in this clone. He appeared like an evil version of himself.

"Before you keep on asking these stupid questions, let me answer them now before I... Erase you!" The clone started to laugh which made Zelos draw his sword. Presea lowered herself a bit and improved her footing on the ground. Dean started to gather mana at a slow rate so his clone wouldn't find out.

"You're not the last clone made, I am. My purpose is to destroy you, retrieve Colette for the sake of Lord Yggdrasill and the Goddess Martel and to live in the new world created by Lord Yggdrasill. I've been training my whole life to take you down." The clone then pointed to a crystal attached between his collar-bones which seemed to be his Cruxis Crystal. "Just like you, I've created a Cruxis Crystal with my own body. It took a bit longer and was far less cruel compared to you, but I succeeded at it as well." The clone kept on grinning and seemed to be really proud of his accomplishments. Dean couldn't believe his ears. Was this guy really just like him? He sounded like a brainwashed idiot and as mad as Rodyle had been.

"You know, if you think we're going to let that happen to our bud, you're mistaken." Zelos provoked the clone, but he ignored the red haired guy.

"So? You want to duel me one on one, win the fight, kill me and then just to whatever you want to do next?" Dean asked the clone, his voice filled with sarcasm.

"Exactly!" the clone shouted. The clone immediately dashed towards Dean, who was ready for him. Dean wondered if the clone had the same abilities and techniques as him. Although Presea and Zelos had been ready for the clone, the clone came towards Dean too fast for them to react on time. An evil smile was on the face of the clone as he came closer and closer.

"Thunder Shield." Dean softly said as the katana was inches away from his throat. The clone was immediately electrocuted and screamed out in pain. Only after a few seconds the lightning shot him away from Dean who was still standing with his arms folded over each other.

"Thunder Arrow." Immediately after the clone had landed and was on his feet again, three bolts of lightning surrounded him. Electricity started to flow between the bolts, forming a triangle and trapping the clone. Several lightning strikes followed, each of them hit the clone as he grimaced in pain.

"Zelos, you still have that sword we bought in Meltokyo?" Dean quickly asked the red haired chosen, who looked bewildered at the scene happening before him.

"What? Oh... Yes. I think I still have it. I need to dig through some stuff in order to find it though." Zelos answered, not really in his usual mood whenever a battle erupted.

"Then lend me your sword for a while you search for it." Dean ordered while he stretched out his hand, asking for the sword. Zelos reluctantly gave Dean his sword, grabbed a small box out of his pocket and started concentrating on the thing.

The spell had ended in the meantime and the clone came dashing towards Dean again. The clone first pulled a feint, wary of another electrical shock and quickly proceeded with his attack when nothing happened. Dean deflected the second the attack, reading the moves of his attacker.

The attacks of the clone was technical, precise and with force. Dean needed to hold the sword of Zelos in his both hands in order to prevent himself from being pushed back. The attacks were lightning quick and hard to block.

Presea jumped up and smashed her axe towards the clone, coming from behind. The clone rolled sideways, evading the attack, and jumped backwards. The axe smashed against the ground and created a small crater. Dean had to jump backwards as well in order not to get hard by debris from the ground.

"Is that all you got?" the clone mocked Dean, who still remained calm in the situation. He didn't feel like himself. He felt like someone else, yet he himself was still making all the decisions and moving his body. "Are you maybe looking for this?" The clone let his katana disappear into the void while bringing a blade which was a bit too familiar to Dean.

It was the gigantic blade that the Renegades had given to Dean. It seems the clone had picked up the weapon from the ranch and kept it for himself. Dean noticed that the weapons was however a bit too heavy for the clone. The clone needed to hold the gigantic blade with both hands. It could also be that the clone was just making it seem like the blade was too heavy for him.

"You shouldn't let your own things lie around my dear brother. That's a bad habit. Now... Prepare to be defeated by your own weapon." Although he was a bit slower, the clone once again dashed towards Dean.

"Dean! Catch!" Zelos shouted as he threw a weapon towards Dean. Dean merely closed his eyes as the scenario around him developed towards a climax. Everything started to move in slow motion as he felt the motion of everything that moving around him.

He dropped the sword of Zelos to the ground. Jumped into the air to catch the weapon, which had been thrown too high, and grabbed the hilt of the sword when it was vertical in the air. In mid-air he turned towards his foe that was still dashing towards him.

"Wind Infusion. Healing Barrier." Dean whispered as he decided it was time to get finally serious. He lifted his legs up and moved his body sideways while he grabbed the sword with both hands. He stretched his legs as he shot a burst of wind towards himself with a magic spell. He dived towards his foe in mid-air.

The clone had no time to react as Dean slashed his sword through the side of his foe. Dean then rolled over the ground several times as he 'landed' on the ground. He quickly got on his feet again, not paying attention how stupid that action had looked. He had just shot himself towards the ground after all.

The clone shouted in pain and fury as blood was flowing out of his body. "You will pay for that!" the clone shouted as he dashed towards Dean again. Presea launched another attack to intercept the clone again and this time the clone hadn't paid enough attention to her. He had to block the attack of the girl with his huge weapon, but was still pushed backwards by the force of the attack.

"Eruption!" Zelos shouted as he unleashed a spell on the clone. The clone put up a magic shield around him to defend against the attack, but still got hit by the attack.

"Lightning!" Dean quickly shot a spell towards the clone the moment after his foe had dropped the magic shield. The spell hit the clone again. It seemed the clone couldn't use magic himself. They could slowly wear the clone out if this kept up.

"Demon Fang!" The clone shouted as he shot a shockwave towards Presea. The girl got knocked to the ground by the attack. The clone then glared towards Zelos, which seemed to paralyze the guy. The clone shot his eyes back on his prey and slowly walked over towards Dean.

Dean knew he was at a disadvantage. He didn't have his Cruxis Crystal on him. The magic shields wouldn't work on a weapon that big. The guy was faster and stronger than him. He had only wounded him by surprise attacks, but he was out of trump cards. He could do a reckless attack that would kill this clone, but he didn't want to kill the guy. He had more questions to ask.

The clone suddenly launched an attack. Dean jumped backwards and then rolled sideways to dodge the attacks. He had to block the next attack, but was thrown back by the force of the attack.

"What's wrong? I thought you were stronger than this." the clone said angrily and disappointed.

"Well... I don't have my Cruxis Crystal on me today, so I guess this is a bad day for me, isn't it?" Dean answered with a smile on his face. He prepared himself for a reckless attack as he let the clone get closer to him again.

"Well, aren't I lucky then?" the clone answered with an evil grin on his face. As Dean had expected, the clone was lowering his guard again. The clone jumped towards Dean and swung the blade vertical overhead. Dean waited for the last moment to dodge towards the side, taking only a long sidestep. He infused his sword with mana of three different elements.

"Firestorm Slash!" Dean shouted as he aimed for the hands of his foe. The blow of the gigantic blade hitting the ground shoved him away however and the attack missed his designation. The soaring flames filled with electricity still hit the clone. Dean had to jump backwards in order to evade another attack from the clone.

"I am the summoner of lightning." Dean enchanted as he pulled together mana he had gathered and the mana from his body. "Dual Thunder Blade!" he shouted as he summoned two giant blade of lightning that shot towards the clone from different angles. A blast occurred as the spell ended. The clone was still standing with a magic shield around him.

Even though the white clothes were filled with blood of his left side, the clone still kept walking towards Dean like he was in some kind of killing trance. Zelos had healed Presea from her wounds, but both of them seemed too afraid to come near this enemy.

"So, this is it..." Dean muttered as tears filled his eyes. It seemed like he was going to die. He didn't know how to stop this person who was almost identical to him. Images of friend, family and companions flashed in front of him. Emotion overwhelmed him as he realized that he didn't want to die.

He knew what he needed to do. He needed to kill the clone. It was going to be him or the clone. One of them would die. There was no other way around anymore. His nemesis kept walking towards him with a smile on his face as Dean came to this realization.

"Grave!" a familiar voice shouted. A pillar shot up vertically from the ground a moment where the clone had just been. As a reflex, the clone had jumped backwards. A second later more stone pillars shot up from the ground at different angles towards the first pillar. The spell had missed its target however.

"Tch. More interruptions." the clone said frustrated. "Consider yourself lucky brother. You will get to live another day. Mark my words, I will kill you after defeating you in combat. Look forward towards your defeat." The clone let the giant blade disappear into the void and flew away towards the place where the Tower of Salvation once had been.

Dean turned around towards his saviour while lowering his sword. The purple mercenary was walking towards him, his sword in its sheath. Dean let his 'new' sword disappear into the void as he knew the battle was over.

"Are you alright?" Kratos asked Dean while he observed him.

"Yeah. Thanks for the help Kratos. You saved me back there." Dean said as he was truly relieved that it was over. He glanced over towards Zelos and Presea. Both of his friends were back on their feet and had put away their weapons.

"What happened?" the mercenary asked.

"I'll tell you at Dirk's place." Dean answered. He didn't really want to stay here. He convinced himself he should go back to the Human Ranch to check if the weapon from the Renegades was truly gone.

"I was hoping to get back to Cruxis, but it seems this is important enough to delay my return. Very well. Let us go." Kratos replied and he turned around again towards the home of the dwarf living in Sylvarant.

---

When Kratos returned at the house of Dirk with the rest of the party, he didn't explain himself when Lloyd looked confused at the former mercenary. They simply walked into the home of the dwarf and seated themselves at the table which was both used for eating and a unit for storage as both leftovers from food and tools were lying on the table. Not wanting to be disrespectful they left the table as it was.

Presea and Zelos had apologized to Dean while they were walking quietly towards their destination. They explained that they had been paralysed by fear. They felt ashamed they hadn't done more to help Dean. Dean had shook his head at their apology.

"That guy is a probably a clone of me, an exact copy." Dean said with a soft voice, his thoughts still at the clone. "Dealing with him is something of a personal nature. He is my nemesis. I'm truly grateful that you helped me. You did all you did. We weren't prepared for an encounter like that." Dean could still see the look of apology in their eyes and the party was silent until they had reached their destination.

"As it is you who asked me to explain things at this place, please do so then. If you're going to stay silent, I'll leave now." Kratos said after clearing his throat. Dean returned to the present time as he had been lost in his own thoughts again.

"Right. I'm sorry Kratos." Dean said politely. "We encountered what I believe to be a clone of me. Well, more exactly, a clone from the person from who I originated as well. He saw it as a personal mission to kill me and it seemed he wanted to take my place. He had a Cruxis Crystal on him and was equipped with the weapon I used at Iselia's Ranch." The face of the clone flashed before him with that devious smile on his face and his piercing eyes full of hate. "Do you know of his existence?" Kratos' eyes widened a little bit before his usual cool aura returned. The former mercenary didn't answer immediately.

"Another clone you say?" Kratos asked. Dean nodded.

"He looked like how Dean used to look like, but still... So much hate..." Presea folded her arms around her body as goosebumps ran all over her body.

"There is no way I would confuse that guy with our Dean here. After all, Dean would never walk around in a ridiculous outfit like that." Zelos joked. Dean could still see the uneasy in the eyes of The Chosen of Tethe'alla. He tried to comfort himself with some jokes, but it seemed they didn't have the right effect.

"I did not know this clone existed. Lord Yggdrasill must not fully trust me anymore. Is he as old as you are?" Kratos asked. His eyebrows were frowned as the man seemed to dig through his own memories, looking for some clues.

"He told me he was a week younger than me. He must have been isolated from the world ever since his 'birth'." Dean answered. He knew Yggdrasill was after him, since he could make several Cruxis Crystals with his body. He wondered if the clone had been used for that purpose as well.

"This is most disturbing news. However, it should not matter much. I shall keep my eyes and ears open while I'm back at Cruxis." Kratos seemed to be wanting to end the conversation with that. The man got up from his seat and walked towards the door. Dean was a bit surprised and a bit disappointed he didn't learn anything more from this.

"Do not get me wrong. We made a truce, but I'm still a member of Cruxis. If you try to defy Lord Yggdrasill again, I won't hold back." Kratos said with his back towards the party. With that, the man left the house and Dean thought he could hear the man flying away.

"Man, he is as useless and arrogant as ever." Zelos let out as soon as the door closed. "He truly doesn't know whether we are his allies or not."

"Confusing..." Presea then said.

"Well, we still don't know much about this clone, except for one thing. He's out to kill me. If I don't kill him first, he will succeed in that the next time we meet." Dean said while getting out of his seat. He remembered the reason why he had come to this place. "There is no time to sulk. Let's get that Key Crest so I can place my Cruxis Crystal on myself again." Dean forced himself not to think about it anymore and to move on. There would be time enough to think about things later. He ran into Lloyd as soon as he left the house.

"Why was Kratos back here?" Lloyd asked Dean, looking confused.

"I asked him to come here, but he left in a hurry as soon as we were done talking." Dean answered.

"What did you guys talk about?" Lloyd asked.

"We ran into a clone of mine, but not a friendly one. He had been waiting for us and attacked us almost immediately. He seemed like my evil twin. I wanted to ask Kratos if he knew anything about him, but he didn't." Dean explained.

"You got assaulted by an evil twin?!" Lloyd almost shouted. "Are you guys okay? I mean, you must have fended him off." Worry was on the look of Dean's best friend.

"Well, I almost didn't make it if it weren't for Kratos to show up near the end of the fight. I gave my Cruxis Crystal to Chocolat, since she really needed it if I wanted her to live. The clone had also picked up that big ass sword I normally use, so I've lost that again..." Dean stopped his talking abruptly as the pain in his chest became just too big.

Just why did he had to pass out every time? Why did he push himself that far every time? Just why hadn't he gone back to pick up his weapon? That weapon was too heavy for anyone else anyway. Why hadn't he thought of that before? Why? Why? WHY? WHY?!

"Dean? Are you alright?" Lloyd asked.

"No." Dean answered. "No, I'm not alright. A clone who hasn't his face destroyed suddenly shows up and tries to murder while he keeps on calling me brother. Just why the hell did such a thing happen?!" Dean shouted out. His suppressed emotions were beginning to surface. He clenched his fists together and to forced his emotions to suppress once again. He had no use for useless emotions that would stop him from going on, from doing what he needed to do. He needed to help the people around him. He himself was beyond saving anyway. "I'm sorry." Dean said while staring towards the ground. "I didn't mean to yell like that."

"Nah. It's okay. You should shout out your troubles some more with all you've been through." Lloyd said, his stature suddenly full of wisdom.

"Thanks Lloyd." Dean said with a hollow smile on his face. "Anyway, I was hoping you could help me with something." Dean changed the subject on purpose. He didn't want to dwell on the past anymore. His nightmares would do that for him. "Chocolat really needs a Key Crest. Can you ask Dirk to make one for her? I'll pay him if needed."

"Sure, but don't worry about the payment. I'm the one that should have rescued Chocolat. I'll make sure she gets one." Lloyd said with a determined voice. Dean walked around the calm house for a little bit. It was always peaceful around here. The earthquakes from the awakening of the Twisted Tree had hardly affected this place at all. He stopped by Anna's grave to pay her the respect she deserves.

"Lloyd, is doing fine. A whole lot better than I am doing." Dean started to say while he was kneeling before the grave. "Dirk did a fine job of raising that stubborn boy. He's beginning to turn into a fine leader of our group. We're now going to try to save Colette. After that we're going to continue to look for a way to save both Sylvarant and Tethe'alla." Dean paused for a bit while he closed his eyes and listened to the voices of birds in the area. "You would really be proud of him." Dean got up from his knees, smiled a bit and then walked away. Dirk was looking at him from a distance.

"Ye still owning me an explanation." the dwarf said with his thick accent. Dean sighed, but knew that the man was right.

"Shall we sit inside then? It'll be a long story." Dean proposed.

"Tha'll be alright. I've entrusted Lloyd with ta making of ta Key Crest. Ta lad should be able to take care of something like tha by now." Dirk answered. The dwarf didn't let Dean out of his sight, worried that maybe Dean would flee again.

Zelos and Presea were still in the room, making some small talk. They continued with their conversation, but stopped as the story of Dean was getting more interesting than their own talks. Dean began at the beginning, from the moment he had left with Colette, Kratos and Raine until the part where he had tried to stop the group from making the final pact with the Summon Spirit of Light.

"I see. Ye're lookin' like this becoose of all those tortures, ain't it? Ye've been through some desperate times. It doesn't do me well to be hearin' all this." Dirk answered genuinely .

"It's what you asked for." Dean replied. He had just told a story. He was still suppressing his emotions. He tried not to feel anything even though flashes of his tortures were going through his head at that moment. Suppressing his emotions was the only way he could keep himself sane at that moment.

"Oh yeah. I found out I have a brother. Well, not really a brother. Another clone, just like me. Another experiment that was created to make Cruxis Crystals, but probably failed at that as well. Just like me. Just another failure. Hahahaha." Tears were flowing down his face now. "The best part is that he wanted to kill me. He stole my own weapon and tried to kill me. He's been brainwashed by my enemies and he's been waiting his whole life just to kill me." Dean could feel the insanity deep within him breaking free. He needed to get out of this house, before he would hurt someone.

"Ye're not a failure Dean." Dirk replied with a piercing voice. "Ye did your best. Ye're still doing your best. Ye're a good lad."

"Then why are all these things happening to people that don't deserve it huh?" Dean asked. His emotions were like a maelstrom that made him feel everything and nothing at the same time. "Let me tell you. Life is unfair. People are weak. It's easier for most people to blame someone else instead of looking at themselves and figure out what truly went wrong and how they should act the next time something similar will happen. The ones that are trying to make a change and trying to do good are the ones that suffer. But you know what? I'm okay with that. After all, we're the ones who are going to change this rotten world into something good."

Neither Dirk, nor Zelos or Presea could say something back at Dean. They were unable to look him into the eye, unable to come up with an answer.

"If you excuse me, I need to take a fresh breath of air." Dean almost stormed out of the house and ran into the forest, trying to get as far as possible from everyone. When he was finally in the middle of the forest he shouted as loud as he could. He picked up branches and threw them as far as he could. He punched and kicked against firm trees, only hurting himself and even aggravating himself even more. He blasted away the whole area around him with magic until he was worn out. He then sat against a tree to rest. He then cried out all of the emotions he had hidden away up until that point.

---

Dean woke up in the middle of the night. He was still sitting against a tree in the middle of Iselia Forest. A crater of barren land now was at the spot were he had unleashed all of his emotions. There were no voices of life in the neighborhood. He couldn't even feel any single movement in the air around him.

He simply got up and walked back towards the village. The guards on duty didn't ask a question when he entered. They were probably too frightened of him. He headed straight towards his parents' house. The house itself seemed empty and was dark. There was a plate of cold food with a note addressed to him telling him not to let the food get too cold. Dean could only smile at that now. His parents weren't home. He could only see Chocolat lying in the bed of his parents. He didn't have an appetite, but still slowly ate the food, not wanting to throw it away and knowing that he actually needed the food.

Before going to bed, he checked on Chocolat for a bit. The girl was soundly asleep. Colour was slowly returning to the face of the girl. Dean faintly smiled and headed towards his own room. Even though he had slept quite some time already, he fell asleep almost immediately.

When Dean awoke it was around the same time he would normally wake up. He quietly went downstairs and left the house and the village. He didn't disturb the guards who had fallen asleep on their watch. It had been one of the few nights where he hadn't been tormented by nightmares. Dean still did his morning practice like always. He quickly entered a trance where he only acted and not thought anything at all. His mind was empty and he did not feel anything at all.

After his practice he headed back to the village. The guards hadn't changed yet and were still sleeping, even though the sun was beginning to rise.

He began preparing breakfast with the things he could find in the house. He made enough for himself, his parents and made some soup for Chocolat. Just as he was almost done with breakfast, the door of the house opened.

"Good morning." Dean said without turning his head towards the door. Two pair of footsteps that entered the house could be heard. "Breakfast is almost done."

"Good morning." the voice of a woman said. The voice itself sounded cheerful. "How is the girl doing?" Linda asked after she took off her shoes.

"You mean Chocolat? She's still really weak, but she should recover slowly. I've made her some soup. I'm going to feed it to her after we've eaten." Dean answered. He did the finishing touches for the breakfast while his mother was setting the table. His father was still standing at the door.

"You can at least sit at the table instead of standing there the whole time." Dean said as a joke towards his father.

"And you can greet people properly by looking them into the eye when they enter." his father grumbled while walking towards the table. "Or are you afraid to look people in the eye these days?"

"Paul..." Linda said with a soft, knowing voice that didn't agree with his tone and what he had said. Dean turned around towards his father and looked him in the eyes.

"Maybe I am." Dean answered and he turned towards his preparations again. There was an awkward silence after that. Dean quickly finished and put the food on the table. He left the pan of soup on the counter to cool off a bit.

"So, where did you sleep the last couple of nights?" Dean asked his parents, tired of the awful silence between them.

"We slept together with some of the children and several people of the ranch in the school building. Paul and I have been taken care of the people in the school building. Since some of them need help even in the middle of the night with some things, we have volunteered to stay there during the night." Linda answered. "Our shift is over now, but we're going back after breakfast. We put that girl, you said her name was Chocolat, in our house since she was too weak too stay all huddled up with those other sick people. I have been checking up on her every two hours."

Dean hadn't thought about the people they had rescued from the ranch at all. He had been too busy with his own affairs. Well, he had needed to focus on his own affairs. How could he help others while he was a mess himself?

"Well, don't think of coming yourself to the school building. The people will only be terrified of you when they see your face. You shouldn't let them see a monster. You'd better stay away." Paul scowled at Dean. Dean knew his father will challenging him. He was telling him to go to the school to help. The two of them looked each other in the eyes. Dean could only see defiance in the eyes of his father. Dean found it hard not to feel down after such remarks.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe you're wrong. Only one way to find out now, isn't there?" Dean said back to his father, remaining the eye contact with him. Paul smiled after that.

"I guess we will." Paul answered. Linda smiled at the two of them. She didn't approve of the way her husband was treating their son, but she would just dance around with other topics while avoiding the real question that was on her mind.

"Just what happened to you, my son?" Linda asked without realising herself.

"Do you know what Exspheres are?" Dean asked his parents after a minute of silence.

"Don't avoid the question son!" Paul said harshly to Dean.

"I'm not." Dean shook his head. "If you want to understand why I suffered so much, how it is that I look like this, I need to know first what you know."

"I know that Dirk makes them." Paul answered after Linda kept looking at him, not knowing what to do or to say. She had no clue what this thing called an Exsphere was.

"Well, Dirk makes Key Crests. Exspheres have different functions. I don't know what they truly are. People can equip them to strengthen their combat skills. They are also used to make weapons stronger and are used on several devices to make them work. Handy things, right?" Dean asked without expecting a reply. "Well, they are manufactured by letting them feed on human bodies. The more the people suffer, the better the Exspheres grow. Do you now get why Human Ranches exist?" Dean asked his parents. They first looked a bit confused, but then their faces turned pale as they realised the meaning by his words.

"The reason Chocolat is so weak right now, is because her life force has been sapped away by the Expshere that is still on her body." Dean explained.

"But why don't you just remove the Exsphere from her, right now?" Frank asked, eager to get up and do something about the state of the girl.

"We can't." Dean said commandingly. "If the Exsphere is removed right now, her body was run out of control and she will turn into a monster. I've already done something so that she can truly recover, but we first need the Key Crest from Dirk before we remove it." Paul relaxed and put his hands in front of him on the table, not knowing what to do.

"You've only given arise to more questions than answering them." Paul said after a few seconds.

"Patience dad." Dean said with a smile on his face. "There are still too many things you don't understand. I might tell them when I go visit the school. For now. Let me focus on trying to answer mom's question." Dean took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts.

"Now there exist an evolved form of Exspheres, called Cruxis Crystals. However, trying to produce these Cruxis Crystals is really hard to do. During many years of research and experiments people have tried to unravel the secret to letting Exspheres turn into Cruxis Crystals, but the result was only a handful and some of these were unfinished."

"But that is where I come into the picture. You see, I'm not from this world, or rather I wasn't born into the world like everyone else. I'm a clone, an artificially created human being. The reason to why I was created. Quite simple, I'm the perfect host for turning Exspheres into Cruxis Crystals. Now as I told you that Expsheres are being made by putting people into stressful situations, I think you can guess what was needed to turn an Exsphere into a Cruxis Crystal."

"The Desians had captured me on several occasions during my travels. The last Desian Leader who had captured me was ruthless. He subjugated me to numerous tortures, one even more cruel than the other. His also injected me with some kind of nightmare serum in which my fears came alive and felt as real as reality even though I was asleep. I lost sight of reality." Dean stopped talking as memories from his torture back flashing back. He had to focus on his breathing to calm himself down. His insanity was beginning to come back and he was beginning to lose control.

"Dean..." His mother had come standing next to him and was putting her hand on his shoulder as support.

"I'm fine mum. I just need a moment to calm down." Dean answered. "I mean, who wouldn't go insane after being burned alive, being electrocuted, being whipped and having his mind broken day, after day, after day." He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists together.

"You two probably think that angels exist and that the Goddess Martel is truly just asleep, don't you?" Dean said with a mocking voice. "Angels are just people equipped with Cruxis Crystals. The whole Journey of Regeneration is a lie. The Goddess Martel is just person who only exits in her Cruxis Crystal, waiting to be resurrected by Lord Yggdrasill, lord of all angels and the true ruler of the world. Yes, he is the leader of both Cruxis and Desians. The leader of our salvation and our damnation. That's the guy we are trying to stop." Dean knew he wasn't making any sense to his parents now. He was just spitting out his frustration. He needed to. He was losing control after all.

Paul got up from the chair and walked towards his son. Dean looked into his eyes on the brink of insanity. His dad then punched him on the face, walked back to his chair and sat down again.

"Now pull yourself together. I didn't teach you any of this madness." His father said harshly to him. Dean had to smile. He punch had actually hurt, but it had also pulled him back to reality. Linda was looking at her husband, like he had gone mad. She was now trying to calm down her son.

"Thanks dad. I needed that." Dean said when he looked his father in the eye again, his insanity gone. He then looked at his mother. "I'm fine again mum. I really am. So please sit down again." Reluctantly Linda took a seat at the table again.

"I'm sorry for spouting such nonsense towards you. I'm sure you have many questions for me. You may ask them now." Dean ended his story.

"That wasn't nonsense you said at the end, now was it?" Paul asked after a moment of silence. The man's eyebrows were frowned and he seemed to be deeply in thought.

"No, it was the truth." Dean answered.

"So, did they succeed in making the Cruxis Crystals?" Paul asked another question.

"Yes, they did." Dean answered and he looked into the bedroom where Chocolat was sleeping. "I put my own Cruxis Crystal on Chocolat. She really needed a Key Crest and since that mine is equipped with one, it fortunately worked. I'm still afraid to remove the Exsphere. Oh, right. I forgot." Dean saw the confused looks on his father and mother. "Key Crests make sure that Exspheres aren't dangerous for the body anymore. Normally, Exspheres mess up the mana inside a body and that saps the person over time. Exspheres increase the combat skills of people and with the Key Crest equipped, the Exsphere doesn't mess up the mana inside a person anymore. To fully turn into Cruxis Crystals, the Exsphere needs to grow and nurture more. The problem is that in order to reach this, a lot of time and energy is needed. Most of the people this have been tried on didn't survive this progress however. A slow method was invented, but that took many years and still didn't produce the right results."

"The reason why this works on me is because my body doesn't need mana to actually survive. If any of you would run out of mana, you would die. I, however, still survive if this happens. I fall into a small coma since my body is so used to having mana in it and relies on it as well, but it doesn't really need it to keep on working. They just sapped my mana, let me suffer, created the Cruxis Crystal, let me rest for a bit and started over again. Until I was rescued of course."

"I'm sorry, was that too much information?" Dean asked when he saw the weary faces of his parents.

"It's a bit much to take in at once." Linda replied.

"That's not a problem, this isn't an easy subject." Dean answered.

"Linda, we need to get moving." Paul said to his wife.

"Oh, you're right. I'm sorry sweetie, but we need get back to the school. The people there need us. We'll talk more during dinner." Linda and Paul got up from their chairs and got ready to leave. "I'm sorry, but could you clean up the mess?" his mother asked Dean.

"Sure, no problem." Dean answered. He waved his parents goodbye before he started to clean up the remains of the breakfast. After he was done, he warmed the soup back up since it had cooled down too much. He put a small amount of the soup into a bowl and grabbed a wooden spoon. He grabbed a chair from the kitchen table and put it next to the bed where Chocolat was sleeping.

He carefully woke up the girl with a few shakes and by calling her name. Her breathing changed and she let out a few moans.

"Sorry to wake you up, but you really need to eat. I'll help you sit up." Dean put the bowl of soup on the desk next to the bed. He helped the girl to sit on the bed and put a pillow against her back to lean on. He then began to feed her the warm soup. Time passed by slowly as Dean took care of the girl. Somehow helping this girl to slowly recover her strength soothed his own soul and gave him peace.

"Thank you." the girl said weakly when the soup bowl was empty.

"Thank me by staying alive. You need to make sure you rest enough. We've only just begun with the recovery. It will take a long time before you'll be able to leave this bed. It's not going to be easy." Dean said with a peaceful voice. He helped the girl to lie down again. He continued to watch her until she fell asleep, which only took a few minutes. He would use the rest of the soup for dinner, since he had made too much.

After cleaning up a little bit and opening the window in his own bedroom, he said goodbye to the house and went towards the school.

---

People stared at him as soon as he entered the building. Some people looked shocked at him. Others had a sad look on their face. Some even shot gazes of hate towards him. Dean ignored them and looked for his parents. He saw his father put some bandages on an elder man. He walked towards him and waited until his father was done.

"So, you've come." Paul said to him. There was no emotion in his voice. It was more an statement than anything else.

"Yes. Where can I help?" Dean asked. "I've learned healing artes during my journey, so I should be able to the wounded."

"Professor Sage is healing the injured now, but she's been at it for some time. Maybe you can relieve her." Paul answered. Dean nodded and left the hallway and entered the classroom. The classroom was transformed into a medical room. There was makeshift beds made of the desks from the students everywhere. Those who could sit, but had no other place to go were sitting against the wall. There was a lot of coughing going on and the smell of blood and sweat was everywhere.

"We need more bandages!" Dean could hear his mother say against someone. She was talking to the Mayor of the village.

"We have run out. Those things are expensive. We can only order a few. Besides, the next village is weeks away. Even if we manage to pay for them, they will arrive too late." the Mayor answered. He had a stern expression on his face. It was obvious that he didn't like being here. He kept glancing around him and couldn't stay with his feet on one place. He looked at disgust towards the people who had been saved from the Ranch.

"Even if they arrive too late, we still need them. We've run out. In the near future a person will get hurt and we won't have anything to help that person." Linda replied with a demanding voice. Dean had rarely seen his mother like this. She would always act like this whenever a person had gotten hurt and needed help, but didn't get the treatment that person deserved. His mother was truly a good person.

Dean continued his search for the Professor, trying not to get distracted anymore. He found her standing over a person with her staff in hand in the farthest corner of the room. He walked towards her. The woman was looking pale and her hands were shaking a little bit. She was worn out and at her limit. It seemed she was trying to concentrate in order to use a healing spell on the woman on the bed, but it seems it wasn't succeeding. Dean walked towards her and gently put a hand on her right shoulder, trying not to startle her.

"Professor, you need to rest. You're exhausted. I'll take over." Dean said softly to his teacher.

"Oh. Dean, it's you." The half-elf looked up a little bit bewildered. "No, I'm doing fine. I just need to help this woman and then I'll stop." The woman closed her eyes and wanted to start her spell again.

"You're about to collapse yourself. It won't help anyone if you work yourself into sickness. Let me take over." Dean pleaded. The woman was stubborn however and didn't stop. Dean sighed. He took a quick glance at the woman and saw a fractured bone of the lower left arm. A short healing spell wouldn't do much in this case.

"That's enough Professor." Dean said now harder. People looked towards him, but quickly looked away again. "The spell you're trying to do won't help this woman. You think you can help other people like this? You're making the wrong decisions and will make mistakes if you keep going. You're no use to anyone right now." The woman opened her eyes and opened her mouth to say something, but didn't. Dean grabbed her staff and took it away from her with a quick and strong tug. Raine didn't even react in time to stop him.

"Dean, give me back my staff." The woman said weakly, but demanding. She was using her strict teacher voice against him, but it had no effect on Dean at the moment.

"I will, after you get some sleep." Dean said and then closed his eyes to concentrate. He gathered the necessary mana while holding his right hand over the fractured arm of the woman. The Professor kept saying things to him, but he paid the words no attention. "Heal!" Dean said softly after he had gathered enough mana. He could feel the staff amplify the effect of the spell he had just done. When he opened his eyes, he could see that the arm was looking a bit better. Bones wouldn't heal that fast. He could heal it now, but that would drain him of his mana and it seemed that still a lot of people needed medical care.

"You couldn't even do this." Dean said while he diverted his attention back to his teacher. "How can you help others if you can't even do this at the moment." he said harshly towards his teacher. Dean then smiled and let his voice turn soft again. "Rest Professor. You can tell me to stop like this when you are rested and I am exhausted." Defeated, the woman just nodded and walked out of the room. She would regain her vitality when she had slept and had eaten something.

"Thank you." the woman said to Dean when the Professor had left.

"Don't thank me just yet. It still hasn't healed yet. We need to strap that arm so it won't be able to move much. It will take a couple of weeks and some more medical attention before it will be healed." Dean stated, knowing what needed to be done.

"Still, most of the pain is gone now. Thank you for that." Dean accepted the thanks of the woman with a smile. "You are Dean, aren't you?" the woman then asked him. "I recognise your voice, but you look so different, unlike the others."

"Well, the journey changed me. The others changed as well, but unlike me, it can't be seen at first glance." Dean answered. "I still am getting used to my new look."

"I would like to know what had happened, but it seems that you have other things to do at the moment." the woman answered gently. Unlike what Dean had expected, the woman showed concern for him instead of rejecting him. It warmed his heart more than he suspected. He had to wipe away a tear that beginning to show in his eye.

"Yes, you are right. I will tell you, when I have time." Dean answered.

"You won't be leaving soon then?" the woman asked. Dean hadn't thought about it, but it seemed his heart had made his decision for him. Dean shook his head.

"I think I'll be staying here for a while. There is much to be done after all." Dean answered his thoughts made up. He wouldn't go with the others to help save Colette. He would stay in Iselia to help the people here.

---

Dean looked for his mother after he had said goodbye to the woman he had just helped. Even though she had remembered him, he couldn't remember her name. It was true that he hadn't known the names of all the villagers, but even seeing her face didn't bring any memories.

He quickly found his mother. She seemed to be ordering some people around. It seems she was in charge and for some reason, that didn't surprise him.

"Hi mum." Dean casually greeted his mother. He was still carrying around the staff of the Professor. He would make good use of it during the rest of the day after all.

"Oh, hey sweetie. I see you came after all." His mother flashed him a smile, but her eyebrows were down and she seemed to be lost in thought.

"Yes, I've just helped a woman with a fractured lower arm. Her arm needs to be strapped with some sticks and rope so it won't move and it can heal. Can you make sure that happens?" Dean asked his mother, getting straight to the point.

"Hm? Some sticks and rope for binding an arm? Sure, I'll make sure that happens." She looked a bit surprised at him, not suspecting a request like that from her son.

"Good. Then, do you know who needs the most medical attention? I just sent the Professor to get some rest. I'll be taking over as a healer from now on." Dean continued. A smile of proud appeared on the face on the face of his mother. It quickly vanished as she looked around the room.

"You see that young man over there with his chest all covered in bandages?" His mother asked him. Dean nodded. "His wounds keep opening. He was attacked by a beast in the forest while guiding some of the people who had still been at the ranch towards the village. Could you have a look at him? I fear for the worst."

"I'll see what I can do." Dean answered and walked towards the man. The man was lying on a makeshift bed. His body was covered in sweat and he seemed to be in pain. "Don't worry my friend. I'll try to ease your pain." Dean said as soon as he reached the man.

"Ah doctor, please help me." the man answered with his eyes closed and his body tensed. The bandages on his chest were red from blood. From what Dean could see, the man didn't only suffer from the wounds, but also from a fever. He would need to get the bandages removed to see the damage, but it wouldn't hurt to use a first aid spell anyway. Dean closed his eyes and began to gather the necessary mana.

"Heal." Dean muttered as he used a healing spell on the man. He then cut open the bandages carefully with the use of wind magic. He could see three huge and deep cuts over the chest area of the man. His whole chest was covered in blood and Dean couldn't see if there were any other wounds. The cuts themselves were still open. Dean knew he needed to act quick.

"Healing wind." Dean said after he had quickly gathered mana again. He kept gathering the mana while he kept the spell going. Slowly, he used the healing effects of the spell to close and heal the cuts on the chest of the man one by one. Dean was breathing heavily when he was done. He now realized how the Professor had become as exhausted as she had been. He would need to take some breaks in between if he wanted to last more than a couple of hours.

"Ah, thank you doctor." the man said to him as he opened his eyes. The man then fell silent.

"You are welcome. You should stay put. You still have a fever. I'm going to get you cleaned up. After that, you should get some sleep." Dean answered. He wasn't used to being called a doctor. He didn't see himself as a doctor as well. Just as a person who could use healing artes.

"I-I will." the man stammered. Dean suspected the man had been shocked by his appearance. He didn't let it bother him. He asked his mother for where he could find an empty bucket and a cloth. She told him where to get it with her face full of questions. He got the things himself and then returned to the man. He began to clean the blood off the chest of the man. The man kept looking at him while he allowed himself to be washed. He was too weak to do it himself. He complied and did his best to do what he was told when Dean asked the man to move a certain way.

When Dean was finished with cleaning the man, he put his hand on the head of the man. The temperature was still raised, but it wasn't extreme. The man would survive and recover. When Dean wanted to say goodbye, the man was already asleep. Dean smiled at him while he gathered the dirty bandages and cloths he had used. He threw away the bloodied water outside and put the dirty things near the other dirty things that had been thrown on a heap. He then went back inside to find his mother again. Linda immediately spotted him and called him over to him.

"Dean, you should focus on healing the people. Cleaning the people and the mess can also be done by other people." his mother said to him.

"Well, I don't mind doing those things. Besides, it gave me the rest that I needed." Dean explained his actions.

"That's nice dear, but you should focus on healing. I'll make sure that someone stays near you to help you with your work. That way you can work more efficiently" Dean didn't argue with his mother. She was right. Linda then send Dean towards the next person that needed help.

A few minutes after Dean had begun on helping the next person, a girl approached him to say she had come to help. Dean recognised the girl as a former classmate of him. Her name was Sarah, an average girl with brown eyes and straight brown hair that reached just beyond her shoulders. Her greeting was a little bit shy, but immediately she helped and acted whenever Dean asked her to do something.

For the next couple of hours Dean and Sarah helped one injured person after another. The staff from the Professor helped Dean immensely and he now understood why his teacher used it in battle. Even though Dean and Sarah had helped a lot of people, it just seemed there was always one thing some people could use help with. Even though that much hadn't passed, Dean could feel that his mana was getting low.

"I'm sorry, but I really need a rest right now." Dean said after healing a wound that had been infected.

"Yeah, I could use one right now as well." Sarah said. The girl had worked just as hard as Dean had. Dean had needed to help the girl on several occasions, but he didn't mind. Doing something else than focusing on the healing gave him peace of mind.

"Alright, you two did real good work." Linda said to them. She was just checking on them on how they were doing. "I send Lloyd and Genis to our house to prepare lunch for us. You can check on them on how they are doing. Sarah, you're allowed to go home for lunch, but we would really appreciate it if you could come back this afternoon." Sarah nodded, glad to have earned her rest.

"You've been a great help Dean. I'm glad you came around to help." his mother said to him with a proud smile on her face.

"I didn't know things were this bad. I would have come sooner if I had known things were things were like this." Dean answered, his eyes drifting around the room. Most of the people he had helped were either gone or were sleeping on the makeshift beds. It seemed that whenever one bed was free, it would immediately be filled up with another injured person.

"You had your own things to worry." his mother answered shaking her head. "You've already done a great deal." There was a short silence between them as both of them looked inside the room. "You're almost out of magic, aren't you?" she then asked.

"Yeah, I need a bit of rest and food to replenish it. If I don't, I'll turn out like the Professor." Dean answered.

"I figured. You're normally a person who pushes himself until the point he can't go on no more."

"I'm starting to accept that I have limits. I'm still figuring out where my limits are. That has let me to go past my limits several times already though." Dean answered. He was always focusing on becoming stronger and stronger up to the point he was both breaking his body and mind. Maybe it was time to let go of that ideology.

"Anyway, you should go back to our house. Lloyd said he had the thing you requested. Just let me handle things here." Linda said, ending the conversation. Dean said goodbye to his mother, a bit concerned that she would push herself too hard. In that regard, his parents and he were the same. He then remembered about Chocolat and the Key Crest and quickly returned home.

---

When Dean entered the house, both Lloyd and Genis were busy preparing lunch. Genis was ordering Lloyd around what he should do. Lloyd looked annoyed, but did what his half-elf best friend told him to do. Dean smiled as he watched the scene while he was taking off his boots. He decided to help his friends.

"I see my mother has put you two to work." Dean said with a smile on his face as a matter of greeting.

"Dean! You're back!" Lloyd said happily. The boy in red immediately stopped doing the things.

"Lloyd. We should focus on preparing this meal." Genis preached Lloyd.

"Yeah, I know." Lloyd went back to work, which was mostly cutting vegetables and meat. Genis was doing the actual cooking and the seasoning the food.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Dean asked Genis.

"Any help is welcome. It's better than working with this idiot." Genis remarked.

"Hey, I'm good at making food that has meat in it." Lloyd shot back at his friend.

"Easy guys. Don't start fighting like a married couple again." Dean said as a joke. The two boys looked annoyed at him. After that Genis instructed Dean on how what he was making and what still needed to be done. They were cooking a meal for at least ten people.

"Your mother didn't put only the two of us to work. She has ordered the rest of the group to help prepare lunch for the entire village. We all decided to turn into some kind of contest, to see who can cook the best meal. Fortunately, Raine was helping with other things and won't be able to poison everyone. We're running late on getting our meal done on time." Genis explained. A passion was now in his eyes. Dean knew Genis had always wanted to see whether he or Regal was better at cooking. This was the perfect opportunity for him.

The three of them cooked the best they could. In the end they were finished on time. Genis was quite pleased with the result and looked proud. Lloyd was just glad it was all over.

"Lloyd, did you finish the Key Crest for Chocolat?" Dean asked after he had sat down on a chair next to him.

"Oh yeah. I already put it on her. I also removed your Cruxis Crystal that I saw on her." Lloyd grabbed the crystal sphere out of his pocket and gave it to Dean. Dean put it in his pocket. He didn't want to flow of power running through him just yet. Having the Cruxis Crystal back should help with healing the people in the school building.

"Thanks." Dean answered. He saw his best friend's face grow grim. "She's going to be fine. She's been through a lot. It's a miracle that she's still alive, but we made it." Dean said to his best friend, trying to cheer him up.

"I didn't even recognise her. She looks so different now. So frail. So fragile. She didn't even wake up when I touched her." Lloyd said, sadness flowing through his voice.

"You'll be able to make it up to her when she's better."

"Yeah. You're right." Lloyd smiled to his friend.

"I hate to interrupt you two, but we need to get this food the square now. They should have set up tables there by now. These cooking pots are too heavy for me, so you'll have to carry them. I'll carry the side dishes." Genis said to his two friends. He grabbed a couple of bowls which were filled with salads. Dean opened the door the door.

"I'll carry the one that is the most heavy." Dean said while he grabbed his Cruxis Crystal and put it back in his left hand. A familiar sensation came over him and he knew that the Cruxis Crystal had accepted him. He lifted the pot with ease, even though it was quite large and hard to carry normally. He couldn't let the pot touch his skin or it would burn it. Lloyd took another cooking pot and together they walked towards the square in front of the school.

---

When Dean and Lloyd arrived at the square they saw several large tables placed at the square. Genis was waving to let them know where they should put the cooking pots. The square was brimming with people. Dean could see the rest of his companions presenting their meal to the village people as well.

Sheena and Colette were standing together and they seemed to have made some kind of curry. The village people were looking sceptically at the foreign food they didn't know. Sheena was trying to let them taste the food they made. The ones that did taste it, immediately asked for a plate and then searched for a spot to sit down to eat their food. Colette was just standing there and smiling. Some people avoided eye contact and ignored her. Others walked over to her to talk to her. Dean knew that some people blamed Colette for the disappearance of the Tower of Salvation. People always needed a scapegoat.

Zelos and Presea were standing together. It was a strange combination to see the two of them together like that. Zelos was more busy with flirting with the girls and women of the village than actually letting people taste the food. Presea was just standing there like a doll. It looked like they made an average meat stew.

Regal was standing alone. He had a cooking hat on, which looked really ridiculous on his convict outfit and his shackles. The people found him intimidating and stayed away. The blue haired giant had cooked a truly luxurious looking meal that seemed only the nobility would eat. The Mayor was gobbling down the food of Regal as he was one of the few people who knew what kind of a feat Regal had pulled off. The people that tasted the food of Regal marvelled at the taste. Others were discussing on how the food tasted.

Genis and Lloyd had prepared a thick soup filled with vegetables and meat. The taste of the soup filled the whole mouth and left you craving for more. Genis had also arranged a variety of salads that people could eat on the side. The whole square was lively and there was a nice atmosphere. It had been ages since the village people had celebrated like this, because that was what it truly looked like. Dean filled some of the plates with the soup Genis had prepared and took them inside the school and gave them to the people still working there and also to the patients. They all happily accepted the food.

Dean had Lloyd help him bringing the food inside the school. After the two of them were done they grabbed a dish they wanted to try out and took a seat where the rest of their companions were.

Dean had grabbed some of the curry from Sheena as he was interested in the taste of it. Lloyd had grabbed some of the meat stew made by Zelos and Presea. Genis was eating the dish made by Regal and Regal was eating the dish made by Genis. The two of them were discussing each others dishes. Presea had the meat stew in front of her. Colette had a little bit of the soup from Genis and several salads on a different plate near her. It was looking like she was treating the salads as the main dish instead of the side dish. Zelos had taking the dish of Regal, since it looked the most fancy. He was sitting at the corner, still flirting with some of the village girls. The Professor had taken a little bit of every dish and comparing each of the dishes while taking notes. Dean had a bad feeling about it. The woman probably would try to combine each of the dishes into one meal the next opportunity she had. He shivered at the idea.

"We're planning on leaving a bit after lunch." Lloyd said to Dean, expecting him to come along with the group. "Unfortunately, dad doesn't know how to cure Colette, so we're going to Tethe'alla towards Altessa. He probably knows how to cure Colette."

"Lloyd... I have something to tell you." Dean said hesitantly. He took a deep breath before bringing the news. "I'm not going with you. I'm staying in the village."

"What? What do you mean? You're not coming with us?" Lloyd had stood up and looked surprised at Dean. The others had stopped talking and were now looking at the two of them.

"I'm far too unstable to travel with you." Dean started to explain.

"We can work something out." Lloyd argued back. Dean shook his head.

"That's not only it. I'm... I'm tired of fighting Lloyd. I want to save Colette as much you do or even more, but I can't go on like this. I need a rest and the people in Iselia need help as well. I started helping the people of the village since this morning and it has brought me so much peace. The people from the Human Ranch need someone who can help them. I can help hunt for food. I can help on the farm lands and I can start telling people here about our journey. I can make sure that they understand. There is still so much that they don't know." Dean said, trying to convince Lloyd that he was making the right decision. "Besides, Chocolat needs someone to look after her and I'm the only one in the village who has the time to look after her."

"I still don't like it. I don't like it that for some reason you keep fleeing away or are being kept away from us." Lloyd shook his head.

"It's not like I'm going to be captured again Lloyd." Dean said with a smile on his face. "Please Lloyd, I need this."

"I can't force you to come with us." Lloyd said with a sigh. "I don't like it, but it's your choice."

"I'm not going away from this village. You all should come visit me once Colette is healed. I still have a score to settle with Yggdrasill. I'm going with you to take that bastard down." Dean let his gaze around the group. Some of them nodded to him.

"Aw buddy! I'm going to miss you!" Zelos said with a dramatic voice and started to cling to Dean. Dean looked annoyed at the red haired guy, let out a sigh and then smiled. He knew he made the right choice, but he still felt down.

"I'm going to miss you too Zelos. I'm going to miss all of you, but this is something I have decided for myself." Dean answered.

"I guess we can manage without you." Sheena said with a sheepish smile on her face, not knowing what to say.

"We'll lose a valuable asset to our group." Regal replied.

"It is your decision." Presea said with her neutral voice. Her eyes looked a bit sad though.

"I think it is a very wise decision. A hard one to make, but a very wise one." Raine answered.

"We'll come visit as soon as Colette is better!" Genis almost shouted.

Dean then looked at Colette. The girl was smiling, but looked sad. She probably wanted him to go with them. Feelings of love still filled his heart whenever he looked at the girl. A part of him wanted to go with the group to save the girl. Another part of him was afraid what he could do to his friends if he would truly lose his sanity or if he would wake up in a frenzy after another nightmare. Then there was the part of him that felt responsible what had happened to the world. He felt like he needed to help rebuild Sylvarant after he had failed to stop his companions. Iselia was only the beginning. He was planning to travel the world to do good and to tell the tale of the Journey of Regeneration, the true Journey of Regeneration that he and his friends had gone through. There was so much the world needed to know.

Dean had finished his meal and felt he needed some time for himself. He excused himself and left the table. He walked outside of the village and looked towards the place where the Tower of Salvation had once been. He felt no remorse for the disappearance of that damned tower.

"You're really not going with us, are you?" the soft sound of a female voice said behind him. Dean turned around to face Colette. The girl was still smiling, but the sadness was still in her eyes.

"Yes. I'm staying." Dean answered, trying to steel his heart for the conversation to come.

"I... I don't like that. I want you to come with us." Colette said to him. It was rare for the girl to make a selfish request like that.

"My mind is made up Colette. You have Lloyd and the others to protect you and to help you search for a cure. You don't really need me." Dean answered, trying to convince the girl. The girl shook her head, walked towards him and put her arms around his body for a warm embrace. Hesitantly, Dean put his arms her body as well.

"But I'll miss you. Every time you go away. I don't want you to go away anymore. I want to you to stay with me." The girl was pleading him not to stay. Dean's heart was overflowing with love. He wanted to say to her that he would go with her. He then wanted to kiss and even make love with her. He tried push those thoughts away out of his mind and gently pushed Colette away from their embrace.

"I can't Colette." Dean said with a tear on his face. "At night during my sleep, in my dreams, each and every time I lose you. Each time you die. You turn into a crystal and die, or you're already dead and you blame or I see myself killing you while not in control of my own body. It's driving me mad Colette. YOU are driving me mad. I can't go on like this." Dean felt this his own hands were trembling. Colette was crying again. He didn't want to make her cry. "You have Lloyd to give you the love and the protection you need. I can't help you anymore. Each day I see you I lose more of my sanity." He knew he was hurting the girl, but the things he was saying weren't lies. It would truly be better for him to stay away from her. He still didn't know if the girl had choosing him or Lloyd. It seemed that he had made the choice for her. After all, he was pushing her away from him.

Colette just stood there, shaking her head. She didn't want to believe the words she heard. She turned around and ran back to the village, tears still flowing down her face.

Dean clenched his fists as she watched the girl of his dreams ran away in tears. He cursed himself for what he had said, but knew deep inside that this was truly for the best. It was time for him to stop chasing the dream that was called Colette Brunel.

---

When Dean returned to the village, the party was over. The tables were being cleaned and people were taking the dishes towards the nearby stream to be cleaned. His companions were scattered around the square, helping the people with cleaning up. Both Colette and Lloyd were nowhere to be found. Lloyd was probably consoling the girl. Dean headed inside of the school to continue with his work as healer. The meal had restored a bit of his mana and the Cruxis Crystal should further amplify his healing spells and it would take less mana to heal a person. He soon found his mother.

"I heard you a fight with your girl?" his mother asked him while filling out some papers on a desk.

"She once was my girlfriend, but isn't anymore. I just said to her what needed to be said, even it was painful." Dean answered, trying not to show too much of how much of wreck he felt at the moment.

"I see. You truly have grown a lot in the short time you have been gone." his mother replied with a soft voice.

"I'm going to start healing the people again. It's better for me to do something right now than to be alone." Dean said, not caring of showing the reason he wanted work again.

"The people in the middle of the room haven't been helped yet. You can start there." his mother replied, still busy with her own work. She had her own responsibilities and couldn't be there for him right now.

Dean began to heal the people in the school building. After a while Sarah appeared again to help him with his work. He was glad she was there. It looked like she didn't judge on how he looked right now. The people he was working with and the ones he helped also were grateful for the things he did. After one hour Zelos walked in the building and walked up to him.

"Yo Dean, buddy! Got any time to say goodbye?" Zelos waved to him and shouted from a distance.

"I'll be there in a minute." Dean answered while finishing his healing spell. "Sarah, can you...?"

"Just clean the rest of the wound, right?" Sarah finished his question. Dean nodded and smiled. The girl was learning fast how he worked.

"Just take it easy and rest for a few days, but do try to get some fresh air from time to time. Fresh air will do wonders for you." Dean instructed the elder lady he had just helped.

"Thank you Dean." the woman replied. Everyone in the room knew his name now and called him that since he had began to explain to people to call him by name and by doctor. He wasn't a doctor after all.

Dean walked out of the school building towards his friends. Colette was standing next to Lloyd and was looking towards the ground. Looking at him probably made her feel uneasy.

"I'm telling man, he really looked like some sort of doctor, healing the people like that. He's right that he'll be able to help these people." Zelos said to Sheena.

"We'll be going now." Lloyd said to Dean. A strange look was in the eyes on his friend. Comforting Colette made sure he didn't know how to feel or what to say to his friend at the moment.

"Have a safe trip. I hope you'll find a treatment for Colette real fast." Dean said back with a smile on his face. "I'll be busy here, so I think for me it won't feel that long before we see each other again. Be on the lookout for the angels of Cruxis."

"You take care as well." Sheena answered. "Things will be different without you." Dean embraced the woman, which made her blush like crazy.

"I'm going to miss you as well. All of you. Just don't forget to pick me up when you guys decide to kick Yggdrasill's ass." Dean said with a grin on his face. Raine then walked over towards Dean with a wand in her hands.

"This is a present from me. It's an old staff of mine, but it should help you with all that healing you still have before you. I'm truly proud of you that have taking this task upon you. There are still books on the anatomy of the body and other medical books that will help you with your work." his teacher said to him as she handed over the staff to him.

"Thank you Professor." Dean said gratefully. The group then walked towards the exit of the village and let out the Rheairds there. Dean waved them goodbye as the group soared into the sky. His smile then disappeared as he headed back into the school building, determined to help the people in the village the best he could.

---

Another chapter that has ended. Time flies and inspiration comes and goes. I'm going to have to think about what I'm going to put in the next chapter. Maybe a solo fight between the Sword Dancer and Dean in the next chapter? I'll be skipping the quests that concentrate on curing Colette, so if you've forgotten about those (sometimes horrible) dungeons and encounters, please refresh your memory by playing the game.

So, new chapter will be here in three months? Or will it take half a year again? Anyway, I'll never give up on this story. I intended to use fifteen years of my life to finish it in the first place, so you'll have to be patient.

Until next time~