Okay, I hope that everyone liked the last chapter and I hope everyone checked out the forum, thanks to everyone who reviewed and all. I love you guys, where would I be without you? I definitely wouldn't be writing all this. Anyway, here's the next chapter and I want to thank Silvan Arrow for the idea as well as Kararu Rinamino for the ideas that they have given me for this story, and in Kararu's case, for many of the stories. Thanks you two! Okay, on with the chapter.

Chapter 5: A New Ally

Storm and Noishe entered the town of Triet just in time to get a room at the inn for the night. Storm put Noishe into the little building outside for the night. As she put him there, another person spotted her. Storm turned around and noticed a man staring at her intently from across the way. She stared back at him before walking over towards him. The man finally seemed to recognize who she was and yelled out in surprise.

"Storm? You...you're alive?" he stuttered.

"Uh...yeah...last time I checked I was," Storm answered sarcastically.

The man looked around nervously as if he were exposed for something.

"Look buddy, if you want me to start this conversation, it's not going to happen. I have no idea who you even are. Actually, I can't remember too much. I'm sorry if you know me, but I can't really remember anything," she apologized.

The man kind of cocked his head at this information. A grotesque smile formed on his face as he approached her in a friendly manner. He threw an arm around her shoulder as he led her to the inn. "Are you staying here tonight as well Storm?" he asked.

"Yeah?" Storm answered nervously.

"Well, I'll pay for your stay. You really don't remember me?" he asked.

Storm shook her head and looked at the ground sadly.

"I'm Forystus. So, what are you doing all the way out here in Triet?" he questioned.

"I'm trying to get away from those Desians up in Flanoir. They're after me now because I stole one of their Rheihards. Actually it crashed just outside of here so I'm kind of afraid they'll catch me," she explained.

Forcystus looked a little confused at first but was soon able to understand what she was thinking.

"Well, you found the right person. I'm actually the leader of a group called the Renegades. We work against the Desians and try our best to prevent them from causing anymore problems for people. Yuan is the Desian leader and he can be nasty to deal with if he catches you. Actually, after tonight you'd better leave this town. There is a Desian base not too far away from here. You can come with me to the Renegade base," he offered.

"Okay, I really don't know where I'm going around here so I could use a little help," she remarked.

"It's settled then. Tomorrow morning we'll head to my base," he exclaimed.

"Is it okay if Noishe comes to?" Storm questioned, pointing at the green dog-like creature.

Forcystus looked at him for a second, a look of disgust on his face, but finally answered cheerfully, "Sure, why not?"

The group had arrived to Sybak and were pretty tired after searching for Storm all day. They had made their way from Mizuho, Ozzette, and Sybak all in one day. It was evident that Kratos was beginning to grow frustrated. He was sitting at the inn with the others when he suddenly stood up. The others looked at him strangely as he began to make his way towards the door.

"Dad! Where are you going?" Lloyd asked, jumping out of the chair he was sitting on.

"I'm going to find Storm by myself," he replied.

"What? I'm going too then," Zelos declared.

"No, I have to find her myself. I have to help her remember and I can't do that with everyone else around," he shot back.

"But...," Zelos started before Lloyd cut him off.

"Okay Dad. I trust you and I know that you can help her."

"Thank you," he replied as he headed out the door.

The next day Storm woke up and went outside to check on Noishe. He was lively and ready to go. Before she knew it Forcystus had come outside as well and they were ready to head to his base near Iselia. His "Renegade" base had been destroyed by Lloyd and the others quite awhile ago, but Forcystus had spent a lot of time and energy to rebuild it to what it once was.

As the two were walking through the Iselia Forest, Storm looked over at Forcystus.

"So, how do you know me?" she asked.

"Well, at one point in time you helped me fight off the Desians and Yuan, but we soon drifted apart after we thought that he was gone for good. Unfortunately he's back and he's up to no good once again. I was going to come and find you to help defeat him, but I soon learned that you may have died in a terrible attack. That was why I was so shocked to see you," Forcystus cleverly lied.

"Oh, I was really that good of a fighter?" she asked.

"Yeah, your whole family is full of great fighters," he replied instinctively.

"My family? Where are they?" she questioned him.

Forcystus realized that he had accidently revealed too much to her. He tried his best to cover it up. "I'm not sure, I haven't heard anything about them in a long time," he replied.

Storm looked down at the ground. She realized that the only family she really remembered was Noishe but he wasn't who she really wanted to remember. She looked down sadly and felt as if her family did not care for her if they hadn't been seen around or if they weren't even looking for her.

Storm looked back at him and studied him over a little bit before she finally asked him, "There's something else about you that you haven't told me, I can tell," she said, trying to pry something out of him.

"Well, if you really must know, we were once engaged to be married," he finally told her.

"Once?" she lifted an eyebrow at him.

"Well, it didn't really work out and we decided to just be friends," he explained.

"Oh, I see," she sighed.

"Well, we're here," he finally said as she looked up and in the middle of the Iselia forest Storm saw a large, impressive looking building. She stared at it for a long time before she and Noishe went inside with Forcystus.

Yuan had discovered the remains of the Rheihard in the middle of the Triet desert. He looked around for any sign of Storm but was unable to find even tracks from her. He assumed that she would head to Triet to rest and decided to continue his search there.

He entered the city and immediately began to interrogate the people of the city for information on the young girl. When he entered the inn, he discovered something that shocked him even more that he already was.

"Wait! You'd better say that again!" he exclaimed, bewildered by what he was hearing.

"The young girl with auburn hair and hazel eyes, she came in with a half-elf with blue hair and a weird thing on his arm," she repeated.

"Okay...well thank you," he answered before he left the inn.

I can't believe that Storm would actually be hanging around with Forcystus again. Last time I checked she hated his guts, but I guess if she has gone back to her old habits this can only be expected, he thought as he began to head towards the Iselia Human Ranch.

Well, that's it there. Yuan is dead serious about catching Storm so I hope that she gets away from that ranch really soon. I hope Kratos finds her soon too. Why am I hoping these things, I am the one writing this. Oh well, I hope that everyone liked this chapter and if you have any suggestions or ideas please let me know. Thanks and please review.