Disclaimer:  Don't own Shadow Hearts.  Don't really own Kaz, which I stole from my sister (sh, don't tell).

**

[Alice]

            Steam rose from the plates.  I stabbed the vegetables with one of my utensils and examined the blue-green plant.  I blew away some of the steam and then ate it.  It was crisp, and not really that bad.  What about the meat…?

            Yuri was swirling his food into a mass of blue, brown, green, and yellow.  This was the most fascinating thing to him.  The meat was starting to spin around and around.

            "Um…"

            "Yes?" I asked, impaling the eggs.

            "Are you still mad at me?" Yuri looked up at me, saw my expression, and realized he'd better defend himself.  "We needed money.  And I didn't steal anything, it wasn't theirs in the first place."

            "I suppose you were taking it from thieves then?" I asked.  "Did you think I'd be mad at you for it?"

            "No."

            "So why didn't you just tell me?"

            The food started swirling again.  "Cause you'd probably say no."

            "I see," I said dryly.  "So you thought I wouldn't approve, but you also thought that if you went behind my back to do it, I'd be perfectly happy."

            His utensil was grinding against his plate.  I let him think about it and looked around.  The restaurant was near full, and conversations were going on all around.  I heard someone mentioning angels and thought they were talking about the pictures on the walls of winged people—until they mentioned devils as well.  I didn't see any that resembled one.

            "Alright.  I get why you're mad at me—"

            "I'm not mad at you for stealing," I interrupted.

            He looked up at me confused.  "You're not."

            "I woke up last night and you were nowhere in the room.  I had no idea where you were or why you were gone.  We're in a strange place and don't know how dangerous it is.  I'm mad at you for scaring me!"  The stealing part had annoyed me, but not near as much as waking up in the middle of the night and realizing I was all alone.

            He winced but then said hopefully, "So you were worried about me?"

            "That doesn't mean you should press your luck now."

            "Sorry."  He picked up some of the vegetables and asked, "How does this taste?"

            "It's good."  Yuri popped it in his mouth and his eyebrows shot up.  He began searching for more vegetables on his plate.

            "Yuri, there are utensils."

            "So?"  He picked up another one with his fingers and chewed on it.

            "Never mind."  I chose to focus on my food instead.

**

[Margarete]

            We got our things and started to leave.  Selphie was still chatting away—I wasn't sure, but I thought she might be flirting with Halley.  I tuned her out and slung my bag over my shoulder.  In it was some money and food, both provided by the angels.  I also had Alice's book, the one Yuri had borrowed from Roger Bacon.

            "Everyone ready?" I asked.

            Sharon looked around and nodded.  "Yep.  I want to see the City of Water.  It sounds like fun."

            "Don't see how this is going to be fun," Zhuzhen muttered.

            After a few minutes, I was tapping my foot impatiently, wondering how much longer they were going to make me wait.  Even though Sharon seemed enthusiastic to go, she was also lingering behind to talk with Selphie.  I could hear them talking about angels.

            The angels thing confused me.  I was an atheist, so I'd never read too deeply into the bible.  But Eden, angels, and the archangel Michael—they were all from the bible.  Hadn't Selphie said that this was heaven?  It didn't seem like it to me.  It was nice, but no Paradise.  It was nothing like what I'd ever thought it would look like.  But then, how would I know?

            "Hey Selphie."  The brunette looked up with a smile.  "Where's God?"

            She looked surprised at the abrupt question, but answered quickly, "He's everywhere.  God is in all things."

            "So is there anywhere you can see him?"

            Selphie's smile faded.  The teenager looked wistful.  "Only archangels and a few of the higher-ranking angels have seen him.  I'll have to wait for my Absolution…unless I become another Sarah, but that's near impossible."

            "What did Sarah do that was so great?" I wondered.

            "She was one of God's most trusted angels.  She did many things in the war—made many victories.  One of the greatest was at the Fire Clan's palace, when she sealed Regina and her servants into the tower.  But then…she was killed by Nis's sin."

            Nis's sin?  "You mean Hyuga right?"

            "It didn't have a name."

            It.  Maybe it's a good thing Yuri's not with us—he'd probably get all depressed if he heard Hyuga was considered an 'it'.  "Did he—it—have a child?"

            Selphie looked perplexed at this.  "If it had, the offspring would have been trapped with Regina.  Unless it mated with a mortal…"

            God!  'Mated'?  She's talking like Hyuga was an animal!  But it sounds like he at least looked human…

            "So Sarah was a general of some sort?" Keith asked, bringing us away from the subject of Hyuga.  He looked uncomfortable, as did Halley.

            Selphie shook her head.  "In times of war, the archangels lead the armies.  Sarah worked mostly on her own.  By the time of the war, she was considered as high in status as one of the archangels and was given orders directly from God."

            Status…so they're organized somehow…archangels are highest…Sarah was right next to them…I suppose Selphie's probably at the bottom somewhere.  "Hey, how long have you been an angel?" I asked out of curiosity.

            "I was born one," she said simply.  I didn't know what to say to that.

**

[Alice]

            "You think they accept Guild Cards?" Yuri wondered as we walked in the store.

            "I hope not," I said.  Easily I could see Yuri shouting 'Ten off, c'mon…' I smiled at the memory of him breaking Roger Bacon's machine.  Twice.

            "Damn.  Forgot we don't have our cards.  Oh well, they probably didn't accept them anyway."  Yuri looked around at the shelves full of packaged goods and camping supplies and shifted the bag of coins onto his other shoulder.  The coins clinked together and I looked around nervously.  There was another problem about stealing.  What if any of the people Yuri had stolen from were here and recognized him?  Or what if there was an officer of some sort, would we be arrested out of suspicion?

            But when I looked around, no one was paying any attention to us.  They were all involved in their own business, buying items and in some cases trying to sell them back.  The owner was dark-skinned and a good haggler it seemed, to tell from the disappointed expressions his customers had when they walked away.

            And yet I noticed as I walked with Yuri that there were glances in our direction.  Every time I tried to look back at the person, they were immediately back to whatever they'd been doing before, trying not to get our attention.

            Once I saw the owner watching us, I knew whom to ask.  I left Yuri to choose our food as I walked up to the counter, where the shopkeeper was carefully cleaning.  "Excuse me sir, are we causing you any trouble?"

            "No miss, you aren't doing any harm."

            I bit my lip.  "I just thought that my companion and I have been getting a lot of funny looks and I don't know why."

            His dark eyes widened and he put a heavy arm on the counter as he leaned towards me.  "There's a rumor going around that he's—well, don't you know?"  My blank expression must have been answer enough.  "That he's—just look at him.  Doesn't he look like anyone?"

            "Like who?"

            "Like Nis's heir!  The kitsuune-child!" he said in a harsh whisper.

            They think he's Hyuga.  "But isn't he dead?"

            "Maybe, maybe not," the owner said mulishly.  Lamia said he died, but there was no body.  And, Hyuga was the only one I ever heard of who could change into a monster.  Last night, they say a man turned into a wolf and a bird."

            Lobos and Seravi.  Yuri, what were you doing…?

            "So tell me now.  I got two questions for you.  If he's not Hyuga, is he his son or something?  Someone said Regina could've had a baby."

            "He's related, but not through…"  I was about to say 'not through Regina', but I didn't know if that was true or not.  Could Yuri be a descendent of Regina too?  That might explain why she wanted him.  "…that is, it's very distant."

            "Alright.  And what does he think about Tripura."

            "What do you mean?"

            We were interrupted by a young redhead who scooted two cans of vegetables and some bread onto the counter.  "Hey Kaz," the man greeted, taking five coins.  "Tell your mother I said hi."

            "Kay."  The child stacked the large cans and then carried them in both arms under his chin.

            "I mean," the owner continued after the boy had left, "does he hate it?  Does he have any grudge against the clan?"

            This bewildered me.  "We don't know anyone in the clan."

            He grunted with a suspicious look at Yuri, so I knew he didn't believe me.  Still, I gave him a polite smile as I walked back to Yuri, my temper rising.  "Hey Alice—Ow!"  Yuri jumped and then held his right foot.  "What was that for?"

            "You fused."

            "No I—"

            "Last night?"

            His face assumed a very guilty expression.  "I only fused four times—"

            "Four!  I thought it was two!"

            "Uh…well, it's still only four."

            "Which was enough to start rumors that you're Hyuga."

            "I am—oh, we're talking about that one."

            I buried my face in my hands, feeling aggravated.  "Do you want to be identified with him?  Honestly…"

            "What's so bad about that?"

            Instead of answering, I simply stomped on his other foot and then stalked outside, ignoring all the looks I was getting now.

            I sighed and sat down in the street.  The heat of the baking sun did nothing to improve my mood.  Why had he fused when others were sure to see him?  Had he even been thinking?  Well, no, I reflected, this is Yuri, and he is impulsive.  But still, the people who had heard about us had been afraid…We're not trying to cause any trouble…

            "Er…got the food."  Yuri stood in front of me, offering a nervous smile.  "You want to get out of here?"

            "Yes, let's find Fox Face," I said, trying to sound cheerful.  As soon as we left this city, the rumors would start to die down, and as long as Yuri didn't fuse again, no one would notice us.

            After we got out of the city, we settled down for lunch.  Yuri fused into Death Emperor to open the cans, stabbing the cover with his claws and then peeling it back.  I wrinkled my nose at the small red fruits moving around in the syrup.  "What are those?"

            Yuri first scraped the lid off his claws and then disembodied.  "Dunno.  I was just picking stuff at random."  He picked one from the can and ate it.  While chewing, his eyes suddenly bulged and he swallowed quickly.

            "What is it?"

            "Try one," he said, holding the can out.  I took one and put it in my mouth.  At first it tasted bland—until I bit into it.  There was an explosion of tangy juice and I covered my mouth in surprise.  "Packs a punch, doesn't it?"

            "That was a surprise."   I reached for another one, though.

            "So you got the food.  That was quick."  I turned around as Fox Face walked up to us.  I smiled as Yuri groaned and Fox Face nipped at him in retaliation.  Then he sat down on his haunches.  "I thought it'd take you longer.  How'd you do it?"

            I glanced at Yuri and then back at the can.  "You tell him," I said before picking out a third of the tasty red fruit.

**

[Margarete]

            "What do you mean, IT'S NOT WORKING?!"

            Everyone stared at me.  Keith actually looked a bit flustered as he held out the compass.  "Just look at it," he directed.

            The arrow, instead of pointing straight in one direction, was lazily moving around.  Great.  If there was one thing a spy hated, it was faulty equipment.  "Why isn't it working?"

            "Because there's no magnetic field."

            I looked at Sharon like she was crazy.  Which really, I thought she was.  "There's no magnetic field?"  She nodded.  "But isn't this world supposed to be like Earth?"

            "In size," she clarified.  "It's not much like the world any other way.  Did you know this world is flat?"

            Now everyone was looking at her.  I mean, really.  How could a world be flat?  "Sharon, where did you hear this?"

            Innocently she answered, "God told me."
            They gave her drugs.  She's hallucinating.  "And God says we're on a flat world."  She nodded.  I buried my face in my hands.  "Sharon, that's impossible.  The world can't be flat.  Even the Greeks knew that."

            "But this is a different world," she reminded me.

            Count to ten before screaming…one, two, four, eight, nine—Something occurred to me and I looked at the girl hopefully.  "You can talk to God?"

            "Uh-huh."

            "And God is omniscient?"

            She looked confused for a second, but before I could explain her expression cleared and she nodded.

            "So, can you ask Him where Alice and Yuri are?"  Now Halley and Zhuzhen looked at me like I was crazy.  Keith seemed interested in her answer.  Hey, if it worked…

            "He says that He won't tell us."

            "What?  Why not?!"

            "Because we're not supposed to know."

            "I-I-not supposed to know?  Are you saying that we're not supposed to find them?"

            "He says we'll find them on our own."

            "We can't bribe Him with a few lambs or something?"

            Her eyes widened, and then they narrowed as her expression hardened.  "No, you can't.  We should go now."  She chose a direction—told by God, I supposed—and started walking.  Halley immediately followed her.

            "I think you made her mad," Zhuzhen noted.

            I shook my head.  "Does she really think she can talk to God?  That she's an angel?  For heaven's sake…"

            "We were just there," the Adept reminded me with a chuckle.  "I don't quite believe it myself, but you can't deny there's something interesting going on.  Let's wait and see what happens."  He began walking as well.

            "And what about you?" I asked Keith.

            He shrugged.  "I just wonder…if Sharon is telling the truth, those angels back there were of God too, weren't they?"

            "Yeah, if she is…"

            "So, why would God first help us and then not help us?"

            "That just shows someone's either delusional or a liar," I said, looking back in the direction of Eden.  "How they convinced Sharon is beyond me, but—" I shrugged.  She was just a child.  Children were the most easily fooled.

**

[Alice]

            "You idiot," Fox Face said emphatically.

            "He can't hear you," I reminded Fox Face.

            "So tell him he's an idiot."

            "No."

            "Damn censorship," Fox Face muttered.  "Tell him not to fuse anymore then.  We'll have enough trouble without everyone knowing we're a descendent of Hyuga."

            "Yeah, yeah, I know."  Yuri searched in the can again and got the last fruit.  "You want the syrup, or should I dump it out?"

            I was about to say 'throw it out' when I noticed Fox Face eyeing the can.  "Do you want it?"

            "Yes," he said eagerly.  I took the can and set it in front of the fox.  He shoved his snout in and I could hear the syrup sloshing around.

            Yuri shook his head.  "I didn't know dogs liked fruit."

            "You're lucky I'm an omnivore," Fox Face growled.  I wondered how long it would take for them to actually get along.

            "Hey, you done yet?" Yuri asked after a minute.

            "Almost…" I relayed his answer as Fox Face dove in for the last swallows.  Yuri stood up and stretched, apparently ready to start walking.  I stood too and brushed my skirt off.  We walked away from Tripura, following the afternoon sun.

            Soon though I was poked on the leg with cold metal.  I turned around and then bit my lip, trying to keep the smile from coming.  "Don't tell me…it's stuck?"

            Fox Face nodded, seeming very embarrassed.  The can was a snug muzzle on him and he couldn't even speak.  Once Yuri saw, he started laughing and I noticed Fox Face's tails drooping—until I stomped Yuri's foot to make him stop, at which point they began wagging again.

            To make one happy, you have to hurt the other—I don't think they're ever going to get along.

**

Author's Note:  This was actually supposed to be one huge long chapter, but then I realized that I was either: a) making you guys impatient waiting, or b) letting you forget the story existed.  So unlike what I've been doing recently with rotating POVs every chapter, next chapter will still be Alice and Margarete (although Hyuga and Persephone/Syth/Kain might also make it in there).  The next part will be taking place three days after this chapter.

            I'm very behind with stories.  Mostly this is because of school.  I have five courses that are either AP or Honors  ^^;;.  My older sister thinks I'm insane.  The other reason is because I have finally discovered the joy known as Koudelka.

            I'd been looking for Koudelka for a while now, and I finally found it this last weekend for ten bucks.  So of course, I've been playing it.  Which, um…delays the writing fanfics as well ^^;.  But I love Koudelka's attitude.  And I got my first glimpse of good ol' Bacon last night (but I had no clue what he was babbling about).  Will I see him again???

            So Beauty and the Beast and Faithless should be updated…any time I have enough time to.  However, Anne's story might not be updated for a long while.  The computer the next chapter is on is broken again (and I didn't make a backup again -.-).  Same problem as last time, so the chapter's probably perfectly fine and I don't feel like rewriting from scratch when there's already a (nearly finished) product.  So it will be updated…probably the day that computer is fixed.

**

Reviewers:

MikoNoNyte:  Actually, in the FF8 fanfic Irvine was planned to be an angel who got in trouble frequently for chasing after the female angels  ::snicker::.  Alice, well…geez, am I making her too forgiving?  All he got was three stomped feet.

Er…you hate Michaels?  My baby brother's named Michael…and so are two of my uncles.  ^^;  So I don't really consider Michael's bad, but it is the name of an archangel.

Syth and Kain will probably have another discussion next chapter.  It should explain more of what's going on with Pers.

Greyfriars:  I kind of like angels, but I have to agree with something my stepmom said about hell having the more interesting people.

Steel:  …I really made her too forgiving, didn't I?

Rinoa:  It's not like he'll end up with Regina.  (Has anyone seen a story where the hero and the villainess are in love without one of them dead by the end?)  Just you might not like that scene.

Nights Mistress:  You're catching on…

Ex-xox Plus Three:  Which Rex?