I'm giving up on trying to get you to review. Just review when it's all said and done. And, I'm using the places from Final Fantasy XI, and characters from them all.

Begin Chapter

That night at Gin's house, Roll made dinner. "What is this?" asked Forte as he was handed a plate.

"It's just some salad," she replied as she sat down and began to eat.

"No meat?" asked Blues.

"That'll come after you eat all of your salad," Gin said smiling.

"Ok," said Forte as he began his dinner. "So, why do we need Rock anyway? Why don't we just find a way back by ourselves?"

"Forte!" said Roll. "We can't just leave him here. What if he gets in trouble?"

"I'm sure that he'll be fine Roll," said Searchman. "By the way, this salad is delicious."

"Thank you," she said as she sat down.

"So, what will you be doing until your friend resurfaces?" asked Gin.

"I was thinking of going back to Bastok and working on our skills," said Blues.

"That sounds nice," said Roll. "And I could work on mine too."

"Why don't we leave in a few days?" asked Searchman.

"Ok, de gutsu," Gutsman answered.

---

-Two days later-

"Papa, we have to find them!" cried a worried Netto. He, Meiru, Enzan, Deako, and Laika were waiting for any sign of their navi's in Dr.
Hikari's office.

"I know that Netto, and I'm worried about them too, but we first have to find out where they are. I'm having trouble finding their signals," said Hikari-hakase. "As soon as I find those, we can start planning on what we're going to do."

"Ok," Netto said as he walked out of his father's office, followed by Meiru.

"Netto," she said, "We're all worried about our Navi's, but I'm sure that they're safe, happy, and together. We're going to find them soon."

"I hope you're right."

---

Unfortunately for Rock, Meiru was wrong. "Keep firing!" he yelled to the rest of his team. They were making their way to BMC when they were
randomly attacked by a level thirty Phoenix. Rock's group had gained ten levels, so they felt like they could take it.

"What do you think we're doing?" yelled Tabor. "Knitting?"

"What, you mean this isn't the knitting circle?" asked Min.

"Just shut up and shoot this bird," said Lykaios. Suddenly, the Phoenix unleashed a humongous fire-ball right at Lykaios and Tabor. Both were the same level, but Lykaios sustained way more damage than Tabor. "What the hell?"

"Let me try to use a water attack," Tabor said as he released a giant water jet. The bird shrieked and tried to dry itself.

"My turn," said Min as she zapped the bird with lightning. The water acted as a conductor, and the bird was fried, but not defeated.

"I'll finish it," said Rock as he created a small pillar of fire. But instead of shooting the phoenix, he grabbed the pillar and changed it into a fire-sword. He then charged the bird, and stabbed it in the neck. "That takes care of that."

"Lykaios, you ok buddy?" Min asked as she walked over to her friend.

"I guess. But I have a question," he said.

"What is it?" asked Rock as his sword evaporated.

"Are we joined with an element or something?"

"We may be," said Tabor after thinking for a minute. "My water attacks are always stronger than anything."

"And my electric," said Min.

"And Fire for me," said Rock.

"Finally, wood. I guess we're elemental Black Mages," said Lykaios. "This explains so much." Suddenly, Min pushed Lykaios, who had just gotten his balance, into a bush. "What was that for?"

"Wood should heal wood, right?" she said. Sure enough, Lykaios' wounds began to disappear. "You know what this means."

"What?" asked the boys.

"New nicknames. Man, by the time we make it to BMC, we're going to have so many aliases," she said.

"Do we have to?" asked Tabor.

"Yep.""And what if we don't want to?" asked Rock.

"Then I'll chose them for you," she said. "Brant, you're going to be called Trog Dor the Burninator. David, you'll be Wee Man. Handsome,
you're Woodsman, and I'll be Sparky."

"Wee Man?"

"Trog Dor?"

"Whatever."

---

"Roll, I don't think that it's a good idea for you to go with them to Bastok," Gin said that night.

"Why?"

"Because, although you know them, they might have changed since coming here."

"Changed? How?"

"Well, you told me that Rock would never abandon you or your friends, that he'd do everything in his power to stay with you, in particular.
But Hideaki said that he left when he was told to. He didn't put up a fight, and he wasn't positive that you'd be at his destination. Would he
abandon you and your friends in your world?"

"He didn't abandon us," said Roll angrily. "I'm sure that he had a perfectly good reason for leaving. And for all he knew, we are at the
city that he's going to!"

"Roll," Gin said calmly, "Many people are pulled into our world, and almost all of them change. You also said that Forte was evil in your world, but he has been positively sweet to me."

"That's probably because he's stuck with us," she said. "And if not, that's a change for the better!"

"But if Forte changed sides, then what's keeping us from inferring that Rock…"

"Don't you EVER talk bad about Rock!" Roll screamed at the elder mage.

"I'm not talking bad about him, I'm just saying that there's a chance that he has decided to, well, join the elites in the military."

"And what's so bad about becoming the best that he can?" Roll asked dangerously.

"Nothing, other than the fact that most of them are evil," Gin retorted.

"Rock won't become evil," said Roll. "And I've made up my mind; I'm going even if it is a bad idea. I trust my friends, even if you don't.
You can keep your scrolls, too. I've already learned all I can from them."

"Fine, but don't come crying to me when something happens to you," said Gin as Roll walked out of the room and into the room where the guys were getting ready.

"Everything packed?" she asked.

"Almost," said Blues. "All we need are your things."

"Let me just go and grab those. And I need to run a few errands before we leave," she said as she went to her room. "I have a few things I need to sell."

"Such as?" asked Gin who had just walked into the room.

"The scrolls that I bought. I don't need them anymore," Roll said coolly as she walked to the door. "I won't be gone too long."

---

"So these are starter level White Mage scrolls?" asked Kisho. "They're in excellent condition. Why are you offering to sell these to me?"

"Because you have information about one of my friends, and I'm sick of the White Mages in this town," she replied.

"I have a feeling that you met Gin when she was in a bad mood," he replied with a smirk.

"Yep."

"Well, let me go and get my father and sister. They're the ones who found Rock," he said as he walked into his house. "Papa, Sorano, someone's here to see you"

"Who is it?" asked Tomo as he and his daughter entered the room. "Oh, hello there. How can I help you?"

"I need to know something about Rock," Roll said.

"How do you know him?" asked Sorano. "And why do I recognize you?"

"He was one of my best friends in the other world," Roll said.

"And you are the Mage that he was protecting when we found all of you passed out. I remember now," she said. "What did ya want to know?"

"Gin said that people change when they come here, and she said that he might be evil," Roll sighed.

"He's not," said Kisho. "He's very polite and kind."

"Were you his girlfriend?" asked Tomo.

"Papa, that's none of your business," said Kisho. "And I think that you embarrassed her."

"Well, he was protecting her, from the Dragon and from the shockwaves of the other attacks, so I naturally thought that they were in love," said Tomo as Roll turned bright red. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you."

"It's ok," she said. "I love Rock, but I don't know if the feeling is mutual."

"I'm pretty sure it is," said Sorano. "Any other questions?"

"Well, how far away is Black Mage City from Bastok?" she asked.

"BMC is near the Hidden Valley, which is southeast, and, well, Bastok is west. It'd be a long long journey there from Bastok," said Kisho. Roll
sighed.

"I was hoping that it'd be in between Bastok and here," she said.

"Most Black Mages don't particularly like Fighters, and if there's one thing that Bastok has is Fighters. And there are plenty of Red Mages in
between here and there, and we Black Mages hate those much more. They're a disgrace," spat Tomo.

"Oh, well, thanks for your help," Roll said as she started to leave.

"Hey, don't be a stranger," said Sorano.

"And thanks for the scrolls. I'm actually trying to become a Sage," said Kisho.

Roll waved goodbye and started back to the house.

---

"Hey guys, are we supposed to be going over a mountain?" asked Rock.

"Dude, I have the map right here," said Lykaios as he held up a sheet of parchment. "And Mount Yuhtunga is right in line with BMC."

"Give me that," said Min, snatching the paper from the boy. After reading it for a few minutes, she sighed. "Who gave this to you?"

"Some guy from Jeuno that we met in the last town, why?"

"When did you learn to read a map?"

"Um, last week."

"So, did you just decide to take the scenic route?"

"What?"

"This mountain is on the other side of the forest from BMC," she said, showing the map to the other boys. Both sweat-dropped when they saw the parchment.

"I thought that we wanted to see the Gemini Falls," Lykaios defended.

"We might as well," said Rock as they began their descent.

---

"So, you have everything you need?" asked Gin as the guys and Roll started their journey.

"Yes mam," said Searchman. "Goodbye."

"Bye!" The group started down the street and towards the Airship port.

"Remind me why we couldn't take one of these on the way over," said Forte.

"Because we wanted to train," said Blues. "Five tickets to Bastok, please."

"That'll be 1000 gil," said the salesperson. Blues paid the money, and the group headed on board, and they took off.

"So, Roll, what were you and Gin discussing before we left?" asked Searchman.

"She didn't think that it was a good idea for me to travel to Bastok. She didn't really trust you guys, I guess," she responded as they found
a spot to sit.

"Anything else?" asked Blues.

"And she tried to convince me that Rock abandoned us, and would turn evil, and stuff like that," she replied.

"That'd be a sight worth seeing. So that's why you were yelling?" asked Forte.

"Yes."

"Gin upset Roll-chan, de gutsu. Good thing Guts no can get to Gin, de gutsu," said Gutsman.

"Calm down there," said Forte. "Did she say why she thought that Rock would turn evil?"

"I have a feeling that she doesn't like Black Mages that go to Black Mage City," Roll said.

"I wonder why," said Searchman.

"Well, we have a whole trip to think about it," said Blues. "And I have a whole trip to polish and sharpen my sword." Roll sweat-dropped at this
remark. "What?"

"Blues, you just proved the Black Mages right," said Forte with a smirk. All that Fighters can think about is swords."

"Shove it Donkey Kong," Blues retorted.

"Donkey Kong?" asked Roll, looking from Blues to Forte.

"Dark Knight and Donkey Kong have the same first letter," said Searchman.

"You want to know what has the same first letter as Fighter?" asked Forte. "F-"

"Forte!" exclaimed Roll before he could get the word out.

"I suggest that we all rest before we kill each other," said Searchman.

"I was going to say 'freak', I swear," said Forte as he sat back.

End Chapter