There's a bit of some swearing. But, we all love to swear, curse, cuss, etc; so who cares!!? Oh... I forgot, I got a new servant from the 7th Precinct of Hell! He's a rare breed of Carnivorous Pink Bunny!His name is...(snort) His na...BWAHA! Okay here he is:

Pickles: My name...just had to be...Pickles....

Me: SAY MY DISCLAIMER!!!!

Pickles: Ugh... Stupid author... She does not own LOD, only her own characters...which, I'm sad to say, include me.

Ch. 03: An Old Friend

Reaching Indel's Castle, Lavitz led us upstairs to the throne room, where a green-robed man sat on a throne. Everyone bowed low, and then Lavitz said with respect, "Your Majesty, I have returned." King Albert seemed to burst with joy, "Lavitz, you're back!" At this, Lavitz looked sorrowful, "However, the 1st Knighthood is defeated... I am the only one left." Albert mirrored Lavitz, and murmured, "Such a heavy loss..."

Continuing his story, "I got captured and placed in Hellena..." The manly king gasped, "Hellena!?"

"Yes. But these three warriors helped me break out." Then he pointed to us as he said our names. "The man in red armor is Dart, the one next to him is Shana, and the girl beside me is Anna."

Announcing my name made me wake up from my reverie, 'This is so boring...' And I glanced up to see his majesty looking at my clothes in interest as I turned red. 'Pervert!!' Then he looked at Dart and Shana. 'Guess not.' Finishing the examinations, he exclaimed, "Thank you all for rescuing my good friend and mentor in the fighting arts."

Ignoring that statement, I curiously looked at the scholar beside him, and with more interest, at the man in a hooded black robe standing in the corner. I perceived a muffled cold, dark aura from this man, whom the king introduced as his tactician. Proceeding my own examinations, I felt blood and a sense of hiding... And it was similar to the aura I felt at Hellena... Then I popped back to the conversation as Lavitz finished saying, "...and Anna here has a question for you, Minister Noish."

The scholar looked at me, and said kindly, "What may I aid you with, Ms. Anna?" I blinked, and my brain popped back so I spoke up, "Uh... Minister Noish? Have you ever heard of...traveling between worlds?" A silence answered my words as Albert and Noish stared at me like I suddenly grew a third arm. Then the speechless minister shook his head, "I'm afraid not. May I ask you of the matter of your question?" Sighing, I said, "It's nothing you can help me with then...so why bother?"

Now a strained silence answered me before Shana spoke up, "He just wants to know why, Anna..." About to retort, I caught the looks from both Dart and Lavitz, and growled, "Fine..." Then I gaily smiled, "I'm from another world. I got to this one, now I'm lost, and I can't go back...yet. I lost my friends, and now I'm here before you. Blah blah blah...etc." Everyone seemed satisfied with this answer, but the tactician, who shifted his feet, "How do we know you're not from Sandora?" Then Minister Noish nodded, "Yes. How do we know you're not a spy from the enemy?" Everyone gazed at me with suspicion as I made several noises in indignation, gaining my normal manner, I exploded. "WHAT!? Why the HELL would I be on the ENEMY'S side, if I don't even KNOW where I AM!!!!!?"

The tactician continued rather calmly, "How do we know you're not lying?" This question really irritated me. "What kind...of bullshit are you asking? Do you HONESTLY think I have the capacity to make all this stuff up!?"

"Who knows? Sandora might have trained you well."

Now I was ready to run up there and slap him. "...okay dumb ass. You're seriously pissing me off. You want proof, Hooded Man Asking Bullshit? Well here it is." Pulling off my backpack, I reached in, felt around, and pulled out...a flashlight. Dart knocked it out of my hands, and yelled, "So you are from Sandora!" Shana looked sad, "And we trusted you..." Okay, all my patience was officially...gone. "ARGHHHH!!!! You RETARDS!! THAT'S JUST A BLOODY FLASHLIGHT!" Running over to the poor flashlight, I tossed it up to Albert, and he caught it. The minister started, "Be careful, my liege, that–" Now the tactician spoke, "–might explode."

Then Albert spoke with cold authority, "Tactician, Minister Noish, that's enough. Do you think Sandora would hire a young lady to do their dirty work?" The two went silent. Looking at me, he asked, "Miss Anna, how does this work?" Damn, I like this guy! Smiling, I told him to flick the switch up. He did so, and a beam of light shone upon his face. The gathered gazed at the flashlight in awe, even as King Albert exclaimed, "Why...this is magnificent! Is this magic?" I shook my head, "Nope. It's...electronics. It runs by battery."

"Amazing...how did you build this?"

I was muttering about people worshiping a flashlight, and broke off to reply, "Um... I bought that, actually. I have no idea how to build one, Rain might–" Breaking off once more, I struggled to hold back tears, where were they...? Albert glanced at me curiously, and nodded, "Okay. I believe you now." Everyone else seemed to agree, although the tactician just remained silent...which was a plus. The royal tossed the flashlight into my waiting hands, and I shoved it into my backpack, which was hung behind my back once more.

Then we heard a loud voice laugh from the bottom of the stairs, "You miscreant! Go slower so I may catch up!" Lavitz started, "Mother...?" The next voice made my heart jump, it was familiar... A boy's voice... Could it be...? "Come on, Madam Slambert! Try and catch me!" The other voice laughed and bellowed, "I have half a mind to skin your hide!"

A familiar white spiky haired boy, reached the top of the stairs running with a grin. Not seeing us, he glanced at the bottom of the stairs where an elderly lady slowly walked up.

Lavitz's POV

Beside me, Anna suddenly jerked when a boy's voice sounded from downstairs. The boy that ran up surprised me, he was about Anna's age, only he had white hair! What happened next surprised me even more, Anna shouted "Shane!" with tears in her eyes. The boy, Shane, quickly turned around in shock, "Anna!?" She ran forward, threw herself at him, and hugged him tightly, "It is you!" He hugged her back, "Yup."

"I thought...I was all alone and then..."

"I know. I know. But I'm here now, so don't cry okay?"

She stepped back happily, and nodded, wiping her tears away. Then it seemed that they noticed where they were, and jumped even further from each other. For Shane that was a bad choice, because he promptly fell down the stairs. Mother came up breathing heavily, and then noticed Shane at the bottom of the stairs. She called down to him, "Looks like I beat you upstairs, Shane dear!"

Everyone, including me, was gaping. The stolid, depressed, and bossy girl they all knew, had cried. Then the boy came upstairs unhurt, and was scratching his head in embarrassment. Mother came towards me, and squished me in her arms, "Lavitz! You're okay! I knew that you'd return!" Then she turned to Shana, and then back to me outraged, "You got yourself a bride without telling me!?" Like magic, her face was suddenly plastered with saintly joy, "My dear boy's all grown up now!" Blushing, I hurried to tell her that Shana was Dart's girlfriend. That made both Shana and Dart's laughing faces turn red as well. Both hurried to prove me wrong, and from the corner of my eyes, I noticed Anna and Shane walking off to a nearby balcony.

"...so. You haven't seen our Guardians?"

Shane shook his head, "No. When I woke up, I was outside Madam Slambert's house. I've been staying there until today. I even used my tracker to try to find them, but it's like they're gone, or hiding..." Leaning more heavily on the banister, I continued the conversation, "I did too, to no avail. So I guess...we'll have to stay in this world and find them, or until they find us." He nodded, watching the view, "Good thing we brought our weapons..."

"Your daggers and my crossbow."

"Yup, and who was that group you were with?"

Anna sniffed in disdain, "Oh...them? Dart the fearless, vengeful idiot, Shana the wuss in love, and Lavitz, the honorable knight."

"Ha, you like the knight?"

"He's not an idiot. Dart is, because he lives for vengeance. Shana is, because...um... because she's Shana."

"Really? I never w–oh. Here comes your party."

Shana, Dart, and Lavitz came out, talking with each other, when they suddenly noticed us. Dart's girlfriend was the first to talk, "Oh. Hi guys!" Shane nodded in acknowledgment. Whilst I just continued my silence. Silence passed between us, before Dart said, "We might even see Seles from here." Shana contradicted him, "No... It lies over the mountain, I wonder if anyone is still alive?"

"They are."

Every eye turned towards Anna, and she just leapt lightly onto the banister. Closing her eyes, and turning towards Seles, she murmured, "The wind brings news..." Almost everybody raised an eyebrow, except for Shane. "...of life in your village." At that moment I could just tell that the party was thinking, 'Queers...' Then Shana chirped, "That makes me glad!" She added, with a curious look at Shane, "Anna, who is this anyway? A friend?"

Shane replied for me, "Close friends, more like brothers and sisters actually... I'm Shane." He held out a hand, and she just stared at it, puzzled. Then Dart edged in between her, and shook his hand. "I'm Dart, and this is Shana. We're like brother and sister too!" "Cool." Lavitz shook his hand as well, "And I'm Lavitz, it's good to meet you."

"Back to ya."

Anna, still standing on the banister, leapt down in front of Lavitz. Looking into his startled eyes, she smiled and announced, "Lavitz has something to say!" The chatter quieted as he nodded. "I do. Albert wants me to head to Hoax, and do whatever I can to help. That town is one of the last defenses against Sandora."

Dart took this moment to make a dramatic show. He separated from the pack with his head down. "I have been selfish... I have lived only for revenge, for myself..." A whispered, "No...really?" escaped my lips, and Shane shushed me. Dart went silent, weighing decisions. Then he brightened, decision made. Turning to Lavitz, he exclaimed, "Lavitz, I'm going with you! Stopping the war between Basil and Sandora is more important than revenge!"

Now Shana added to the inspirational conversation, "I'm going too! I want to help!" Shane and I spoke up at the same time, "We're going too!" They gazed at us, with questions written on their faces. Solemnly staring back at them, I stated my reasons. "We can't go back home anytime soon, and staying here in Bale is useless." Shane added, "Besides, we want to help." I nodded in agreement.

Lavitz seemed to fill with jollity, "Then what are we waiting for!? Let's go!"

"We're not goin' anywhere." Everybody stared at me, and I just pointed to the setting sun. "It's almost night, probably pass my bedtime, and no one wants me to be grouchy in the morning. Right?" White-Hair paled at that, and blandly said, "We better stay here tonight. She tends to throw...things." Lavitz quickly scanned both of us, and broke into a grin. "Good! We can go meet my mother!"

Madam Slambert welcomed us like a mother hen. Her house was gigantic and lived in, but it strangely seemed like something was missing... Noticing my look, she questioned me, "You feel the emptiness too?" I nodded, surprised that someone so normal could feel what I felt. She then explained, "It's because my husband Servi has passed on." That cleared things up for me, and also explained why she felt that. True marital bonds last forever.

Soon she enlisted the help of Shana to make dinner, while I politely, but firmly refused. Dinner tended to burn whenever I try. Dart and Lavitz went off into town to get supplies. Left alone, fortunately, Shane and I went upstairs to talk. We found a ladder leading up to the roof from a window, and climbed up.

Shane stood, looking up into the night sky, while I sat on the windowsill doing the same. 'A sky just like Earth's... The same stars... The same...or almost the same moon...'

"So Anna, what do you remember happening before we were suddenly transported here?"

"Huh? Oh... Well I remember that demon, and Rain yelling, 'Ekaj.' Then I remember you saving me..." She smiled faintly at the thought. "...afterwards, there was a golden light, and then we were here. It's funny though, I don't even remember why I left home..."

His shoulders drooped as he went to lean on the wall beside her. "Damn!" Flinching, I stared at him in wonder. He punched the wall hard enough to make it bleed. "I wish someone would tell me something! The Guardians won't tell us why they teach us those lessons... We don't know why we have magic... We don't know why demons and various assassins are after us... To top it off, we're stuck in a different world!"

Anna grasped his bleeding hand, and he hissed softly. "I know...I know, Shane. We don't know anything right now, but we will someday." Still holding his hand, she waved her free one over it, and murmured, "Elari." A soft blue light surrounded his wounds, and the blood faded away, as did the wounds. Not pulling out of her clutch, Shane bent down next to her with a smile illuminating his face, but it was marred with a tinge of regret. "Thanks Anna... You always seem to cheer me up. And...I'm sorry I yelled, it was really childish."

"Sorry for what? People need to unleash their anger sometimes. And besides...even with all of this happening, I'm glad of one thing."

"And what's that?"

"I'm glad th–"

"–Anna! Shane! Dinner's ready!" Shana's cheerful voice called from downstairs. Slightly blushing, Anna ran into the house, while Shane followed in a more mannered gait.

After dinner, when everyone was asleep in bed, Shane found himself staring at the ceiling. 'Damn... I wish I knew what all this was about, so that Anna and I won't be in danger anymore...' He blinked and then closed his eyes knowingly, reprimanding himself. 'Idiot. You know you just want to find out so you can protect Anna. You want to protect her because you l...' Veering from that path, he continued his thoughts. 'I want to protect her because she's been with me ever since I was little. We're like siblings, that's all. But still...'

"Shane?"

He jerked. Then relaxed when he recognized Anna's voice. "Yeah?"

"What I tried to say before, was: 'I'm glad that...you're here with me.'"

"...me too."

Okay, that part was a bit cheesy, I admit...but I love it, so there!! Oh yeah... And I know Thanksgiving's over...at least for me it is... But remember this statement ofmy fake religion of Bobism: 'Thou shall not say, "Gobble," for if thou sayeth "Gobble," thou shall be shot, and cooked with good seasoning.' (Yes, I am crazy.) R & R!