Who claims to have an update schedule but can't seem to tell apart the days of the week? This guy! (Sorry, everyone. I'll keep trying for Friday updates, I promise!) As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy!

Dwarven Vow 90:
An uair as laine 'n cupan, 's ann as dorr' a ghiulan.
A full glass is the most difficult to carry.

5-

Genis stood by the stove, stirring the hot cocoa slowly and watching the patterns in it as it swirled around his spoon. Bianca didn't care for tea, so hot cocoa was always the go-to when she visited on cold, dreary days. He really didn't mind- much as he would've liked some sort of chamomile brew to calm his nerves, something sweet was probably better for the situation they were in.

The rain had picked up and the wind rattled the windowpanes of the little apartment. Genis and Raine didn't need a lot of space except for the variety of textbooks and old manuscripts that Raine kept around, but when the weather was bad, it echoed through the whole room.

"...what's gonna happen to big-sis Raine?" Bianca whimpered. She was sitting in Nika's lap, pressing her head against her sister's chest. "Is she gonna be okay?"

Nika ran a hand through Bianca's hair, her voice steady and calm as she responded. "Raine will be fine. You don't have to worry about a thing. She's strong, remember?"

"Y-yeah, but… bombs are scary… what if they took her by surprise? What if she couldn't get away-?"

"Don't talk like that." Genis interrupted them, sitting down at the table and pushing two mugs of hot cocoa their way. "R-Raine will…" He was trying so hard, but he couldn't hide the uncertainty in his voice. "...be fine…"

Bianca picked up on his tone. "You don't sound sure."

"W-well, I'm just worried. I'm sure the attack must have been in response to Raine and Professor Low's research. There's so many people angry about it, I should've known it was only a matter of time before something like this happened."

"What's going on?" Bianca sat up straighter, leaning across the table toward Genis. "They're learning new things, right? Isn't that important? That's what research is all about!"

Nika saw that Bianca was about to knock over one of the mugs accidentally, and she pulled her back to keep her arms from flailing around the table. "It's not that simple for them, Bianca. Professor Sage and Professor Low are studying the past. They're making new discoveries about things that happened a long time ago. And the thing is, people thought they already knew what happened a long time ago. Professor Sage is telling people that they're wrong, and that's making a lot of people angry."

Bianca hopped off her sister's lap, running around to the opposite side of the table so that she could climb into her own chair. "But that's what science is about! Supporting or refuting hypotheses! My teacher said so!"

Genis reached out for her hand, holding onto it to still her. "I wish everyone thought that way. But it's tough. See, Raine has been studying clay tablets left over from a civilization that predates even the Kharlan war by several thousand years. This civilization, it seems, had an entirely different way of viewing mana, and because of that, suddenly we're doubting everything we know about it."

"What have you learned about mana in school?" Nika asked, gently pushing Bianca's mug over to her. Bianca thought about it briefly, taking a tentative sip and deciding it was still too hot and she might as well just answer.

"Mana is the energy source that powers life. Mana is created by the Great Tree, and used by living organisms to fuel biological processes as well as magitechnology for mechanical purposes. Without Mana, we couldn't live. That's why, when the Great Tree died at the end of the Kharlan War, the world had to be split in two to prevent the remaining mana from getting all used up."

"Very good," Nika murmured under her breath, though Genis' reaction was completely different.

"What if I told you that you're wrong?"

Bianca bristled. "But that's what my teacher said!"

"See? Now you're acting just like the people who're mad at Raine."

"...oh?" A blush creeped over her face and she settled back down. "Sorry, I…"

"No. It's okay. It's what you were taught." Genis shook his head and took a sip of his cocoa before continuing. "It's what we were all taught, and we just kind of accepted it. But this civilization that Raine is studying had a totally different view on mana."

"Oh really?" Nika asked, her eyes widening.

"Yeah. Bianca, remember when you said that mana is energy? Tell me, what are the two things that energy can never do?"

"It, uh, can't…" Bianca stammered, squinting her eyes as she thought it through. "...I mean, it powers stuff, so it can't… um… two things…"

"Energy can neither be destroyed," Genis prompted, "nor..."

"...created." Nika finally spoke up. "It can only change between forms."

"Exactly."

Nika sat up a little bit straighter, a pleased smile on her face. Genis could feel himself getting flustered, but he couldn't look away. She just had such a bright, cheerful smile.

"But mana is the exception," Bianca spoke up. "Mana is used up and has to be created again by the Great Tree-"

Genis held up a hand to cut her off. "Yes, that's what everyone believes. But what if it doesn't? What if what we view as consuming mana is just a conversion of it to a different form? That's what these ancient tablets refer to in their text. The mana we know, which Raine and Professor Low have come to call alpha-mana, and a form that's unusable to us, which they call beta-mana."

"You're, um, starting to lose me." Nika pulled her mug up over her lips, but her frown of discomfort was still visible in her eyes.

"It's like… how plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen as a product of photosynthesis. Living creatures need alpha-mana to survive. And when they use up that alpha-mana, some sort of reaction occurs and it's released as beta-mana."

"That sounds complicated," Bianca replied.

"It's not, really, but it's… difficult to understand if you're not used to thinking of mana that way. We say there was no life here before Derris-Kharlan, but it's possible that, before the inhabitants of Derris-Kharlan came to this world, there were some primitive organisms- prokaryotes and maybe early eukaryotes- that lived off of beta-mana instead of alpha-mana. But we can't know for sure, because-"

"Stop. You've completely lost me," Nika finally sighed. Bianca nodded and whined in agreement.

"We haven't studied all these words in class yet."

"S-sorry, sorry." Genis shook his head. "In simple terms, um… living beings depend on alpha-mana to survive. But there's clearly one organism that does the opposite, taking in beta-mana and producing alpha-mana. That's the Great Kharlan Tree."

"Ooooh," Bianca gave a low gasp as though she understood, though whether she really did or not, Genis wasn't sure.

"Of course, this is all coming from ancient clay tablets, so they had no way of knowing whether it actually was true. That's why Raine suggested that they try to reproduce the conversion in small-scale using the information they had gathered. And according to their last publication… it worked. They were able to generate a quantifiable amount of mana based on this alpha-beta hypothesis."

"Wait…" Nika stopped, placing a hand over her mouth. "...you're saying they made mana? Like, they generated it all on their own? That's huge!"

Genis shrugged. "Er, it was a reeeeeally small amount. Like, only detectable by very sensitive instruments. But it's a start. If we can begin generating our own mana, we can lessen our dependence on the Great Tree. We could develop new magitechnology with no fear of repeating the mistake that led to the world being split apart. We could grow crops better and more efficiently, increase our population, and improve the standard of living all over the world."

Bianca's eyes sparkled at the thought. "That sounds amazing! I knew that big-sis Raine was doing something important, but I didn't think it was anything like that!"

"It is pretty great, isn't it?" Genis beamed. "But a lot of people are angry. They're calling the hypothesis an affront to nature, to mana, to the Great Tree itself. They're citing it as the arrogance of mortals in the face of something we can't control. But the experiment showed that we can control it! So there shouldn't be any worry! Right?"

"Right!" Bianca pumped her fist in the air excitedly. "Right, Nika?"

Nika, however, was still staring down into her mug of cocoa. "...I suppose so," she spoke up, "though I can understand people being frightened. For the uneducated, it sounds scary. If I understood it, perhaps it wouldn't be so frightening, but I just can't wrap my mind around it. Maybe the people who're against the project feel the same?"

Genis frowned. "I, uh, hadn't thought about it that way."

"People are always afraid of what they don't understand. Maybe if you put in the effort to teach people the specifics, like you're doing for me, then they wouldn't be so upset over it. It's better than fighting and planting bombs, right?"

The statement gave the group pause. Nika had brought up the proverbial elephant in the room, and while no one was going to berate her for it, they didn't really want to acknowledge it either. Genis stood up, stating that he was going to clean the dishes and turn on the radio so that they could hear what was going on around town. Bianca returned to sit with Nika and fell asleep with her head on her sister's shoulder.

Raine and Professor Low arrived at the apartment later that night, much to everyone's relief. They, along with others stuck on the university's campus, had received an official escort, as the city wasn't cleared yet. Nika and Bianca- as well as Professor Low- spent the night in the apartment. Nika and Bianca took Genis' bed, Professor Low slept on the loveseat, and so Genis was relegated to the stiff recliner near the bookshelf. It wasn't ideal, but it was better than the floor at least.

Still, he didn't sleep well that night. It might've been the chair, but it also might have been Nika's statement.

What should their approach to the naysayers be? What was the right way to approach the problem that would benefit everyone?

Genis never managed to find the answer before he fell into a fitful sleep.

Sheena stopped at the steps leading up to the main complex of government buildings in Meltokio. She glanced down at the letter in her hands, took a deep breath, steeled her nerves, and-

-turned right around and walked away.

She knew that she shouldn't hesitate when it was something so important to her grandfather and her people. She knew that it was her responsibility to deliver the letter promptly. But it was so early in the morning, perhaps she'd better wait a while. Everyone was just beginning the workday, and some of them might be running late. It was a dreary day with the overcast sky threatening rain at any time. Sheena decided it wouldn't be a bad idea to go… visit with some friends in the meantime.

The Meltokio Grammar School was a strict, well organized building, which made Colette's classroom stand out all the more awkwardly with its haphazardly colorful decorations, walls filled with displays of student artwork and motivational posters, more than one of which featured a puppy captioned with the words "YOU CAN DO IT!" or "YOU'RE A STAR!" Sheena could never help smiling whenever she visited. It was no wonder that all the students loved Colette- and that all the other teachers were a little put-off.

On the way, Sheena had stopped by Colette's favorite bakery and picked up a box of seasonal macarons for her as a gift, since she was dropping by unexpectedly during school hours. She knocked on the door slightly before letting herself in, nervous about interrupting some sort of organized lesson, but when she stepped into the classroom, she found herself in the midst of a wild commotion, a horde of excited ten-year-olds all yelling at once.

"I want to see!" "You're in my way!" "Can I hold her?" "I have a baby brother at home, and he's always crying." "What does she eat?" "How come she's so small?"

"Everyone, please… calm down…" Colette was in the middle of it all, her hands full as she tried to subdue the crowd. "You're going to scare her… please…"

"That's enough."

Sheena's sharp voice cut through the chatter, causing all the students to pay attention at once. "Miss Fujibayashi!" several of them gasped, recognizing her from earlier visits to the classroom.

"E-everyone, let's take a break from class this morning and work on your posters for the picnic instead," Colette called once everyone had quieted down. "Does that sound like fun?"

There were enthusiastic calls of agreement as the kids began running for the art supply closet, and Colette let out a relieved sigh. Somehow, the infant she was holding in her arms had been asleep through all of it- quite an impressive feat for anyone, much less a baby. Sheena approached, setting the bag of macarons on Colette's desk.

"Whose baby is that?" was the first thing she asked. "Does the principal know you've brought her to school with you?"

"Yes. I did get approval for this," Colette replied with a sheepish smile. "This is Adora. She belongs to a, uh, friend of mine who's having a family emergency, so I agreed to babysit for a few days until everything settles down. Though I guess it was silly of me to think I could bring her to school and everything would be okay. The kids are just too excitable when it comes to new things."

Sheena chuckled, glancing out over the room that was now filled with the milling of children as they smeared paint onto large pieces of paper. "Well, they seem content with this project. But you're right- you can't exactly give a lesson on literature or math with a crying baby in your arms. Did you ask Zelos if he could look after her?"

"Oh, I couldn't. He's much too busy-"

"Zelos? He's a professional socialite. He doesn't have anything better to do."

"That's not true! Every day he's busy with important business and duties that require lots of hard work-"

"Knock, knock, boys and girls! I've got a special delivery here for my precious hunny~"

"Speak of the devil." Sheena smirked as she caught sight of the man in the doorway, waving brightly with an elaborately decorated lunchbox clasped in his other hand. "Good morning Zelos."

There was a wave of commotion amongst the students who were paying attention, some waving in Zelos' direction and others calling out, but Zelos ignored them. "What have we here? I spy two lovely hunnies instead of one."

Sheena crossed her arms. "Call me a 'hunny' again and I'll barf on your shoes."

Her statement was followed by a chorus of giggles and 'eww's from the students, and Colette elbowed them both. "Language," she whispered, "for the kids."

Zelos rolled his eyes with a laugh as he set the lunchbox down on Colette's desk. "A lunch for my princess, since Sebastian said you forgot yours this morning."

The statement made Sheena's head turn. "Huh? Colette, you… slept at Zelos' house last night?"

"Seles' nurse, Miss Veronica, offered to help look after Adora last night." Colette offered, cheerfully unaware of Sheena's concern- or perhaps just trying to play it off in front of the kids. "I have no experience with babies, so she was a real life-saver."

"See, Sheena? You have no reason to worry. I'm an honorable man."

Sheena sent Zelos a side-eye, but didn't try to argue with his statement. "Well, mister honorable man, it was nice of you to bring Colette something, but I'd already taken care of that myself."

"What, with macarons? Those things are half air, Sheena." Zelos gestured to the bakery bag. "You bite into them and they just disappear into a little cloud of sugary smoke. Poof!"

"They're nice treats, especially on a dreary day like today. What exactly do you have in that lunchbox that's so much better?"

"Uh, a balanced meal? Colette needs the proper nutrients for energy! She can't teach all day on a tiny box of-"

"Um, excuse me, guys…" Colette broke in between the two. She pressed Adora into the arms of a very confused Zelos, who glanced around as though there were something he'd missed. "We have a limit on visitors in the classroom, and since Adora technically counts, I think you guys should go. I love both of you, but we really need to get to today's lesson if we want to be prepared for the school-wide exam next month. The three of us can talk later, okay?"

Within a moment, Colette had escorted Zelos and Sheena back out into the hallway. Zelos was still hanging on to Adora, and he grabbed hold of Colette's sleeve before she could push him anywhere.

"Wait a minute, now! What do you expect me to do with… with this?"

Colette bowed respectfully. "I know it's a lot to ask, but could you please look after Adora for today? She's too much of a distraction for the students, and she's not even awake yet. I know once she starts crying and yelling, it's going to be a disaster. I'll figure out something for tomorrow, but in the meantime… please."

Zelos sent an uneasy glance down at the baby. Sure, she looked peaceful now, but that wasn't going to last. She'd soon be hungry or cranky or bored-

"It's not a problem," Sheena broke in, giving Colette a thumbs-up. "Zelos can handle it."

"Wha-"

"If you have trouble, you can always ask Miss Veronica too! Her skill at calming kids down is borderline magic. I've never seen anything like it."

Zelos gave a hesitant nod. "Yeah, I, uh, think I'll do that."

"Perfect! You're the best, Zelos! I'll be back this afternoon to check on how things are going." Colette stood on the tips of her toes to give him a quick kiss before retreating back to the classroom.

"Um… Sheena?" Once Colette had closed the door behind her, Zelos broke in, his voice almost a growl. "What's the big deal?"

"That's what I should be asking you," Sheena replied with a huff, starting back down the hallway toward the exit. "Honestly, taking care of Adora for a couple hours would be good for you."

"I had some shopping I was gonna do today!"

"Well then take her shopping."

"I can't do that! Do you know the kind of rumors that would fly around if somebody caught me toting around a little tyke like this? It would be a disaster!"

"Oh, stop sniveling and grow up. Can't you take responsibility like a man?"

The two exited the building, walking onto the rainy streets of Meltokio once again. Zelos pulled the hood of his coat up over his head and his scarf over his mouth. "Do you even hear yourself?" he shot back once his face was sufficiently covered. "Take responsibility like a man is something you'd order me to do if I knocked up a girl and refused to support the kid. That's a jerk move and I'd never do that. But this kid? She's not…" His sentence stopped and his voice trailed off as he looked down at Adora, still sleeping peacefully in his arms. "Geez. She's out like a light. I wonder how Colette managed to keep her calm in front of all those screaming kids."

"It is pretty impressive. This Miss Veronica must be quite a caregiver."

Sheena allowed herself a genuine smile before she finally sighed, turning the street corner and continuing.

"Since she's still asleep, Zelos… can I ask you for some advice?"