A/N: Another update at long last – yay me! Apologies for the delay, too much uni work these days and far too little time. I also wanted to take a little more care than usual over this chapter, as it's quite a special one. Anyway, thanks for being patient. Hope it was worth the wait. :)

Chapter XI) Strengthen

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"This will turn out the way it should be."

Rival Schools, "World Invitational"

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The morning had brought with it an unusual amount of warm sunshine that, for once, had allowed Sydney Alderwyn to take his morning tea in the rooftop garden of the Delphinium building itself rather than within the glass conservatory nearby. The light, gentle waves of music conducted by the small string orchestra carried softly from the far end of the winter-kissed garden over to his location, and the lord smiled as his mood gradually lifted. He had long appreciated the compositions of Tabis H'avian, and The Tumultuous Winter was one of his favourite pieces – nothing more suited, in his mind, to the morning of a promising day.

He heard the shuffling of his chief aide underneath the melodies, and took a sip of tea before addressing him.

"You have news of Mizuho, Grent?"

The aide, now formally acknowledged, strode briskly into view and bowed. "I'm afraid not, my lord," he said, shaking his head. "In so far as I can tell, the operation at Mizuho is proceeding to plan. Captain Merendez has arrived and has begun to carry out the necessary preparations."

Grent waited a few moments for Alderwyn to nod his assent, then continued. "My lord, this news…it's about your daughter."

Alderwyn felt his eyebrows rise with amused surprise. "My daughter?"

"Yes, my lord." Grent cast a quick glance at the orchestra before nodding. "It appears that…she escaped sometime last night."

"Escaped?" The raven-haired lord laughed humourlessly. "It appears I do not give her abilities sufficient credit. Well and so, I trust recapture procedures are in progress?"

Grent nodded. "Yes, my lord. I took the liberty of organising the operation myself. With your leave…?"

"As you will," Alderwyn thought for a second, then looked up at his aide. "But if the problem persists to Mizuho then let Merendez handle it. It would be undesirable to have valuable personnel in insignificant areas."

The aide ran an Exsphere furnished hand through his cropped black hair and smiled. "Yes, my lord."

---

As it passed closer to the forest edge, the surging river thinned out and its shifting contents gradually settled into gentle ripples that lapped at the low banks. Panting heavily, the wolf with the purple mane approached the shimmering surface of the river edge and bowed her head to lap at the cool, refreshing water. The movement triggered a wave of pain in her side and she craned her head round to lick at the large gash that had reopened.

Hurt. The exhausted wolf shuddered as a wave of nausea struck her and she flopped down into the cover of the long grass, sensing that her legs couldn't support her anymore. Despite the brightness of the sunlight, everything seemed to blur and fade into darkness as she fell unconscious.

Sleep.

---

"Whoa babe, look at you!"

Presea paused in the open doorway of the parlour, feeling incredibly self-conscious under the scrutiny of Rochelle, Colette and Sheena. The trio were sat on cushions around the low table, which was now bedecked with a variety of breakfast foods, and all wore expressions of surprise. Catching a glimpse of herself in a nearby mirror as she moved to take a seat, Presea conceded that her appearance was, to some degree, different than normal.

She had bunched most of her hair up in two long plaits that descended beyond her cheeks like bookends to her face, and had used a selection of beads to keep them in place. The style was complimented by one of the lavish white and cherry kimonos she had selected to wear from the vast range on offer, and Presea had even experimented a little with the make-up set Rochelle had bought her in Altamira. She had found that utilising makeup effectively possessed the highest difficulty level when getting ready, but had succeeded in applying an inoffensive amount of liner and powder blue eye shadow which matched the glossy layers on her nails.

The pink haired girl felt her cheeks flush slightly at the prolonged attention, and approached the cushions to take a seat. "You are all staring significantly longer than is considered usual…"

Colette blushed and looked away. "Oh, sorry. It's just that…you look really different."

Presea looked down at herself and shook her head. "I do? I t…it is nothing really..."

Rochelle smirked and wagged her finger in admonishment. "Of course it is Big Sis! When do you ever put that much effort into getting dressed normally? – ulp." The Felesian clapped her hands over her mouth and grinned ruefully before gesturing extravagantly at her own kimono. "Heh, um, anyway – What do you think eh? I think I look cute!"

Presea smiled and looked across at Sheena and Colette. "I apologise if she has been an ordeal to you both."

"Hey!" Rochelle slumped back on her cushion and stuck out her tongue. "Don't be mean, missy."

Colette grinned at Presea, and bobbed excitedly on her cushion. "Presea, wait till you hear this! Sheena got a letter from Raine and Genis today! Apparently they are going to be in the area soon, and plan to visit Mizuho."

A pleasant shock took hold of Presea and she looked across at Sheena as if seeking confirmation. "Really?"

"Yup." Sheena slid two small breakfast pastries onto her plate and smiled. "Raine figures they should be here by tomorrow afternoon."

"That is…" Presea shook her head and grinned broadly. "…That is amazing news! It will be great to see them again. I wonder how they have fared on their journey."

Rochelle surveyed the food on the table before selecting some cereal for herself. "Raine and Genis…were they the half-elves you told me about, Big Sis?"

Presea nodded. "Affirmative. They are travelling the unified world in an attempt to reduce levels of discrimination towards half-elves. I hope they have met with success."

Sheena considered that for a moment and laughed. "Probably. I pity the person who gets on the wrong side of Raine anyway."

Colette laughed too as she reached for her drink. "Heh, the Professor can be quite scary sometimes, but she's a wonderful person. I've missed her."

"Yeah, it'll be nice to see her again." Sheena brushed crumbs off her kimono and smiled at Presea – indicating the pink haired girl's appearance. "So, you going to tell us what the special occasion is, or do we have to resort to old Mizuho interrogation techniques?"

"Ah." Presea glanced nervously at the table and took a deep breath. "Um…well…" The blood rushed to her cheeks as she thought back to earlier that morning when she had lay in bed and finally decided. Today is the day.

Looking back up to meet Sheena's gaze, she felt a burst of nervousness pass through her, despite being in the company of friends. "…It is just…today I…I am going to ask Lloyd if he would be my husband."

There was silence for a few seconds, and then Colette clasped her hands together and squeaked in delight. Sheena and Rochelle stared on, dumbstruck.

"What?" the Mizuhoan cried, and nearly dropped her plate in shock. "Marriage? Oh wow Presea, you serious?" She grinned at Presea's enthusiastic nod and shook her head. "Wow, I don't know what to say…other than that's…that's amazing!"

"Oh, Big Sis!" Rochelle leapt across and wrapped her arms around Presea. "That's so cool! And not before time either missy! Now you'll have an excuse to do all that soppy stuff."

"Incorrect definition," Presea smiled softly at the Felesian. "It is not soppy."

"Ooh, I can't wait!" Colette giggled with unconcealed rapture. "When are you going to ask him? Today?"

Presea hesitated and shook her head. "I…I do not know." The nervousness had increased since she had announced her declaration and she wondered now if she would actually be able to ask him when the time came. It seemed strange to her that, on deciding what she wanted, she now felt more scared. Her cheeks still burned as she looked up at Colette. "Unusual sensation. I feel…scared. I…want to ask him, but also…"

Rochelle gave a quiet purr as she shifted to lie across Presea's lap. "Aw, someone's shy! Just ask him babe – of course he'll say yes!"

Colette nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we'll be right behind you…well, um, not right behind you…I don't think that would be very helpful."

Presea looked down at the empty plate before her to the table of food, but decided that she couldn't really stomach anything at present. "Do you think…now is a convenient time?"

Sheena grinned. "It's as good as any. I think he's still out front, training with Quinn."

---

"Aeon Thrust!"

Lloyd skipped a few steps back as he parried the latest flurry of blows from Quinn, and the young man's breath misted in the cold air as he waited for his opponent's next strike.

Don't make yourself vulnerable. He remembered Kratos' words when they had trained together long ago, and wondered why he had been thinking of his father so much of late. His wondering mind nearly cost Lloyd, and the young man snapped out of his thoughts just in time to avoid a testing lunge from Quinn. The pair began to circle each other in the bright light of the sun, both looking for a further opening, but neither was willing to concede one. Lloyd felt frustration boil to the surface as he impatiently maintained his guard, allowing the older man's swagger and arrogance to affect his better judgement. He had to beat him, he just had to. Gripping his swords tightly, Lloyd darted forward to attack.

"Demonic Thrust!"

Quinn had been preparing himself for the charge though, and quickly brought his sword up to easily parry the blow, before throwing his weight behind the movement to force Lloyd back again. Residual energy from the younger man's attack swirled the loose snow into the air around them like tiny white fireflies, and Quinn looked up at them before meeting Lloyd's gaze. "Heh, not too shabby, firebrand."

Lloyd scowled, feeling anger at the comment, and leapt forwards again, but Quinn was ready, and the captain gracefully dodged to his right. As Lloyd turned, Quinn kicked up a stream of snow at the young man – hitting him directly in the face.

"Argh!" Lloyd quickly brushed the snow from his eyes, but as he blinked away the remainder, he found Quinn's sword an inch from his throat. The captain smiled thinly before sheathing his weapon.

"Never be reckless," he instructed. "And never expect your opponent to fight fair."

"I expect them to fight as fairly as I do," Lloyd retorted, stung by his defeat, and by the confident smile on the captain's face. Quinn merely laughed and turned for the house.

"Don't expect to always win then. Recklessness will always get you in the end, trust me on that. I'll take my leave now – it looks like you've got some pretty company."

Lloyd followed the older man's gaze to see Presea stood by the entrance to Sheena's house, watching him. She was wearing a long, elegant kimono and had put her hair up into two attractive plaits and Lloyd felt a strange flutter in his stomach at the mere sight of her. He always found Presea beautiful, but today there seemed to be something about the small girl that completely took his breath away. She looked as though she had something on her mind because she didn't seem to notice him at first, even though she was staring right at him. She finally snapped out of the daze when Lloyd waved in greeting, and the young man smiled to himself as she returned the gesture, embarrassed.

"Hey there," Lloyd finished sheathing his swords as he walked over. It seemed odd to acknowledge, even to himself, that he had missed Presea, given the fact that they had woken up together only a few hours ago, but that was how he truly felt. No matter how short the passage of time, if she wasn't there with him then he missed her immensely. Lloyd wondered absently if Presea felt the same. "Finally up?"

"Yes…" Presea's smile was warm but it seemed to hold something else too. Something like nervousness. "I was more fatigued than I first thought."

Lloyd wrapped his arms around the pink haired girl and kissed her, feeling a delighted warmth pass through him as she pressed herself into the embrace. "Yeah, you must be exhausted. You haven't stopped since we left Altamira." The young man paused as Quinn entered the house and closed the door behind him. Turning back to Presea, he sighed. "Tell me you didn't see that earlier."

Presea toyed with the fabric of Lloyd's top and rested her head against his chest. "…Uh…I did not see that."

"Haha, you're a lousy liar, you know that?"

Presea looked up and kissed him again, and the young man smiled. He enjoyed it when she initiated intimate contact. "I apologise. If it consoles you, I believe you would have emerged victorious had Quinn not cheated."

"Maybe." Lloyd squeezed Presea close to him in another embrace. "I guess he was right though – you can't always trust someone to fight fair. You look really pretty," he added, running one of her plaits through his fingers.

"Ah…t-thank you for the compliment." Presea blushed visibly and Lloyd smiled at how awkward the small girl still became at times. She hesitated for a second, staring at the ground, and appeared, to Lloyd, to take a deep breath. When she finally looked up again, her pale blue eyes glittered emotionally in the sunlight.

"Lloyd…I, there is something I would like to ask you."

"Sure, go for it." Lloyd smiled reassuringly, and wrapped his arms back round her waist. "What's up?"

Presea swallowed nervously, and returned to playing with fabric of his top. "I have been thinking that…I would, um…" She took another deep breath and met his gaze. "Lloyd, would you –"

Suddenly, the door to the house opened, and Quinn leaned into view. "Hey my little lovebirds, I think all the others are waiting to go Exsphere hunting. So when you're ready…"

"Quinn! You're ruining it!"

Colette's voice angrily echoed into earshot, and Quinn looked quizzically back inside the house. "Huh? What can I do for you my dear Colette? – Ow!"

Lloyd frowned at the odd occurrence before turning back to Presea. "Wonder what that's about? Anyway, what were you about to say?"

Presea blinked, looking as though she desperately wanted to get something off her chest, but she shook her head. "Ah…I, it was nothing. Do not concern yourself over it."

"Are you sure?" Lloyd couldn't put his finger on it, but something seemed wrong. He took her hands in his own and smiled encouragingly. "You can tell me you know."

"A-affirmative." Presea returned the smile. "I know I can…but it…it can wait."

---

"Well, looks like the lazy little kitty has finally come round."

Ceiridwen opened her eyes slowly, but the pale light of the morning sun stung them nevertheless. Rolling onto her side to turn away from the nearby window, the Felesian moaned and placed her head under the pillow.

"Go away Alwyn," she mumbled. "I'm in the sick bay to recover, not to listen to you spout rubbish."

"Ouch, charming as always." The half elf sat down in the chair beside the bed and grinned. "How are you feeling?"

"Like crap." Ceiridwen lifted her head out from under the pillow and scowled weakly. "Don't you have something better to do?"

"Nope. The Dawn Sabre is on standby till Quinn and the others get back, so you've got my undivided attention."

The Felesian rolled onto her back, running her hands through her pink hair in an attempt to alleviate the nauseous pain that tore through her head. "Aye, lucky me eh? Huh, I see you escaped harm."

"Yup, well, guess that's the luck of the draw." Alwyn's blue eyes studied her for a moment. "You know, she saved your life back there."

Ceiridwen sighed and closed her eyes, feeling her tail twitch irritably under the blanket. Rochelle. "Aye…I know. Guess I owe her."

"Haha, you could say that. I can probably guess what that'll involve though."

"Triela…" Ceiridwen laughed humourlessly, and looked sadly at her friend. "Maybe…"

---

A few hours later, Lloyd neared the top of the snow-coated hill and sighed. He surveyed the wide hilly plains that bordered the river running beside him before looking back to the others, who were still making their way up the steep incline. As they came closer, Lloyd rubbed the back of his head and sighed again – his breath turning into mist in the thin afternoon air.

"Man, I'm exhausted. Are you sure the Exsphere's were here?"

Sheena wrapped her winter coat tighter about herself and scowled up at Lloyd. "Yes I'm sure. Don't tell me you're bored already."

Presea smiled as she moved alongside Colette. "…And so it begins," she whispered to the former Chosen.

Colette giggled. "I'm sure he'll be fine when we find the Exsphere's." She looked about her as they neared the crest of the hill. "Wow, there's snow everywhere. Hehe, look! The hills look like little waves of milk."

"Waves of milk?" Presea frowned as she studied the snow-coated hills, decorated by a patchwork of shadows cast by the thickening clouds that hung overhead. Evening was definitely on its way in now, she thought. "That is an interesting, um, observation."

Colette smiled, glancing up at the descending sun before looking across at her companion. "You're going to ask Lloyd again today, right?"

Presea opened her mouth to reply but sighed instead, and looked down at her boots. She had changed from her earlier attire due to the predicted travelling conditions, and didn't really feel like asking Lloyd if he wanted to marry her, and spend the rest of his life with her, whilst covered in snow and mud and Martel knows what else.

"I…want to, but…"

Colette grabbed Presea's hand and gave it a quick squeeze. "Don't worry, I'll make sure there's no distractions." She glared over her shoulder at Quinn, who noticed and shrank back apologetically.

"Hey, I said I was sorry. How was I to know?"

Rochelle, who was skipping through the snow alongside him, grinned. "Ooh, someone's in trouble."

Quinn sighed and hung his head. "And Regal told me this job was going to be easy."

"Oh man…you guys, come look!"

Presea glanced up as she arrived at the top of the hill beside Lloyd and paused, her words failing in her throat.

The land levelled out here, a long mesa that bridged the gap between the distant mountains before them and the Gaoracchia forest behind them. The Saube River widened slightly in this area, as it wound its way lazily towards the mountains, and numerous clumps of stone and winter toughened reeds cluttered its weathered banks. Caught up in these reeds, and on the banks themselves, were a large number of scattered bodies – all seemingly burnt beyond any type of recognition.

"Oh no…" she whispered, feeling the earlier high spirits drain from her. Nearby, Colette placed her hands over her mouth and closed her eyes in silent prayer.

Sheena paused. "This…this was where the Exspheres were…but these…" she shook her head sadly. What could have happened here?"

Lloyd began walking gingerly towards the cluster of bodies on the riverbank, "I…don't know, but this is so not good."

Presea heard a poorly stifled gasp of horror behind her and looked across at Rochelle, was had just reached the top of the hill. The Felesian was staring at the bodies, and had gone very pale. The pink haired girl approached her friend and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Rochelle…would you prefer to wait here?"

Rochelle paused, but shook her head, and grabbed Presea's hand tightly. "No, I'll…be okay. If…if I'm with you, I'll be okay."

Presea gave her hand a quick squeeze of confirmation and they walked over to join Lloyd and the others beside the bodies. The deceased all looked as though they had been involved in some kind of terrible fire, but on a second glance, there was something else Presea found unusual about them. She knelt down beside Lloyd and frowned at the small glittering object each of the bodies had on their chests. "Are they…Exspheres?"

The young man nodded, his expression downcast. "Yeah, it looks like one of the ones Sheena found." He reached forward to touch it and recoiled. "Ugh…it's embedded into the body!"

Colette shuddered as she looked down at the body and turned away. "How…how horrible."

Presea nodded silent agreement, and looked up from the Exsphere to Lloyd. "Lloyd, what do you wish to do?"

"I don't know," he sighed, reaching down to touch the Exsphere again. "We could maybe bury the bodies?"

Sheena crouched down beside them both and nodded. "We could, but what about the Exspheres? If Delphinium come along and dig them up…"

"A valid point." Presea gloomily considered the bodies. "We could…remove the Exspheres prior to burial."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking." Lloyd stepped down the bank and looked at the bodies floating in the reeds. "Man…better pull them up I guess."

It was a very subdued affair, with Quinn and Lloyd pulling the bodies up from the icy water onto the snow-coated grass, while Sheena and Presea set about removing the Exspheres. Colette had taken Rochelle a small distance down-river, partly to search for any loose Exspheres and partly to try and raise the Felesian's spirits. Finally, as the cold winter sky darkened – tinted pink and red by the fading sun – Presea rolled the last of the bodies over to set to work on the Exsphere and paused.

"That is…unusual," she murmured.

"Huh?" Sheena wiped her hands on her clothes before leaning over to have a look. "What is it?"

Presea pointed at the Exsphere. "There is a crack in it. It…it appears to be bleeding…" Presea paused. She couldn't quite put her finger on why the sight disturbed her so much, but it did – a dread, creeping sensation that expanded gradually in the back of her mind. She shuddered and shook her head.

Sheena studied the damaged Exsphere for a second and paled somewhat as she saw the blood. "Ugh…that's horrible. Best leave that one where it is, I think." She looked over at the makeshift grave Lloyd and Quinn had been constructing and sighed. "I wonder who these poor people are?"

"I do not know." Presea sat up and wiped her hands on the snowy grass, feeling thoroughly downcast. "That was the last of them."

Sheena nodded and looked down-river as Colette and Rochelle returned. "Do you think they were washed down the river?"

Quinn's gaze followed the river up as it worked its way lazily through the fields into the mountains. "Well, guess there's only one way to find out. Though it is getting kinda late."

"Yeah," Colette walked through the long undergrowth to their location. "We should go and have a look. Maybe – ah!" The former Chosen yelped as she tripped on something underfoot, and fell forwards into the snow and grass.

Rochelle looked up in alarm and ran towards Colette's location. "Colette, are you okay?"

Sheena rolled her eyes as she glanced at Presea. "Some things never change, eh?"

Colette sat upright, dusting snow from her hair and clothes. "N-no, it wasn't me this time," she insisted, flustered. "There's somebody else here – a girl."

"A girl?" Presea left Lloyd and Quinn to finish burying the bodies, and ran over to Colette's location. "Is she unharmed?"

Colette crouched down for a few seconds to check and nodded. "I don't know…she's got one or two cuts, and there's a lot of blood, but I think she's okay. It looks like she's unconscious or asleep."

As she drew closer, Presea saw the girl. She guessed her age to be around the same as Colette and Lloyd, and she seemed to be wearing very little except tiny amounts of shredded clothing, which revealed a fairly deep gash near her right hip. Blood was caked on the girl's hands and had become matted in her straggly long purple hair. It looked to Presea as though some kind of wild animal had attacked her, and her skin was beginning to turn blue from the cold.

Slinging her bag down, Presea unrolled a thick blanket from it and wrapped it around the girl, mindful of the gradual drop in temperature.

Sheena approached the girl, shortly followed by Lloyd and Quinn. She knelt down beside the injured youth. "Poor kid, is she okay?"

Rochelle looked at Presea for permission, and when the pink haired girl nodded she knelt down to check the wounds over. After a few seconds, the Felesian readjusted the blanket and looked up at the others. "The wound looks as though it has already started to heal babe," she replied hesitantly. "Quite quickly too – as if she had an Exsphere or something. Regardless, she's probably best out of the cold."

Sheena nodded and turned to Lloyd. "Shall we return to Mizuho then?"

Colette glanced back up the stream. "We should take her to safety, but what about searching up the river to see where these poor people came from?"

Lloyd frowned in thought. "Well, we can always split up – say, two people take the girl back to Mizuho and the rest of us head further upstream for a bit."

Sheena looked back at the girl. "Heh, that makes sense I suppose. Well, guess I'll be in charge of taking her back."

Rochelle nodded. "I'll come too. I…don't particularly want to see anymore bodies…"

---

Ardell Merendez surveyed the vast camp before him and sighed. He was an airship captain, not a land commander, and really couldn't summon the necessary enthusiasm for the operation. Turning idly towards one of his subordinates, the captain stifled a yawn born of boredom.

"Please tell me that we've made some progress."

The subordinate's expression gave Merendez his answer before the man even shook his head. The captain rubbed his hands together to keep away the cold and returned to pace impatiently around the map strewn table in front of his tent.

"This will not do at all. They've been there all day and they still haven't found a way into the blasted place?"

"No captain."

"Very well." Ardell made sure he had his sword with him, sheathed, and turned to head up the thin mountain path towards the facility. "The group from Mizuho will be there at this rate. I'm going to 'encourage' the teams to work a little harder."

The subordinate shook his head in alarm. "But captain, master Grent is on his way here! He has urgent matters to discuss with you!"

Ardell waved a hand in casual dismissal. "Huh, he can wait. The sooner we get these Exspheres recovered, the sooner I can get out of here. Notify Eiros that I'm on my way over."

---

Sheena nodded in satisfaction as she tied the last piece of rope to the two long branches, and checked that the blanket suspended between them was secure. "Well, it's a little rough, but we should be able to carry her back to the village on this."

Rochelle eyed the creation dubiously. "You think? It looks a little too much like a hammock."

"It'll be fine, trust me." Sheena adjusted the girl, so she was positioned securely, and placed a second blanket over her. "C'mon," she said, as she stooped to pick up one of the poles. "Lets make this quick."

The Felesian grinned as she grabbed the second pole. "Let's hope she's not too heavy," she remarked as the pair began to lift the makeshift stretcher. She lead the way in silence for a few moments before beaming at Sheena over her shoulder. "Wow, you know, I still can't believe it. Big Sis is gonna get married. That's so cool!"

"Heh, yeah," Sheena kept her gaze focused on Gaoracchia Forest in the distance, feeling her stomach lurch with bittersweet thoughts. "I'm…I'm really happy for them."

---

Presea followed Lloyd along the rocky slope in silence, conscious of the question eating away inside of her. The group had travelled the route of the river to the base of the mountains, and were working their way up the steep path as a last ditch effort to locate the origin of the Exspheres. The evening had drawn on, the sky existing only as a pale shadow of its earlier self, and the pink haired girl wondered if she would get another chance today to ask him.

Conscious of Colette and Quinn behind her, but not wanting another chance to pass her by, Presea threaded her hand into Lloyd's and smiled as he looked down at her.

"You okay, my love?"

My love. She liked that. Nodding, Presea swallowed nervously. "Yes…Lloyd, about what I was going to ask you earlier."

The young man smiled, and wrapped his arm around her waist. "Yeah, what was it?"

Taking another deep breath, Presea met his gaze as they neared the crest of the mountain path. She felt her stomach twist and lurch as she spoke, and her head felt all fuzzy; the sound of her voice muted, as if she was listening to someone else say the words. "You already know that I want to be with you always, correct?"

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah, and you know I do too. Why what's–"

He cut off abruptly as they reached the plateau and Presea looked up. A large facility stood imposing, surrounded by, and partly built into, a circular range of high cliffs that ringed most of the plateau. The river they had been following seemed to pass through or under the building itself, although where it went from there was anybody's guess. Presea heard Colette barely stifle a gasp as she and Quinn reached the plateau, and had to fight to suppress her own surprise. The design of the facility, though eroded by time and damage, was clear to see.

"Lloyd," she whispered, her earlier question forgotten. "It looks…Desian."

"…Yeah…" The young man's tone was unreadable, as was his expression as he nodded across at the scene. "Look at all the people there. Wonder what they're doing."

Presea looked across as Quinn moved to get a closer look. "Warning. I would suggest caution – it looks as though they are Delphinium teams."

"Aw heh – give the lass a prize."

Presea, startled by the voice, took a step back as Eiros leapt down before them. Mara and Jorin appeared a few seconds after, leaping from a rocky ledge in the cliff above, and drew their weapons. Presea took in their appearance with a gasp, and the small girl was unable to take her eyes away from the various burn scars they wore. Eiros noticed her shock and smiled coldly.

"Yeah, got a bit of a bone to pick with you two 'bout that race," he spat, unsheathing his sword.

Quinn sighed wearily as he readied his own weapon, and looked across at Lloyd. "Ready to put your theory about fair fights to the test?"

Lloyd scowled at the remark as he drew his swords. "Oh, shut it Quinn."

The captain's chuckle was cut short as another voice entered the fray – one that was soft, yet unmistakably dangerous.

"It is about time someone told you that."

A tall man was walking confidently towards them, his thick black armour and clothes matching the colour of his long, silky hair. A thin scar ran down the pale skin of his cheek, and the man's green eyes glittered dangerously in the cold evening light. Out of the corner of her eye Presea saw Quinn smile in response, though the captain appeared to have gripped his sword tighter.

"Heh, fancy meeting you here Merendez. I was kind of hoping you would have had the dignity to go down with your ship."

Presea felt a flicker of recognition at the man's name, and remembered it coming up when she was on the Dawn Sabre. Merendez laughed with genuine mirth, and on hearing it echo across the plateau a few more Delphinium agents began to approach.

"That would mean I'd miss out on paying you back for this." He ran a finger down his scar and his smile turned cold. "Although I'm going to have to add my ship onto the debt now. Kill them. Then we'll work on getting access to that dump."

Eiros' grin matched that of his superior as he and the other agents began to advance. "Aye, with pleasure."

Presea unsheathed her axe, her arm still feeling tight and sore, despite the wound being almost completely healed. She frowned, wondering if some kind of irreparable damage had been inflicted upon it, but shook her head. No was not the time to worry about that. Turning to Lloyd, Presea raised her axe in preparation for the battle. "We must prevail."

Jorin and Eiros darted forward first, unsheathing two swords each, and engaged Lloyd and Presea. As the four traded attacks and parries, Quinn charged Mara, managing to disrupt the spell she was preparing to cast. Colette unsheathed her Chakram but dropped back a little to mutter the beginnings of an incantation.

Presea gritted her teeth in pain as she parried Jorin's heavy assault, her arm feeling as though it was about to seize up completely. The weight of the axe becoming temporarily too much, she fell back a step and used the momentum of her opponent's attack to allow him past, and stuck out her leg to trip him up. Jorin rose sluggishly to his feet, but as Presea closed in again, she felt the magical properties of Colette's incantation take effect, and her body strengthened with angelic power.

Lloyd and Eiros took turns to block and swing blows at each other, each utilising their skills and techniques but neither getting a clear upper hand. They circled each other warily, neither willing to offer an opening by being the first to attack. Nearby, Quinn had succeeded in disarming Mara, but the Delphinium agent was still keeping him occupied with hastily prepared spells.

Presea skipped to one side to avoid as Jorin's heavy sword smashed the ground where she had been previously standing. She was about to unleash an attack of her own, when Merendez' voice interrupted her.

"Enough," he shouted angrily, and as he raised a hand Presea realised that he wore an Exsphere. The item glittered majestically as waves of airborne mana distorted and pulsed, pushing the wind magic towards her location in swells and gusts.

The blast hit Jorin straight in the back and he flew forward into Presea, the pair falling heavily against the rocky ground. Quinn, who was still grappling with Mara nearby, neatly side-stepped her clumsy blow and used her as a shield to absorb most of the blast. Nevertheless, he was also forced to retreat from the remaining magical force.

"Presea!" Lloyd tried to disengage from Eiros to come to her aid, but Merendez casually unsheathed his sword and headed towards the young man, who became trapped between them both.

"The odds are certainly not in your favour," he observed, his voice thick with arrogance.

Lloyd grimaced as he pressed home an attack on Eiros, pushing the man back a little to gain some breathing room. The Delphinium agent looked over his shoulder at the reinforcements heading to their location.

"You're not gonna to win this time," he taunted, pressing home another attack.

Presea heard the exchange, and struggled to shift the unconscious Jorin off her. A few seconds passed and then Colette was there, helping the pink haired girl shift the weight and climb to her feet. The former Chosen pointed to the incoming Delphinium agents. "Presea, there's too many of them."

Presea nodded. "Agreed." Looking over to Lloyd's location, she saw the young man had managed to fight his way out of the pincer movement enacted by Merendez and Eiros. "Lloyd!" she cried. "We must disengage."

The young man took a few steps back to Presea's location. "Argh, damn it. We can't just run. What about the Exspheres?" He parried another blow from Eiros, and pushed the man back again, side-stepping just in time to avoid Merendez's casual sword thrust. Despite her inability to fight effectively with her sore arm, Presea couldn't stand by and watch her love fight his two opponents alone. Dragging her weapon behind her, she ran over to stand at his side.

"Listen to your better half," shouted Quinn, as he used the magic of his own Exsphere to fuel his sword. He pointed it at the ground between him and the oncoming reinforcements and a vast wall of swirling fire erupted from the ground. He grinned roguishly across at Lloyd and Presea. "It won't last for long firebrand, let's fly for now."

"Please Lloyd." Presea swung her axe ineffectively at Eiros, distracting the man while Lloyd struggled against Merendez's superior strength and skill. "They said earlier that they had not been able to access the building yet. We can always return later." She felt a surge of strength pass once more through her body as Colette finished another incantation, and looked across at the former Chosen to smile in appreciation.

Merendez seemed undaunted by the delay of his reinforcements, and smiled as his Exsphere began to glow again. "You're assuming, of course, that you're going to get away!"

Lloyd finally, grudgingly, nodded, and Presea breathed a sigh of release as the young man smiled confidently at the pirate captain. "That's because we are."

As he lifted it, blue flames began to form and swell on the blade of his sword, and Presea realised what the young man was going to do. She met his eyes and smiled in understanding, and allowed a similar power to flow from her Exsphere into her axe.

"Beast!" They cried simultaneously, bringing their weapons slamming down into the ground. Two vast torrents of bright blue energy poured forth from the impact, catching Eiros and Merendez between them, and erupting into one big conflagration. Eiros and Merendez were thrown a good distance away, landing heavily on the rocky ground.

Presea dropped to one knee, feeling drained from the attack and looked up as Lloyd helped her to her feet. Despite the urgency of the situation, she felt the need to throw her arms around the young man and kiss him.

Lloyd laughed, "Are you okay?"

Presea studied his face and smiled. I want to marry you Lloyd, she thought, but all she said was,

"Affirmative. We should make good our escape now."

---

Sheena opened the door to one of the guest bedrooms and entered, balancing the tray of food precariously on her other hand. The girl they had brought back a few hours ago was awake, and was now sitting up in the bed and sniffing the long sleeves on the kimono they had clothed her in. She looked up in alarm at Sheena as she entered, and opened her mouth to release a savage, warning hiss.

Sheena paused, blinking in surprise at the hostile action. The girl made no further attempt at movement, but remained watching her with glittering feral eyes, her mouth still slightly open to bear her teeth. The girl's purple hair was still streaked with mud and blood and Sheena wished that they had bathed her while she was still unconscious. Not knowing the severity of her condition at the time, it had seemed wise just to get her warm and rested, but it was looking unlikely that the girl would allow them to do anything else.

"Easy," she said soothingly, setting the tray down on the table beside the bed. "You're safe now."

The girl made no further response, but regarded Sheena with a mixture of wariness and curiosity. The chief pointed at the tray. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

"…Den?"

"Huh?" Sheena frowned at the strange remark. "What do you mean?"

The girl sniffed the air, looking around the room. "Den?"

Sheena made to reply but as the girl's head turned she saw a long gash on her cheek, where it had been partly obscured by the wild hair. She reached a hand out to check the severity of the wound but the girl responded viciously (or was it fearfully?), unleashing another hiss and attempting to bite the chief's hand. Sheena backed quickly away, and raised her hands in submission. "Easy, easy. Look, I'm going to leave you to eat okay? I'll need to clean and dress that wound later though."

She left the room, closing the door behind her and, after a few moments consideration, decided to lock it just in case. "Yeesh," she muttered, leaning against the wall.

"How was the expedition?"

Sheena looked around to see Masaki standing at the end of the hallway. She smiled in greeting and nodded. "Yeah, I think it went quite well. We found a load more of those Exspheres by the river – only these ones were attached…bodies." She shuddered at the thought, and shook her head. "It was horrible."

Masaki's eyes narrowed at the description. "Delightful, I'm sure. Well, I'll have them put into storage." He folded his arms and grinned. "You're back earlier than I expected though. What happened? All the walking tire you out?"

"Huh, you've got some nerve." Sheena pushed him jovially. "Yeah, me and Rochelle brought back a girl we found unconscious by the river. She's a bit…unsettled at the moment though. Lloyd and the others have gone on to see where the Exspheres could have come from."

"I see." Masaki looked out of a window beside him, his face unreadable. "Well, I'm sure they'll find something. Anyway, come on – you've got a meeting to get to!"

"But I've only just got back –" Sheena paused at the look on Masaki's face and grinned ruefully. "Heh, I know, I know. A chief's work is never done, right?"

---

Merendez eliminated his bad mood by barking out orders and threats at the Delphinium teams who were still trying to find some way into the old Desian complex. His limbs were sore from the earlier battle, and as the coldness intensified with nightfall he wanted nothing more than to be back in his tent or, even better, an airship. Why was it necessary for him to be here anyway? His orders normally came from Zao, not Lord Alderwyn himself, and the captain wondered if this was punishment for failing to eliminate the Dawn Sabre in their earlier engagement. The fact that Quinn and the others had escaped did not improve matters, but he knew he would always get another chance at addressing that particular matter.

"Captain Merendez? Lord Grent has arrived at the camp and wishes to speak with you."

Merendez sighed and nodded at the soldier. It was going to be a long, long night. "Tell him I'll be right over."

---

It was only when she looked out the window of Sheena's parlour, and saw the inky darkness of night, that Presea realised how quickly the day had gone by. The presence of Delphinium and the Desian complex had been the centre of conversation around the dinner table, as well as the strange girl they had found, but the pink haired girl continued to find her thoughts returning elsewhere. The day was nearly over and she was beginning to think that if she didn't ask him today then would she ever?

The room around her had become a mixture of conversations, ones that were general topics, and other, smaller, ones. She idly watched Colette and Quinn sharing jokes and stories, and Rochelle tapping Lloyd on the shoulder with her tail before pretending it wasn't her, and smiled. She adored this type of companionship, surrounded by friends and loved ones, and found herself gazing up at Lloyd as she lay in his arms. He noticed and leaned forward to kiss her. She considered asking him then, while everyone's attention was elsewhere, but was distracted from her thoughts when Sheena strode into the room, grinning broadly.

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make," she said, and waited for the conversation to lull. "You know that Colette has been living in Mizuho pretty much since the two worlds were united. Well, I've spoken to the Mizuhoan council and arrangements are being made for Colette to become an official citizen of Mizuho tomorrow."

The former Chosen squeaked in surprise at the news and clasped her hands together. "Oh, oh Sheena! They said it was okay? I don't want you to go against them or anything."

"Don't be silly Colette. You've done so much to help this village, it's the very least we can do in return." Sheena began pouring drinks then looked up. "As long as you still want to, we will make the necessary arrangements."

"Oh of course! Thank you Sheena!" Colette grinned excitedly, but then something dawned on her. "Wait…tomorrow? Oh my, is that too soon? I've got to rehearse and remember loads of things haven't I?"

Sheena shook her head. "You'll have help, don't worry. It'll be fine, trust me."

Quinn picked up his glass after Sheena had filled it, and lounged back on his cushion. "Think this calls for a celebration then, eh?" He said, his eyes sparkling. "To the beautiful new addition to Mizuho."

Colette blushed and giggled as the others joined in the toast, and Presea smiled at the expression on Lloyd's face. "I sense that he enjoys getting that type of response from you," she murmured.

"Yeah, you're probably right," he conceded. "Maybe I should try and not let him bother me." Lloyd looked down at Presea. "Oh yeah, so, you gonna ask me whatever it was you didn't have a chance to earlier?"

"Ah…" Presea felt her stomach lurch nervously and the blood rise to her cheeks. Somehow, it felt like the attention of the room was on her and Lloyd, and it made for a very uncomfortable sensation. She looked up at the young man and smiled timidly, wondering if it would ever be the right time. "Regarding that…could I ask you later?"

Lloyd looked confused, but nodded nevertheless. "Later? Well, sure…if that's what you want then it's fine with me."

Colette, noticing Presea's desire to ask, but reluctance to do so in the filled room, climbed to her feet and met the small girl's eyes. "Oh, that reminds me – Lloyd, Presea, I was going to show you two something earlier. Do you want to come see it now?"

Presea, realising what her friend was doing, climbed to her feet with a nod. "Ah…Affirmative."

She waited for Lloyd to stand up before following the former Chosen out of the parlour and through the long, identical corridors of the house.

"Hey Colette, what are you going to show us?" Lloyd asked, full of excited curiosity. Colette smiled, but didn't answer until they reached the door leading out to the garden.

"Hehe, it's just out here," she announced, nodding at it.

The garden was beautiful, despite the time of year. A variety of winter-bred flowers and trees, decorated in layers of snow, complimented the selection of water fountains and statues that lined the area. The noise of the fountains themselves could be heard softly, and Presea was surprised that the water hadn't frozen because of the temperature. Tiny flakes of snow descended from the scattering of clouds, which littered the star filled sky above, as the trio left the warm comfort of the house.

"Whoa, pretty impressive," Lloyd remarked as he looked around in admiration. "Is this what you wanted to show us?"

Colette looked across at Presea and smiled affectionately. "Ah…heh, well, actually I think I forgot something…I'll just go get it."

"Colette…" Presea felt her nervousness increase to the point of becoming unbearable, but managed to smile in genuine appreciation at her friend's kind act. "…Thank you so much."

The former Chosen returned the smile and nodded. "Remember to tell me how it goes," she replied before returning to the house.

Lloyd watched her leave, looking confused. "Uh…what's going on?"

Presea took the young man's hand, feeling the butterflies tear their way not unpleasantly through her stomach. "Lloyd…will you walk with me?" She wanted to ask him there and then, but still couldn't bring herself to do it. A little more time, she thought. I just need a bit more time.

"Sure, okay." Lloyd nodded and the pair walked through the picturesque garden in silence for a few moments. Presea looked up to watch the white specks of snow descend towards the ground, as if the very stars were falling from the sky.

"It seems that every time something important happens to me, it snows," she whispered.

Lloyd smiled, and gave her hand a quick squeeze. "That so? It's really nice though."

"It is," Presea took a deep breath. "It snowed in Flanoir," she added, thinking back to that night. "I believe that night was when some part of me realised that I was in love with you – although I guess I did not know what it was at the time."

She sensed embarrassment in Lloyd's laugh as the young man slowed to a halt, and he pulled her into an embrace. "Glad you realised it though," he replied, resting his head gently on the top of Presea's. The small girl sighed in pleasure and tilted her face upward to nuzzle against his.

"Me too," she whispered, and turned so she was facing him, her arms wrapping protectively around the young man's waist. Here I go, she thought, and looked up at him. "Lloyd…you do enjoy being with me?"

"Huh?" Lloyd looked perplexed. "Are you serious? Of course I do. I love being with you, Presea. Why do you ask?"

"Um, well…" Presea rested her head against the young man's chest and listened to the soft beating of his heart. She felt so nervous, but realised that nothing was going to prevent her from asking now other than her own lack of courage. It was just like Heimdall, she thought, and the memory made her laugh.

Looking up at Lloyd, she smiled softly. "It appears I still have trouble expressing myself."

Lloyd ran a hand through Presea's hair and his soft brown eyes searched her face. "Stop changing the subject," he chided gently. "What's up?"

"Ah…" Presea looked away for a moment; at the garden, the sky, anywhere, but then took another deep breath. Enough, she decided. "Lloyd…what I wanted to ask was…was…" she swallowed and closed her eyes. "…Would you…would you like to be my husband?"

As the words left her mouth, Presea felt a great weight lift from her shoulders and she leant her head against Lloyd's chest on feeling his arms tense slightly. She closed her eyes, hoping that his silence was just from shock and not her earlier feelings being confirmed. Too soon, she thought dejectedly, and slid her hands down Lloyd's waist to find his own.

"I mean…only if you wanted to," she added. "…If you didn't yet then I…I do not mind waiting until you are more comfortable with the idea or perhaps, if you're not, then –"

"Presea..."

The pink haired girl paused at the softness in Lloyd's voice, and the young man brought a hand up to caress her cheek. Her stomach was tingling more than ever before, and her head reeled from the emotional intensity of the situation.

Lloyd studied her face for a moment more, then smiled the most beautiful, warm smile Presea had ever seen. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of it, and the young man took hold of her hands in his. "You dork…did you really think I'd say no?"

Presea didn't respond at first. It was like she had been frozen by Lloyd's words, and the butterflies within her were working overtime to compensate. The same was true of her senses; suddenly everything became more focused; brighter colours, louder sounds and clearer scents, rather like she had been muting them all prior to asking the question.

"Then you mean…" Her voice was barely more than a whisper in the quiet night air.

"Of course, silly." Lloyd hesitated for a moment, then shook his head – a smile lighting up his face. "But you know, I was kinda brought up believing that it's not the lady who should ask."

Presea couldn't stifle the surprised gasp that left her lips as Lloyd went down on one knee onto the snow coated ground and clasped her hand in his. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and tingled as the young man spoke.

"Then…Presea Combatir, will you marry me?"

"Oh, Lloyd!" Presea couldn't contain the emotion any more, and flung her arms around Lloyd's neck in an embrace. Her cheeks felt damp with sudden tears of joy, and the pink haired girl realised then how much she had wanted this, even when it hadn't been at the forefront of her thoughts.

"Yes!" she cried, "Yes, yes I'll marry you! Oh Lloyd, I am so happy!" She shifted so that her lips found his and their embrace tightened, warming up the forgotten cold winter air.

"I adore you, my love," she murmured happily, as the young man eventually stood up. "I adore you so very much."

"Heh, I adore you too." Lloyd sighed contentedly as Presea fell into his arms again. "We're going to be together forever, yeah?"

"Mmm, Affirmative," Presea reached a hand up to caress his cheek. "I am yours forever, Lloyd. And yours alone."

The young man nodded. "Same goes for me," he replied, and smiled warmly. "Guess you're stuck with me."

Presea smiled coyly. "I am sure I can live with that," she whispered and, stealing one last kiss, she took Lloyd by the hand and led him back into the house. The night was still young, but Presea was already looking forward to the end of it, when she would snuggle up to her love and show him how little she minded being 'stuck with him'.

A/N: Well, that's the end of another chapter, and hopefully the next one will be up fairly quickly. Cheers for reading.

Next Chapter: Presea takes some time out to visit her hometown, Raine and Genis arrive at Mizuho and Colette prepares to become an official citizen of the village.