Author's Note: Sorry for the late update! They're going to be slow, and even slower over Christmas I'm afraid. Christmas is going to be a tough time for me, my family is a bit strained at the moment and I'm worried things will go a bit wrong, making writing difficult.

Sorry. Enough about my personal life. I want to point out to new readers (and old ones alike) that I'm not being new and cruel and ignoring my reviewers, only I'm not allowed to reply to them in author's notes anymore, so if you leave a review, I'll reply to you via the reply button. It somehow doesn't feel the same, not being able to talk to my readers directly from the story where everybody can see the points, but I'm afraid I have no choice.

I didn't quite go into Vivli's trauma as much as I'd like this chapter, I'm finding it very difficult to do, but it is there, and she does develop quite a bit this chapter (you'll see what I mean). I'm also trying to keep at the fun humour which is more present in the flashback sections, but again, I've tried to make sure it's there. I'm also planning to work in some character cameos (any readers who want one just ask and you'll get one as thanks for reading!) although I'm not quite sure yet. Got a few I know will be in there somewhere, but not sure where yet, so watch out for them!

Anyway, time to be quiet and let you read, I figure.

CHAPTER VIII

FIVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT YEARS EARLIER

"There are times in life when I like to sit back and wonder how we got into these kinds of situations." Jeren seemed to say casually.

"Can I suggest that this is not the time?" Olose cried, ducking an arrow as they ran through the cave network.

"You may have a point." Jeren confessed.

"There's an awful lot of people following us." Suse observed, viewing their angry pursuers.

"So we traded a dragon for a hoard of murderous immortals enraged with us, it happens." Trevia casually shrugged, throwing a shuriken at their followers, which provided decisively ineffective. She drew a silver dagger, and hurled that, and screams of agony made sure it did a considerably better job. Another arrow whizzed past the group, just missing Suse.

"Why can bad guys never shoot straight?" She asked.

"Don't complain!" Olose snapped. "Jeren! Time to bring the roof down on these guys!"

"Thought you'd never ask!" Jeren replied, pulling out two more bombs.
"How many of those things do you carry?" Phabrizoe inquired, hurling a lightning bolt back at their enemies.

"Just make sure you never cast a fire spell around me." Jeren warned as he lit the bombs and threw them into the air.

They exploded, and with a massive rumbling the cave collapsed in on itself, forming a barrier of rocks between pursuers and the pursued. The group stopped for a moment to catch their breath. Olose seemed to sigh painfully.

"How did this happen?" He asked. "How can they still be alive?"

"The werewolves?" Suse tried to figure out what he was talking about, and wasn't doing a particularly good job.

"One werewolf with sinister motivations almost destroyed Tavnazia in a simple brawl." Olose stated. "What's an army of them going to do?"

"Nothing." Trevia decided. "Because we're going to stop them."

Leanne paced nervously in front of the cloaked figure, sat in a high backed concrete chair.

"Where is he now?" The cloaked figure's voice rang out with eerie tones.

"I don't know. He evaded us." Leanne replied.

"Find him!" Snapped the cloaked man, his deformed chin all that was visible under his cloak. "I am certain he is the one that can stop us. We must eliminate him or we are destined to fail."

"Sir, isn't it possible you're reading too far into this prophecy?" Leanne dared to ask. "I mean, it's only an ancient rumour, and he's only one man. He ran away today, and will probably continue to do so. He's no real threat." The robed figure fell silent, and slowly rose from his chair. He took a single step towards Leanne, and paused.

"I would be careful as to not voice such doubts again in my presence." He simply warned. Leanne gulped.

"Understood, my Lord." She bowed, turned and left.

Arcadia paced in her cell. She was frustrated, not upset. She felt left in the dark, and it was making her angry. She wasn't quite sure what was going on. She certainly didn't understand Aura's involvement. And waiting for Olose was getting annoying. Too annoying. Arcadia hated that feeling of being helpless, but escape didn't seem a likely option. She froze, hearing footsteps, and paused, waiting. Aura appeared again, and stood before her.

"Hungry yet?" She gloated. "After that little outburst, I thought it best not to feed you."

"It will take more than starving me to affect me." Arcadia answered confidently.

"I'm sure I could arrange a transfer to another cell." Aura threatened.

"Unlike you, threatening to take away my comforts will not achieve whatever you're planning." Arcadia replied with a slight smile.

"Planning? Oh no, nothing like that. You are insurance. You just need to be kept here. How we keep you here is of our own deciding. I can chain you up and hang you from a dungeon wall, if you'd prefer."

"I am sure you would get your hands dirty doing it." Arcadia knew how to deal with people like Aura, she had been raised around them, and dare she think it, she was getting the upper hand on her captor.

"Once Olose has fallen, we will have no need to keep you alive." Aura smiled. "Your actions now will pick your death. Right now, it's leaning towards 'slow and painful'." Aura turned, and left, before Arcadia could say anything else. Arcadia paused, her confidence slightly shaken. She was still certain Olose would stop them. He always did.

FIVE HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT YEARS LATER

Bastok was in disarray. The assault by San d'Oria had left the city shaken. The President had only just returned from the safety of his personal airship, and had promptly declared martial law to prevent people taking advantage of the wrecked city. Guards lined every street. Behind closed doors a counter attack was being planned. They knew San d'Oria was well protected, but they were planning to take it down in one swift attack. Once that attack began, Vana'diel would be cast into a war from which is may never recover. The machinations of the villains were already underway.

Vivli let out a long yawn as the group talked in the small inn. Rooms had been readily available, with so many people fleeing the city. Bootus crossed his large arms, and went deep into thought.

"The retaliation is already underway." He decided. "It's highly unlikely the President will believe this was a ruse. Especially from anybody who has any ties to the Light Warriors. He hates us, remember?"

"Iron Eater might listen." Olose suggested. "I'll talk to him in the morning."

"If you can get to him." Voldos interjected.

"Morning sounds good." Vivli yawned. Olose and Zinkata smirked.

"Maybe you should go to sleep Viv." Zin suggested. "You look tired." Vivli sighed. She had never been able to stay up as late as the others, and she was getting far sleepier far quicker in her current state. The exercise of the day she hadn't really experienced in three years either, so sleep sounded awfully tempting.

"Urm. Maybe I should." Vivli nodded, getting up and leaving the room. Back when they had traveled together, she had always had her own room, being the only girl in the group, and now was no different. Only when she had been with Zinkata did she share a room, and she didn't even want to think about those days currently.

The group watched her go, and then sighed.

"I'd kind of missed this." Bootus smirked slightly.

"You're gonna miss it a lot more if war starts." Olose pointed out. "We need to find a way to stop them."

"Any ideas? We don't even know who they are." Zinkata pointed out.

"I do." Olose stated. The group suddenly focused very intently on him. "Over five hundred years ago I ran into a cult of werewolves."

"Werewolves? I thought you were the last one?" Voldos said in shock.

"So did I. We did battle and eventually they were defeated. I thought they were gone for good. It seems that I was wrong." Olose sighed. "It may sound bigheaded, but there was a prophecy that only one of their own ranks, turned against them, could stop them. That person turned out to me. They were obsessed with destroying me, and in an ironic twist, caused their own destruction."

"Apparently not." Bootus felt the need to point out.

"Indeed." Olose nodded. "They were obsessed with destroying me before, and probably still are now. I'd imagine that's why they raised my ship. They're after me."

"So why attack Bastok?" Voldos asked.

"Part of their plan. They want to plunge Vana'diel into war then take over. But they're afraid I can stop them." Olose explained.

"So what are we going to do?" Bootus inquired.

"Exactly that." Olose grinned. "Stop them."

Vivli pulled her covers up around her and shivered. She suddenly hated the idea of being alone, but she was so tired, she needed sleep. The pillow was soft and felt good, and she always felt safer in bed. Even if she had been in bed when that happened. It was still safe. Warm.

As soon as those thoughts crossed her mind she felt tears running down her face. She hated it when that happened, but spur of the moment crying seemed to be something she kept encountering. The thoughts and memories could only express themselves as tears. She couldn't think of it in any other way.

She thought she heard something, but was too tired to open her eyes and look. Her body felt like it wanted to just shut down and sleep. She didn't have the energy to look up and decided to dismiss it. There was another noise. That she couldn't ignore. She was starting to get scared. She pulled her covers up as tightly as she could and squeezed her eyes shut, tears still escaping them. Another noise. That did it. She flung her covers off of her and sprang out of bed, half in terror, half in curiosity. He froze.

A gigantic man was stood before her. In her room. She began to shake and feel sick. It was worryingly reminiscent of last time-

This man was silent. Huge and bald, two lifeless eyes staring at her. Olose would have recognized him as Bear, but Vivli had been never had the misfortune of meeting him.

Bear began to advance on her. Vivli was frozen in fear. Her mind was racing and everything seemed to be happening in slow motion.

Not again. This can't be happening to me again! Not again! Not again! Not again!

Bear suddenly launched himself at Vivli, but at the last moment she leapt aside, causing him to crash into (and smash) her bed. Her nightdress swished around her ankles, and she suddenly had a feeling she wasn't dressed particularly practically for a fight.

She suddenly realized it though. She was thinking about fighting. No. She was thinking about winning. It was like her brain had snapped. She had had enough. In her entire life, she had never wanted to fight. She would only fight as a last resort (and lose, most of the time). But this time she was furious. She felt anger burn in her and a desire to destroy whoever she was facing, no matter what. And she didn't even know who he was. She dived for a nearby piece of smashed bed, and grabbed one of the legs, spinning it around as a crude staff. The huge figure rose, and turned towards her slowly. She focused her magical energies as he leapt at her.

Just in time Carbuncle burst from nowhere, impacting with the giant and sending him back. Bear swiped down at Carbuncle, but the small green creature dodged. Vivli almost smiled. She hadn't seen Carbuncle it what must be years. She had lost so much energy lately she had never felt up to summoning him. But now, in the heat of battle, with her burning anger, he had returned. Carbuncle threw himself into Bear with full might, but Bear merely slapped him aside. Carbuncle crashed into a nearby wardrobe, causing it to collapse in on itself. He seemed to smile to Vivli, and lunged at her. She dove out the way, and hit him as hard as she could with her staff. This resulted in a light tap that Bear didn't even feel. Vivli almost cursed herself as he spun around with another sweep. She ducked and leapt back. The enraged man charged her, and she swung aside again, using her small size to avoid him. He crashed against the wall, smashing the window, and turned around again. Vivli had shut her eyes and was chanting. He ran at her, but she didn't move. He got within range and raised his fist, ready to pound her into the ground.

"HOLY!" She screamed at the last moment. Bear saw a bright flash of white light, and before he knew it, he was rocketed out the rear wall into the street below.

Olose led the group as they burst into the room, having heard the sound. Zinkata and Voldos rushed over to the shattered window as Olose caught Vivli; she had fainted. Bootus stood behind his fellow Light Warriors as they looked into the street below. A huge figure looked back up at them, and then disappeared into the shadows.

"What happened here?" Zinkata cried, turning around.

"Looks like they attacked Vivli." Olose figured.

"Then why is she still alive?" Bootus inquired.

"Only one spell she knows can do damage like this. Holy." Zinkata stated. "But I thought she said she had been losing her ability to cast? Holy requires most of her energy."

"That would explain why she's unconscious." Olose guessed. "Remember the battle in the snow? When she used the last of her energies and even a bit more?" Zinkata shut his eyes, remembering. She had saved his life that day.

"Yeah. I remember." He said grimly, remembering how strongly he felt for her that day.

"Poor Viv." Bootus smirked. "Even when she wins a battle she ends up unconscious."

"She didn't win. Whoever that was escaped." Voldos pointed out.

"Why Vivli?" Zinkata asked suddenly. "Olose. I thought you said you were the threat."
"I thought I was." Olose admitted. "If they're targeting Vivli, then they're targeting you guys as well. The Light Warriors."

"Why would they do that?" Bootus inquired. "You're the one they want."

"They place a lot on myth, and you're the legendary protectors of Vana'diel. You always keep it safe. You always have. They fear you as much as me, and that is not good."

"It's not?" Voldos questioned. "I thought them being afraid of us would be useful."

"It's not. It's much easier to battle an enemy who isn't trying to kill you." Olose pointed out. "Look. From now on we stick together. Let Vivli rest. Hope she wakes up. Being drained magically can seriously harm somebody; casting when you can't cast that much. It could be worse than we think." Everybody fell silent. "Give it time, we'll wait. Tomorrow we'll go and find my ship. We'll find out what they're up to. It's our only hope."

Leanne paced before Bear with an angry expression on her face.

"She defeated you?" Leanne asked skeptically. "I've seen her. She's so scrawny I doubt she could lift a weapon. And she hasn't cast a spell in years? Yet she stopped you?" Leanne froze, and stared at Bear. "I don't know why I bother. Next time I'll send a six year old girl. She can do a better job." Bear seemed to be completely without emotion, taking Leanne's abuse. "They'll be ready for an attack next time. We'll need to wait. Take care of Olose. Without him, they'll be weakened. Then we'll finish them off. No more mistakes. From now on, I'm overseeing things personally." Bear didn't move as Leanne spun and turned away. He watched her go in silent anger.