Author's note: MY LONGEST YET!!! YAY, LETS HAVE A PARTY!! Part one is coming to a close, I hope to end it at chapter ten, than take some time off to rework and reword some of the rest I haven't been able to. I have received numerous E-Mails, PLEASE JUST REVIEW THEM HERE, I DO HAVE THE ANNONYMOUS REVIEWS OPEN. AfanofU: Jessie doesn't use dragoon magic because she is still a beginner fighter, not nearly as skilled as her aunt, or cousin. Eruista: That's what I'm going to do after part one. Rusty:Viko4ever: Don't worry, we will get into Matt's past and whatnot in part two. Oh, and The Art of the Spear, won't be back from the depths of my mind for a little while, it had many problems, as I wrote it when I was 13, and I'm 15 now, there are a lot of problems with it that I didn't realize back then. Don't hold your breath though, you'll suffocate.

Chapter 8: The Unraveling of the Past

Mat felt the soil beneath his fingertips, it was wet, so was he, and it was freezing. He could smell smoke, and saw on the other side of the lake, the burning hulk of the ship. Suddenly, an explosion tore through the remains of the ship, and intensified the fire. The smoke drifted from the tall black trees.

'Where am I' he thought, he was feeling an odd detachment from the rest of the world. Pictures began to form in the back of his mind. A black Dragon, smiling down on him with great white fangs, a rainy city, tanks rolling across an open field, a blinding white light, then blackness.

You have glimpsed what can happen, what will happen, and what you will prevent; use it to your advantage. Seek the black dragon, not all good is clothed in light. Place trust in your bonds of friendship.

Then another voice broke in.

"Matt? Are you alright?"

There was a fire lit, its heat and light were a comfort in the darkness and silence. He looked up, expecting to see the stars, but all he saw was black, until he realized that he was under a tent, no, a cloak or coat. He looked over to see Jessie sleeping soundly under a tree nearby. He took her coat off of the sticks she had propped it up on, and placed it on her. The moon was out in full, its reflection shown off the surface of the lake. The fires of the airship had died down now. He fell asleep to the sounds of the night.

The sun rose, its merry light brightened the mood of Jessie as she woke up. Not only did it look good, but it also gave her a direction to go. Rising, she felt her coat fall off of her, and realized that Matt must have woken up during the night. She looked over to see him asleep by the fire, which was now no more than embers.

'I'll let him sleep a little longer' she thought, 'At least until the sun rises a little more.' She thought of him, whenever she asked where he had come from he became quiet or answered 'far away', but his silence made her even more determined to find out. She sat thinking more about where he might have come from, 'Esto Gaza? No, I doubt it, they pray every day.' 'Madain Sari? No, I don't think he can summon, and he's not a moogle.' 'Maybe the lost continent or some last survivor of Terra?' 'No, not Terra, he doesn't have enough fighting experience to fill a thimble.'

"Thinking about something?" she heard Matt ask behind her.

"Yes."

"What?"

"It happens to be none of your business."

"You're in a bad mood."

"I wonder why, did you why no animals attacked us in our sleep?"

"No?"

"Because they were busy feasting on the flesh of the dead corpses."

"That's not the only reason why."

"No its not, but like I said, it's none of your business."

The trip out of the forest was quiet and uneventful. They fought a couple lesser monsters, a few Goblins, and the occasional Ant Beast. The light at the edge of the woods was almost blinding, and off in the distance, they saw a swampy area.

"It's a marsh!" She shouted,

"So?"

"It's a Qu marsh! We don't have to worry about anything; we'll be safe there for a night."

"And a Qu is... what?"

She stared at him in amazement. And her frustration grew until it reached a critical.

"You... don't.... know what a Qu is? Wherever you're from, it's definitely not around here. I am supposed to trust you, and yet you don't trust me? You don't know anything, you can't fight, you can't do anything of use that I have seen, if you would just tell me where you're from, I would understand."

Matt was shocked at her reaction, and this revelation, she had seemed to accept the fact that he didn't want to divulge the information, imagine her reaction if he told her that she, and her world was not real. But right now he feared she would leave him behind if he did not tell her.

"I come from a city called Miami, in a country called America, on a planet called Earth. On which there are no Monsters, no Qu, no magic, no Burmecians." He expected her to call him a liar, but she merely responded with a simple question.

"Earth, as in the legend?"

"Legend?"

"The legend goes; A very long time ago, there were four major powers on Gaia, Alexandria, The Alexandrian Colonies, which is now Lindblum, the Burmecian territories, and the unified tribes of the lost continent. It was a time of great turmoil, Alexandrians had just met Burmecians for the first time, and war had broken out, as Alexandria tried to claim the entire Continent. Each country had their own magic. The Tribes however, held no magic, they feared, and hated it, because they could not understand it, so they captured the four greatest magicians of the age and called forth a portal that allowed them to leave the world, unfortunately, the world they entered into, had no Mana, none whatsoever, the tribes were satisfied with this, and joined with the local population. Nothing else is known, except that 15 years ago, a group who became known as the knights of the Square, claimed to be from earth, and wrote down the entire mist war as it progressed. There were ten, four got killed, one stayed, the other five left for their world."

"So the portal could still be open?"

"No, it was closed after they left, sealed with a spell one of the square knights found in Daguerro. They brought the incantation with them when they left."

"You know a lot of history."

"One of my aunt's passions were looking up long lost legends, she would read them to me and Frederick when we were young."

They walked on, and chatted on about Gaia, Matt learned a lot from Jessie, and she learned a lot about Earth from her. It was near dusk when they reached a lone hut in the middle of the swamp. They were greeted by a pale fleshy being which so resembled a bloated corpse.

"I Quase!" It greeted them, its long tongue hung limply out of its mouth. "You from airship?" it inquired.

"Yes, we are, I am Jessie Crescent, and this is Matt Levine."

"Come in, you in time for dinner." It said happily.

"Cheery." Matt whispered to her

"Don't eat anything it offers you; just say that we already ate."

"Why?"

"Trust me on this." She said

"You want food?"

"No, we already ate." Jessie said politely.

"You don't want froggie soup?"

"No." they said in unison."

The hut was surprisingly big, however primitive. It held many rooms, and the Qu seemed to be fond of guests. However, they stayed to the dried fruits Jessie had packed, and any fish they caught. Matt couldn't help but wonder if he would ever get home.

I have to end it there. Wow, my longest yet, Review please.