SheenaFujiFilm: Hello readers!

DeadlyFlower: You have homework don't you?

SFF: Yeah, but I'd rather do this! Heheh!

Amy: Naughty girl...

SFF: Everyone says that...

Jen: Heh

SFF: Well, time to start! Jen!

Jen: Chapter 25: Eaten up with guilt. Confessions to a big brother

Morning came in Iselia and Raine had already gotten up. She looked out of the window, and saw some movement in the Iselia Forest.

"Monsters..." she thought to herself, though she had no idea what it really was.

"Hey sis," Genis yawned, picking himself up.

"Good morning Genis."

"How long do you think it'll take him to get up?" he asked, pointing at Lloyd.

"About 4 more hours, don't you think?" she laughed, knowing she'd probably have to wake him up within one.

"Hey there my Ultra Gorgeous Cool Beauty! Oh, and Brat," Zelos shouted at the top of his lungs, and he woke everyone up. Everyone except Lloyd.

"What's your damn problem?!" Sheena growled, rubbing her head, and holding her eyes to try and stop the thumping in her head.

"Sorry guys!" Raine and Genis both glared at Zelos for the nicknames he'd given them. We haven't looked at them yet, so let's take a quick one:

Lloyd: Hey you

Genis: Brat

Colette: Miss Angel

Raine: Ultra Gorgeous Cool Beauty

Sheena: Hunny

Presea: Little one

Regal: Big guy

Shuya: Ninja of the night

Anna: Momma

Seles: Sis

And when they're around:

Kratos: My Lord

Jen: Girl (He couldn't think of anything else and didn't want her to kill him).

Anyway, moving on...

"When Lloyd wakes up, we'll head for the lake..." Anna mumbled, though she wanted to fall asleep again herself.

"I think I see where Lloyd gets it from..." Genis mumbled to Colette, who just laughed and thought it was cute.

"WAKE UP!!!" Raine screamed, since she was more interested in going to the lake and seeing what 'wonders' there were to see at the lake, though Genis referred to them as 'horrors'. Raine managed to wake up Lloyd, who sat up and looked confused. Anna, on the other hand, fell off her bed.

"Geez woman!" she hissed, standing up and going to the window. Then she saw a huge army of Desians entering the village, and setting fire to buildings. That was when she realised Raine's screaming drowned out the sound of the explosion at one of the houses.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD?!" Sheena froze, remembering the seeing the exact same thing at Luin. Lloyd completely shook off his sleepiness at the sight of the Desians, and Genis began to worry if it they were there because of what he and Lloyd did.

"N-no!!!" Sheena ran outside as quickly as she could, since she didn't want to see another Luin.

"Sh-Sheena!" Zelos dashed after her to stop her from getting herself killed, but everyone else soon followed outside.

"LLOYD IRVING! COME FORTH!!!" It was at this point that Genis and Lloyd knew that it was their fault the Desians had come. The village was set ablaze and those who were still alive had grouped together in fear along with the mayor.

"How could you?!" Lloyd shouted, upset that the Desians had done this.

"How could we?" a new voice sounded, and man with an arm canon and an artificial eye appeared.

"You're the one who came into the ranch, attacked our soldiers, and made contact with one of the host bodies. You violated our treaty."

"WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT GOING TO THAT RANCH?!" the mayor screamed at Lloyd, who decided to keep Genis out of this.

"I..."

"Who are you?!" Genis demanded, since he wanted to keep the spotlight off Lloyd.

"I am Forcystus, a superior half-elf and leader of the Iselia Human Ranch. And we have prepared an appropriate opponent for you as your punishment." At that moment, they unleashed a hideous monster, but one that Anna and Regal both recognised.

"That's..." Tears filled Anna's eyes and she could feel the pain of the person who was just like she was.

"Now then Lloyd, receive your punishment!!!" Lloyd drew his swords, but Anna and Regal wouldn't let him attack.

"Lloyd, you mustn't kill her!!!" Anna pleaded, crying her eyes out.

"What?"

"Listen to your mother Lloyd!" Regal said, with memories of Alicia rushing to his mind.

"Why?" Lloyd was confused, and he obviously didn't remember his mother's horrific transformation. Anna turned to face this monster wondering who it was who would probably meet the same fate she did.

"You poor thing..." she whispered. The monster lost control of itself, and came forward to attack Anna.

"Mom!!!" Lloyd rushed forward and attacked the monster.

"No!" Anna and Regal whispered, not wanting to see something like that happening again. The monster looked like it had recovered some stability. It turned and grabbed Forcystus.

"Run... away... All of you!!!" the monster moaned, it's voice very distorted, yet recognisable to Genis and Lloyd.

"Marble?!" Genis gasped, praying that it wasn't true.

"It can't be!!" Lloyd said, in shock.

"Genis, you were like a Grandson to me... Thank you... Good bye..." Marble's final words echoed into the air, followed by a huge explosion. The monster disappeared, and an Exsphere bounced to Genis' feet.

"UGH!!!" The explosion injured Forcystus, who was unable to stand.

"Lord Forcystus!" Most of the Desians surrounded him to protect him from further damage.

"Lloyd... We will always come after you and your mother... Always!" He and the Desians disappeared from the scene, while Genis mourned the death of his friend.

"What have you done?! I told you to stay away from that ranch!" the mayor screamed, making Lloyd feel worse. Anna and Regal had their own shock to deal with. Everyone kept quiet, not knowing what to says, and Raine decided try and comfort Genis.

"I'm sorry..."

"Sorry?! You think you can make up for this by apologising?!" Lloyd hung his head, with no idea what to say. Regal guilt was eating him up on the after witnessing Marble's death. He was aware of the fact that Presea had asked Jen to raise Alicia, and hoped that things would be fine if as long as she was raised. But now that Jen had left the party to return to Tethe'alla, he wasn't sure if Alicia would be alive any time soon.

"I'll tell Presea... When a good time comes... I'll tell her..." These words ran through Regal's mind, since he knew now wasn't a good time to say anything.

"If you had kept away from the ranch, none of this would have happened!"

"You mean it's okay to let people in the ranch die, just as long as the village is okay?!" Genis challenged, hoping it would help them see sense at why Lloyd and Genis went to the ranch in the first place. But this challenge was short lived.

"The people at the ranch were just going to rot there anyway!" a woman coldly and heartlessly exclaimed.

"That's right. And they would have been the only people who died. But because of you, this village had to suffer!" the mayor said.

"And we all heard what was said: As long as you are here, they'll always come after you. You're putting this village in danger!" Raine gasped. She knew what the mayor was about to do.

"Wait, you're going to exile him?!"

"It's the best choice."

"Wait a sec! I was the one who brought Lloyd to the ranch! I'm just as guilty as he is!" Genis shouted, since he was trying to repay Lloyd for saving his ass at the ranch.

"Lloyd is the one they are after! Besides, he isn't even from this village to being with. He's an outsider, raised by a dwarf!"

"Then I'm leaving too! I'm guilty!" Genis shocked everyone, especially Raine, but he wasn't going to take back his words.

"Very well. I hear by pronounce Lloyd Irving and Genis Sage banished from the village of Iselia. GET OUT!"

"I'm so sorry..." Lloyd whispered, unable to condone for anything he had done.

"Father! Grandmother!" Colette ran over to a small lady and a man.

"Chosen One, if you wish to leave this village again, then please feel free. But please make sure you return," Phaidra stated. Colette had always felt that her grandmother only cared about her because she was the Chosen, after all, Phaidra only ever called her 'Chosen One'.

"Take care, Colette," Frank whispered. Colette nodded and turned to go back to Lloyd. Lloyd and Genis turned and left Iselia, never to return.

"Genis... I know it's late now, but I was late coming back yesterday because I was getting the Key Crest made..." Lloyd said, handing it to Genis.

"Thank you Lloyd."

"That's Marble's memento. Maybe you should keep hold of it. I'll show you how to use it later." Genis nodded, and they all left to Lake Umacy. Anna and Regal couldn't get their heads around what had happened. Anna's memories of the day Kratos killed her had flooded back to her, and they were obviously distressing her. Regal was feeling the guilt Lloyd felt, and wondered if there were any others like he and Lloyd.

In Tethe'alla however...

"Dammit!" a very tired Jen gasped, trying to keep up with the magic being thrown at her. She was in a secluded area, where nobody lived.

"Come on child! How can you have confidence with reflexes like that?!" A hologram of an old man stood before her, coming from the crystal Jen usually kept with her.

"You have to keep your eyes open at all times. You have to study the movements of the enemy. I already taught you how to use 2 swords effectively, and it would seem you passed that knowledge on. But you also know how to use you limbs effectively! Now then, try this!" Jen's eyes snapped open, she caught her breath and dodged everything thrown at her.

"Well done. You fight well."

"Thank you Grandpa." The 2 looked at each other, though her Grandfather gave her look like she was someone else.

"You and your mother were alike in so many ways..." Jen flinched, since she knew nothing about her mother. She didn't even know what she looked like. And wasn't particularly bothered either.

"Now then, show me your magic. Angel or not!" Jen smirked, and cast every spell she knew. Since her grandfather (who is called Justin (A/N: Random name, I'm sorry!) ) was nothing but a hologram, so none of the magic affected him.

"I suppose I forgot I taught you everything I knew about magic. Now then, this life-giving technique." Jen sighed, knowing this technique gave her trouble.

"You believed you could raise this 'Anna' even though no one else thought you could. And you've pleased 2 people because of it. Your brother, and that Lloyd kid. With this new girl, Alicia, everyone knows you can do it, but they all sense that you don't want to."

"I don't have enough strength to raise 2 people in the same year!"

"You think you don't. It's not a matter of strength. As long as there is a desire for that person to live, then that is all the strength you need."

"D-desire?" Jen was stunned at what Justin was telling her, but continued to listen.

"Kratos and Lloyd both desired Anna's existence in this world. Presea and Regal desire Alicia's existence in this world. I know better than anyone that you didn't raise Anna for your own interests. And you won't be raising Alicia for your interest either. That's what you focus on. It's was Kratos' desire for Anna's existence that gave you the power to raise her, it wasn't you having the power in the first place. So use Presea's desire to give yourself the power to raise Alicia. That's how this technique works." Jen smiled, finally able to understand how the technique worked.

"So... If one person wants another to live, that's all the power that's needed? That would be the power of love." Justin proudly smiled. His granddaughter knew how to master a technique that could bring a lot of happiness, and she finally had the confidence to use it.

"That's right. And you also need some of your own willpower. That's all it takes. Now stop being scared of fighting. And be nice to that lad who has taken an interest in you. If you need me, then we'll meet again..." Justin's hologram disappeared, and the necklace went back to Jen. She smiled, knowing she could finally help Presea. However, the hard part was explaining to everyone why she was an angel.

"All in due time I guess..." she thought to herself, and ran off back to civilisation.

And Kratos...

He heading for Ozette. In need of Sacred Wood. But took a detour when he felt something weird in the air. Then when we was about to enter an empty area, a girl with black hair smashed straight into him.

"Owww..." Then Kratos got the shock of his life. The last time he'd seen was 2 days ago, and she looked like a 15 year old.

"Jen?! How did you grow?!" Jen opened her eyes and looked up at her brother.

"Erm... Hi! And, uh... BYE!"

"HOLD IT!!!" He grabbed hold of the teen attempting to run away. Jen stopped, since now she had a second secret she shouldn't have told.

"Okay! FINE! I have the ability to manipulate my growth and appearance! Are you happy?" Kratos recognised that description from another place.

"Well then little-miss-angel, does that mean you're a lifeless being?" Jen froze.

"Good concept, but no. It's more like me using more of Grandpa's funky magic!" Kratos rolled his eyes, knowing that their Grandfather often taught her a lot of his funky magic that did weird things.

"So you're 15, but you felt like putting yourself in a 12 year old's body?"

"Yup! Pretty much!"

"Well you definitely look more mature. And the business with you and Yggdrasil?" He still wanted to know why she was an angel.

"Yggdrasil? That angel from the Tower of Salvation? I've never met him. Actually, the first time I met him was at the Tower."

"Then why are you-"

"I won't tell you directly who did it. I will say this: Choose your friends carefully," she said. Kratos sighed, knowing he wasn't going to get anything else out of her.

"So what are you doing now? I thought you'd be playing with your dolls," Jen asked, referring to the angels at Cruxis.

"I'm... taking care of business." Jen gave him a 'hypocrite' look

"You labelled me as anti-social. You're exactly the same!" she grinned. Kratos smiled back.

"And what might you be doing?"he asked her.

"I don't know. I might stick about Tethe'alla for a bit. Or I'll go to your wife and son in Sylvarant. I haven't decided yet." The siblings looked at each other. They both had their mysteries and secrets, but their relationship remained the same. They both cared about each other, but their childhood made it difficult for them to have a proper relationship.

"I'll see you around..." Kratos said. Jen nodded, and the 2 parted, knowing they'd meet again.

SFF: That'll do! Sorry if my weird technique was difficult to understand. Hey, where's DeadlyFlower gone?

Amy: She's hiding in a corner saying she hates you

SFF: I love her too!

DF: Damn, I can't be angry with you when you're nice!

SFF: Hehe!

Jen: What did you do to her?

SFF: Erm... Good question... What did I do?

DF: YOU'RE SKINNY!!!

SFF: More like anorexic...

Amy: Yeah, but you don't have an eating disorder.

SFF: Nope, I'm just very unhealthily skinny. So everyone tell DeadlyFlower it's unhealthy to be skinny like me!

Jen: What about Alicia?

SFF: Oh, don't worry, she'll come back when I get the chance. As for ninja techs, I have some from Tales of Phantasia! Thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions!

Amy: See you all next time!