Author's notes: … By the way, has anyone noticed that whenever Gin goes into her 'special mode' I don't call her Gin anymore, I call her by her full name Ginryu? ;D

Sodo good to see you back, thanks as always for the cheerful words, oh, and to answer your previous question, I'm on the titan server. ;

Thefrogkiller aiiieee I am so sorry! XD I keep meaning to send you my address, but I keep forgetting, and then I lost the piece of paper with my address and, and. . . d'oh! T.T Well, thanks for the reviews as always, I'm eagerly awaiting for the next chapter of 'The Prelude' darn you for being such a creative writer! Grr. T.T

Vivli good news! A shorter chapter! XD Sorry for the confusion, but once you read the story, then perhaps reread the chapter, everything shall make sense. . . (makes mystical signs with hands and gets promptly whacked with a frying pan) T.T Thanks for all your compliments and what not, much appreciated as always. :D And regarding the 'could move', yeah, I swear I caught all the typos but then . . .well . . . one always manages to sneak in. Drat! Will have to fix that immediately. XP Thanks for mentioning that! And regarding the author notes, I get what you mean, I just find them interesting to put in. . . then again I should remember that when I put them in, the stories that the idea originated from was all humor, not drama/humor/romance and action/adventure. XD I'll definitely keep that in mind! As for the girls, I was just trying to think how I would act if Zed was gonna drop me over a railing. ; ; I would probably have canned him. XD Anyway, thanks for the long review and hope you enjoy this little bit shorter chapter . . .

I have also discovered something, the reason my chapters are so long is because there are so many characters I have to talk about what happened to! XD

I still have to talk about Vin and Rom, what happened to the ShadowRiders, Aldo & co. and the list just goes on and on . . . heh heh. ; ;

Chapter 4

It was a bright sunny day and the tropical humidity seemed even more intense under the relentless beating rays of the sun. The residents of Kazham sorely hoped it wouldn't rain, that would make them sticky, wet and hot.

"Gawd, this heat is so annoying." Eashie muttered with an annoyed expression as she fanned herself with a lightly nailed hand.

"Hn." Was her companion, ComradeKage's reply. Eashie glanced over her shoulder with a bemused smirk.

"What's with you? You became very dead 5 minutes ago." She commented with a soft smile. Com shrugged.

"Tired." He murmured quietly, but his voice was quiet and said with little effort, his eyes were unfocused and he had the look of someone who wasn't quite paying attention to the here and now. Eashie snickered.

"You really should stop daydreaming when you're walking, you might hurt yourself Com." She advised before turning forward again. "So anyway, I was talking to Kiary yesterday, and Byuu was being a total ass, cause he totally ordered me out here with Satyr and didn't even let me have a say in the matter. I mean, god he was such a jerkoff, he could have at least asked if I wanted to go, but no he said I had to go out here because I have to go meet someone of extreme," she made a motion with her hands and rolled her eyes sarcastically as she accented the word. "importance, but the thing is that bastard never showed up so now I have to wait here until-!"

BAM!

Eashie blinked for a moment, a little stupefied at what could have caused that noise, before she realized it had come from behind her and turned around. Stumbling a little at the sight that greeted her, she gaped openly in stupefied shock as she realized what had happened.

ComradeKage was now planted face first into a wooden pole that supported an arch that led to the port. His body was still for a moment, before he took a step back and stared at the wooden pole, a little bewildered. He stared at it for a minute, than blinked.

"Oh." Eashie fell over.

"Oh?" She demanded glancing at him. "My god Kage you just walked straight into a pole! And all you can say is OH!" Kage glanced at her, slightly annoyed as his eyes narrowed.

"What do you want me to say?" He asked with a roll of his eyes.

"Most people usually say 'ow' not 'oh'." Eashie commented getting to her feet shaking her head. Kage shrugged and started to walk on, completely ignoring his reddened and slightly squashed nose.

"And am I, 'most people'?" He asked a bit arrogantly as he strode past her. Eashie glanced at him for a moment, before sighing.

"One minute he's your best friend, the next he's the guy you want to strangle. You've really got a case of multi-personalities there Kage." She said with an exaggerated sigh and turned around to follow him.

"You've no idea." The Elvaan said bluntly.

"You idiot!" A voice snapped angrily as a loud slap cut the silence like a sharp knife. The crack of a hand hitting a face sounded again with unrestrained fury, and after a third and final slap, Cliff was allowed to stumble back and out of Cane's tightened grip to fall back, his cheeks stinging horribly. Holding a hand gingerly to one of the stinging sides he glared at Cane, the pain radiating from his abused spots bringing a wave of tears to his eyes.

"I don't see what's the big deal! So I killed an Adventurer!" He snapped. Cane glared at him, his eyes livid.

"An Adventurer from Commander Ziggeraut's personal battalion you fool! And worse, you let a civilian live and she can easily tell the others he was in the Ronfaure area when he went missing! You don't think a level 75 ranked 10 Adventurer dying in the Ronfaure area will raise any questions!"

"I still don't see your point!" Cliff snarled angrily, his temper rising. Cane's eyes went deeper with hatred, and for a moment, those disguised brown irises smoldered red. Cliff stiffened, his body paralyzed with fear, before he suddenly spasmed. Throwing his head back his mouth arched open into a soundless scream and his pupils dilated. Pain sparked all over his body in massive bursts leaving him with a burning desire to scream his throat raw, make his pain known and plead for it to stop. It seemed as if every pore in his body was being cut open with a burning hot blade then being showered in salt all at once.

"My point," Cane hissed, his tone icily cold as he kneeled down onto one knee next to Cliff's shuddering form. Placing two fingers under Cliff's chin, he tilted his head up so that the swordsman could look into his eyes. "is that our plans have already gotten too much attention, and we're fortunate that our enemies are so stupid and ignorant in their own pretense of superiority that they haven't translated the clues. However the Adventurers army, more specifically their leader, and the ShadowRiders are not as arrogant as the nations, and all they need is one stupid mistake made by our side to throw all our plans into a chaotic mess of nothing but scraps!" He hissed, his voice growing more furious by the minute. "One stupid mistake like the death of one of their most important officers!" His voice snapped and he backhanded Cliff again. Cliff slammed into the ground, his pain growing more heavily by the moment, and he was already begging for the taunting grasp of death, dancing so teasingly out of his reach.

"Cane, you will kill him if you don't stop . . ." A soft voice commented a tad bit worriedly. Celan, who had appeared at the door, glanced from Cliff's shuddering form to Cane's body that shook with barely restrained fury. For a moment longer Cane's eyes turned a crimson red and seemed to seep venom, before he finally made a wrenching motion with his hand. And with a finally violent spasm and a sudden large cry of pain, Cliff lay still on the carpeted floor. For a brief moment, Celan wondered if he was dead, but a soft sound of sobbing reached her heightened ears and she paid him no more attention.

He was frightened, weakened horribly and his pride dented heavily, but he would live.

That is, if Cane hadn't put him into shock, in some ways, Cane was worse then the Shadowlord.

With a soft sigh she walked over to her current superior and gave him a swift bow before straightening.

"Our forces have done as you requested and the body of the slain adventurer has been retrieved, shall we burn it Cane?" Cane sighed heavily and glared once more at Cliff before closing his eyes and rubbing his aching temples.

'Just my luck, I get an idiotic subordinate who couldn't be more useless and hindering to my work then a rampaging . . . wait.' His train of thought suddenly came to a screeching halt.

". . . Celan." Celan gave a start and blinked at Cane who suddenly gave a vicious smile.

". . . Yes, Cane?"

"Bring the body to me." He said calmly. "And you," he gestured to Cliff who sat up and wiped the tracks of tears from his face with a soft snarl, and glanced at Cane, his gaze mixed with fear and anger. "you will help me correct this mess you have created. Yes, it's perfect." Cane commented with a soft smile. Celan, knowing better than to ask what was perfect, instead fled to get the body of Draish.

The rules of the Yuushi were incredibly simple. Do not kill each other, do not go overboard with your job's special ability, especially ninjas, share what is pillaged, and if ever in a battle, you should see the appearance of the avatar Fenrir summoned by a 6 pointed and circled star, be it on your side or the enemy's, flee the battle.

'The appearance of the True Fenrir, heralded by the star of Diablo, signifies death and terror and is a signal to all Yuushi that it is time to flee, for the battle is beyond their means now.' Zanu recalled vaguely as he watched the great beast stand protectively in front of Ginryu. Bamanoske, who was in charge of this assault stood on the deck of the ship that had carried him and stared unnervingly at the avatar, before standing.

"YUUSHI FIGHTERS RETREAT!" He bellowed, his voice echoing through the port. All pirates glanced up in shock, and there was a moment of tense silence.

"Wha. . .?" Zig managed out, before the pirates awoke from the trance they had fallen into and leapt into action. Whether done by the art of ninjutsu, oils or the thief ability 'flee', the port was suddenly emptied in a short amount of time. Only the Adventurers were left to stand there and were completely stunned as to what had happened. Only a few Yuushi remained in the port.

Zanu, Elnroth and Zedriasage.

"Zanu, Elnroth c'mon!" Zed urged them nervously as he tugged on Zanu's sleeve.

"Go ahead without us Zed." Zanu said sharply, his eyes locked on the battle between Negative and Fenrir.

"Obey the call Zanu, return to our lands." Elnroth intervened smoothly, his voice calm.

"Only when you yourself obey them Elnroth." Zanu retorted. Elnroth suddenly turned on the Elvaan and glared, his eyes piercing.

"This is beyond your powers or mine, go now or I will kill you myself!" He hissed venomously, and for a moment Zanu stood there, paralyzed by what his comrade had said, before he saw the measure of fear in his companion's eyes.

"You must go, now. Bamanoske knows what this heralds, and so do I. Zanu please leave now, if Bamanoske or I should fail to return . . . the safety of the Yuushi falls to you." He said gently.

"Fail to return! Elnroth what the hell are you-?"

"Not now. GO!" He ordered. And for a moment, Zanu regarded him with confusion, and it mixed heavily with fear of the unknown, of change.

". . . alright, but Gods be damned you had better return!" He snarled and vanished. Zedriasage stood there for a moment, a little bewildered, before he glanced at Elnroth and shook his head.

"Kami be with you." Then he too vanished, leaving Elnroth feel a little more than a bit, alone.

Ginryu stood rock still, stuck in the position Negative had frozen her in before Fenrir had appeared and despite her greatest of efforts, she was still unable to move.

"You know I used to respect you Fenrir, until you became a lapdog for that woman." Negative hissed venomously, his crimson eyes narrowed with spite and his lips twisted into a mocking sneer. Fenrir growled and lowered on its haunches.

Bold words little worm, you will not be so talkative when I rip your vocal chords from your throat.

The avatar snarled, his fangs bared. Negative replied with a cruel laugh, high and jeering.

"Do you honestly think you can kill me while your spirit is split? I can tell you're not truly here Fenrir, where, does your body truly sleep? Your defeat those many years ago at the hand of the Windurstians has demeaned you beyond all measure." He taunted as laughter erupted from his throat, sharp and biting. Fenrir's eyes narrowed at the disrespect and he lowered his paws to attack, before he suddenly thought of something.

Mock me all you would like, but I will ensure that you do not succeed today. In the name of my mistress.

Fenrir said coolly, and suddenly he turned to face Ginryu who blinked at him, sweat trickling down her temples as she gazed into the fierce and endless pooled depths of darkness that were the avatar's eyes.

Child of the dragon, offspring of Ethereal and Comatose, go. Be safe, by the will of your mother and my lady.

Fenrir said calmly with a dip of his head.

I am forever, from this point on, at your side, and only when you've no need of me any more, will I appear to serve you.

He prophesied and stared her directly in the eyes, his eyes bright. Negative's eyes widened and he started forward.

"Fenrir don't you dare-!" He yelled angrily, his eyes wide with shock but his yell of fury was interrupted by a shattering howl from the avatar. It resonated throughout the port, and Ginryu suddenly felt her body feel a thousand fold lighter. It was as if the wind was blowing through her very veins as she gaped in open shock at the beast.

Go, be safe . . . R- . . . . . .

Try as she might, Ginryu was unable to make out that last word as her world suddenly spun vividly and went black.

To any onlookers, it would have seemed like a pool of darkness had suddenly spawned beneath Ginryu, and with black like tendrils that reached up and wrapped around her, had sucked her into the pools of ebony liquid before vanishing, leaving no trace of her. The task accomplished, Fenrir turned to Negative, and curved his lips upward, the equivalent of a wolfish sneer. Negative clenched his fists and scowled.

"You idiot! If you were truly doing as your master instructed you would have let me kill her!" He yelled angrily. "Are you trying to send this world into the depths of a chaotic apocalypse!" He demanded, his eyes smoldering with anger. Fenrir simply gave a shake of his head, his eyes patronizing.

So full of hate little worm. When you see past your own petty beliefs, will you understand the will of my lady better, though I do not suggest you try to understand them completely, it will only give you a rather large headache.

Fenrir said calmly as he padded up to the Elvaan, his eyes calm and composed.

"I don't care what some stupid prophecy says! It happened almost once, what is to say it won't again!" Negative bellowed, his fists clenched as he prepared to draw on his inner wellspring of chaotic power.

Faith.

Fenrir replied easily as he licked his paw and looked back at Negative, smiling.

Faith of Vana'diel will determine what happens. Goodbye little worm.

And with that, the avatar of darkness vanished in a haze of violet sparks and thunderbolts. Negative was left to stand there, his eyes narrowed with hate and his fists clenched.

'The fool.' He thought venomously. 'Faith will solve nothing, Vana'diel is nothing but a land of hate and death and bloodlust. Faith is a mere illusion.' He reasoned and turned to look at the Adventurers, seeing they were staring at him with utter shock and morbid confusion, he raised a hand, ready to attack.

'Might as well have some fun before I leave.' He thought sadistically.

Zig, who had watched this whole exchange, tensed when he saw Negative turn towards him and his followers.

"Lai, take the freelancers, go. They aren't high enough to deal with the likes of him." He whispered gently to his companion. Laiata gaped openly at Zig for a moment and opened her mouth to argue when she saw the expression her commander wore.

One of grim determination. Lai knew this look, there was no arguing with him now. With a set nod, her eyes blazed fiercely with loyalty and she saluted.

"Yes commander, Altana be with you." She declared and with a nod to the generals, she pointed towards the now gaping, and mostly wounded freelancers.

"Lets go round up the gawkers." She commented to them and they nodded.

"I will assist you." Tammyxx declared as she joined them, Angelsheart behind her. Laiata smiled at her and nodded. "Let's go!" And she set off at a run for the freelancers, Kiary, Angel, Tammy and Amand behind her. Reaching the regrouping freelancers, some were wounded though none severely, none killed either, that was odd. . .

'No one was killed? Why were the pirates going so easy on us?' She thought as she slowed to a stop and put on her most authoritative face.

"Show's over Freelancers, the commander has just deemed this area an immediate danger zone, any Adventurer below official level ranking of 50 is ordered to leave as soon as possible, which is pretty much now." Laiata called to the stunned Adventurers. Lilli was the first to glance towards Lai in stunned shock.

"Leave?"

"With the show getting so good?" Another rowdy freelancer demanded. "And what commander? Who the hell are you to be ordering us about!" He demanded arrogantly. Beside her, Lai was sure she felt Amand tense and sighed. When would her friends stop getting so worked up about every insult thrown her way?

"At ease Amand." She whispered softly before turning back to the freelancers. "Who we are is not important, I am telling you, this order has been placed under immediate evacuation!"

"Oh yeah?" The freelancer retorted smirking. "Well I'm not gonna listen to some weak civilian!" He sneered.

"Uh . . . dude . . . you may want to check her armor . . . I don't think she's weak . . . or a civilian . . ." One of his friends hissed urgently. "And those guys behind her look ready to kill you." He hissed nervously as he stared into the homicidal eyes of her companions.

"So what? She's still just a nobody, and so are her friends!" He yelled.

"Actually . . ." A wry voice commented as a Hume walked up, wringing his hat out before flinging it with his wrist to give its original shape again before he put it back on his head, it was a trademark hat, of a level 75 redmage.

"Chster!" Laiata cried turning to face him. Her eyes widened as she took in his appearance and gaped. "What happened to you! . . . is that kelp in your hair?" She demanded wide eyed in shock. Chster glanced up and plucked the strand of green from his hair, flicking it to the side he grinned at her.

"Went to swim with the fishies." He commented vaguely as he brushed specks of water from his attire. "And as for you, young man," he commented to the freelancer. "No, this is not just to you, this is to ALL of you." He said glaring at the freelancers and they quelled under his gaze. Even Lilli, the least likely to cower under anything felt a shiver run down her spin at his cold stare.

"You will memorize these faces and learn to recognize them on sight. I assure you, that it is only for Lai's protection that you have not been challenged to a duel in the Diorama immediately." He commented vaguely as he finished flicking off the last spots of water, before he suddenly glanced skyward and blinked.

"Dammit." He suddenly growled and smacked himself on the forehead.

"Uh . . . Chster?" Angel got out, looking mildly disturbed by his ramblings.

"You know what they say . . . the greatest mages are insane . . ." Amand hissed to her.

"I'm such a dolt, I could have just done this from the start." He grumbled sourly and put his hands into formation to cast a black arts spell. Chanting the words underneath his breath, he suddenly threw his arms out and yelled;

"Blaze spikes!" His entire body was engulfed in hungry flames, they licked at his body, originating from the base of his feet, before vanishing into the winds. Smiling, he finally released a sigh. "Much better." He commented as he glanced at his hand, a small spark of fire flared before vanishing in his palm.

"Well then, anyway, as I was saying, it would do you a world of good if you remember these faces." He said waving a hand absently at the generals who blinked at him.

"Why . . . who are they?" Bagel question curiously, looking up into the faces of them and frowning slightly when he realized they were too tall for his tastes. Than again, just about everybody was. Lai sighed her impatience.

"Chster! We don't have time for this-!"

"Yes we do Lai." Chster said calmly. "If a bunch of freelancers ran around insulting Ziggeraut's most trusted Adventurer, how would the rest of the forces act?" He asked coolly as he blew on his index finger, and grinned when it produced a candle like flame, before burning out. The Adventurer who had insulted Lai paled considerably.

"Y-you mean . . . s-she's L-Lady Lai?" He squeaked. Lai blinked at him.

"Lady Lai? Since when have I been called that?" She demanded.

"Since you started doing personal tasks for Zig, we just don't say it to your face." Kiary declared grinning roguishly at the Elvaan.

"Kiary . . ." Lai growled warningly. The Mithra smiled cheerfully and just whistled while averting her gaze. It was at this point that Hal gaped openly and leapt forward, knocking down a poor hapless freelancer in front of him. He gaped in open stunned shock at the group, before swallowing and pointing at them each in turn.

"A-are . . . you . . . ?" He managed out, before taking a deep breath and regained his confidence. "Are you Generals Kiary, Chster, Angel, Tammy and Amand?" He demanded in a squeaky voice.

"Finally!" Tammy yelled throwing her arms up. "Someone recognizes us!" The freelancer who had insulted them gaped in open shock, his face going green.

"You . . . you're Commander Ziggeraut's . . . personal battalion?" He managed out in a very breathy voice. Chster smiled.

"You can bet your certificate on it." He declared with a wink. There was a moment of silence as the freelancer just stared at them, his face going from an interesting shade of pale green to a very sickly gray.

There was then a large thud as the freelancer's eyes rolled back and he slumped into a faint.

"H-hey! You okay man?" His friends demanded crowding around him.

"Ah youth, so excitable these days." Angel said mysteriously as she smiled.

"And how old are you grandma?" Chster asked boredly as he ordered the generals and Freelancers to begin evacuating.

"Banish."

KA-BOOM!

"OW! BLOODY HELL ANGEL!"

"-snort-"

"Oh shut up Amanda!"

"Hey! That was uncalled for!"

"Guys, for the love of Altana, grow up!" Lai called exasperated.

'W-where. . .?' A single thought filtered through her muddled brain, it felt as if her entire body was floating in sub-space. It was hard to form just a single coherent thought.

Do not injure yourself, I'll leave. A voice commented mildly in her mind. No, she hadn't heard it, it had come from . . . within. Gin suddenly found it hard to breath and she spasmed, her body thrashing as her head whipped from side to side. Clawing at her throat she clenched her eyes shut and tried to open her mouth.

Easy! Easy! The voice ordered and she suddenly felt a pair of cool hands rest on both sides of her head. Her eyes snapped open and her panic subsided as she glanced up into a pair of frozen silver eyes. Their depths were endless and icy but were sparkling with some playful streak.

There, feel better now? The voice asked mildly and the eyes crinkled with laughter. Gin blinked in surprise before she attempted to sit up, which wasn't easy because it felt as if her body was still sleeping.

"W-where is this?" She managed to get out as she glanced around, it seemed to be nothing but a black void, tinged with distant lights and softly trickling mists of silver and gold vapor.

"A consciousness." The voice commented and the hands around her head withdrew. Gin blinked and glanced at the form that seemed to accompany her in this void, and had to blink repeatedly, and rub her eyes to assure herself she wasn't insane.

She was staring upon herself.

Albeit a slightly taller, sterner, and different eye-colored version of herself, but herself nonetheless.

". . . the hell?" To this, her twin gave a snort and her eyes crinkled with mirth.

You always had a way with words Ginryu. She replied steadily, her eyes betraying her amusement. Gin glanced at her twin and gave a bewildered stare.

". . . am I asleep?"

Unconscious is a more accurate term, do not worry, you should be returning shortly to your world.

"Well. . . ." Gin managed out, for lack of anything better to say. "That's good. . ." She finished awkwardly, honestly she hadn't a clue of what to say. How do you talk to yourself?

I am not you exactly . . . The thought suddenly intruded upon her musings and she blinked openly in shock and evident anger.

"Would you stop reading my mind?" She demanded crossly as she folded her arms and glared at the taller one. Her twin chuckled.

When will you understand, little fledgling? I am your mind. I am you, and yet not. We are one, yet different, two entities whose soul are one and the same, but are yet divided and unwhole. Gin simply gave her an odd stare and shook her head.

"Now you're giving me a migraine, look, just come out straight. Who are you?" Her twin smiled, and those quicksilver eyes narrowed with a hint of animosity, a predatory look of bloodlust were hidden in their depths.

I am- She was however, quickly cut off when a distant speck of light suddenly enhanced, and grew larger.

"What the-!" Gin yelped as she backed away, raising her hand to block her eyes from the blinding light. "What's going on!" She managed out as she felt herself being tugged towards the strange new phenomenon.

You are returning! Be not afraid, you will never be alone! When you are in your darkest hour, look to yourself for the help you need for your first greatest battle!

"What? I don't understand! What are you-!" Gin got out before her entire being was enveloped in white, and her senses died, she lost track of everything around her, except for a single voice that lingered in her mind.

Oh, and you may call me Ryuujin.

Zig held his daggers, each felt comfortable in the haven of his palms, each held at ease.

However, their holder was anything but at ease. He was facing down quite possibly his most skilled opponent ever, who could wield darkness like the Shadowlord himself, and he possessed no backup.

It's hard to be a brave man when you're standing on your own.

Well, that was partially his fault, but the safety of his soldiers came first, and damned if he'd let a single one get hurt. Especially the Freelancers, they were far too young to die so early on when they had so much to do, titles to gain, adventures to discover, just thinking about one getting killed was leaving Zig feeling hollow with desperation. Setting himself into his evasive position, he glared stonily at Negative, sweat trickling down his temples already.

"I must say, I am extremely honored. A one on one, the Commander himself, no pesky interfering Adventurers, all for myself." The Elvaan remarked snidely, his mouth twisted into a cruel sneer, fueled by anger and frustration and being cheated of his prize, the death of Ginryu, he settled for taking the head of Ziggeraut, quite possibly the most challenging obstacle on his path.

"I suppose asking you to retreat quietly is not an option?" Zig asked mildly, his voice calm and casual, his expression closed as he observed his opponent.

A rude snort was his reply and he sighed mentally.

"Of course not." Zig muttered, answering his own question. "Well then, you had best give me a good fight, or who knows," Zig commented with a roguish sneer, "I might get bored."

Negative raised his right hand, and dark currents of wind suddenly gathered in his hand, before the skin covering his palm split, opening a chasm which released a torrent of blood, pooling in his hand, the blood suddenly welled up to form a dark stave, which branched off into a wickedly curved blade, its tip possessed multiple spikes, and Zig knew if his opponent managed to stick him with that blade, when it came out, it would cause an excessive amount of pain.

Most unpleasant.

The darkness dissipated and Negative grabbed the spear easily with one hand, twirling it once, before giving Zig a calm smile.

"Now we can't have that. So, if you will Commander . . ." Negative hissed, his eyes suddenly dilating into nearly pure black. "Amuse me."

Sending out a quick prayer for his life, Zig launched forward, his best bet, would to make his assault fast, and furious, take him out quick, it was a gutsy gamble, and although he loathed to admit it, probably not the best one.

As a thief, his stamina was short when it came to taking damage, and the Elvaan was willing to bet that Negative had a much higher endurance, his only hope was to exhaust his energy and use his speed to drain his opponent's vigor, and pray for a lucky strike. If not, Chster could start looking for a new leader.

His feet flew, the soles of his shoes barely slapping the wet stone as he shot forward in a burst of speed that surprised even himself. For a brief moment, Negative looked taken aback, before he scowled and quickly recovered.

Swinging his spear to strike at Zig's arm, the Elvaan parried quickly with one of his knives, before diving in to strike at Negative's chest. The black stave was quickly swung up to block this attack as Negative lashed out with his foot with such speed, there was never a moment to block.

The foot slammed into Zig's lower gut and his face took on a pained expression as his mouth opened and released a sound something similar to a hack as he skidded back a few feet.

'Fucking guy kicks like a horse!' Zig thought with a shudder as he looked at Negative, boiling at the smug smirk his opponent delivered him. Getting to his feet, he took a deep breath, ignoring the spasms of short pain his gut sent him, and rushed forward again.

"Don't you ever give up?" Negative jeered, his eyes wide with bloodlust, intent on a kill as he swung his blade at Zig, it whistled through the air as Zig skidded and took a step back, allowing the blade to pass harmlessly in front of him before diving in for a belly strike, his opponent cursed and jamming blunt end of his spear down, swept it forward, knocking Ziggeraut off his feet, Zig however, quickly shot his hand out, and slapping the ground with his hands, which still gripped his knives tightly, rolled back onto his feet, and swore.

He hadn't timed it right, and the fall had hit spots that would bruise for certain. He wiped sweat from his eyes and glared.

Why couldn't he gain an upper hand, for crying out loud!

Negative sighed and brushed a few stray bangs from his eyes. No sweat or panic was viewable and Zig felt an ominous sense of foreboding.

"This is boring me, my apologies Commander, but I have appointments to keep, Adventurers to slay, and you are hindering my schedule. Nothing personal, but please do me a favor, and do what you mortals do best." He said with a polite smile, before his eyes flashed a blood-red.

"Die." And suddenly he was in front of Ziggeraut, quite damn near close enough to smell his breath, and his grin was sadistic, the spear was curved to Zig's neck, in one second he would be dead.

'Oh Goddess . . .' Zig thought, trying desperately to raise his dagger in hopes of a defense, but something about Negative's eyes was hypnotic, paralyzing, he was helpless. And in his eyes he reflected terror as he saw the blade rise, and fall . . .

If you value your life at all, you will stop now you worthless pawn. A voice suddenly hissed in Negative's mind and he froze.

That voice, filled with pain, terror and despair brought all these things and so much more to the daimyou's mind, memories of his past, filled with the death of comrades and loved ones sprang forth, awakening wounds he had thought long healed.

The curved blade stopped but a mere inch from Zig's throat, and his eyes widened, why had his enemy stopped?

Step back, and go. I need him for my plans, and if you value your life, you will go away now. The voice continued, it was soft, childish, and seductive, but it held no pleasing thoughts for Negative, only pain and terror. Each word was cool, and calmly selected before spoken, the speaker was a master of strategies, and had a terrifying amount of power to back it up. With this thought creeping up his spine, Negative felt his will power quiver for a moment, but that one sparse moment of doubt cost him. The spear suddenly flashed crimson along the stave and blade, before suddenly vanishing in a whisp of inky, rusted smoke. Negative stumbled backwards, fear evident in his eyes as he snapped his gaze to the ship which lay there silently, floating like a little wooden plank in the turbulent waters.

Zig snapped from his reverie, gaping as he fell back, what the hell had just happened? He stared at the now positively spooked Negative in confusion, and released a breath he hadn't known he had been holding, his gasps were quiet and barely audible as he stared in utter confusion, his hands useless and limp by his sides.

'Where are you, you son of a bitch?' Negative thought venomously, staring at the boat.

Now why are you calling our Lady Vana'diel, a bitch? The voice replied humorously. And please Kaze, relax. Negative flinched, only three people in existence knew his true name aside from himself, none of them were wanted visitors.

Now I am warning you for the last time, leave now, or I shall be forced to take . . . unpleasant measures to ensure I get what I want.

There.

For the first time in so long, Negative froze, there, hidden behind the ship's hull, standing idly on the water surface completely at ease, was the greatest fear of his entire existence. The entity who had single handedly destroyed his entire life, something that he had built up for over centuries, destroyed by this one person's merest whim.

It was too much.

Stony blue eyes stared at him from an eerily pale blue face, tinged with silver, the boy was far from anything natural. Silver hair, also tinged blue and silver matted his face, a thin body was covered in entirely black and his smirk was callous, his hands folded behind his back, he seemed . . . unearthly.

With a moan of despair, Negative vanished in a sudden pool of darkness, leaving Zig utterly confused.

"What the . . .?" He wondered aloud, never noticing the figure who stood on the surface of the water, simply smiling, before rippling away into the sunlight.

Mabs growled surly as a mage bandaged his arm.

"I am perfectly fine, this is nothing but a mere flesh wound, I wish you would tend to those in more dire need of assistance." He muttered to the Hume who gave him a shy smile.

"Just regulations sir." She murmured and proceeded with her task. Mabs sighed and gave up the fight as a lost cause, and instead took this opportunity to observe what had happened.

The entire port had been evacuated, now injured Freelancers had gathered in the infirmaries, and were being healed by Army healers who had gathered for the Ceremony, or Freelancers who were uninjured and fit to heal. There had been no sight of Lazarus, or of that freak Opeth who had been with the pirates. Lillianna was nursing several bruises, as well as a tromped tail, Bagel was nursing a squished foot, and Hal was apologizing to Bagel and Lilli, him being the one who had done the tromping and squishing.

But where was that girl? Gin?

Mabs gave a sigh and glanced skyward, Ginryu . . . such a pretty name, and adventure was definitely to be found around her, the appearance of Fenrir and several assassination attempts were proof enough of that. Mabs nodded to himself and grinned.

Regardless of the Battalion, he hoped he was stationed with Ginryu Nadasvia, the Redmage. It would certainly be an exhilarating ride.

It was too bright.

Why the hell . . . ?

Oh, right.

With a despaired moan, she sat up, cradling an aching head. Where the hell was she? Cracking open her eyes, she glanced around.

The Ronfaure Forests, no doubt, not the best place to wake up. Shaking her head free of the sleeping ropes that bound it, she glanced around, feeling a little more alert and staggered to her feet. What had happened?

Light . . . that much was evident, a feeling of completion spiritually and . . . a Hume mage . . .

Riddles, lovely, who didn't love riddles? Staggering to her feet she brushed off her trousers and glanced around. She was prepared to gather her thoughts and composure, and taking a deep breath, opened her eyes all the way and took the first step forward on the road.

That was before a flash of red to the corner of her eye caught her attention, spinning around she came face to face with the warmest pair of brown eyes she would ever hope to see. Her eyes widened, not from embarrassment, but from fear. There was something sinister in those eyes, something deadly.

The man grabbed her wrists and smiled at her, his face radiating joy, and a smile that never reached his eyes.

"Gin!" He cried joyfully. Gin stared at the Adventurer, eyes wide. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Sandoria for the Ceremony?" When she simply stared in reply, his eyes narrowed in concern.

"Is everything alright? You seem pale, do you need a heal?" Finally snapping from her trance, she shook her head, and glanced up.

"N-no . . . I'm fine . . ." She mumbled absently. The man smiled and released her wrists.

"Excellent! Shall we be going then? It's been so long since I've seen you, and I can't wait to see which battalion you'll be placed in! Maybe the one I'm in eh?" He asked cheerfully. Gin blinked before shaking her head. The predatory gleam in his eyes had vanished, and he was acting normal, it must have been a trick of the light, or perhaps her quickly depleting sanity was starting to play tricks on her.

'Ryuujin.' The name echoed in her consciousness for some reason, and as she shook her head free of it, she grinned at the man and started up the path which led to Sandoria castle, ignoring a dull pain originating from her outer thigh, perhaps a grazing had caught her, oh well, nothing to be overly concerned about. For a brief moment Gin was silent, simply content with gazing around herself, before she blinked, then smiled, realizing now what had been missing before.

The lush canopies of Ronfaure forest covered her in a cool shade as a peaceful warm breeze ruffled her hair. The woods were alive with forest life, and despite any painful memories she attached to this land, she could not deny it, she felt at peace.

With Sandoria castle on the horizon, she never felt more hopeful, despite having been almost killed twice. She was home, and an adventure was just about to begin, she could feel it stirring in her veins.

We'll face it together fledgling. A cool voice whispered in her mind, and she couldn't help but grin even further.

"Boy you're quiet, something on your mind?" Her companion asked her. Gin glanced at him, and smiled.

"No, nothing's wrong. In fact, everything is great. Everything is. . . perfect, Draish." She told the Elvaan Redmage who smiled back at her, his gaze a little mysterious.

"I agree. Everything, is perfect." He said quietly.

Disclaimer: I own the plot and all unrecognizable characters.

Author's notes: Huzzah! 9 pages only, and that's because I wanted to get another chapter up before I lost all my readers! XD
I have improved! Wheee!
Or not, I have so many loose ends in this story . . . nowhere near funny. T.T
Anyway, I'm gonna try my darned bestest to keep a schedule with updates from now on, but with my new story twilight in progress, the Mystics needing a severe update and FFXI, it's gonna be fun. XD