Chapter 2

Lloyd stood in the middle of the Blessenwood road looking up at the sky. Genis approached him casually. He didn't bother to look at whatever Lloyd was looking at. Instead, he studied Lloyd's expression of apparent fascination.

"Lloyd?"

"What's up, Genis?"

"I was wondering...what did you think of Yuan's announcement? You know...about being stuck here longer."

"Eh, it's not so bad. I've got my best friend here, after all, so I'll be fine."

Genis smiled. "Yeah, you're right. It helps when you have friends with you."

"I just worry about some of the others...like Jay, you know? I think he's the only one from his world. He must be lonely."

"Yeah..." Genis mused as he finally looked up at the sky, thus spotting what Lloyd was transfixed on. Arche was up in the sky, flying in circles on her broom. "I think Arche is the only one from her world as well. I remember that she sort of adopted Jay as a 'little brother.'"

"Yeah, they do seem pretty close," Lloyd agreed.

"So..." Genis continued to watch Arche. "Isn't it boring watching her fly around like that?"

"Well...it is making me dizzy..." Lloyd's body began to sway for a moment before tipping backwards, hitting the ground with an audible thud.

Genis looked down at the swordsman, who had passed out, then looked up at the sky again.

Meanwhile, Jade casually approached the young half-elf, panning his eyes up at the sky, paying no attention to Lloyd.

"Well, this looks like fun," he remarked.

Arche continued to fly in circles above the town, panicking from Yuan's announcement.

"This can't be happening!" she whined. "I have to get home! My friends need me! We have to take out Dhaos! Now what am I gonna do?! What are they gonna do without me?!"

Beginning to feel dizzy herself, she gradually lowered herself to the ground in circles. Once she touched down, she staggered in circles a few steps before tripping over her broomstick and collapsing to the ground in an unmoving heap.

"Hmm..." Genis pondered for a moment. "I wonder how she flies on that broom?"

Taking the broom from Arche, Genis positioned it between his legs.

"She's a mage, just like me. So if she can do it, I should be able to do it, too."

However, nothing happened. Genis concentrated intently, even hopping in place a few times, but the broom just would not fly.

"Hey, it's not working!"

"Let's see here..." Jade calmly took the broom from Genis, setting it between his legs. "I think it would take a certain amount of intellect to accomplish something like this."

He too concentrated, but not visibly. Once again, nothing seemed to happen as Jade pushed his glasses backward on his face. "Hmm..."

"Well, with all due respect, Colonel..." Genis grumbled, yanking the broom from between Jade's legs, "you're not the only 'intellectual' here."

The colonel seemed not to react as he felt the bristles of the broom striking his area. "Ouch...my aching pelvis. I suppose I shall need a cane now..."

Arche stood up slowly, still feeling dizzy. "Hey...what are you doing with my broom?"

"Sorry..." Genis handed the broom back to her. "We were just wondering how you could fly with it."

"Hmph! That's my little secret!" Arche replied with a sheepish grin. She began to float around them on her broom just for the sake of showing off.

"By the way, how is Jay?" Jade asked.

Arche frowned. "He's depressed...he is the only one from his world after all. But I'm sure he'll be fine. After all, he has me, his big sister Arche, to cheer him up."

"That's lovely. Be sure to tell him that he's always welcome to visit me anytime. I do enjoy conversing with him."

"Will do. Bye now!" Arche flew in one more loop around him before flying across the road to the inn.

Jade straightened his glasses and began to walk down the road himself, merrily humming to himself.

"Are you just going to leave me here?" Genis grumbled softly, looking down at Lloyd, who was still snoozing in the road.

After staring at him for a moment, Genis gave him a hard kick to the ribs.

"Waugh!" Lloyd screamed as he sat up suddenly.

"Wake up, Lloyd!" Genis yelled. "This is no place to be sleeping!"

"I wasn't sleeping!" Lloyd protested. "I was watching Arche and I got dizzy, and..."

He looked up at the sky, becoming dizzy once again. Thus, he passed out in the road once again.

This time, Genis growled in frustration. "Lloyd!"

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In his room at the inn, Jay sat on top of his bed with his knees pulled up to his chest. Like the other guild members, he was disappointed that he couldn't return home. But then again, now that this world was generally safe, being stuck here for a while longer would not be so terrible. After all, he had made some new friends, who were similar to his friends back home. Like Arche, who reminded him of Norma, and who had also adopted him as a "little brother." And there was Jade, who couldn't really be compared to any of his home world comrades, but Jay still enjoyed associating with him.

Jay missed his home regardless. He missed the Oresoren, and there was definitely no replacement for them. He even missed the certain stupid bandit, but he had met another red-haired man whom he came to admire.

Asch...

Jay felt drawn to Asch, not only because he reminded him of Moses, but also because Asch was very much like Jay's former self. It was very painful to feel this way, knowing that Asch already had someone that he loved in his home world. Plus, once they got home, they would never see each other again. So Jay would just have to enjoy the time he could spend with the God-General until they part ways permanently.

Jay smiled to himself now. "Asch..."

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Meanwhile, Tear had another redhead on her mind.

"Luke...I said I'd wait forever, but it seems I'm still stuck in this world. If you do return and I'm not there...would you wait for me?"

At least she had Asch in this world, and Asch seemed to be a spitting image of Luke. No...it was Luke who was a spitting image of Asch. Whatever the case, she knew that Asch was not Luke.

"I'll be back, Luke...I promise. Please wait for me..."