AN: Joy and happiness! I finished the first chapter! I'm thinking the first several chapters will be on Seiryah, since I need some time for problems to develop on Kalas's side. Not as much as you might think, though… I'll be explaining that in this chapter.

Oh, and in case you didn't figure this out before… there will be spoilers if you haven't beaten the game, since this fic takes place post game. Lots and lots of spoilers. You have been warned.

First Chapter: Re-acquaintance

They walked rather briskly back in the direction she had come from. Seiryah had difficulty keeping up with Arvel's longer, steadier strides, and by the time they got back she almost fell to the floor, she was so exhausted, even though the walk had taken scarcely five minutes. Inside the room where she had been asleep a large man with curly, close-cropped black hair, dark brown eyes, and darker skin than Seiryah could ever remember seeing before arguing with not one, but two women dressed in white skirt and blouse uniforms of some sort. One was very short, with bright blond hair that reminded her of Xelha and hazel green eyes. The other was about medium height, with mousy light brown hair and light brown eyes. Interestingly enough, it was the shorter and more innocent-looking of the pair who was standing up to the storm of rage.

"By the gods, Liris, what do you mean that you don't know what happened. Look at this!" he shouted, grabbing the needle with the tube attached and holding it up. "This is blood! Someone pulled this out of her skin!"

"And that doesn't mean that she's been kidnapped!" The blonde woman, Liris, snapped in retort. "Seiryah was my friend too, Mihkal! And even if I don't know exactly what the four of you were up to, I have done everything to make sure that she was taken care of while she was here! There is nothing that points to her being taken against her will! Look at this, man!" she shouted, waving the torn blanket like a banner. "Do you think a kidnapper would have gone to the trouble of bandaging her arm?"

"Liris…" Arvel tried to interject.

"And how do you know that was used for bandages?" Mihkal countered. "It could have been used to tie her up!"

"Mihkal…"

Liris snorted in contempt. "Who would go to the trouble of restraining a comatose woman? Furthermore, do you see any signs of forced entry?"

"Well, with as lax as you people are here, someone could have taken her out right under your noses!"

If Liris had been angry before, that barb took her to something that made angry a misnomer. "You… you… after I busted my arse getting transferred here so I could keep an eye on Seiryah… and you won't even tell me what I'm supposed to be protecting her from!… you… you dare to…! Mihkal Falharden, if you don't take that back right now you are going to need a doctor!" the short woman shrieked.

"Please, the patients…" murmured the timid brown-haired woman, wringing her hands nervously. "We're going to get into a lot of trouble, Liris. Maybe we should…"

"You stay out of this!" snapped Liris and Mihkal at the same time. After half a moment, each realized that the other had said the exact same thing, and they then shared a glare that made their previous exchanges seem friendly in comparison.

Seiryah decided to stop this altercation before someone got seriously hurt. "Excuse me…"

Every eye was directed at her, and for the first time in her memory, Seiryah got the experience of having everyone within her range of vision staring at her, and she found it most unpleasant. She did not squirm, and she managed to keep her face expressionless.

"Seiryah?" the short blond, Liris said, seeming frozen. "You're… awake…?" and then, to Seiryah's surprise, Liris dashed up and hugged her. "Oh, you're finally awake! It's been so long! A whole year!"

"A…year?" Seiryah asked weakly.

"Yeah, it's been a long time," Mihkal said comfortingly, tousling her hair with an almost paternal smile on his face. "Welcome back, kid."

"That's… not what I mean…" she murmured. A year wasn't long enough. She'd been in Kalas's world for about three years, she knew that. And she had probably spent some time in one of the Outer Dimensions before she'd wandered to Nekton. So, it should be at least three years, maybe more. Why only one…?

"What's wrong, Seiryah?" Mihkal asked, noticing her expression. "Hey, let go of her, Liris. I don't think she can breathe."

"Oops. Sorry," Liris mumbled, letting go quickly as an embarrassed blush spread across her cheeks. "Why didn't you tell me? You know I always overdo things…"

"Do you?" slipped out of Seiryah's mouth before she could stop it. She then watched as confusion tainted the concern on their faces. She had to look away. She didn't want to see their faces when they realized that she couldn't remember them.

"So, it's not just me," Arvel said darkly. "You don't remember them, either. Do you remember anything, Seiryah?"

"…no…" she said softly, still not looking at any of them. Instead, she walked over to the window and peered out, trying to catch a glimpse of the world outside. Her home. Where she would be spending the rest of her life.

Right now, that thought made her want to cry.

"Oh, Seiryah…" Liris whispered.

"Um… I'll just be… checking on the other patients…" the other woman said quickly, before leaving.

Seiryah turned around, her curiosity getting the better of her, "Patients? So this is a place where the ill are tended? Is that what a 'hospital' is? What is your function… you said your name was Liris, correct? Are you a doctor?"

"…a nurse," Liris replied, looking slightly faint at the barrage of questions.

Mihkal laughed softly. "That's our Seiryah. Curious to a fault."

Seiryah blushed a bit, both because of her string of questions earlier, and a memory that was stuck in her head…

"Why don't you smell it, Kalas?" Seiryah suggested. The blue-haired teen looked at the large green beaker suspiciously.

"Are you sure, Seiryah? It looks kinda poisonous to me…"

"Silly, if the fumes were poisonous, everyone in the classroom would be dead. Just smelling it won't hurt you. Besides, that lady will probably give you something if you help her out," Seiryah added, knowing how Kalas would do just about anything for loot.

"…Fine. But I'm not tasting it if it smells the same way it looks." Kalas leaned over the beaker while the female scholar looked on eagerly, and took a deep breath. "Hey! It actually smells pretty good!"

"Really?" the scholar asked. "Can you describe it for me?"

"Um… a little bit like apple pie… okay, now I want to taste it…" He snatched the cup that the female scholar had been about to offer out of her hands and leaned over the beaker scooping out a cupful. He then brought it hesitantly to his mouth. He took the tiniest mouthful…

"Bleargh!" Kalas cried, dropping the cup and writhing about on the floor.

"Kalas, are you okay?" Seiryah gasped.

"Yeah… fine…" Kalas muttered once he had stopped thrashing. "Gah, for something that sure smelled so good, that sure tasted terrible… remind me never to bash Xelha's cooking ever again. And if you ever tell the others about this, spirit or not, I'll find a way to kill you."

"Hey, why would I want to torture you with something that was my idea in the first place?" Seiryah snapped. That stupid scholar was laughing, which wasn't doing anything for her temper.

"Um, you okay Seiryah? Mihkal asked, peering into her eyes.

"…I'm fine. Can… can you show me where I can find a mirror. And can I get out of this… thing?" she asked, picking disdainfully at the ill-fitting, thin white dress she was wearing.

"Um, why do you want a mirror?" Liris asked.

"Because she doesn't remember what she looks like," Arvel said before Seiryah was forced to reply. She shot him a grateful look.

Liris blinked. "You know, I don't think I've ever heard of a case of amnesia this bad. It's a miracle that you're still able to talk."

"Oh thanks, I did not need that cheerful image…" Seiryah groaned. I guess I should be thankful that things aren't even worse than they already are. Damn you, Melodia!

"Um… right. Here, I'll take you to the bathroom, it's this way. As for clothes… I kept a spare pair of yours here in case you… woke up. Technically, I shouldn't let you wear them until you're discharged, but since you're you, I don't think I'll lose my job if I make an exception."

"Why… does who I am make a difference?" Seiryah asked, unable to totally suppress a yawn. It was disgusting, how much her body had deteriorated in only a year. She had been awake for less than a half an hour, and already she wanted to go back to sleep!

"I think we can talk about that in the morning," Liris suggested gently, pulling a dark blue blouse and a pair of black slacks out of the drawer. "Here, the bathroom's a little way down the hall. I can take you there."

Seiryah's exhaustion took all the bite out of her glare, "That's an evasion if I've ever heard one."

Liris chose to ignore the challenge and made a show of counting doors, although Seiryah got the feeling that the blonde woman could navigate the complex blindfolded. "Four… five… six… ah, here it is!" Seiryah could make out in the dim light a sigh that read 'for women' on the door, as well as a rather primitive outline of a person wearing a dress. "You can get changed in here. Although… the accident you were in was pretty bad, and there was permanent scarring. Just to warn you."

"How bad was it?" Seiryah asked.

Liris's face darkened and lost all traces of joviality, "That's not something to be talking about so soon after you woke up. You just get dressed, okay? It's late, but Mihkal probably woke some of the patients up with his idiotic shouting. I'll make sure that no one disturbs you." Liris opened the door for her, carefully making sure that she saw how it was done, and then added, as if an afterthought, "Do you think you're going to need help putting your clothes on? I mean, since you don't remember anything…"

"I can handle things fine by myself. Thank you for offering, however," Seiryah replied. This was something she needed to do by herself. She didn't want someone watching her as she re-established what she looked like, not even someone who might have been a friend, who was breaking rules to help her. Flashing what she hoped was a grateful smile, Seiryah shut the door behind her.

The room was small, with brighter artificial lighting than had been in the hallway. The difference was enough to make Seiryah blink several times as her eyes struggled to adjust. When her eyes were finished getting used to the harsher artificial light, she walked over to the mirror hanging above the single sink, mesmerized.

To her shock, she was actually rather pretty. It wasn't Savyna's very dark, dangerous grace or Xelha's warm and fluffy openness, it was something regal and refined. Even dressed in her horrible sheet dress, she was… elegant. It was a surprise, and not an unpleasant one. Her silvery-gray eyes mirrored the shock she was feeling. Really, I almost look like a noble of some sort… Seiryah snorted in laughter at that thought. Even though she was far prettier than she had ever guessed she would be, she still couldn't imagine prancing around in dresses or anything more formal than the clothes Liris had handed her. A simple blue blouse and black slacks, perfectly practical. At least losing her memory didn't seem to have altered her tastes in the slightest.

She pulled on the pants first, noticing that they were rather loose in the hips and waist. Well duh, I must have lost a lot of weight if I've been unconscious for a year. Shrugging to herself, she shucked the hated sheet dress and reached for the blouse…

She hissed in shock as she saw her back in the mirror. It was a mass of scar tissue, as if she had been badly burned by something that crept halfway down her upper arms and up to the base of her neck. It must extend all down the backs of my legs, too… I can't believe I just noticed that! Come to think of it, shouldn't my hair be all burnt off too? She glared at her reflection and shook her head violently. Thinking about something superficial as hair at a time like this… becoming mortal must have scrambled her mind.

She finished dressing quickly, her mind seething with questions. Namely, what kind of accident would cause such extensive damage that even after a year the scars were still pronounced and it still hurt a little to move. Of course, that might just be the ache of straining muscles that hadn't been used in a long time, but still!

She threw open the door, preparing to demand Liris tell her what had happened… only to find the hallway empty. The place seemed empty and dead, as if nothing had stirred there for years… stop spooking yourself and focus! She thought irritably, listening for sounds of movement. She was rewarded by the faint sound of talking in the direction of the room where she had first woken up. As quietly as she could manage, she stalked back in that direction. Maybe now she would get some answers about Mihkal Falharden. Arvel Shida and Liris No Second Name…

"Now that we're alone, I can say what I want to say," Liris grated out. Even though Seiryah couldn't see her from behind the door, she could easily imagine the diminutive blonde glaring death at the two taller, supposedly more intimidating men. Seiryah personally felt that Liris could trade glares with the best of the best (Kalas, Ayme, Savyna, and anyone from the Empire for starters…) "And what I want to say is this. What, in the name of the Holy God, is going on here? What are both of you… both of you!... doing prancing around here after hours? If Janata blabs to anyone, I'm never going to be able to get another job anyplace decent! What the hell kind of crap are you up to, and what have you gotten Seiryah involved in?"

"We got a tip from reliable sources that someone was going to make an attempt on Seiryah's life tonight," Arvel said with a calm that chilled the former Guardian Spirit to the bone.

Liris let out a braying laugh. "Now that is the most ridicules thing I have ever heard! Who would dare anger the king by assassinating one of the last living members of House Veranen? None of the other countries are stupid enough to want to go to war with us… not after last time… unless…" there was a pregnant pause, and Liris sucked in a ragged breath. "You're not still spouting off that crazy conspiracy theory crap, are you Arvel? Wasn't being jailed once for slander enough? If you become enough of a nuisance to House Sheyol, the Grand Duchess might decide that she wants your head after all. Hell, she might have changed her mind about that already. She didn't know the nature of your relationship with Seiryah the last time she threw you in a jail cell. She does now."

"Seiryah found rather convincing proof…"

"How?" Liris asked incredulously. "Hacking? Using her relations to spy inside House Sheyol?" Neither Mihkal nor Arvel said anything. "Dear Rahanon. You really did have her hacking. You had her hacking Sheyol's mainframe. Don't tell me you had her spying in the main house, too…"

"Do you think I want her to get a noose around her neck, Liris?" Arvel almost shouted, his first real outburst of the evening. "No! Of course I never asked her to do something that dangerous! Although… I doubt that stopped her from doing a bit of snooping on her own. You know what she's like…"

A ringing slap echoed out of the open door and along the hallway. "You… you… you jackass! How dare you get her involved in your madcap schemes! I thought you were good enough for her, but…" Liris cut off, clearly disgusted. "And you, Mihkal? Do you believe this cow dung?"

Mihkal sighed. "Whether you believe it or not, Liris, it is the truth. Seiryah did everything she could to help uncover that truth, and that is why she is in this condition."

The silence could have cut glass. "So the accident…"

Arvel's laughter was bitter, and had the acidic bite of self-mockery. "How many times do the engines of the very top of the line vehicles fail in a way that causes them to self-destruct, Liris? One in a thousand? One in a million?" His laughter echoed darkly, carrying not humor, but rage and self-hatred. "I was careless, I let her find out, Liris. And you know how Seiryah is. Was. Loyal to the death, and too curious for her own good. I killed her, Liris. I killed her and her family." The bitterness that permeated his voice was streaked in pain. "Gods help me… how am I going to tell her?"

"Seiryah's not…"

"Isn't she, though?" Arvel interrupted. "She doesn't remember us, Mihkal. She doesn't remember anything. Our Seiryah is dead, and so is the knowledge that they tried to kill her for. We're back to square one. No, we're worse than back to square one. At square one, we had a hacker who had a chance in hell of getting inside Sheyol's computer network. By this time next year, that bitch is going to rule everything, and she'll have us all dancing in our bones. We're dead, Mihkal."

"Arvel…" Mihkal muttered. His tone of voice radiated concern, which was perfectly understandable. Arvel was talking like a man on the brink of suicide.

"Arvel…" Liris sounded like she really wanted to continue her tirade, but also didn't want to inflict any more pain on Arvel in his current condition. Suddenly everyone's attention was drawn by a crash and a scream coming from down the hall.

"By the Holy God!" Liris hissed, "That was Janata!"

"I know this isn't the best time to gloat, but…"

"You told me so, yes, Mihkal, I know. Now, let's make whoever snuck in here wish that they'd never been born!" Liris cried. Seiryah barely had time to duck into the room next door to her own before three sets of feet dashed past. Seiryah then had the 'pleasure' of looking at some old man hooked up to the beeping machines and the water sack while she waited for their footsteps to fade away. Making a note to ask Liris exactly what those machines did, Seiryah slipped back out of the room to follow. She still had her spirit spells, after all, and she wasn't going to get an answer to any of her questions if those three died.

At least, she hoped she still had her spirit spells. If not, she would probably be united with her friends once more… in the next world.

AN: (yes, another one) I have a question. Does anyone know what color Savyna and Xelha's eyes are? Because in the opening, Savyna's eyes are yellow and Xelha's eyes are dark blue or brown, but in the game, their little pictures (Sprites? I know those things have a technical name…) are different. Savyna's eyes are dark blue, while Xelha's eyes look very yellow to me. Is there an official stance? Because if not, I'm going with the game pictures as opposed to the opening. I would also like to formally thank Rebbe and Toki Kishitani for reviewing.

Look forward to the next chapter! Brief fight scene, and a meeting with some of Seiryah's family! And other things. I can't tell you everything here, can I?