For those of you who missed Kratos killing Kvar... know that he did kill Kvar. In a rather disturbing, 'I have had too much time to hoard my revenge' sort of way.

Some time previous. – Deactivation Team

"Let's do our best." Genis says, watching the Kvar-team move off. Colette blinks, and turns to look down the other hall, then at Raine. "Do you know where to go from here, Professor? Or Daichi?"

Daichi frowns lightly. "That way." He points, still strangely unemotional Raine blinks at him, after looking back from Kratos.

"You all just keep getting stranger.." She mutters, before holding her staff ready and heading down that way. The rooms got less and less well kept, reeking of blood, grime, and other things that made Colette, Genis and Raine go green.

"H..how close are we?" Colette coughs, holding her sleeves in front of her face.

"Pretty close. The humans are kept as animals." Daichi notes, matter-of-factly. Raine opens one door, and quickly shuts it.

"that.. isn't a holding cell." she says stiffly, green. "Something else, but definitely not a holding cell." She appeared to be thinking, remembering how only a few words from Kvar got reactions from several party members that were incredibly rare - Kratos a blind rage, Aurian a shivering bundle on the floor, Lloyd nearly as enraged as Kratos.

Daichi points. "There. We'd best hurry. The guards will be back soon." Unfortunately, one shows up just as Raine looks ready to ask Daichi something.

"Human!"

"Uh-oh..." Colette whispers, as Genis gets out his Kendama.

"What are you doing here?!" there's a handful of them behind him. Daichi attacks, Shikka behind him. Daichi fights differently when on those pills. A lot like Kratos, before the Ranch. Methodical, calmly slicing through opponents, hardest first. they go down quickly.

"the cells are here..." Colette points at the two tiered wall, with cages in it. the humans weren't packed in, but they weren't exactly spacious. Raine spots a terminal in the middle, and moves for it.

"Daichi. Do the different ranches have.. different methods, for gaining their Exspheres?"

"Yes, but it all ultimately ends the same."

Raine works at the terminal. "Would you say that Kvar's field of specialty is that of.. torture?" the gates slowly opened.

"Yes." The cells completely open, and then Raine presses some seemingly random keys, and the screen goes bright blue, and vanishes. the prisoners slowly come out, a few lagging behind. it's a little obvious that most think it a trap.

"Um..." Colette moves forward. "Is everyone okay?"

"who are you...?" One asks, slowly. All of them look malnourished. A slight whirl and Daichi blocks a sword blow.

"Traitor!" The Desian growls. Raine whirls around, holding her staff ready. a good majority of the ranch prisoners go back into their cells, scrambling almost. Colette and Genis whirl about too.

"Daisuke..."

"Well, well. The traitor captain returns to free the animals he brutally tortured."

"Drop it, Daisuke."

"You know him?" Genis asks of Daichi, his kendama free, but not twirling yet. Colette turned to begin getting the prisoners out of their cells, re-assuring them, convincing them that she was really the chosen, and it wasn't one of Kvar's mind tricks when one asked.

Daisuke growls. "Drop it? Hah!"

Daichi blankly stares at the Desian. "Aqua!" A blast of water knocks the man back. The two then begin to fight. They seem to be evenly matched.

"Is it just me.." Genis asks. "Or is Daichi not getting angry. It's not Daichi-like, to not get angry."

"Just like it isn't like Kratos to smile so .. broadly?" Raine mutters.

"Uh, yeah. Sure." Genis blinks at her, but Raine was thinking. Daichi growls lightly sounding like himself, if only slightly. The two keep fighting until Daisuke casts a thunder spell, striking Daichi in the chest. Genis mutters angrily to himself, his Kendama spinning into motion as he gathers Mana.

"Arise, o violent waters..." Genis mutters.

"Leave him. He's mine!" Daichi seems normal again. He yells, pounding Daisuke.

"Hah. That's more like the traitorous hypocrite I know and hate!"

"Fine." Genis cuts off his spell. "You stop moving and I'll blast him." he warns. Colette has gotten some of the prisoners to move slowly from the other side of the room, toward the corner near the door that would lead to the exit. The two keep exchanging insults. They escalate the severity of the insults. Raine frowns at them, scowling, and Genis wisely covers his ears whenever his sister glances his way. the way she hefted her rod, it was a bit clear that someone, or something, was going to be hit soon.

Daichi manages to overpower Daisuke. "What ya gonna do, cap? Kill me?" Colette was frowning fiercely at them, her hands fisted in the front of her cape-thing. a thought hits her.

"le the la dis le kels. Kon dans ack da lack ack le de..." She starts singing, her wings flaring behind her. It was haunting, clearly in the language of the Angels. Genis shivers, but it wasn't from fear. Her magic boosted them. "Oh, ro gald de oh gles. Fiat Lux... aaha.." Daichi seems torn between killing the man and letting the guy go. "Sle nes ne kler tris. Kon kan ra kon lo ack le de. Lo no a no ne la... Fiat Lux... Aaaahaa.." Colette finishes her song, hovering lightly above the floor. the feeling of strength continues. Several of the prisoners, who had been trying to hide while standing, looked a bit better. some of the others were watching Daisuke with hate in their eyes.

"Hey! You animals remember this big brute?! He was at the Iselia ranch. He tortured some of ya!" Daisuke yells.

"Shut it!" Most of them give him blank stares. It seems that only a few really had come from Iselia's ranch.

"He's attacking the Chosen's friends!" One finally says.

"that one is a Desian!" a woman hisses.

"He's with the Chosen, he can't be."

"You're lying!" One shouts at Daisuke.

"Get him!" a good half of them have shackles ones that Colette hurriedly breaks half of, and soon, chain flails.

Daichi faces the prisoners. "Wait. Don't attack or you'll be as bad as he is."

"Inferior cowards!"

"Shut up, idiot! I'm savin' ya life."

"I don't need ya fuckin' mercy, traitor!" The group of prisoners halts, wavering in place. it's clear on some of their faces that these feelings had been hiding inside for quite some time, while some others were going along with it.

"They killed our families!" One shouts, indicating Daisuke and thus the Asgard-Desians.

"Burnt down our homes!"

"Sent my daughter to a different ranch!"

"Why can't we take one down?" Colette looks worried.

"Revenge solves nothing. Also, there are more on the way. The doors trigger a silent alarm." Daichi conveniently forgot to mention this.

"I suppose crashing their system didn't help against that." Raine says, her staff in hand as she watches Daisuke. behind her, the holographic screen was a solid blue, with white writing indicating an error.

"Please calm down." Colette says, fisting her hands. "Revenge causes hate, hate breeds fear, fear breeds violence, which only leads to death, and more revenge!"

"The silent alarm is a more rudimentary system than the computer network." Daisuke has been knocked out to stop his many insults.

"I see." Raine says.

Genis indicates Daisuke with his Kendama. "so, what are you gunna do with him?" Colette moved to begin herding the prisoners in the cages to the group by the door.

"He might know a bit more about what's going on here than we'll ever get out of Kvar. Can I bring him along?"

"Lloyd was gunna get something out of Kvar?" Genis asks, looking a little shocked. "Here I thought he was just going to go kill him. Or was that Kratos. Yeah, I think that was Kratos." Genis says, rubbing his head.

Raine sighs. "I would accuse you of being soft, but nows not the time. He's your responsibility."

"Now to find the locks." Colette says with a smile.

"Me? Soft? Never." He reaches down, picking his unconscious ex-friend up.

"Exactly." Raine says. "Come along. Can all of you walk?" it seemed that none were in horrible enough condition to be unable to do so, and Raine gave a tiny sigh of relief. "We have a small detour, but after that, we're heading out of the ranch. Friends of ours are taking out the ranch-master." It takes them more time to reach the points on the map, the two halls where panels where to unlock. Daichi heads over to one, examining it. Colette follows, and trips over her own feet.

"Oops!" the panel shuts down.

"...You get what you pay for. This was a cheap lock."

"Oh no!" Colette gets to her feet. "I broke it!"

"It's ok, Colette. it works for us. now they can't set this lock back up." Genis says, grinning.

"Come along, there's a second one, then we're leaving." Raine indicates the other hall. Daichi presses Daisuke's palm into the panel, smashing it after the door opens.

"Alright..." Raine moves over and carefully does what Colette had by accident - disabling and destroying the lock. "That should let them get to Kvar, and the control room beyond. Let's get out of here." Daichi nods and Shikka tags with Colette, keeping a golden eye on her. Colette doesn't seem to be having any more problems keeping on her feet after that. The walk out was far slower than in, because they had their large swarm of prisoners to keep track of. It seems that Holy Song had been what gave them courage. A good amount of them were skittish, and occasionally Raine stopped some from running back to the cells.

It's early dark by the time they crash their way through the forest, having left the way they entered - an underground shaft. Raine lead them a fair ways into the forest, until almost dawn, when there was no sign of the red clad twin-blade or his team.

December 23rd

"... they're late.." Raine mutters. Colette was fidgeting, her hands knotted.

"Since when was Lloyd ever early?" Shikka comments.

"Very true. he still owes me homework." Raine mutters. "However, it is the next day. We should have been out well after them, with our growth in numbers." Raine sat there a little while longer. ".. I'm going to see if there are any bleeding among the former captives. when I'm done, I'll be heading back into the ranch to find them. I'd like someone to stay here, but if you all wish to join me...."

Shikka settles down. "I'll watch over the be... Humans."

"thank you." Raine says, hurrying off to see if any needed healing. Colette and Genis gather up their things, mostly healing items, leaving behind the belongings for camp. When Raine returns, they're very pointedly waiting for her.

Daichi has dumped Daisuke near a tree. "Keep an eye on him." Raine looks at her sibling and the Chosen, and sighs.

"I should have known you two would come with. Lloyd is involved." Raine mutters, but she gathers her own set of healing items, and her staff, and starts back for the ranch. the two look at each other, smile, and follow her. Daichi follows, slightly more relaxed and emotionalistic. Winding through the Ranch, they only come across a few handfuls of Desians, before reaching a door with two bloody walks. One was older, lacking bodies for the matching dried sprays of blood, and the other was newer, some of the blood still congealing and bodies to match the spray of death. Glass also littered this one, as well as smeared drag-marks. Raine frowns.

"This one." she follows the new. Daichi is tensed, axe raised. the trail stops at doors, ducking in them, then moving on, sometimes more blood was staining the floor with a small amount of bloodied glass. Finally, a door that didn't have a trail leaving it. Raine opens the door, then has to jump back to avoid losing her hand to a blade, another swinging for her head, which she ducks. Daichi swings for the attacker on impulse. The blades quickly form a cross to defend one person. Raine quickly raises her staff, and then gets a good look at the now defender.

"...Lloyd..?!" From her tone, she had expected Kratos. Lloyd was battered, rips in his jacket showing his armor underneath, and his eyes looked.. haunted.

"...Professor...?" Lloyd says weakly. "Daichi...? Guys...?" Piers is curled up in a corner.

"Lloyd... What in the name of Martel happened?!" Daichi asks. Kratos and Aurian are propped up against the wall, in a slowly forming stain of blood. Sheena is in barely better condition than Lloyd.

"Lloyd!" Genis shoves past his sister to hug Lloyd, but he pulls back with confusion as blood stains his clothes. "You're bleeding!" Lloyd shakes his head slowly, dropping his arms to his sides.

"it's... not mine. Kratos's.. or Aurian's..." Lloyd mutters.

"Kvar's...?" Daichi asks hesitantly. Lloyd goes green.

"No." Sheena says, sounding as exhausted as Lloyd looked. "Kratos... took care of Kvar." Lloyd takes a few steps back, sitting heavily. Kratos's sword was on one of the man's own belts across Lloyd's back.

Daichi sighs. "What happened?"

"Kratos ... got him." Lloyd mutters, rubbing his face, and not looking at the mercenary. Lloyd was fine with killing, normally, but... he still looked haunted, a little green.

"Kratos ... made sure he was dead." Sheena continues for him. Raine accepts this, healing Lloyd, the moving to heal Sheena.

Piers groans, waking. "Ugh. Kvar...!" He jolts awake properly.

Raine moves over to him next. "Has been taken care of." her tone says that she expects more of an explanation. Colette has fished out two life bottles and moves to work on Kratos and Aurian, who look like a pair of bloodied rag-dolls for all they're moving. Kratos's armor is visibly in pieces.

"Wh-What happened?"

Raine looks at him, then the other two. "Apparently.. Kratos happened. That's what they keep saying." Raine mutters. Colette uses one of the Life Bottles on Kratos, and since it was supposed to be a drink, a good half of it just comes back up. she dumps the rest over his head. Small wounds heal instantly, but he doesn't wake. "... that's not supposed to happen." Raine looks for an expiration date.

Piers groans, standing. He concentrates. "Wish All." A cooling blue aura washes over the party members. Lloyd blinks, looking up. Most of the wounds on the two heal, but neither twitch beyond that.

"Didja know.." Lloyd mutters. "that her ears twitch down every 15 minutes, then back to normal, and every half hour, they twitch up, down, normal... and then every two hours, they twitch out, up, down, normal?" Colette and Genis stare at him.

".. you've been in the storage room for too long." Genis mutters.

"How long was I out?" Piers groans. Daichi is looting.

"almost... 8 hours?" Sheena guesses. "Maybe more, you were out when I got there."

"Let's worry about that later." Raine says, standing and frowning at the other two adults. "Someone is going to have to carry Kratos, I think I can manage with Aurian, she's light. Piers, are you capable of walking?" Raine set to work getting Aurian picked up, grimacing a little as she found another piece of glass.

"I'm fine." Piers replies.

Daichi approaches Kratos. "I'll take care of him."

"He doesn't have his equipment." Lloyd mutters. "His armor's falling off, I've got his sword and shield. Sheena has his knives..."

"He's actually not that heavy." Sheena says, as Lloyd and her stand. they still look exhausted.

"Genis, please show Lloyd the way out. Colette, walk with Sheena and Piers behind us. If we get attacked, go ahead and drop him." Raine says, passing Lloyd and Sheena an orange gel each.

"Gotcha." Daichi nods. Piers is a bit pale.

"Back to the room you guys left." Genis says, heading back out the door with Kendama ready. Lloyd nods, following. It looked a bit weird to see Kratos's blade across Lloyd's back, his blackened and stained streamers wrapped about the scabbard as well.

"All right..." Lloyd takes the lead, letting Genis take a few steps back. they don't come across any Desians before they reach the spot with the two blood stained trails. Raine looked at the door.

"Wait." Lloyd stops, blinking at her. "We still need to destroy the ranch. the quickest way to the control room is through here." Raine moves for the door.

"Don't!" Lloyd blurts out, eyes wide.

"Why not?" Daichi asks, opening the door himself. A few seconds later, he throws up. Human corpses are strewn on the ground, and the room is otherwise dark. there seems to be something at the base of the stairs to a small platform. An arm, clearly in blue cloth like Kvar's despite the staining, is sitting neatly a few feet from the door. it looked like it had been ripped off the man's shoulder. Lloyd stares in clear horror, tearing his eyes first to Kratos, then down the hall as he turns distinctly green. Sheena is a little better. Daichi groans. Piers doesn't seem affected. Colette is pale at the sight of so much death, she clasps her hands and seems to be praying to Martel. Genis mimics Daichi, getting sick partially inside the door, while Raine looks on with a pale face, and calculation. She sets Aurian down, and seems to be about to go into the room.

"Don't go in there!" Lloyd yelps, twisting and staring at her as if she were mad. "Go another way!"

Daichi blocks the doorway, green. "I'd go another way."

"This is the fastest way." Raine says, eyeing the room beyond.

"T..that's..." Lloyd's eyes are a bit close to terror, but more firmly in horror.

"the fast way got locked. Lloyd and Piers managed to get in before it shut." Sheena says quickly. "the control room is also back that way." she indicates the other blood trail.

"Let's go the other way." Daichi suggests.

"Please!" Lloyd agrees, taking his eyes off the room with a bit of difficulty. Genis and Colette stare at Lloyd, confused. Raine sighs.

"Very well. I will want to hear about this later." Raine looks down the second path. "Let's get a move on." She picks up Aurian again. Daichi shuts the door and breaks the lock. Lloyd gives him a weak, thankful grin, as they turn to head back down the corridor that Aurian, Sheena, and Kratos had followed to find Lloyd. It looked like someone had been killing every Desian or sentry machine they had come across. Daichi pops another couple of pills. Piers is pale, occasionally twitching or sparking. They eventually reach the room where the Kvar party had separated, and a now active teleporter pad. Raine with Aurian takes it, and then Lloyd, Genis, and Sheena. Colette seems intent to wait until the rest are through. Daichi goes through with Kratos and then Piers. Colette follows. It's a control room, much like the one at Magnius's ranch. Raine immediately moves to the center machine, and starts typing away. Lloyd takes this as a sign that he can take a break, and sits heavily, the blade across his back clattering. Daichi dumps Kratos in a corner. He doesn't protest, or move, or do anything beyond bleed sluggishly and breathe. Aurian was set down near Raine's feet, and it seems she's in the same state. Sheena sits too, but more gracefully than Lloyd.

"WARNING." A computerized voice. "SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCES FOLLOW THOSE KEYS. DO YOU WISH TO PROCEED?" Raine frowns.

"Yes." Raine began typing furiously on another keyboard. "shut up." a door opens. And a single Desian comes in. he gapes at the party.

"You can't do this!" apparently, it was a base wide alert. "We have the protection of our Lord Yggdrasill!" Raine ignores him, the computer's voice completely stopping, then the assorted screens flashing red.

Genis was using his Kendama. "Arise, o violent waters.."

By this time, Daichi had decapitated the man. "Boom! Headshot." Genis sighs, and the glow vanished from about him.

"Wish casting took less time." Genis mutters.

"Time to get moving." Raine says, picking up Aurian again. "it's rigged to self-destruct now." Daichi picks up the mercenary, axe in his free hand.

Lloyd gets to his feet. "A'right..." Genis stares at him for a little, before taking the lead with him. Sheena walks by Colette, as Raine quickly makes sure that Aurian and Kratos aren't any worse. Daichi yawns lightly, smirking to himself. There aren't many Desians wandering these back corridors, as they take the same way in that Raine had upon returning.

Piers keeps sparking. "Agh! Damn it!"

"We're almost out." Raine says. "I'll see if I can help then." they're into the forest.

Piers grumbles and sparks violently. "Aaaargh! Fuck!"

"Try taking your shoes off." Genis suggests. "You know, grounding yourself."

"should we bury his feet?" Colette asks. Genis and Raine give her confused looks. "To ground him!"

"I just need to... Ggnnk! Discharge." They reach the rag-tag encampment of sorts. Some of the hosts were standing at the edge, holding branches like they were clubs or something, but they look both relieved and shocked at the state of their rescuers.

"Like with static?" Colette asks, reaching over to grab Piers's shoulder.

"We'll be moving a little ways down the hill." Raine goes to find Shikka, and Lloyd sits down. Colette twitches, losing her grip on Piers's shoulder to take a few shaky steps off to one side, her eyes wide.

"Are you ok?" Genis carefully doesn't touch either of them.

"D-Don't touch me. He hit me as I cast." Piers says.

Colette shakes her hand out, but smiles at them both. "I'm ok. It just tingles a little." Genis gives her a weird look, as Lloyd watches them, his hands partially over his face.

"We need to move a bit further down the hill." Raine has returned. "Just to make sure we're out of the blast radius." Piers walks on. Daichi looks thoughtful at the situation with Piers. Lloyd lets Colette help him up, and they start moving down the hill with the mass of prisoners. It doesn't take long before a roaring explosion happens behind them, knocking quite a few off their feet.

"There goes the ranch." Daichi mutters. Quite a few of the prisoners cheer, a bunch more look shocked, and the rest burst into tears now that it's mostly over.

Raine lets them for a moment. "I'm sorry, but we need to keep moving." They reach the plains at the base of the hill, and Raine gets the more able-bodies prisoners to help make the camp, after setting Aurian next to Colette. She starts healing those in the worst shape. Daichi drops Kratos off to one side.

Daichi approaches Daisuke. "So."

"Get away from me, dirtbag!"Lloyd sits heavily, and seems to be claiming the spot for the night. Sheena takes Aurian with Colette to a stream and they work on cleaning her up a bit. Genis helps his sister.

"Listen to me. I want info. You know me. I'll do anything to get it. Anything." Daisuke pales. Raine comes back, having drained her Mana for now, and goes to see how Piers is doing. Piers is still sparking.

"Daisuke. A Desian mentioned Lord Yggdrasill. What about him."

"I ain't tellin' ya nuffin', fucking scum." Raine starts talking with Piers. Colette and Sheena return with still unconcious Aurian, who is still bleeding sluggishly, but clean. Lloyd seems to be trying to sleep.

Daichi pulls out a syringe. "Know what this is, ya little shit? A present from the late cardinal." He hopes no-one is watching. Genis is watching, but his eyes are hard all the same. Daisuke spits at Daichi. The big man punches the Desian. "Tell me what I want or I'll take it by force." He growls, seizing Daisuke by the collar. Genis takes out his book, and reads that a bit while watching a little.

"We could have Piers get rid of the electricity on him." Genis offers.

"I got this, kid."

"Yeah, I bet you do, bitch." Daichi slams the man to the ground, restraining him, injecting him.

"No, no... No!" The familiar screams of pain attract the attention of some of the prisoners. Lloyd jerks upright, his eyes wide. he looks a bit frantic for a moment, but when he spots Daichi with Daisuke, he decides to go to the stream and finally clean up.

"Want a gag?" Genis asks dryly.

"I wanna hear him squeal." Daichi growls, sounding more like the bloodthirsty torturer he was. Daisuke flails, yelling in pain.

"That's great." Genis says, shrugging. "mind taking it a bit further from camp? Otherwise Sis'll notice in a little bit."

"Tell me."

"Aagh... A human... Attacked the ranch. L-lord Yggdrasill stopped the inferior being before he got to Lord K-Kvar...Carved his way through..."

"That's why they think this Yggy-guy likes this place?" Genis asks. "Because he took care of a human for them? Wow."

"You don't get it. Yggdrasill is the leader of the Desians." Daichi states, watching Daisuke convulse.

"So, because he took care of a human for them, they think he likes them best." Genis frowns. "Now here's the question. Why'd they need this.. Yggdrasill guy to take care of the human in the first place?"

"H-he was crazy!" Daisuke protests.

"Whatever you gotta say to make yourself feel better to almost losing an entire ranch to one human." Genis says with a smirk. Daisuke tries to get to his feet to get at Genis. Genis shakes his Kendama at him, letting Mana visibly swirl about him - he's more than half charged for a spell. Daichi is holding him down.

"Say that again, runt, and I'll cut ya apart!" Daisuke growls.

Genis keeps a hold of his Kendama, even as he leans over his book. "Oh? Will you need your Lord Yggdrasill's help? Because there are a lot more than one human who'd want to take a chunk out of you if you try." Those prisoners who had noticed the screaming were still watching, silently.

Daisuke looks around. "Daichi... You couldn't have forgotten..."

"I haven't..."

"Then.... Why? Why do this?" Raine's taken Kratos off to the stream to get him mostly cleaned up, and Lloyd comes hurrying back once she goes over. He stares at Daichi and Daisuke for a moment, before bundling himself in his bedroll. "Answer me!"

"Because I'm sick of hating!" Genis gives a little grimace, but his attention remains mostly on his book.

"Then kill me."

"No." Yells rise from the other side of camp, and Lloyd's up again, quickly heading over with his blades in hand just in case. Daichi is distracted, getting nailed in the crotch.

"Ow! Sunnavabitch!" Daisuke is up, Daichi's axe in hand.

"Arise o Violent Water, and rout mine enemy!" Genis shouts, and swings the Kendama forward. "Blessed Drops!" a bubble of water forms, and drops over Daisuke, erupting into smaller. Daisuke is stymied by the water. Daichi stabs Daisuke in the chest with a sword. He howls in pain.

Genis stops twirling his Kendama, and watches for a moment. "Think ya got him." Genis says, then goes back to his book. Raine hurries back into camp, and looks around. Lloyd's got a claw set of cuts now - wolves had been on the other side of camp. Daichi is frozen. He seems close to crying. "he was a friend, was he?" Genis asks.

"One of my..." He stops, noticing the humans.

"Few friends." Genis says, like he was finishing the sentence for Daichi. Daichi picks the body up, disappearing without a word. Raine smears an Apple Gel on Lloyd, and then sends him back to his bedroll, while she goes to retrieve Kratos. The mercenary is dumped next to Aurian, and they look like dead people for all they move.

"Let's see if we can make something for all of us. A large stew, perhaps." Genis quickly gets the pots.

Piers has an idea. "Uh... Someone stab a sword they don't want in the ground, please."

Lloyd protectively pulls his blades into his bed with him, and Genis eyes the blade Daichi had used on Daisuke. "That one might do. It's not Kratos's... nor one of Lloyd's."

"Stab it in the ground hilt first, please."

"Hilt first..." Genis mutters, leaving off his stew work to snag the blade, and work the hilt into the ground. Piers touches the tip. The electricity grounds itself after a few minutes, melting the sword and knocking Piers out. Colette catches him. After a moment of wondering what to do with the unconscious teen, she puts him next to Aurian and Kratos, and drapes his blanket over him. Genis almost laughs, but controls himself, and gets back to stew cooking.

Shikka looks up, sniffing, the big guy in human form. "Nn...? No... It can't be..." Lloyd was trying to clean his blades - he seems to have given up on trying to sleep. He blinks at Shikka, and gives a confused, questioning look. Colette's helping Genis figure out how to dish out food. "I smell laguz..."

Lloyd stares at him for a moment. "Oh.. right. Your people..." he scrubs at the hilt of one of his blades a bit more, and frowns at it when it remains stained. He pauses. "Didn't.. you say that ... ya weren't from around here?"

"Yep. They're with Daichi..."

"Weird..." Lloyd mutters, and then slowly sets to sharpening his blades. After nearly cutting himself twice, he stops, and looks about. "..." he looks back at Shikka. "Wanna meet them early? or here?"

"I'll wait." Soon, a blood-splattered Daichi arrives, none of the blood fresh. It looks like he's been crying. Behind him are 3 figures. A big, bulky man with grey hair. Not as big as Shikka. The next, a small, lithe turquoise haired man. And, finally, a blonde, white-robed, white winged young woman. Some of the prisoners, who were starting get food from Genis and Colette, mutter about Angels. Raine gets up to stand near Lloyd, watching curiously.

Shikka gets to his feet. Him and the blonde woman hug. "Shikka..."

"Paula. It's been a while."

Raine watches them, and then slowly walks forward. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but.. You are not an Angel, are you? You're like Shikka." She says it softly, but clearly. Colette is watching. Lloyd's going back to trying to sharpen his blades. he's visibly exhausted, though.

"Everyone. Meet Princess Paula of the Heron Laguz of Serenes." Shikka introduces. Colette walks over, and stares at her wings for moment. After that moment is over, she smiles, and poofs her wings out, curtsying a little.

"I see.." Raine murmurs. "Raine Sage, Colette Brunel, Lloyd is behind me, and my brother Genis is tending the food. Kratos is the man, Aurian the silver haired, and Piers the teen." She indicates the ones who are out cold. "I see you've met Daichi."

"They helped me..." Daichi mumbles. The smaller man approaches Shikka and gets down on one knee.

"My lord..."

"Rynelf... Stand up." Shikka looks slightly embarrassed.

Raine looks calculating. "I wasn't aware we were traveling with royalty..." she mutters, in a joking tone as she puts things together, and glances at Shikka. Lloyd's gone back to trying to sleep.

The princess whispers. "They don't know?"

"No. I've seen no reason to tell them."

"Why don't we talk somewhere... a little further away from the main camp." Raine says, and Colette takes the hint to start calming the human-hosts, and continue feeding them with Genis, her wings vanishing without a trace. "All we know is that Shikka is from a land not our own, which must mean that you are as well. I'd rather not panic them further."

Paula nods her head. "As you wish." Shikka takes point, leading them to a secluded clearing.

Raine watches them, curiously. "... I don't know exactly how to say this... But if any of them, the.. former prisoners - "She indicates the camp behind them. "Ask if you are an Angel, Ms Paula, please say that you are. It will do them wonders."

"Very well. We are known by many as 'the Angels of Serenes.'"

"My lord." The bigger man says. "We bring dire news." He keeps glancing at Raine suspiciously.

"Thank you. It will help keep them calm." Raine ignores the suspicious looks, and watches with mild curiosity.

"Are you sure you want the... Beorc.. present, sire?" The man says, 'Beorc' saturated in contempt.

"Tragard..." The smaller one pipes up. "Watch your tongue."

"Beorc means human, correct?" Raine asks, looking at Shikka. "I'm not human. I'm an Elf." she shrugs then. "Although the difference is only in life spans and the fact that I can use Mana, and humans can't."

"This is true. But, even if she were Beorc, I don't mind. What's this news?"

"Your father was killed..." Paula states sorrowfully.

"Wh-What?! How?!"

"King Skrimir died in battle. Defending the Allience's border against the Bengion soldiers faithful to the senate. The country is torn apart and at civil war, sire." Rynelf says.

Raine flinches, frowning. ".. war is a terrible thing..."

"If Bengion is at war, then why was the alliance threatened?"

"Simple." Tragard growls. "The senate want to drag everyone into the pit they've dug themselves. Empress Sanaki has the backing of Queen Elincia and King Pelleas. The senate is on the ropes."

"So they blame us." Rynelf finishes.

Raine's silently watching them, just absorbing the information. "So, Shikka is your new king... or would be, if he was home."

"That's correct. Crown Prince Shikka was King Skrimir's only heir." Paula states.

"Yeah. Didn't he tell ya?" Rynelf asks.

"No." Raine isn't particularly put out about this. "I don't think the topic's come up." bushes rustle from the camp side. Tragard silently stalks to the bushes, reaching in. Lloyd yelps. he looked like he was in the middle of fighting with his belts to get them off. Raine sighs. "That's Lloyd."

Tragard has the teen in his fist. "Let him go." Shikka states.

"As you wish, sire." He drops Lloyd. Lloyd manages to sit this way, and rubs his head, then eyes, and buckles his belts again.

"...." he blinks at Paula. "... ya've got wings."

Raine frowns at him. "You should be sleeping."

"Can't." Lloyd mutters, drawing his knees up to his chin.

Paula walks over to Lloyd, sitting by him. "Do you need help sleeping?"

Lloyd blinks at her. "Don't want to sleep." he mutters. "Really... don't want to sleep."

"Why not?"

Lloyd shivers. "...." but he says nothing, looking firmly at the ground. Raine sighs.

"Lloyd...." it's a Teacher Voice. Lloyd blinks.

"Nightmares." he mutters. "So, don't want to sleep. They'll be there...."

"I can help." Paula states. Lloyd blinks at her.

"Really? And not by taking anything nasty?" he has this don't-dare-to-be-hopeful sort of tone. Raine is frowning speculatively at him.

"I know you have the falling one... And the one of the village..." Lloyd looks very stubborn now. He's not going to tell what it's about.

"I can sing magic. I have a special song for dreamless sleeps."

"Really?" Lloyd's voice breaks. it's a bit obvious he's terrified, or horrified, of said nightmare. Raine scowls at him. "Please?"

"Really."

"I'd hug you, but I'm still dirty." Lloyd says very seriously. Paula smiles gently and begins singing. It sounds like the language Shikka uses, but not vulgar. Lloyd blinks. "...shouldn't... I get to my bedrolll...?" he mutters. Shikka fetches Lloyd's bedroll as Paula continues to sing gently. Lloyd sleepily flops over into it, not caring that he was still a mess and would only have to clean his bedroll in the morning. Raine sighs as he falls asleep.

"I'll move him back to camp." She gets ready to start dragging the bedroll back.

Shikka sighs. "What now? I can't go back to Gallia, not now. I pledged that I would help on regenerating this world..."

"We understand, sire. That's why we're giving you this now." Rynelf states, taking out a small box. Raine looks torn between watching for her curiosity's sake, and getting Lloyd back to camp. she settles for watching while slowly making her way back.

Shikka opens the box. "Dad's Satori Sign."

"Yep. Sign of the King. Gives you the ability to stay shifted." Tragard explains. Rynelf takes the emblem, attaching it to Shikka's collar. A white light envelops him. Raine stops dragging Lloyd to watch. The light fades and Shikka is standing dressed in finer clothes, with a blue, regal cape on his left shoulder. Tragard and Rynelf sink to one knee. Raine blinks once or twice, mutters about magic, and then continues moving Lloyd back to camp.

Yeah :D