Stree and Paine walked back into the New Yevon Headquarters just as the sun was sun setting. As they walked along, all Stree could think about was a painful headache he had developed on the way back, so he was in an irritable mood. It was made a hundred times worse by the fact that the first person to see them was Rikku.

"Hey Doctor P. And Patient! Uhh, Stree, this may seem like a bit of a stupid question, but why are you covered with blood?" she asked.

Ignoring her, Stree continued walking past, straight to his room.

"What's his problem?" asked Rikku with a pout.

"It's not my place to tell. And don't ask him either, he's likely to hurt you."

"Eek. Maybe I shouldn't ask him. But can I go tell Yunie?"

Sighing, Paine nodded. She then turned and started walking away.

"Hey, where are you going?" shouted Rikku.

"I have to go tell Baralai."

Tidus walked along outside the temple, looking for Yuna so they could spend a quiet moment together, when he saw Kam sitting on a bench all by herself, shivering in the cold weather.

"Is there any particular reason for this, or do you just like freezing yourself?" he asked, sitting down next to her.

Kam laughed. "I'm trying to strengthen my body. Stree w-w-worries too m-much, it'll g-g-get him killed."

Tidus smiled. "Why do you want to impress him?"

Kam laughed, and put her jacket back on. "Come on, you've done it too. Yevon, you even joined the Blitzball team to impress him, even though you sucked."

"Something Jecht reminded me of repeatedly. But I see your point. But just so you know, freezing doesn't strengthen you, it just makes you weaker. Ask Baralai if you can use his gym? That place worked wonders for me."

"Are you kidding? You're smaller than you were when we went to High School."

Tidus laughed. "Well, enough insults for me. I'm going to go find Yuna."

"Have fun," said Kam as Tidus walked away.

Deciding to take Tidus's advice, Kam walked towards the New Yevon Gym, hoping that Stree wasn't in there. To her surprise, it was actually Baralai in there. The normally reserved Praetor was busily and methodically ripping apart a sturdy looking dummy. Kam in awe as he flipped backward, kicking it in the jaw, then landed a few feet back, and threw a knife, impaling it straight through the forehead. He then ran forward, and launched into a flying kick, driving the blade through the dummy's head.

"Wow," said Kam. Startled, Baralai looked around, and saw that Kam was watching him. As he stood there, Kam couldn't help but notice just how much muscle the Praetor's tunic normally hid. Realizing she was staring, she caught her self and shook her head. "Nice moves. I'm impressed."

"Thank you for your words, but I'm not in a league close to Tidus or your brother."

Kam smiled. "Maybe not, but you have a job. You really don't want to know just how much those two put into their sword fighting. And just so you know, I think you could put up a fight against one of them."

"Really?"

"Tidus, maybe. Definitely not Stree."

Baralai laughed, then walked over and put a shirt on, yet another strange sight after only seeing him in his Praetor's tunic. "Yes, I heard about your adventures in the forest."

"Oh yeah, so much fun. Especially with Stree watching to make sure I don't get in harm's way. Honestly, you'd think I was a cripple."

"No offense intended, Kam, but according to details I heard, you almost were."

"Who told you that?" asked Kam, suddenly suspicious.

"Tidus. I made him tell me any past history that I though might help explain why Stree acted the way he did in the forest. I'm sorry."

"That's alright. What else did he tell you?"

"He also told me about the unique relationship you three have with each other."

Kam laughed. "Pretty screwed up, huh?"

"Maybe, maybe not. I've heard stranger stories."

"I suppose. Hey, can I, uh, use this place for a while?"

"Of course. Need any help?"

"I'd ask you to spar with me, but you'd probably kill me."

Baralai laughed. "I could show you some moves if you want. No contact, so there's no chance of you getting hurt. Unless you make the dummy angry."

"Show away," said Kam

"Kam? Kam!" Stree's voice echoed throughout the small forest menacingly. Unnerved, he gripped the handle of his Graviton Hammer a little tighter. "Kam!"

He pushed his way through a clump of bushes, and jumped when he heard a scream, then a thump. His heart racing, Stree hacked his way through the rest of the bushes, and ran in the direction he thought the scream came from. There were more thumps, off to his right, and he quickly turned in that direction. He continued on, but now the screams were coming from behind him. He spun around, and found his sister lying on the ground; dirt mixed with blood all over her ripped clothes and cut body. He looked around and found seven Fangs staring at him, growling softly. With a desperation borne of an instinct to protect her, he rushed straight at the first Fiend. It followed suit, launching right at him. Stree ducked to the right, and lifted his blade, intending to catch the first one in the stomach, but his blade never got there, as he was tackled to the ground by another one. He kicked it right on the sensitive part of it's muzzle, then flipped himself to his feet, and stabbed his sword straight through its eye. Suddenly, he felt something rip into his leg. He looked down and found yet another of the blasted beasts tearing through the outside of his trench coat and through his pants leg, ripping the skin beneath. He grunted in pain, and dropped, driving his elbow into the things skull. Satisfied with the crunch the sounded when he made contact, he ripped the body off and threw it at one of the other beasts, then turned back to the remaining five, but was horrified when he saw they had returned their attention to Kam. Screaming in rage, he ran at them, slashing right through one before they'd even realized he was that close, the other four jumped on him however, biting and clawing at him. He dropped his sword and started trying to push them away, when he felt all of the breath leave his body. He looked down and found one of the Fangs burying its face into his chest, leaving a big hole when it was thrown back. Seriously pissed off now, Stree bucked and kicked until they were all off him, then grabbed his sword and, using as much strength as his torn body could muster, launched his overdrive, completely decimating the four beasts. He quickly placed his sword back on his back, and rushed over to Kam. He rolled her over gently, searching for something that would show she was still alive. He put his head near her mouth, and tried to hear breathing. When he heard nothing. He panicked, and grabbed her wrist to feel for a pulse.

"No," moaned Stree, when he could find nothing. He picked up his sister's lifeless, body, tears dripping down his face as he did so. Suddenly, a deep laugh started echoing all around him. He turned and found himself staring at a black shadow. As he stared at it, fear crept into his body, despite his attempts to control it, and the wraith like figure grew larger and larger. When it was so big it took up most of the forest, and rushed at him, enshrouding him in darkness. Fiery pain coursed through his body, running in and out of the many wounds he had sustained at the fangs, and he screamed in agony. The shadow shouted his name mockingly. "Stree! Stree!" then the darkness overtook his vision. "Stree! Stree!"

"Stree! Wake up! Stree!"

With a shout, Stree and jumped out of bed, sweat dripping off his body.

"Stree! Calm down!"

Whirling, Stree grabbed whoever it was that was speaking by the throat and pushed them up against the wall. Then, realizing what he was doing, stepped back, dropping the person to the ground.

"Wowie. Maybe you should get a dream catcher or something, Stree."

It was then that he realized it was Rikku. His hand started wanting to clamp back around her throat. "What do you want?" He asked, his throaty voice surprising him.

"I heard you screaming really loudly, and I came to see what was killing you."

"Thanks for your concern, but I don't need it."

"Hmph. Well don't ask me for help next time you're in trouble." With that, she turned and left. As he watched her leave, Stree noticed the door barely hanging by its hinges. Rikku must've kicked it in when she heard him screaming. He got changed into his armor, then started to walk out the door, when a hand pushed him back in.

"We need to talk," stated Auron blandly. Stree looked around for his Hasamune, but it was across the other side of the room. Auron didn't appear to have his weapon on him, but that didn't mean much.

"You'd better have a damn good explanation for what you did."

"I pushed her to the ground, if you'd watched for a second more, you would've seen the fiend behind her that I killed. You can check it out with her, if you like."

"I get the feeling that there's something else behind this. I want you to tell me."

"What you want isn't always what's best for you. You'll have to wait. But enough of that. I came to tell you we're leaving in a couple of hours. You may want to pack your things."

Stree nodded, then pointed to the door. Taking the hint, Auron walked back out. Stree turned around and threw his tent into his pack, and grabbed his sword then walked out, going to the gym.

Okay, so you already know most of the basic moves, so I'll get right to the advanced things," said Baralai "This one is called the Glint. The way it works, is that it looks like it's growing, which distracts the opponent, which then allows them to be hit."

"But it doesn't grow does it?" asked Kam.

Baralai shook his head. "No. the user just spins it faster, and slowly lets his hand slide to the end of the staff, then as it looks like it's shrinking, he's just moving his hands back towards the center. Here. I'll show you."

He moved back a few paces, and proceeded to do the move. It missed Kam by roughly three inches. Unfortunately, Stree walked in at the same time it happened.

"Hey!" he shouted.

"Hi Stree," said Kam.

"What are you doing? He could've taken your head off!"

"Excuse me, Stree, but there really is no need to worry. I was in full control all the time," said Baralai.

"I don't care. And what the hell do you know about fighting? You're a religious leader!"

"I know a fair bit, or I wouldn't have been able to get into the Crimson Squad."

"I don't know what that is, and I don't care, but I don't want my one remaining family member to be killed because you lost control. If you want to prove how good you are, you fight me."

"If that is your wish. Kam shall referee, so that neither of us is killed."

Stree nodded, and grabbed the Hasamune off his back.

Stree and Baralai faced off, Against Stree's Hasamune, Baralai's quarterstaff looked pitifully weak, but Kam knew better having used it herself a few minutes ago.

"Fight." She said.

Surprisingly, Baralai attacked first, jumping off to the side, and swinging straight at Stree's midsection, Stree ducked and swung at the middle of the staff, but Baralai moved to it bounced off the metal plating. Baralai then spun around and jabbed right at Stree's midsection again, but Stree twisted sideways and grabbed onto the staff, then threw it and Baralai halfway across the room. Baralai picked himself up, dusted himself off, then ran straight at Stree. As he ran he started spinning the staff around over his head. When he was only two meters away from Stree, he stopped, but his staff didn't. it kept moving forward in a bigger circle, until it smacked Stree right in the face, launching him into a stack of barbells. Having dropped his sword, Stree was now weaponless, so he grabbed the bar of one of the weights, slid the weights off it, then charged, using is like a staff. Baralai started spinning his staff again, but Stree was ready for it and brought his own up to deflect the blow, then spun around and swept Baralai's legs right out from under him, making him land hard on the ground. He groaned, but when he saw Stree standing over him with the makeshift staff raised over his head, he flipped himself up and back, narrowly missing the shoot, which shattered the wooden floor. Counting his blessings, Baralai brought his staff up to deflect another shot from Stree, then ducked and slashed his staff straight up at Stree's chin, Stree saw it and dodged it though, which left Baralai vulnerable, and Stree smashed his staff straight into Baralai's side, cracking a couple of ribs, and throwing him a considerable distance. When he landed, Stree dropped the weapon he was holding, and walked over to him.

"Kam," he said. Taking the cue, Kam ran up and cast Curaga on Baralai. Stree then held out his hand, helping the Praetor up.

"I was wrong," he said. "You are a very capable fighter. I think I can trust you. But don't purposefully hurt her, or I'll do the same to you."

"Of course," said Baralai.

Stree nodded. "I'll leave you two to your lesson then."

He then walked out, leaving Kam and Baralai alone once more.