Did you really think you'd have to wait a long time for a new chapter?

Nope, I've gotten back into the swing of writing again and what can I say I have missed it dearly.

With how things go I am debating to turn this story into a proper fic, but right now this is going to end a certain part during the game's timeline. Not any time soon, but it will end in a spot where neither myself as a writer nor you as my fellow readers will enjoy.

Until I make my decision happy reading.

Choices Part 2

This war had been raging on for ten years now. Once the Commander and princess were outside the castle walls, they both had noticed dark clouds looming in the sky.

Immediately, the princess lifted her cloak up as she felt the rain slowly trickling down on them. This was going to be a very arduous journey. A sea of trees could be seen nearby. The Guardia Forest which was home to some of the weaker type of creatures that lived in the forest. Normally the monsters in the forest would not attack unless they were provoked.

"Stay close, Princess." The Commander told her as they entered the forest.

Maria looked up. "I believe I can manage on my own." She told the Commander.

"I know you can, your highness," he said with pride in his voice. "I've watched you train with Glenn." The Commander's hand tightly held onto the hilt of his sword as they walked through the forest. There was no other man fit to protect the royal family other than him now. "He taught you well, he was a great swordsman, better than all the men on the frontlines. However, I swore an oath to keep you safe."

Maria pressed her lips into a frown remaining silent. She knew the oath well. Everyone fighting this war swore an oath to protect the royal family. Everyone thought she was just part of the royal family. Someone to protect and to be kept safe. It irked her so much. Well today would be the day she would prove everyone wrong once she would obtain the legendary Masamune sword for her own and bring victory in the war.

Taking the path out of the forest, the two had reached Zenan Bridge after passing through the town of Truce. For a moment, Maria was certain she saw some one heading to the cathedral. It was rumored that the Chancellor frequently visited the cathedral. Most likely to pray for the wellbeing of the kingdom. It was said that there were terrible murmurings inside the cathedral amongst the townsfolk in Truce. At night it sounded like monsters chanting inside the cathedral. Most of the people who entered the cathedral never returned. That was another mystery which had to be tackled later.

Once the two had reached the bridge, Maria's heart sank. Normally inside the castle walls, she never got the chance to experience what it was like to be on the front the lines. The stench of blood against metal filled the air as she saw many of soldiers laying in a heap. Some were injured, others lost limbs, and some were just motionless. Either dead or just exhausted from the endless fighting they had to endure. It hurt her to see how traumatized many of these men were. The stench of alcohol was also in the air as some men had given up and had reduced to just drinking. There were a few that still trained on the bridge, to hone their skills. Part of the bridge was in disrepair, but it was still crossable. They would just have to watch their steps and be very careful once crossing the bridge.

The Commander cleared his throat. "My fellow comrades show your attention!" He bellowed grabbing the attention of his men instantly. "Our princess graces us with her presence."

Everyone that could stand or move immediately stopped what they were and kneeled to Maria.

Maria looked at all the men kneeling to her. She hated this formality. She would always treat others equally whether they were a beggar on the street or a nobleman. She would probably even show mercy to their greatest enemy. "Please do not kneel before me." She told them. "Today I am like you. Ready to defend our kingdom against the monsters that have taken everything from us."

The knights and soldiers quietly gasped and started whispering to one another.

"Has there been another attack yet?" The Commander asked.

"Not today, Captain," One of the knights replied. "It seemed that the Fiendlord has shown up mercy for a day."

Mercy was not something they should take for granted. "Then train your hardest for another battle." He told his men.

They were laying their lives on the line foolishly to protect her, her parents, and the kingdom. How did it get this crazy? Once Cyrus's life was taken, the entire army had been crippled. Only a brave few were left to fight to protect the royal family and the kingdom. She now understood why her father chose to help these men in battle. Yes, the king was injured, but she knew he wanted to boost these men morale that were tired of fighting for ten years. To give them something to fight for.

Would she really have the confidence to search for a sword that not even the greatest of explorers could find? She looked back at the castle standing grandly overlooking the entire kingdom. Part of her wanted to go back. 'I must do this for our kingdom.' She thought as her fingers gently clung to the pendant around her neck.

"I'm here!" That sounded like a child's voice. Maria looked up seeing a small boy hopping from one plank of wood to the next. He was brandishing a wooden sword most likely the child had crafted it on his own and one of the army's shields which probably belonged to a fallen soldier. It was old and rusting, but it would suffice enough.

Seeing the small boy, the Commander let out a huff. "You're here to train again, Tata?" He asked. He was not too fond of the boy trailing behind his men.

"Yup! I'm this close to finding the Hero's badge!" Tata boasted and then his purple eyes saw Maria. "Princess?!" He gasped bowing to her. The overly large red cape that was clasped around his back fell onto his face. "You shouldn't be here! It's dangerous!"

Maria gently knelt to the boy lifting his cape up which was covering his face. "I'm here to find the Masamune." She told him.

"You are?!" The small boy gasped in excitement. She saw Tata reach into his pocket and his gloved hand was a scrunched-up map to the Denadoro Mountains. "I found this in one of the taverns where my Grandpa likes to drink. I think the Hero's badge is there too!"

"That's incredible!" The Commander complimented Tata on the find.

"That map is just what I need to travel through those mountains." Maria said.

Little did either one of them know, Tata had not found a map. He had stolen it most likely from the famed explorer Toma.

Tata grinned cutely and ran over to the soldiers that were sparring nearby. He was eager to show off his skills with a sword now that Maria was here. He obviously wanted to impress her.

'Even children want to fight in this war….' Maria mused to herself. How long was this going to continue?

"I do not wish for you to see this any longer, Your Highness," The Commander said breaking the princess out of her thoughts as he looked at Maria. "My men can handle the bridge while I escort you to the Denadoro Mountains." He looked at Tata. The small boy was very determined to help fight. He watched boy spar with one of his soldiers.

Tata was swinging his sword at a soldier and because he was a child, the soldier went easy on him. Easily falling to the ground to humor the small boy and boost his confidence as Tata thrusted his sword forward.

"You've become quite the swordsman." A soldier named Marco said to the small to boast his ego even more.

"No one's going to beat me now!" Tata's over confidence was going to get him hurt or killed one day. "I'll find the Hero's badge for sure now!" He cheered over his victory sitting on a broken crate watching the situation between his Princess and the Commander unfold.

"No, your men need you." The princess urged the Commander. He knew she was right. The men at the bridge needed his leadership. He could not abandon his post incase there was a surprise attack.

"Are you certain you can do this alone?" He asked her. "If anything were to happen to you…" He hesitated. The Commander did harbor affection for her. "If we weren't at war, we would have been married. What good of a husband would I be if I let my wife into a dangerous place such as those mountains?"

Maria became nervous at the question. She was aware of this arranged marriage her parents had set up for her. Unfortunately, she did not harbor the same feelings for him as he did for her.

"I'll take her!" Tata chimed in raising his small wooden sword breaking the small tension between the two that he was unaware of. The boy hopped off a broken crate and ran over to them. "It'll be an honor to escort the Princess up those mountains. It can get dangerous!" He looked at Maria. "May I, Your Highness?" He asked. "I promise I will do my best to keep you safe."

Maria looked at the boy. How could she possibly say no to that? As much as the boy had confidence, she knew she would be the one protecting him up the mountains.

"Surely you cannot agree to this boy to protect you, Your Highness…" The Commander hesitated at this choice.

"I have faith in the boy," Maria told him. "And so should you. Or do you not have faith that I can do this?"

The Commander sighed. There was no way to talk her out of this. He knew very well that Cyrus's and Glenn's deaths affected her in a way he could not understand. He bowed to her and then said, "Stay safe, Princess."

"I will and make sure you stay alive too and the rest of your men as well." Maria said with a smile.

"Come on follow me!" Tata urged as he began hopping on the broken planks of wood that led towards Dorino and leading into Porre.

"Princess…." The Commander outstretched his hand to her.

Maria turned back and looked at the Commander. She did not take his hand. Instead, she ran over and hugged him. "Thank you for allowing me to do this." She told him.

The Commander was taken aback by the hug. For a moment he did not want her to leave his arms. He held here for a moment that seemed like forever. It wasn't until Maria moved away from his arms, he had to let her go. It almost hurt him to let her go, but he had to.

Maria followed Tata across the bridge.

That was all in the past now. There were too many loses to count. All she had to do now was find the Masamune. The princess of Guardia had taken it upon herself to bring peace to this kingdom once and for all.

The journey to the famed Denadoro Mountains was a tricky one.

The two had stopped near a small villa home surrounded by nothing but desert. This once desolate desert belonged to a gorgeous forest that would rival the one in that surrounded Guardia Castle. Due to the war, both sides had torn this forest apart in battles.

"Hmmm maybe we took a wrong turn or something…" Tata mused checking the map.

"It must be here…" Maria replied looking around. "Maybe we should turn back for now." She suggested.

"No way, we're so close!" Tata beamed. "See?" He pointed out in the map. "We're right here! The mountains should be beyond this pathway." Eager to find the Hero's badge, the small boy trotted off as fast as his small legs could carry him. He suddenly stumbled and fell feeling something clawing at his foot from beneath the dirt.

"Get off me!" The small boy screamed trying to shake his leg free by kicking whatever had him. He then screamed in terror seeing that it was a very large skeletal hand pulling him down.

"Tata!" Maria cried diving forward grabbing the small boy's hand. She pulled as hard as she could and then touched her pendant. For a moment, the pendant began to glow a faint red color and her gloved fingers started to emanate flames from the tips of her fingers. Maria shot and fired the flames at the large hand that had its terrible claws latched onto the boy's leg.

The hand slowly slithered its way back deep beneath the ground once the flames touched it.

Tata thumped against Maria wheezing to catch his breath as the monster let go.

"Are you alright?" Maria asked as she held Tata in her arms.

Not wanting to injure his reputation, Tata simply jumped out of Maria's and said, "Of course I am!" He beamed proudly. "Do you honestly think a creature like that would scare me! I could have handled it if you didn't use that spell to scare it away!" He added laughing arrogantly.

Maria shook her head in disbelief. This kid was sure full of it.

Hearing the commotion, a young woman living in the small home rushed outside. "Are you alright?!" She asked and saw the two. "Did that terrible Melphix creature hurt either of you?"

Melphix… So that was the creature that had attacked them earlier and nearly dragged Tata into the sunken desert below.

"We're alright," Maria reassured the woman. "We will be on our way."

The woman was named Fiona. She sighed tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. She had a very tired expression on her face and a sense of longing. "I wish there was some one strong enough to destroy that awful monster living below the ground. If it was destroyed, I could begin to replant this deserted place and restore the forest to what it once was before the war began." She looked on hopeful. "I do hope my husband Marco returns soon."

Neither Maria nor Tata were capable enough to fight a creature so grand. Perhaps one day there would be someone in the Kingdom who could be brave enough to destroy the creature.

At the mention of Marco's name, Maria approached Fiona. "Your husband is a brave soldier." She told him. "He will surely come back to you." The princess just wanted to reassure the worried woman that her husband wasn't dead. "This war will soon cease."

Fiona smiled at Maria unaware this was her princess. "Do you truly believe that?" She asked.

Maria turned away looking into the distance. She could see the peaks of the mountains hiding in the clouds. This was her only chance. "Yes I do." She replied with confidence and headed east with Tata.

"We made it!" Tata breathed out a heft exhausted sigh flopping against the mossy covered ground. He was clearly exhausted from the ordeal.

Maria was in awe at the grand mountains they were standing in front of to say anything. She just took in the scenery that was in front of her.

Split by a river and many gorgeous waterfalls, the terrain here is partly rocky precipice and partly submerged in the forest. To fully scale the mountain, many crisscrossing paths must be adventured. A scenic skyline can be viewed near the mountain's peak. Somewhere in these mountains was the sword that would change everything in this war.

She turned to Tata. "Why don't you wait here at the base of the mountain?" She suggested. She knew the boy would not make the trek up the mountain in such an exhausted state.

"Huh? Are you sure?" Tata slowly tried standing up. He then winced against the pain in his leg. A small bone had scarred his leg when Melphix had grabbed him. There was a terrible tear on the side of his knee, and he was bleeding. Blood was dripping onto the grass where the boy sat.

Maria saw the cut and quickly grabbed his overly large red cape using it as a bandage to wrap around his wound. "It's better if you stay here. I wouldn't want the kingdom's only hope to get hurt climbing up the mountain."

Tata's ego was already as inflated as is. This just made him more confident. "I'll get better soon! Then I'll help! Maybe I'll be lucky and get my hands on the Hero's badge!"

As egotistical as the child was, Maria was surprised by his confidence. She looked up the mountain in front of her.

She was not turning back. Not now. Not when she was so close to bringing back honor to her kingdom and winning this war.

Approaching the cave, she saw some one guarding it. Just like her, said person's face was covered with a cloak, but she could make out that this person was a male. Not wanting to hesitate any further, she pulled out her crossbow and an arrow from her quiver.

Clearly, she was seen as she was given a warning. "If I were you, I would turn back now. Go home, and forget you ever saw this place, and I will be merciful. No harm will be done unless you force my hand." The voice boomed in a threatening manner.

She aimed her crossbow at him. "If I were you," Clearly she was mocking his warning. "I wouldn't make any assumptions about your enemy!" The princess rudely scoffed at him. All she noticed were his green eyes. Whoever he was he was going to be dealt with. She used to hate fighting because it meant she would have to kill and take another life. Now she was simply used to it because she had to defend her kingdom and her home. She wasn't going to let any more innocent blood be split.

Glenn scowled and unsheathed his sword, metal rasping against metal, and he held it out in plain threat. The girl was familiar. Disturbingly familiar. He could swear that he'd seen her face somewhere before; perhaps in Guardia, he had been briefly acquainted with her. He'd had more than his fair share of brief acquaintances as Cyrus's squire, after all. He wracked his mind, searching for a name to put to the face but…

Only one came to mind. One he couldn't allow himself to even consider, lest his focus falter and his sword swing weaken.

"I make no assumptions other than that this is not your place. You are no hero," He said, blunt and clear-toned. "You have no use for the blade. I will advise you again…turn back. I do not make a habit of dueling townsfolk, but I will give you no quarter if you choose to make me your enemy."

He stepped forward, once, then again, the glow of his gemstone giving off a frigid light as he tapped ever-so-slightly into the reservoir of magic that Magus provided him with. His sword augmented with water magic, he was certain that this girl, just as human as he was, would stand little chance in a true battle. The idea that he might have to spill her blood left a bad taste in his mouth…but whenever he thought such things, his mind always turned back to Lavos. To what Magus had confided in him. And he knew that if it meant saving everyone, preventing the destruction of the world, even if Magus's motivations were pettier than that, he would make himself wade through hell.

He didn't really have a choice, and he knew that.

"The choice is yours. Press the attack if you dare to try to take a blade that you could never wield or leave with your life safe in your hands."

Maria's gloved finger never left her cross bow. It was still aimed right at him. Although she could've sworn, she's seen him somewhere before. She was so desperate to fire, but something was stopping her. She wasn't sure what it was. Was it those green eyes of his that reminded her of Glenn? She shook her head. No, there was no time for hesitation. She wouldn't let the enemy get the upper hand. She then heard him mistake her for some random person from town.

Did he just call her a commoner? Angrily and annoyed, the heir of Guardia removed the hood that was covering her face. The princess glared. "I'll have you know I am no commoner! I am Princess Maria of Guardia!" She replied with anger in her voice. The pendant around her was proof of that as it started to glow surrounding her in a pure white aura to protect her from her enemy's attack.

She watched her enemy perform a spell around his sword. Her right hand gently touched her pendant. Shutting her eyes as if she was about to regret attacking him. "I will not turn back! You will be brought before my father and face the execution you deserve for all those lives you took!" She fired her cross bow releasing arrows that could pierce even the strongest of armor in the Guardia army.

The grip on Glenn's sword weakened, and his eyes grew wide with shock as Maria threw back her hood. His vision blurred slightly, and while he told himself that it was the rain, he knew that that was lie. "Your Highness?!" he exclaimed, the title escaping his lips before he could stop it, and he gasped aloud as the crossbow was fired. Shit. Shit!

He grunted in pain as the volley of arrows struck him in his surprise; the armor he wore was sturdier stuff than he ever would have been afforded by the Guardian knighthood, but the arrows were not wasted. Multiple hits it may have taken, but the metal tore open with a steely screech, and he coughed, bent halfway over, and keeping a hand firmly over the gemstone on the armor. Whatever happened, he couldn't allow it to break. He didn't know what would happen if it did, but Magus had simply given him that pointed, dry stare when he'd asked and said, "don't let it happen and you won't have to worry". So, he frankly didn't want to find out heeding the warning.

He didn't allow himself to stay vulnerable for long, though. His ribs ached harshly from the force of the blows, but he charged forward and swung down his sword in a heavy, vicious arc that clashed against the magical forcefield she had conjured. She really was the princess. There was no mistaking it, and he grit his teeth as his chest ached for a different reason.

They were friends. She was his friend. How could he have allowed it to come to this?

"Perhaps I do deserve execution. I have slain many who came to retrieve this blade, it's true. But you make an error in assuming that it is something I fear, milady. In truth, it is a sacrifice I am willing to make!" He tightened his grip on the hilt of his blade, driving it down with more force, and he realized that his throat was tight with the fear of what would happen if he did break the protection spell.

He weakened the pull of magic. If only to prevent that outcome. What was one life weighed against millions? Billions, even? The weight of the entire future, of countless generations to come.

The selfish, weak, and vulnerable part of him said that he didn't want to answer. Especially not when the life being weighed was of a dear friend.

The princess let out a gasp when she heard that familiar voice. Her eyes once filled with such anger and hatred softened at the sound of his voice. No….it couldn't be. It must be a trick; it must be. The barrier around her cracked and broke the moment his sword came into contact. She was just petrified almost frozen. Glenn was alive after all these years thinking when he left with Magus, he was dead. That's what the Chancellor had told the royal family.

"G-Glenn…." She said his name for the first time in ten years. She never wanted to speak of his name again because it always broke her heart. She hadn't seen him in so long. The princess dropped her cross bow. Standing there too stunned to move. She saw his blade pointed at her.

There you have it. Part of the reason why Glenn is doing what he's doing. You all should know by now with this series. Everything and I mean everything comes back to Lavos.

Yes, there are references to future events during the game. I couldn't help it. And yes I am well aware in the game Tata is an obnoxious little brat. I decided to fix that and make him obnoxious yet endearing.

Review.