Summary: This takes place during the midst of the quest 'Diddle Had It.' It's the female lead, which I will always call Lethia, with Elazul in her party. I always have him end up with me. Just a 'what if thing', which will end up being the majority of the stories. What if..
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To the Bottom of the Underworld

Lethia wandered the roads of Fa'Diel, using her spear as a walking stick. Her body ached from the constant traveling but she enjoyed every moment of it. Her pet rabite and dear companion, Galactic, hopped before her, the yellow ball of fluff sniffing the air and the ground. The large blue eyes would twinkle with every sound of the singing birds. Lethia adored the monster, raising it from the moment the darling hatched. She became attached to it and she prefers to always have Galactic at her side whenever she begins a journey or a quest.

On this occasion, though, Lethia had another companion. She had met the man many months before, aiding him in his search for his friend. There were times Lethia wondered about the friendship this man had with the white haired girl. Come to find out, though, it was nothing more than a friendship, more fraternal then anything else. Lethia wondered about the two and soon found herself thinking mainly of the strange Knight and their own adventures together.

"Lethia, are you alright?"

For a moment Lethia let the rich voice ring through her mind. She had stopped for that moment and blinked, unaware of what was really said. "Huh?"

Elazul stood still, his deep eyes staring into Lethia's. She felt her cheeks flush for a moment and she quickly diverted her gaze. In the past few weeks she noticed that she had developed a crush on the Lapis Knight. Lethia was embarrassed by the fact, wondering how such a thing could have risen in her mind. The relationship between the two had started by mere chance and slowly flourished over time. She found herself turning to the Jumi, though, as a companion on side journeys.

"Are you alright?" Elazul repeated. He glanced down at his foot, noticing that Galactic had taken up a perch beside him. He turned his gaze back to Lethia. "You haven't been really talkative since our battle with Tropicallo. Are you sure you can go on?"

Lethia smiled and nodded slightly. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I'm just a little tired." She moved past Elazul and Galactic, still using her spear as a walking stick. She paused and glanced over her shoulder. The Lapis Knight looked out with a sense of doubt and concern. Galactic, on the other hand, seemed a bit more interested in a small bug moving past her perch.

"What?" Lethia asked turning around sharply. She glared at Elazul for a moment but then sighed. "Don't worry, nothing's wrong. Okay? After we get back from the Underworld I'll be fine." Lethia began to mutter to herself. She was slightly annoyed with the fact that Diddle and Capella always seemed to be in some type of disagreement. It was always Diddle, though, that wandered off and got himself into a mess. Lucky for the two Lethia was always around when it happened and was always happy to help two friends.

"I've noticed you've been limping ever since the fight. I want to look at it." Elazul said, suddenly breaking through Lethia's thoughts. She glanced at him. Before she could do anything Elazul had her by her arm and forced her to sit on a rock. "You won't be able to fight as well with an injury. You know that, don't you?"

Lethia looked at Elazul and smiled slightly. "Yeah." She pulled her leg away from Elazul's reaching hands and pulled off her boot. Sure enough her ankle was swollen. Lethia winced in pain as the Jumi carefully took her foot into his hands. She knew she had sprained it during the battle with Tropicallo. As she delivered her final blow one of the arms knocked her legs out from beneath her, twisting her around and catching her ankle in its mouth. Thankfully it died or she would no longer have a foot.

As Elazul slowly examined the swollen foot he glanced up at Lethia. He caught the young sprite's eyes and he smiled slightly. Lethia smiled faintly and her cheeks grew rosy. The Lapis Knight looked back at her foot and let out a sigh. "It doesn't look too bad but it could get worse. I won't be able to convince you keep off of it, will I?"

With a grin Lethia shook her head. "No. I have to help Capella and Diddle, if I like it or not. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened to those two." Lethia replied with shrug. She turned slightly and reached into a pouch she kept on her hip. She pulled out piece of animal hide. "I think we can use this as a makeshift bandage."

"It'll have to do." Elazul replied.

It took little time to bandage Lethia's ankle and soon the trio were once more on their journey. The path to the Underworld wasn't a new one for Lethia. She had been there countless times for different reasons. She was lead there to help Larc and, in return, to help Sierra. She had also wandered down there with a frightened Bud. The young wizard was anxious to meet the Wisdoms but never thought he'd have to travel to the Underworld to meet one. There was a few times, though, when Lethia wandered through out the nameless caverns in the Underworld, exploring the endless realm with strange possibilities. She saw things that she would never be to keep out of her mind, whether it was good or not.

Soon the three arrived at the large tombstone. Lethia stood in front of Elazul and her pet, her eyes scanning the old, macabre memorial. The sky was lighter ever since the destruction of Drakonis and the entrance to the Underworld didn't seem as foreboding. Still, though, people were frightened of the unknown world of the dead. Lethia didn't harbor those feelings any longer. Strangely enough, she enjoyed the occasional journey below. Olbohn was an interesting being to speak with and Lethia would recognize a few wandering spirits here and there.

"It doesn't look like Diddle or Capella has been here." Elazul whispered.

Lethia nodded. "You're right." She gripped her spear, ready if anything strange would appear and attack them. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Suddenly a Shadole appeared with a high pitched laugh. It caught the travelers off guard and the two quickly drew their weapons. The Shadole laughed again, its striped body wiggling with every giggle. Its large black eyes looked at the two, unblinking.

"What in the world is that thing?" Elazul said with a sound of disgust. He didn't lower his sword and kept his eyes on the strange entity.

"It's a Shadole." Lethia replied. She looked at the familiar creature and blinked. "A spirit from the Underworld. They don't usually travel away from their realm though, which makes me wonder." She thrusted her spear towards the Shadole, but the spirit dodged the blade.

With a laugh the Shadole waved its hand. "To the bottom of the underworld with you! Your friends are waiting."

Before Lethia could respond she disappeared.

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"I can't do this any more!" Lethia screamed. She collapsed to the ground and let out another cry of anger. Her spear clattered to the ground and she kicked away with a grunt. Elazul turned and looked at her while Galactic stood at her side. The rabite looked up at its master, a look of wonder and sorrow in the creature's eyes. She nudged Lethia's arm, but she didn't comply.

"Lethia, get up." Elazul yelled. He looked down at her, his face empty of any expression. "We have to find Diddle and Capella. It won't do us any good if you're sitting around."

Lethia buried her face into her hands and let out a sob. Elazul blinked and his eyes slowly filled with compassion. He knelt beside his companion and put a hand on her shoulder. The sprite pulled away, never lifting her face from her hands. Elazul pulled at her arm slightly, hoping she would look at him. She wouldn't and didn't want to.

"You can't sit here and cry, Lethia." Elazul whispered. He slowly forced Lethia to look him in the eye. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she sniffled. "We have to find those two. Now get up."

"No." Lethia replied looking away. She lowered her eyes to her hands and let out a heavy sigh. "We're not getting any where, Elazul. Those damned Shadoles are everywhere. They pop up right in front of us, MAKING us run into them so we'll start over. I'm starting to believe we'll never get out of here."

Suddenly a Shadole appeared before them. The large black eyes twinkled slightly as it listened to Lethia's lament. "I'm sorry, Elazul." Lethia said, wiping away a tear. "I'm sorry for everything."

Elazul shook his head. "You have no reason to be sorry."

"Yes I do." Lethia spat. "I could've left you in the Bejeweled City with Pearl. I didn't have to go back and drag you away from your friends. You could've stayed there and been happy and out of danger. But no, I had to be an idiot and drag you away, pulling you into useless battles. You've nearly been killed and you've had more injuries than I can remember. I could have gone off and done all of it by myself. I didn't have to put anyone in danger."

Lethia let out another sob and buried her face into her hands once more. Elazul slowly sat beside Lethia and looked up. A small group of Shadoles hung over them, waiting. He knew what they were waiting for. Lethia was in a weakened state; any weaker and they could take her. Then what would happen? Elazul would be left alone to fight his way out of the Underworld and Galactic would lose the only master she ever knew.

With a soft sigh Elazul put his arm around Lethia, bringing her closer to him. She raised her head slightly, but kept her face hidden. "Why did you come for me, Lethia?" Elazul asked.

"What?" Lethia said finally raising her face high enough to look the Jumi in the face.

"Why did you return to the Bejeweled City for me?" Elazul replied. He stared up at the Shadoles, watching them hover silently. "Like you said, you could have done it all yourself. You are stronger than I am and extremely skilled in magic. You can sing and play instruments for the elements, having them help you in battle. But when you go on a new journey, you come looking for me to come with you. Why?"

Lethia lowered her eyes. "I don't know."

Elazul took Lethia's face into his hands, causing her to look him in the eyes. "I think it's for the same reason why I always go with you." Elazul looked into Lethia's eyes and smiled softly. She felt her heart skip a beat as that gaze was locked into her memory. "We need each other's company. The fearless battles, the joy we have together, and the smiles we give when nothing else can be said."

"Elazul, I. . . ."

"You don't have to say a word. I already know." Elazul whispered. He raised his eyes and smiled. "Look, the Shadoles are gone."

Lethia followed Elazul's gaze and smiled. He was right; the Shadoles that were waiting for her were gone. The hopeless feeling was gone and it was all thanks to Elazul's kind words and reminders. She wondered, though, if Elazul truly knew what she was going to say. Did he know about her crush or did he think it was a word of thanks.

"I think we should keep moving." Elazul said.

Before she could say a word, Elazul helped Lethia to her feet. She smiled at him and he returned it. Galactic chirped from below and Lethia looked down. She smiled again, noticing the small rabite had her spear in its mouth. Lethia took the spear in her hand and scooped up the small yellow creature. "I'll be just fine. Thank you." Lethia whispered, kissing the animal's pink nose.

Lethia looked at Elazul and smiled. "I should thank you too."

"There's no need." Elazul replied, the smile slowly fading. His eyes shifted to the room's only exit. Past the hole in the wall he could see a group of Shadole, waiting. "Are you ready?"

Galactic jumped from Lethia's arm, who smiled and gave a quick wink. "Let's go."