Holy Moses! I updated this story! Even I thought this was going to be on infinite hiatus...

I don't own ToS... I wish I did... but I don't.

Excerpt from the writings of Chronicler Athos: (Circa 342 FS)

Two years before she returned to Ben this time… Her visits were getting closer together…

END EXCERPT

"Lloyd…" the orange dressed woman said softly as she distractedly stirred her soup (Chicken noodle! Mmmm…).

"Mm?" Lloyd's head looked up and over at Raine with noodles hanging out of his mouth. He quickly sucked them into his maw before he looked silly.

"Lloyd h… how do you do it? How do you stay so… full of life? It's like three centuries haven't even passed! You're exactly the same you're… Lloyd." The Tree Guardian just stared at Raine, quite unsure of how to respond. Raine continued, "Lloyd… do you have to stay here? At this tree? Can't you leave? Can't you just leave and live your own life?"

"I can't," Lloyd put his empty soup bowl on the ground and stood up, "I have to protect the tree. I have to protect Ben, Raine! I can't just leave!"

"Yes you can! The tree is hundreds of shocking expletive high! It's not like anyone could harm it!" She sighed, "Besides… don't you have like a mental link with "Ben"? Won't he be able to tell you if he's being hurt and you can come help him if such is the case? You don't need to stay here Lloyd!"

"YES I DO!" Lloyd was screaming now and tears were forming in the corners of his eyes, "I can't… I can't leave Raine…"

"Why?"

"I… can't."

And then, horrified, Raine understood… Ben was keeping Lloyd here. Lloyd physically couldn't leave the tree. "Why would it do that to you?" Raine whispered, almost afraid the tree would hear her.

Lloyd smiled sadly, "Because, I'm the guardian."

Raine pulled her old student into her arms in a human gesture he hadn't felt in hundreds of years. And then the tears came out like a faucet.

Excerpt from the writings of Chronicler Athos: (Circa 342)

Raine returned to public life for only a brief four weeks while she seemed to be getting supplies together. Then, at the end of four weeks, she disappeared again.

END EXCERPT

"Raine? What are you doing back so soon? Don't you have a lot of doctoring to do and stuff?" Lloyd sat underneath Ben, very perplexed.

"Lloyd… if you can't leave then… I don't want you to be alone…" Raine dropped her bag full of clothes and her other bag full of books and looked up at Lloyd with a smile, "Would you mind terribly if I crashed at your place for a while?"

Alright by readers, I am SOOOOOOO freaking sorry about the wait! Please please please! You have to forgive me! I got distracted and then school started raping me and then midterms... well ironically I didn't update until midterms... Weird aren't I?

Again, I'm very sorry!

Eternum123- I honestly have no idea how long this fic's span is going to be. I just sort of think "Well Jak, how many years this time? Ten? Yeah that sounds good!"

BlueIrish- Raine was distant because she was worried about Lloyd, which this chapter sort of touches on.

Sunfrost- I'd give you a cookie for reviewing but alas, my virtual baking skills are not quite there yet... One more level and I can make brownies though!

RoyalFanatic- Yay! Glad you liked the last chapter. Hope you like this one too!

Foamy the Squirrel- Yay cookies! Ew... they're a couple months old... but that's my fault sorry! I promise (maybe) to get the next chapter out faster than I did this one.

Sunnigen- Yeah... I could make the chapters longer but did you see how long it took me to do this chapter? And this one's short! If I wrote long chapters I'd never update!

Caladchbolg- I most certainly do not want Kirby to destroy me and so here is an (admittedly long in coming) update.

That's all for this chapter, the next one should be out sometime this month. Please read and review!