Days passed filled with uneventful ease. At least, with any ease you could get from Lloyd and Cloud being depressed and the constant monster attacks. Even through the depression the swordsmen remained on their strict training regiment, which by the way had been assembled by Cloud Strife for the benefit of all of the younger warriors. "I still don't see why I gotta' do this!" Zelos whined. "Because your skills need fine tuning!" Cloud countered. "Stop complaining Zelos, me and Vyse are doing this to keep our strength up!" Lloyd lectured. At last they had arrived in Ozette, but when they did Kratos stood in their way.

"What do you want, Kratos?" Cloud hissed. "Where's the Chosen?" he asked. "Right here!" Zelos replied. "He didn't mean you, he meant the Chosen that's actually good for something…" Sheena replied. "Ouch you're so mean Sheena!" Zelos whined. "One of your Desian flunkies took her!" Vyse spat. "So that's what Rodyle has been up to…" Kratos replied thoughtfully before continuing, "You may leave the Chosen as she is for now, she's worthless…" "Watch what you say about my daughter, 'Angel' or I will take extreme pleasure in cutting your tongue out!" Cloud hissed even more angrily. "I mean, we of Cruxis have no need for her at the moment… We have bigger things to worry about… At any rate, Rodyle is acting on his own, but if you must rescue Colette, then I'm sure the Mizuho Information Network has come up with something…" Kratos explained. He began to walk away, but as he passed Raine they exchanged glances. Aeris noticed his hesitation but said nothing to the group, remembering the promise she had made to the Professor. The only ones who could accurately see what Kratos and Raine were exchanging glances at each other were the two of them. It was their way of saying in secret 'I love you'. For the rest of the day Raine had a distant look in her eyes.

The long day of travel through the cursed forest had made the group very tired and Aeris brought them to the home of the Valentine brothers. "Aeris? Why are you back here?" Vincent asked. "It's a long story, Vincent..." she replied. "We're a little short on cash right now, do you mind if we crash here?" Vyse asked. "Friends of Aeris's are friends of mine, you are welcome to make use of any furnishings my home has to provide…" Vincent replied warmly. "Thank you, sorry to be a burden to you… We'll be out of your hair by tomorrow…" Cloud apologized to him. Vincent tried to smile warmly, but ultimately it just made him look even more creepy than usual. "Think nothing of it, my home has been quite lonely without my little brother to make a mess of things…" he said, his voice being the only thing about him that seemed warm at the moment.

Normally if they were staying in a town somewhere Lloyd and Colette would've cuddled up somewhere like a comfy recliner in front of a fireplace. The Valentine house did have a pair of recliners in front of a lit fireplace but for the moment Lloyd sat alone in one. The large house and in fact all of reality seemed coldly distant to the young idealist. "I'm falling apart without you Colette… I act tough, but deep down I can't stand to be without you…" Lloyd muttered unaware that her Cetra father was approaching from behind. "I know you miss her, I miss her too, Lloyd…" Cloud tried to comfort. "We have to save her Cloud… Even if it's just the two of us!" Lloyd stated determinedly. Cloud nodded in agreement, Lloyd smiled at this. "Y'know Lloyd, you're like a son to me and I pray to Gaia that you will be someday…" Cloud sighed staring into the flames. "What do you mean?" Lloyd asked. "I guess what I mean to say is that, when and if you and Colette decide to get married then you won't have to ask for my blessing, because you'll already have it…" Cloud answered, "Oh well, wishful thinking huh?" Lloyd merely chuckled nervously. "I'm going to try to get some rest…" Cloud told him as he headed off towards the room Vincent had put him and Genis in for the night. Lloyd stayed up a bit longer thinking, that is until Vyse came looking for him.

Morning came and as soon as breakfast was finished the group packed. By noon they were ready to go. "Happy travels to you, my friends. Remember if you ever need a place to stay my home is always open to you…" Vincent told them as they left. They traveled all day and arrived in Mizuho that evening. "Konichiwa!" Orochi greeted them as they came to the village, "You are tired no doubt? Please follow me…" Orochi led them into the same area they had spent the night in last time they had visited Mizuho. "Arigato…" Cloud told him as he started to walk away. "No trouble at all, I will inform the Vice-Chief that you are all here. I will also inform him that you are all resting from your travels. Have a pleasant sleep, travelers from Sylveraunt…" Orochi responded.

As soon as they woke up the following morning they went to talk to the Vice-Chief Tiga, who informed them about the location of the Rheairds. "Before you go, there is a test I have for Sheena before retrieving the Rhearids…" he told them before they could head for the door. "What is this test, Vice-Chief?" Sheena asked respectfully. "You must forge a pact with Volt," he answered. Sheena seemed taken aback by this. As soon as they had left the Vice-Chief's hut she ran off. Everyone seemed to want to be by themselves, so Lloyd just nodded and everyone went their own separate way.

Unknown to most it was Zelos who went after Sheena. As he approached the depressed ninja summoner Corrine started to growl at him. "What do you want, Zelos?" the tiny Summon Spirit spat. "Oh, go cough up a hair-ball ya' fuzz-brain!" Zelos snapped. "At least I have a brain!" Corrine argued back. "What do you want, Zelos?" Sheena asked slightly annoyed. "I came to try to cheer you up, my voluptuous hunny…" Zelos remarked sounding more enthusiastic. "I don't need your 'cheering up', I just want you to go away and leave me alone!" she yelled. "This is about that accident 10 years ago isn't it?" he asked. Instead of retorting she picked up a rock and threw it at his head. Being a ninja she had dead-center aim and the rock nailed the idiot Chosen in the forehead. "Owww! I only wanted to help, I wasn't even going to make any perverted comments or stupid jokes… But you hurt me and my feelings, I'm leaving!" Zelos whined. "Wait, if you weren't going to say anything stupid then what were you going to say?" she asked. "I WAS going to say; you should do what you feel is right, but don't let Volt scare you! Just think of him as an oversized Corrine…" Zelos replied smiling warmly. "Uh, I guess I should say thanks and I'm sorry for throwing that rock at you…" Sheena replied regretfully. "Ah, com'n would it kill ya' to give me a kiss on the cheek?" Zelos asked. Instead she punched him in the gut. "Ha-ha, you deserve it!" Corrine laughed. Sheena was smiling though something about Zelos coming to cheer her up. She had always thought of him as an annoying, idiotic, perverted moron but they had always been friends to say the least.

After Zelos was well out of sight she saw a familiar blonde-haired ex-mercenary approach her. "Hey Sheena, what did Zelos have to say?" he asked. "He was just trying to cheer me up…" she responded. "I want you to be careful around him, I don't trust him…" Cloud told her. "What do you mean 'don't trust him'? Like you don't trust him to be alone with anyone or you don't trust him at all?" she asked. "In general, I trust him about as far as Genis can throw him…" Cloud commented. "I agree!" Corrine squeaked. Cloud knelt down and rubbed Corrine's head a bit. Corrine seemed to appreciate and even enjoy the attention. "We need your help, Sheena… I know it'll be tough to face your fears. Remember this Cetra proverb, 'True courage is the ability to stand up to your fears and not the lack of fear itself'…" Cloud tried to comfort her, "If you have any concerns or if you need help, just remember; you're part of a team! We band together when times are tough… When one of us suffers we try to help that person, that's what teamwork means! You're not an island just remember that!" "Thanks, Cloud…" Sheena and Corrine both replied in unison as the ancient warrior climbed to his feat. "No problem, I'm a member of this team. So, I'm here to help whomever I can…" he replied with a smile. Throughout the rest of the day the entire team came to comfort Sheena. As if they could sense her distress and came to the aid of their comrade. With the encouragement of her teammates Sheena felt refreshed and the group headed towards the Tower of Lightning.