Disclaimer's the same as always, in case anybody needs an update. You don't? Didn't think so. If you want to sue anyway, contact my lawyers at the firm of Sage, Irving, & Wilder....wait a minute! Genis, Lloyd, Zelos, you guys aren't lawyers! I guess you can't sue me after all.

The scene at the beginning of this chapter was inspired by something that happened the night before I began typing. I found a cockroach in the bathtub, then in an odd coincidence this morning, something nearly identical to the planned scene happened, except at school instead of a hotel. My teacher "bravely fought" the cockroach that was terrorizing several students. Sheesh, I say step on the stupid things and don't make a big deal of it.

It was becoming something of a strange morning ritual. For the third morning in a row, the day began with someone screaming. This time, though, it wasn't Genis.

"AAAAAH! COCKROACH!" Colette shrieked and ran out of the bathroom.

"Huh?" Regal asked, rubbing his eyes. Everyone was awake now but Lloyd, who could sleep through anything, it seemed.

"There's a roach in the bathroom! It's a big, ugly, nasty cockroach!"

"You woke us up because of a cockroach?" Genis groaned.

"Step on it and go back to sleep," came Raine's voice from under the blankets on the bed she and Colette had to share.

"But I don't want to go near it!" Colette whined. "I hate roaches!"

"Colette, it's just a bug. We've fought things hundreds of times bigger," Sheena pointed out to her.

"If you're not afraid to fight monsters, there's no reason to be scared of insects," added Raine.

"Whoever said the monsters didn't scare me?"

"You still faced them, scared or not. That's what matters."

"Professor, this isn't about what it means to be brave. It's about a huge, awful roach crawling around the bathroom. I won't go near a cockroach until the day you go swimming in the ocean!"

"What has the ocean got to do with it? Just kill the roach and be done with it."

"I'm not going in there!" Colette insisted.

Zelos had been listening the whole time and jumped off the couch where he'd slept. "I'll save you from the foul vermin, my dear. After the offending insect has been vanquished, we shall leave. We should not have to tolerate an inn that is infested with cockroaches!" As if he was a hero of some kind, Zelos, with much show, grabbed a shoe and proceeded to pound the roach. After a few smacks, complete with sickening crunching noises, it was reduced to a blob of goo.

"See, Colette?" Sheena asked. "It's that easy. If Zelos can do it, anyone can."

Lloyd, who had missed the whole thing, was finally awake. Looking out the window, his face broke into an excited smile. "Snow day! No school!" he cried gleefully.

Presea gave him a strange look. "You are not in school now."

"Besides," Genis added, "It always snows in Flanoir."

Luckily the snow had stopped during the night, so travel was once more possible. Our heroes checked out of the inn (Zelos and Colette made sure to file a complaint about the roach) and continued their journey toward Meltokio.

Things were relatively peaceful until the group stopped to eat lunch in a field in...someplace. Lloyd was navigating again and they weren't really sure where they were.

"Raine, my gorgeous ultra-cool beauty," Zelos cooed, swallowing a mouthful of cold spaghetti. "Could I pretty please be allowed to see your tattoo?"

Raine looked confused. "Tattoo?"

Zelos nodded. "Won't you tell me what kind it is?"

"What tattoo?"

"Don't be shy. Since it's in a rather embarrassing place, we could step off into the woods so no one else sees."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Raine demanded. "I don't have a tattoo!"

"You...don't?"

"No, I don't, and I want to know where you got the idea that I do."

"Ask your brother."

"GENIS SAGE!" Raine shouted. "GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE NOW!"

Genis knew not to disobey when Raine used that tone. He somewhat reluctantly jogged over to where his irate sister and the idiot Chosen stood.

"Genis, did you tell Zelos I have a tattoo?"

"....Maybe."

"Don't lie, you little twerp," Zelos snapped. "You told me she had a tattoo on her ass."

"You told him WHAT?" Raine looked at her brother furiously. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't beat you."

"Um...because I'm your brother and you love me and you'd never do that?" Genis asked, knowing effort was futile.

"Nope. Start running!" Raine swatted him with the back of her hand and began chasing him around the field. The others watched, wondering what Genis had done this time.

A/N: There was supposed to be more to this chapter, but I decided to go ahead and upload.