Disclamer: See part four.

The Shifters, Part 5, The Set Up

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The entire team glared at Marle-Shifter when they found her in the Soldiers Quarters'.

Lucca was the first to speak, "Thank you, Marle. Now thanks to you. We lost!"

"I'm not the only one with healing powers."

"No, it's just you job."

"We cannot fully blame her for the lost," Glenn started looking to everyone, "I do not believe any of us put in our full effort. However..." he turned to Marle-Shifter, "Thou clearly put thyself first, and left us mid-battle...or rather, mid-defeat."

"I did my best. They kept attacking me."

"Thou could have trusted us to do some healing. We could have performed Double Cure together, but you refused to workest with me." Glenn shook his head lightly, and left.

Lucca was the first to follow, and soon everyone but Marle-Shifter and Ayla was gone.

"Ayla?"

No answer.

"Ayla talk to me."

Ayla looked up. "Why Marle not act like Marle?"

"I'm just mad, and being yelled at or ignored by my friends doesn't help."

"Ayla see sad Marle, Ayla see angry Marle. But Ayla not see Marle act this." Ayla left.

Marle-Shifter shook her head with anger. They're all stupid, she thought. What do I care if they are mad at me? They're only humans. Then she saw a note on the table. The outside read "Viaat". She picked up the note and read it. In her language, it read:

Dear Viaat
It is me, Swau. I want to talk to you. Meet me the Cursed Woods tonight. I need to tell you same things. It is important. You must be there!

Marle-Shifter smiled. It was nice to hear from Shifters again. It was also nice to see her name. She nodded her head. She would defiantly be there. She had to find out which Glenn he was.

That night Marle-Shifter snuck out of the castle, and walked a while. When she was sure no one from the castle could see her, she turned into a raven and flew to Cursed Woods. When she got there she landed and returned to Marle's form. She looked around, "Swau?"

"Here." Swau came out of the trees still having his Glenn look, "What took you so long?"

"What's so important?"

"Business first. You were always like that. This is about me telling you which Glenn I am. You obviously don't know."

"Which Glenn are you?"

"Castle Glenn. I thought it was really funny when I realized you thought I was the real Glenn," he said laughing.

"Then why did you lecture at me?"

"I had to look mad. Why aren't you acting like Marle? I think the whole castle suspects you now."

"They do not! What else is important?"

"We need to get one of them alone with us. Another Shifter, Dsjw, is ready to switch with that person."

"Who will we switch?"

"Let's talk tomorrow, at the castle. If we meet every night, I think they'll notice."

"Alright, let's go back to the castle."

Marle-Shifter turned back into a raven, and Glenn-Shifter turned into a bat. They both flew back to the castle.

"Tomorrow we'll talk?" Glenn-Shifter asked.

"Yes, good night

"Good night"

Lucca was eating Refreshed Salad for breakfast.

"Why that breakfast?" Ayla asked. "Not breakfasty."

"And soup is?"

"Ayla's people always eat soup for breakfast."

Marle-Shifter shook her head, "Why are you two arguing about breakfast."

"Like you should complain about anything," Lucca said.

"That's not nice, Lucca." Robo said.

"I said sorry," Marle-Shifter said, "What do you want me to do, Lucca?"

"I for one," said Glenn, "Am tired of the arguments and complaining."

Crono nodded with agreement.

Lucca spoke, "In other words, Marle, shut up."

"Actually," Glenn said, "I was referring to the person who just had two arguments."

Lucca looked at him with anger. "Me?"

"Starting another?"

Robo decided to say something before this got out hand. "Look, everyone is angry about the recent events. Why don't we all just relax, and then we'll figure out what we are doing next."

Everyone seemed to agree with that.

Marle got up late that day, and she went out to look for Glenn, and cooking. She looked at it with curiosity, "What's that?"

"Food."

"Ew, I think I'll eat what's in my bag."

"You have been eating out of that since we got here. 'Tis not verily healthy."

"It's heathy," she dug out dried vegetables, and offered some to him, "Tomato?"

"No thanks."

"You're missing out."

Marle-Shifter was looking for Glenn. Not able to find him, she decided to ask Queen Leene, who was in her room.

"Excuse me, are you busy?"

Queen Leene was knitting. Because she was just starting it, Marle-Shifter couldn't tell what it was going to be. Queen Leene didn't look up, "No."

"Don't you have people to do that for you?"

Queen Leene glanced up, smiled and continued to knit, "Yes, but I like to knit. It's very relaxing. Do you know how to knit? I can teach you."

"No and no thank you. Actually, I was wondering if you knew where Glenn is."

"Yes, but he wanted to be alone."

"Oh, ok. Thank you, anyway. Goodbye." Marle left quickly. She would just have to ask someone else. She knew Queen Leene was too polite to tell her.

She found a soldier in the hall that lead to the Soldiers' Quarters. She asked him, "Have you seen Glenn lately?"

"I saw him walking around in the jail."

"Why?"

"How am I supposed to know? I can never figure out the guy. He leaves for ten years, and then comes back like nothing. This guy is too confusing!" He shook his head as he passed her.

Marle-Shifter smiled. She liked it when humans got angry over nothing. She went to the jail and walked up and down each floor until she found him on the top floor in an open cell. He seemed to be deep in thought. She smiled as she looked in, "So what did you do?"

Glenn looked up quickly at her voice. "I find this place to be relaxing."

"You know I could close this and lock you in." Marle-Shifter said jokingly.

"That would be rude, my lady."

Marle-Shifter looked to see if any guards were near, "It was a joke," she paused, and then quietly added, "Swau."

"What?"

Marle-Shifter wasn't sure which what he was asking. Was it 'What's Swau mean?' or was it 'What did you say?' or simply responding to his name. She decided to ask, "What what?"

"What is a Swau?"

Marle-Shifter couldn't believe it. She had tried to deny it, but it was true. This was the real Glenn, and Swau hadn't just lied to her, he set her up. Now I have to make up what Swau is. "It's a food. I've been craving it. Do you think the chef knows how to make it?"

"I don't know. He makes something called Sawl, maybe that's it," he got up, "I am tired of sitting here. The kitchen is near, I could ask him for you."

"Thanks, that would be nice." She said as she thought, he bought it, yes!

Glenn nodded and passed her, "You should try thinking here too. If you can ignore the fact that it's a cell, the quietness is calm and peaceful."

Marle-Shifter nodded and slowly walked in. She sat on the bed to think. What to think about, how Swau betrayed her, how humans are fools, or what Sawl tasted like. She never heard of Sawl and wondered if it was good. I have to find Swau, and asked why he did that.

Marle-Shifter smiled to herself and thought some more. She imagined Glenn going to the kitchen to ask the chef if Swau is Sawl. Wait a minute, how would the chef know if something from his future is the same as something he made now?

Marle stood up, trying to figure this out. And the kitchen isn't close, it all the way on the other side of the castle. The thing that is close is... She finished her thought off in words, "... the Soldiers Quarters'"

Glenn walked quickly into the Soldiers' Quarters to hear more arguing. But it was about Marle (or should he think Marle-Shifter), which was good. The other good thing was that they were all there.

"No, no," Lucca was saying, "Marle has no excuse for the way she has been acting."

Ayla frowned, "Marle say Marle angry and sorry."

"It's not just the fight we had, but she hasn't been herself lately. Who disagrees?"

No one did.

Glenn decided to let Lucca finish.

Lucca continued, "She has been rude, selfish, and gets angry whenever anything we say something about the Shifters that she disagrees with, and-"

"Lucca." Glenn interrupted, how much did she plan on saying?

"I was talking."

"I am sorry, but I must interrupt. What's Swau?"

Ayla answered, "Swau Shifter. Why?"

"That's what I thought." Glenn turned to frowning Lucca, "She called me that."

Lucca's frown disappeared, "She called you Swau." She turned to the others, "Evidence!" She turned back to Glenn, "She must have thought you were a fake."

"I believed you," Robo said, "You just didn't give me a chance to say it."

Suddenly Marle-Shifter ran in.

Glenn moved closer to her, noticing she seemed to be tired. "Did you run the whole way?"

She looked at him. "What?"

Lucca jump towards her, "We know who you are."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said innocently.

"You're a Shifter. Glenn explained everything." Lucca said.

"I don't understand. Glenn and I just talked. Then he ran off. I followed to see why he ran."

"You called him, Swau."

"What's a Swau? Why would I call him it."

"You called him a Swau." Lucca was starting to get angry, "And now you're lying about it! You-"

"Lucca." Glenn said.

"Why do you keep interrupting me?"

"Lucca, there's no real evidence who's telling the truth. Before you keep yelling at her you have to find evidence to support what you say."

"You're a witness."

"Nay! Last time I was a witness I put the real Marle in jail." He closed his eyes briefly.

"It won't be just that it'll be-" Lucca stopped. Glenn was right and she shouldn't be arguing with him, "You're right. We'll find evidence."

Marle-Shifter smiled, they would never find any evidence.

"We could-" Lucca continued, "try and find the other Marle and Glenn."

Marle-Shifter's smile disappeared. Why did she have to remember them?

Marle was drinking water from the water by the waterfall.

"The waterfall is so pretty isn't it?"

Glenn-Shifter looked at it, it was hard to be impressed by something you can become, but since he was supposed to be a human, "Yes, very lovely."

Glenn-Shifter wished he could just melt into a pool of water right now. He laughed and wondered how Marle would react to that.

"What are you laughing at?"

Glenn-Shifter turned to the princess, "It's not very funny, silly really."

Marle looked surprise, "You? Amused by silly, little things? I can't picture that."

"You learn a lot about a person when you're hiding on mountains with them." Guilt spread through him. He didn't know how much he could take lying to her.

Marle sat down across from her, "What should we do about the Shifters who are replacing us? I'm sorry that me being replaced helped you get replaced."

Glenn-Shifter organized his things, another wave of guilt washed over him. Don't feel bad, he told himself, you are doing this to be good, and you plan on telling her eventually. He shook his head, "Marle we need to talk."

"What's that?" She asked looking to her right.

"We need-"

She put her hand out.

to be continued...