Disclaimer: I think you know that I own nothing by now, dood.

"Genis! Come back here!"
"Make me!"
Colette sighed as she watched Lloyd chase Genis. How she wished to run with them.
But the Chosen couldn't do that. The Chosen had to be that person you could all rely on, and if she did something wrong, then that would be terrible...imagine! The Chosen, failing a test? If she can't do it, no one can! And if she doesn't do it, she's a selfish brat!
It was because of this that no one wanted to be her friend in Iselia but Lloyd and Genis, because they realized that sure, she might be the Chosen and all that jazz, but she was still a person.
"Hey! What are you two doing?" Zelos asked Lloyd while eating his breakfast.
"I'm...trying...to catch Genis...so I can kill him!"
"Sounds like fun. I'll help you!" Zelos said cheerfully, tossing away his meal and running alongside Lloyd while Genis panted, "No fair!"
Well...if that idiot Chosen can do it, why can't I? Colette thought as she joined Lloyd. I can act un-Chosenly once in a while.
"Double no fair!" Genis cried, running up a tree out of desperation. He lay there, out of breath, while the others took a break, resting against the tree trunk.
"This forest is nice and peaceful," Colette sighed.
"Hey, is it just me, or do you hear a 'thuk thuk' sound?" Zelos remarked off-handedly.
The tree visibly sagged. Thuk. Thuk.
"Scatter!" Lloyd yelled as everyone ran away.
"Lloyd?" Genis called. "what's up? Have you changed your mind about killing me?"
Thuk. Thuk. Thukcrack. Thuksnap. Thuk.
Genis wondered why the ground looked closer that before.
"Wait a second..."
Thukcracklecracklesnap
Oh. Dear. This will hurt a bit. I wonder if I can jump...no, I'm too high up, it'll hurt.
Cracklesnapsnap
Pick! Be flattened by a tree, or jump!
Genis leaped and fell flat on the ground. He saw stars.
And he saw the tree fall on him.
Oh, woe...

"Where's Genis?" Colette panted.
"Still in the...tree...oh no," Lloyd gasped.
"What tree?" Raine demanded.
"Over there..." Lloyd whimpered, pointing.
"Funny, that's where Presea went to go chop wood," Sheena remarked.

Genis lay dazed. He saw things in shades of red. Branches were poking him in uncomfortable spots. He tried to move, but it brought new pain and more branches poking him.
Am I supposed to be freaking out, or am I supposed to be calm? Because I'm sorta calm now, and sorta not...dangit, I think I have some branches in my brain or something.
Faintly, he could hear Raine calling for him.
"Genis? Genis! Answer me, are you in there?"
Genis tried to call back, but nothing came out. He sighed and tried to shift into a more comfortable position.
"We'll get you out, Genis!" another voice...he couldn't tell who.
Thuk. Thuk.
Now, if anyone has been flattened by a tree after hearing 'thuk thuk', chances are you'll be afraid of what it will do to you next. Freaking, Genis scrambled away from the sound.
Must run...ouchies...maybe I should just let it get to me.
A squirrel, thinking his fingers to be a tasty treat, bit his thumb.
Ayeee, the monster's gotten me! I'm doomed! Genis squawked aloud. (Yes, he sounded like a bird.) The poor squirrel dashed away. Genis, getting an idea, followed the squirrel.
The squirrel must be scared by the monster too. I think I'll follow it for a while.
Thuk. Thuk.
It's going away from me. Score!
After what seemed to be an eternity, he saw sunlight. Crawling a bit more, he poked his head out of the branches. Genis sighed with relief.
Cracklecracklesnap
Down went the boy and the branch he was sitting on. The ground never looked so inviting.
Or so hard.
Oh, woe times two...

Presea returned to camp, sullen. It was her fault, and she couldn't even find him...why did she go chop wood if she knew they'd leave that morning? Habit, perhaps?
"Presea?" Colette asked. "are you alright?"
Presea sighed, leaning on her ax. "I'm alright. Thank you for asking."
Colette didn't look convinced, but she smiled and said, "If you're hungry, don't hesitate to ask."
Presea nodded and looked into the fire. Please, come back safely, Genis...

Genis woke. The stars were out and he was still where he had fallen. He got up slowly, trying not to hurt himself too much. He took a stick, concentrated briefly, and it was lit.
Where is everybody? It's really late...Is camp that way? Or this way? Dangit...I'm lost, hungry, and hurt, and it's all my fault. If I had just shut my mouth, Lloyd wouldn't have been mad at me, I wouldn't have been up the tree, and...ah, hell, it already happened. Can't be helped.
Behind him, he heard a growl.
Oh, woe times three.
(Whine?)
"Noishe?" Genis croaked.
(Bark bark!)
"Noishe!" Genis game it a hug. "Where's everyone?"
(Whine.) Noishe chewed on Genis's shirt and lay down. Genis climbed on.
"Where are we going, Noishe?"
(Shhh!) It was a snort, but Genis thought it sounded uncannily like a human "Shhh" for quiet.
Noishe walked through the forest, taking great pains to be silent. Genis wondered why Noishe was being so careful.
What's that...it looks...like Colette?
She looked a bit like a ghost, walking aimlessly in a white nightgown. She wasn't tripping or anything, but something didn't seem right.
"She's...sleepwalking..." Genis remarked.
(Huff huff.)
"Let's follow her, Noishe."
(Whine.)
They trailed her for a few minutes, but then they lost her.
"Where did she go?" Genis asked to no one.
(Woof woof.)
"Can you find her scent or something?"
(Sniff sniff...)
Noishe sniffed around for a few minutes, following false trails and getting discouraged.
(Sniff...sniff! Sniff, sniff? Bark bark)
Noishe plodded in a random direction.
There's blood...on the trees.
(Whine!)
"Colette!"
She lay on the ground, chakrams in hand. Her nightgown was torn, and all around, there was the color of crimson...
"Ge...nis..." she managed. "Get...away...from...m..."
Noishe nudged her gently. (Whine?)
"She's unconscious," Genis whispered. "Noishe, do you think you can carry her?"
(Bark.)
Genis dismounted and plopped Colette on Noishe's back.
(Whine?)
"I'll be okay, Noishe. Just lead us back to camp."

"Lloyd."
...
"Lloyd!"
Maybe if I just sit here, she'll think I'm asleep and leave me alone...
"Pass me that bucket, Zelos..."
Wha...?
"Wake up!!!"
"Waiii! It's cold!"
Lloyd opened his eyes reluctantly to see Sheena holding a bucket over his head.
"About time!" she growled.
"Why do I have to wake up so early, anyway?" Lloyd whimpered, shivering.
"Early? It's nearly noon!"
"Exactly!"
(Bark bark!)
"Noishe!" Presea called.
"Genis!" Raine shouted.
"Colette?" Lloyd wondered.
"What happened?" Raine demanded, shaking her brother.
"Give me food and I'll tell you everything," he sighed.

"Colette was attacked again?" Lloyd asked.
"I guess so. She was trying to tell me something, but I can't remember what." Genis replied.
(Whine...)
"That's strange. Why would a monster attack Colette, of all people?" Lloyd fumed.
"I don't know..." Genis sighed, looking at her. She had been healed and cared for, and now was lying on a simple mattress. She twitched and coughed every once in a while.
"Well, if it is a monster, it certainly is a very strange one," Raine grumbled, looking through the Monster Book. "you see, monsters usually go for the neck, but she has no wounds there. Rather, she had one on the palm of her hand, another on her arm, and one near her forehead. Also, there's only one mark on each spot...as if the monster only had one claw."
"On the palm of her hand?" Genis asked. "she was holding her chakrams. Unless she dropped them or something, there's no way a monster or anything could have gotten her there!"
(Huff huff)
Colette shivered and wheezed.
"Will she be okay?" Lloyd wondered.
"She just needs some time. She'll be fine."
Genis, bored, went to go find a stick to burn or something. Talking about monsters and stuff wasn't really his thing. Leave that to Raine or whatnot.
"Genis...?" Presea said hesitantly.
"Pre...Presea!" Genis stammered.
"I'm sorry..."
"About what?"
"The tree..."
"Tree? Oh, yeah, the tree...wasn't that big a deal."
"Really?"
"I'm okay now. Don't worry about it."