STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY

A/N: Hello again minna-san! I'm continuing this fic during my "rest" period owing to the fact that I already had the storyline jotted down in my trusty Cattleya notebook. ^^ Yup, it's all planned, and only I know how the story's gonna end! Well… naturally… I AM the writer… Tee hee…

Oh, well… this chapter is not for those people who love Jowy so much that they are tortured at the idea of him becoming a… a… thing. Man, I am so mean to my bishounen, making them undergo such radical changes… Tee hee… ^_^;

Kiligness in here like the last time? Hmm… maybe not. The "Jowy-becomes-a-thing" ordeal is already big. Just read the fic and you'll find out.

After I finished this fic, I noticed that I put the storylines of both the supposed chapters 3 & 4 here. Hee hee. Oh well. I'll just add a bonus chapter.

The morning sun slowly peeked through the mountains and showered the vast grassland with light. It also lit the quaint little house at the edge of the woods, where Tara lived.

Tara herself was already busy in the kitchen, making an extra-nice breakfast for two. She wanted to surprise Jowy with her cooking before they did anything else. Tara blushed at the thought.

Tara stepped back a few minutes later to admire her table setting. The table was placed with the best glasses, plates and utensils one could get in the grasslands, and petals of wildflowers were strewn dramatically in every direction. A single blossom was placed in a tall vase for a centerpiece. Tara smiled. It was all so perfect.

Tara ran from the kitchen to Jowy's room with the smile still on her face. What a wonderful surprise, Tara thought. It's so perfect for today.

Tara reached Jowy's door and knocked three times. Still smiling, she pulled the door wide open. She gasped.

Jowy was gone.

"No, no, he can't be," Tara gasped out loud, shaking her head. "He can't be gone."

But the bed remained empty.

Tara stood for a few moments, then a smile spread across her face. "He must be training," she mused. "He might be training outside, that's why he's not here." With that thought in mind, Tara ran to the backyard. It was still empty. 

"JOWY?!" Tara cried out. She had lost it. She had lost him.

Tara ran around, calling out his name. After a few desperate calls, she dropped down, defeated. Jowy was gone. He was not coming back.

"Jowy…" Tara whispered, tears stinging her eyes.

Meanwhile, in somewhere far away from the grasslands, Jowy slept soundly under the shade of a big tree. Being very tired from running away all night, he had dropped by the tree and immediately went off to dreamland. And so he was late in waking up that time.

"Uuuuh…" he groaned. He rubbed his eyes and tried to adjust to what he was seeing. He saw nothing but a long stretch of grass. Jowy stood up and squinted farther. He saw what looked like the faint outline of a tall building to the south.

Greenhill! Jowy thought. That building is New Leaf Academy! I remember it from last time!

Jowy sat again, his brow furrowed. He was forgetting something important. Jowy bonked his head on the trunk of the tree a few times to try and remember, but all he got were big red lumps on his head.

What is it? What am I forgetting? It must be really important. C'mon, Jowy, you're the former King of Highlands, you've gotta have an idea somehow.

Then it clicked. Back when they were searching for Teresa, they had followed Flik, who was following that turban-headed guy A/N: Shin, I think, who had disappeared at a dead end. Riyu was going around, talking to everybody who weren't taking any notice of him, until he accidentally pressed a secret button or something in a statue that led them to one of the many forest passages in Greenhill. They had followed the path, and Shin… to a wooden house hidden in the woods!

THAT'S IT! Jowy's mind screamed. That's where you can stay for a while. Try to rest there, then plan what you're gonna do, Jowy. This is it.

Jowy stood up again and gazed at the Academy. Birds flew over it and to another direction in search of food. Another wind had started blowing.

And again, Jowy ran.

Tara walked slowly down the long path leading to Forest Village and Greenhill. She had been traveling for a few days now, and she had run out of food and water. She had set off to find Jowy and to bring him back.

Like he was ever important, Tara's mind seemed to say sarcastically. You could've just stayed there and waited for another knight in shining armor to go and take you in his arms instead of going after somebody who looks more like a sister than a lover!

But he's different, Tara said calmly. He looked a lot like me. That was different. And he was nice.

There are lots more fish in the sea, my darling Tara, her mind said.

Damn you. Leave me alone.

Tara brushed off her conscience and walked on. The blazing sun was already overhead, bearing upon her like a corrosive acid eating into anything. Tara stopped for a moment to rearrange her hair in a homemade clamp-thing. After that, she wiped the sweat off the back of her neck and stared ahead. She saw the path going into a fork up ahead, one leading to a dense-looking patch of trees, the other to something that looked like a city. Tara decided that she would make up her mind when she reached to fork.

But even before she made it, she fainted, exhausted, onto the sidewalk.

"Uhhhhhhhhh…………"

"Are you awake? Hello?"

"H… huh?"

"Hello?"

Tara slowly opened her eyes. She saw a pretty girl with glasses staring down at her, looking concerned.

"Are you awake?" the girl asked again.

"Y-yeah…"

"You should eat. You look like you've been anemic or something." The girl reached for a bowl at a side table.

"Who are you?" Tara asked.

"My name is Emilia," Emilia A/N: I don't know if the spelling is right… said with a smile. "Would you like to hold the bowl or would you like me to do it for you?"

"Neither, thank you," Tara replied.

"Still not eating? That's not good, honey. I'll let you eat dinner later, when it's time." Emilia put the bowl back on the table and smiled again.

"Where am I?" Tara asked.

"You're in one of the dorm rooms of New Leaf Academy, where I teach." Emilia gazed at the nicely furnished room. "Lucky you that this room was empty. We're usually packed at this time of year."

"New Leaf?" Tara asked skeptically.

"Surely you've heard of us," Emilia said with a surprised look. "We get people all around the country studying here. We're quite famous here."

"Not to me you aren't," Tara muttered.

"Why the bad attitude?" Emilia asked. "What's your name?"

"… Tara."

"Last name?"

"Don't have any."

"Oh dear."

"…"

"Well, it's okay," Emilia said with an airy laugh. "You're Tara, then. Would you like to change your clothes, Tara? I'm afraid that your clothes are all dirty, and I think that taking a nice bath and getting other clothes is a good thing at this time."

"It's okay," Tara muttered, "I have my own clothes."

"Didn't you come here to apply for New Leaf?"

"No."

"Well, you look like you could use a place to stay," Emilia said. "Tell you what. I'll let you stay here if you go to New Leaf."

"Go to?"

"As in study here. I don't know if you're educated or what, but it's important to everyone, even teenagers."

"I'm eighteen."

"You are?" Emilia looked at her in surprise. "You don't look like you're eighteen. No offense made, though."

"It's okay. It's okay that I go here or whatever. I'm actually looking for somebody—"

"You're bound to find him or her here, I'm sure," Emilia said with a smile. "All right then. Take a bath and change into your uniform. I'll be waiting downstairs." Emilia smiled before leaving the room.

Tara got out of bed and looked out the window. She saw several girls and boys going over their books, and a dog wandering around with an old man in official-looking clothing. She turned away from the window, went to her closet, and opened it. Inside were school uniforms, all clean and ironed. Shiny-looking shoes were standing at the bottom.

What have I gotten myself into? Tara thought.

"There you are, Tara! Wow, you look so pretty," Emilia gushed as Tara descended the stairs in her uniform. Tara smiled weakly. Though she felt hot in her clothes, she had to admit that Emilia made her feel like wearing them.

"Tara, this is Vanessa," Emilia said, indicating the long-haired glasses-wearing girl beside her. Vanessa smiled at Tara. "Call me Vannie," she said.

"She'll be showing you around the school," Emilia continued. "I have to get back to my duties. If there's anything you need, you can ask me or Vanessa."

"Okay," Tara nodded.

"Bye!" Emilia turned around and left the building. Tara stared after her.

"So, Tara," Vanessa said, "where d'you wanna look first?"

Tara shrugged.

"Well… okay. Let's go to town first, then." Vanessa led Tara out the door and on the path.

"What's in town?" Tara asked curiously.

"Lots of stuff," Vanessa answered. "Since a lot of students go here, the city has to be nice-looking. I'm from Highland myself."

"Highland? Where's that?" Tara asked.

"Far away from here," Vanessa answered nonchalantly.

Vanessa and Tara walked down the main path, past other students and professors enjoying their weekend. Tara stared pointedly at them one by one.

"Uh, Tara?"

"Yeah?" Tara turned her attention to Vanessa.

"Where are you from?"

"Me? I'm from the Grasslands."

"Really? Cool. What's it like there?"

"Grassy."

Vanessa laughed, and Tara smiled to herself. She was beginning to like this girl.

"Wanna go to the inn? They have great drinks."

"Sure."

"Dammit, Jowy, I thought you knew your way around here," Jowy muttered to himself. He had been in the Greenhill forest for as long as he could remember. He wandered around, occasionally tripping over branches or facing dead ends. Jowy sighed. If he knew it was going to be this much trouble, he might as well stay there, lost for all eternity.

Jowy pushed through a clump of dense bushes and saw himself face-to-face with a tree trunk. "Damn it," he muttered, pushing the trunk aside to let him through. He stepped out on a clear path and stopped to brush off some unidentified stuff from his clothes. Then he checked his rod. Still shiny.

Jowy looked left, where there were more trees and bushes beside the path. Then he looked right. More trees and bushes. Ho hum.

Jowy stared at the right path. Amongst the trees was a little brown bird perched on something. But there were no other trees that tall other than the ones to his left.

Jowy ran down the path to the right; He jumped over roots and vines, pushed aside thick bushes and more tree trunks, until he stepped on a new path, which on the other end was… a log cabin.

Jowy sighed in relief and ran towards it. Finally, Jowy thought.

"You sure you don't wanna eat, Tara?"

"I'm fine, Vannie. I'm just not hungry."

"Oh, come on, try this, it's really good."

"No thanks, I'm okay."

Tara and Vanessa, along with the other occupants of the dorm building, were eating dinner on the first floor. The counter was laid with different kinds of delicious-looking food, and people were rushing back and forth to get this and that. Tara, however, remained in her seat with an empty plate.

"You're just not used to this food, that's all," Vanessa told Tara. "I felt the same way when I first came here. You just try it."

"Well…"

"Great! I'll get you something," Vanessa said, picking up Tara's plate and running out of sight. A moment later she appeared again with a plate piled high with a sample from each dish. "Go on," she urged, placing the plate in front of Tara. "Eat."

Tara hesitated for a few moments, then picked up her spoon. "Here goes nothing," she muttered. She plunged her spoon into something indistinguishable and popped it in her mouth. Vanessa watched with rapt attention.

"Mmm…," Tara said as she munched on whatever it was that she put in her mouth. "It's good."

"See? I told you," Vanessa said, smiling. Then she dug into her own food. Tara smiled as Vanessa ate her food and conversed with her other seatmate. She looked so happy and contented.

But I'm not, Tara thought. All I wanted to do was find Jowy and get the hell outta here. But now I'm a student, at 18 years old, and I haven't found a trace of him. Dammit.

I did tell you, Tara's mind began it's speech again. I did tell you that he wasn't worth looking for. The King of Highland could've come by your place and whisked you off your feet, and yet you chose a lowlife that looks like you. Big deal.

Shut up, you, Tara thought. I don't care about the King of Highland. Anyway that guy must've been stupid, letting his kingdom fall to pieces like that. I bet Jowy's better than that guy who calls himself king.

Saeko: Ohohohohoho… the irony… ohohohohoho…

"Tara?"

Tara blinked and stared at Vanessa, who was looking at her in a weird way. "You feeling okay?" Vanessa asked.

"Y…yeah, I'm okay," Tara said. She stood up. "I think I'll go to bed now. See ya." She turned around and ran up the stairs to her bedroom. Taking her study chair, she sat on it and faced the window. The night sky was clear, and the moon hung in the sky like a great glittering piece of cheese.

Tara sighed. Where are you, Jowy? She thought.

Where are you, Tara? Jowy thought. He sat on the log cabin's roof, staring at the moon, remembering the time he saw Tara training by its light. He sighed. How was Tara doing? Was she okaya fter she found out that he had gone? Did she go crazy? Did she find somebody else?

No, not this fast. Not this fast… I hope.

Oh, stop it, Jowy, he scolded himself. You left her, and so she has no reason to follow you or look for you in the slightest bit. It's best for you not to think of her. Try concentrating on finding Riyu and Nanami instead.

But if I wanted to see them, I should've gone in the other direction. Riyu and Nanami can't show their faces here anymore, not after we decided to leave this land altogether. Damn it all.

Jowy stood on the roof and felt the cool night air flying past him, making his carefully ponytailed hair float in the wind. He sighed again.

"Tara…" he murmured.  

"WHO THE FRIGGIN' HELL IS THAT?!" Tara exclaimed, jumping out of her seat. She could see somebody standing in the air with NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING under his or her feet, whoever that is. Tara's cheeks went pale. IT'S A GHOST!

"TARA?!" Vanessa yelled, scrambling into Tara's room. "What is it? We heard you scream a while ago."

"A…a…a…a…" Tara stammered, going even paler.

"Tara? You are so white. What is it? C'mon, spit it out, Tara…"

"G-g-g-g-g…"

"Ghost?"

Tara nodded.

"Where?"

Tara pointed to her window. "It was outside…" she said. "Standing in midair…"

"It was?"

Tara nodded again.

"COOL!"

Tara looked at Vanessa, puzzled. "C…cool?"

"SO COOL!" Vanessa was looking at Tara with pure admiration. "YOU'VE ONLY BEEN HERE LESS THAN A DAY, AND YOU ALREADY SAW THE DORM GHOST! WOW!"

"The dorm ghost?" Tara inquired.

"Yes, the dorm ghost!" Vanessa squealed. "Legend has it that there's a ghost who haunts the dorms at night. It usually appears to new students after a few days. But you're practically new, as in new, and you saw it already! You must be supernatural…"

"No I'm not," Tara protested. "I'm not a ghost. Or a witch."

"I didn't say you were," Vanessa said. "Maybe your third eye's opened already."

"Oh, sure, and the world is flat."

"You know your sarcasm, Tara."

Tara shrugged. "It's part of me."

Vanessa sighed. "Well, whatever. It's almost lights out anyway. If you need me, I'm next door. 'Night, Tara."

"'Night, Vannie."

Vanessa stood up, waved to Tara and left. Tara stared at the window. The ghost was gone.

What a perfect way to start my schoolyear, Tara thought.

The next morning, Jowy got up early and began hunting the cabin for food. He looked in the cupboards, but there was nothing there. What a perfect way to start my day, Jowy thought. Go to town and get something. Whoop dee doo.

He had no choice. It was either go or starve. Great great great.

Jowy picked up his rod and went out the cabin. At least I'll get something, he thought wryly.

"Morning, Tara!" Vanessa greeted Tara as she came into the dining room.

"Morning," Tara greeted back. She sat down and pulled a pile of pancakes toward her. "Want some?" Tara said, offering Vanessa a steaming pancake.

"Thanks, but I'll pass. I take sausage in the morning," Vanessa said.

"Whatever." Tara plopped the pancake on her plate and reached for the syrup bottle.

"What do you plan to do today, Tara?" Vanessa asked before she took a bite of sausage.

"I dunno." Tara paused to put a piece of pancake in her mouth. "Go back to town, I guess," she said after swallowing.

"You like the town now?"

"Yup."

"Good, good."

"But I think Emilia wants to see me in the Academy first," Tara mused. "Wanna go with me?"

"Sure." Vanessa smiled.

Minutes later, Jowy popped in New Leaf Academy's main hall. The building was still a bit quiet. Some students had drifted in, though. Gotta be careful, he thought.

He walked casually to the other end of the hall, occasionally passing some students, mostly male ones, who kept staring at him. Jowy blushed and hurried to get out.

Outside, he walked down the main path, where more guys continued to check him out. Ugh, Jowy thought. Don't they recognize their own flesh when they see one?

"Look, it's the new girl!" he heard a guy whisper loudly.

New girl?

"Yeah, I'm sure she is!" another said. "She's the one staying at the Maple Leaf dorm, right?"

"Yeah!"

"Hey there," a guy approached Jowy. "How's it being in New Leaf?"

What the hell—?

"Its—its okay," Jowy said in his normal voice. The guy drew back, obviously surprised at the deepness of Jowy's voice. More people began to stare at him.

Uh-oh. Something tells me that I did something wrong.

"What's going on here?"

The students turned around to see Emilia walking out of the Academy. Behind her was a raven-haired girl with glasses, and… Tara.

"What is going on here?" Emilia repeated. Then she saw Jowy. "Huh?" she said. "Aren't you Tara?"

"M-me?" Jowy's voice came out in a high squeak. Unusually high for a boy.

"But aren't you Tara too?" Emilia said, pointing to the Jowy lookalike behind her. The people stared at Jowy, then at Tara, then back. Jowy glanced at Tara. She looked pale, and her mouth was hung open for a second. But only for a second.

"Emilia," she said, rushing forward and taking Jowy by the arm. "I'm so sorry, Emilia. This is my twin… sister, um… Terra. She came to visit me."

Jowy cast a horrified look at Tara. Sister?! I'm not your sister!!!! I'm a GUY! And my name is Jowy!

Tara shook her head slightly. Shut up and let me do the talking, she mouthed.

"Is that so? Is she the one you were looking for?" Emilia said, staring at Jowy.

"Y-yes, she is…"

"All right then," Emilia said with a sigh. "Terra can stay as well. Everyone, please go into the Academy. Lessons will begin in half an hour." She turned and walked back to the Academy.

"We can talk while you change into your uniform, sis," Tara stressed. "Now come on. Vannie, I'll meet you by the Runes Classroom." She took Jowy's arm and pulled him towards the dorm building.

Once they were safely in the privacy of Tara's dorm room, Jowy pulled away from Tara. "What do you mean sister?!" he hissed. "I'm a guy! I'm a guy, dammit! And my name is not Terra!"

"We can't do anything about that now," Tara said calmly, taking out a uniform from her closet. "I've told Emilia that you're my sister. You have a whole new identity now. Well, for the time being."

"What do you mean by 'for the time being'?" Jowy asked.

"Well," Tara began, "You don't have any other place to go other than here, where I can cover for you. So we'll have to slum here for a while. And for one thing, you should be grateful that I covered for you. If I hadn't gotten so… adjusted to you I wouldn't have saved your skin." She handed Jowy the uniform. "Here, put these on."

Jowy dropped the uniform. "I am not going to put on girl's clothing."

"Do you have a choice?" Tara asked with a knowing smile.

Jowy sighed, defeated. Tara smirked.

"I'll wait outside," she said, opening the door. "Oh, and no, you can't escape through the window. I have the key." Again she smirked before closing the door.

"Oh, wow, Jowy—er, I mean, Terra."

"Stop rubbing it in," Jowy said angrily. He glanced at his black pleated skirt. "This is so… mortifying."

Tara laughed. "You're actually cute, you know. We look just like sisters, like we're supposed to be."

"Uh-huh."

"Amazing, though," Tara mused aloud. "You look like you haven't got an inch of hair on your legs. Are you a real girl or what?"

Jowy went crimson. "It's nothing! It's just…"

"Whatever. Got your bag?" Tara asked.

"Wha—? Er… yeah," Jowy replied, raising his black shoulder bag.

"Well, let's go. Can't be late for class, you know." Again, Tara took Jowy's arm and led him outside, and the two of them walked side-by-side towards the Academy.