Chapter Ten – Countdown to Seven: Dreaming with Both Eyes Open

Lindblum – Seven days before the Festival of the Hunt

There was a lot of running, especially when I was concerned. Up and down the sloping hills, my body barreled forward in a speed impossible for the likes of me. Still—ignoring the laws of common sense and physics—I soared through the emerald green fields like a bird of prey swooping down to take a look at its meal. Glee fueled my veins and I could not help but howl a whoop of joy. Never had I felt so free in my life. I wanted this moment to last.

A despondent sound moaned in the distance, making my head snap in attention. I skittered to a stop and gulped. Figures shrouded in black thundered from the hills, carrying various weapons of destruction. One of them carried a long curved battle horn in one hand. I'm guessing that's where the eerie sound had come from. Another raised a bow with an arrow notched and ready. I began to run once more.

Thick branches slapped my face while gnarled knobby roots snapped at my heels as I entered a darkly ominous forest, its towering trees engulfing me in a sea of greens, browns, and shadows. I raced onwards, my heart thudding against my chest like a mad man slamming his fists against a locked door. I should not have taken this route. I get lost quite easily, after all.

An arrow whizzed past me, making me veer off from my initial direction. It was only inevitable that I would smash against a solid wooden trunk. Breathless, the pads of my fingers lightly touching the tree's rough sticky bark, I looked around in panic, trying to assess where I should run to next. Before I could reach a decision however, an arrow buried itself against my shoulder, making me cry out in pain. I try to run once more but another bit the calf muscle of my left leg, bringing me to a crashing halt.

Oh fuck.

With one hand still clutching my sore shoulder, I moved to have a look at my assailant—a task which I did not enjoy at all on account of the burning sensation which wriggled along my spine. The face I saw next made me freeze in my struggle. Brown eyes met brown. "April?"

My eyes didn't seem to be functioning properly because everything blurred for a moment. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I squinted hard at her face. Golden brown skin, that familiar mop of hair as black as a raven's wings, those slanted eyes…

It couldn't be!

Everything slammed back into focus, making me disoriented for a moment. Rubbing the tears away, I take another look at the figure that stood before me and my heart leaped out of my throat. No, no. It wasn't her. I didn't know whether to breathe a sigh of relief or feel alarmed. I went with alarmed.

"Who-who are you?!"

Dark green eyes which decorated a pretty face lit with amusement. She had the same mop of black hair April had, and her skin was sun-burned brown though it was still a lighter shade in contrast to—

I growled in annoyance. What was wrong with me? Why did I have to compare her to April like that? Goodness. It's not like I'm obsessed with April. Why was she in my mind anyway? She certainly was not participating in this Game. I was sure of it.

"Don't worry, Rebecca; I'm here to help you." The young woman's hand came into view as she offered it to me. Reluctantly, I raised my hand to touch—

The sight of cobwebs and wooden panels slanting upwards greeted me as I woke up from my dream. My legs sprawled on top of the bed's frame while the rest of my upper body rested awkwardly on the floor. From the feel of things, I was still very much alive. "Where am I?" I asked the empty air and shook my head at my folly. Yeah, right. As if someone would answer my question. My shoulder stung with pain, making me grab it with a yelp. Funny, I couldn't feel my harness.

Was I dreaming all along? Were we still in Dali? That last bit certainly felt like a dream. I checked my shoulders and legs for arrow wounds. Nope. None that I could see.

I moved to my feet and I felt lighter somehow; as if something that had been burdening me for a while was gone. I stretched experimentally and found that other places in my body were stiff or hurt. My eyes immediately scanned the room for a Potion or some other miracle brew that would ease most of the pain away.

I found nothing.

Well, nothing that could help me anyway. I saw the harness Steiner had given me slung on a chair which immediately removed my suspicion of being in a..."dream" for the last few hours. The recent one not counting. My leather jerkin was folded on top of the chair, along with the belts that held my sword and daggers and the pair of fingerless gloves that had saved my hands several times from getting bitten off by monsters.

I shrugged. Well, I better get dressed if I want to go outside and find out what the heck happened to me. Resting the harness on my shoulders, I was surprised to find that it didn't burden me as much as it did that first time I wore it. I doubt that my body could get used to such things so easily so I was suspicious of the harness. Did someone meddle with it while I was asleep?

Something tugged at my memories, screaming for attention. I tried to focus on it but the image was slipping from my mind. It was like trying to say something and finding that the words were at the tip of one's tongue. It was like trying to scratch some part of the body that one can't reach. I growled in annoyance and put my leather jerkin on, as well as the gloves and the belts.

My shoulders slumping wearily, I pushed open the door and took a deep breath. Well here goes nothing.

"Rebecca?!" A body slammed against me as I felt arms envelop me in a humongous hug. I gulped and looked down.

"Vivi?"

"I-I thought you were dead," the small black mage whispered, his glowing yellow orbs clouded with grief and confusion.

"Who? Me?" I laughed and patted his head while deep down, my inner me was doing a ditzy jig. Vivi was just so damn adorable. And his hugs were so wonderfully warm and squishy too. "I don't die easily, kiddo." Now where were the others? "Is anyone else up and about?"

"Dagger an' Cap'n Steiner are in the Lindblum castle," Vivi spoke, detaching himself from me. My inner me awww'd in despair. No more hugs? "The cap'n was really, really sad when you fell off the airship like that. We-we thought you were a goner." So everything really happened then? Aah, the plot thickens. "Me an' Zidane stayed here at the inn for the night. He's still asleep though."

"Thanks, kiddo. You want to accompany me to the Lindblum castle? I'd like to say hello to the others—"

"You're awake, kupo." A Moogle said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. I don't know about most, but I'm guessing it's pretty obvious.

"Yeah. Can I help you?" I inquired politely.

"Mocchi brought you here using her Teleport Stone, kupo. Said one of our own found you in the plains, unconscious. I'm glad you're looking better, kupo. Name's Moodon, by the way."

Oh. Well that explains everything. I ignored the inner me who was doing a facepalm. "Thanks for telling me, Moodon. And if you could thank Mocchi for me, I'd appreciate that." About to turn away, I stopped. "How did a Moogle carry me all the way here? I mean, I can understand that she used her Teleport Stone and all to bring me to Lindblum, but that doesn't explain how she managed to drag me all the way to the inn."

"We are many, kupo. And some of us wear enchanted armour that can help us with our daily tasks, kupopo. Like carrying humans thrice our size."

Trust a Moogle to know everything about everything. I grinned and thanked the Moogle again before dragging Vivi down the stairs. "You gonna join me for a bit of walking, Vivi?"

The black mage shook his head and placed his hands behind his back. "I'd like to explore this place on my own, Rebecca." Aww, dangit. "If that's alright with you?"

"Well of course it is!" I chirped and saluted at him smartly. "See ya then."

Loneliness equates to boredom and I hate being bored. I shoved my hands inside my pockets and wondered if I could buy a jacket or something in Lindblum. Even with the leather jerkin on, I still find that I get cold rather easily.

Outside the inn, I couldn't help but let out a gasp of surprise. Lindblum was fuckin' huge. As in, mind-blowingly effin' woah! The buildings were so colorful; from dark blues to bright greens to warm reds. Everything looked like a grand painting except nothing was still. Airships buzzed through the air like birds of prey while people of all sorts of stature and class decorated the busy streets. Never had I felt so amazed. I ran down the steps and almost bumped into someone. "Sorry," I said and my proverbial light bulb went ping. "Hey, do you know how to go to the Lindblum castle?"

The girl whom I almost bumped into stared at me with two eyebrows raised. Well, I know it's probably common knowledge here or something but hello? I'm a foreigner remember? "You just have to ride on an Air Cab." She pointed to the building opposite to the inn. "From there, it's pretty easy to find your way to the castle." Well that was mighty obvious. Am I always this dense?

…No. You don't get to answer that.

"Thank you!" Lindblum Castle, here I come!

There were certain…requirements to be met when it came to storming a castle: the fury of a thousand men, swords so sharp they would plunge easily against one's chest and an actual castle to storm in. The tall thin woman who was indeed storming through the place had managed to do so with a lot of improvising. Though she was but one woman, you can tell just from the look she gave you that her fury was that—or even more—of a thousand men. Her eyes and tongue were both sharp as hell, and any man or woman who dared stand in her way will find that they wished it was a real sword that had plunged against their chests, and not a couple of well placed words that left them still alive and breathing but with prides so injured and wounded, that they needed therapy to get themselves back together. And though it was not a castle in which she was storming in, it gave you the impression of one with its enormity and lofty-like structure.

Aah. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

Sleepy guards snapped into attention as she stamped through the hallway though stamped didn't really give the woman's movements any justice. She made everything she did flow as if she was a rapid waterfall, engulfing in a way. Her movements were both graceful and deadly.

The guards steered clear of her.

"Developer Lachesis," she spoke icily as the metallic door slid open. The panda did not seem perturbed by the aura of rage which wrapped around the woman like a cloak and continued on staring at the multitude of screens, her lips visibly moving.

Zero heaved a sigh and moved to stand in front of Lachesis, "Developer Lachesis."

The panda took out the stalk she was chewing and grinned at Zero, sharp teeth showing. "Aaah, Zero. How nice of you to come by. How's life as a…civilian? I hear you've joined the Game as an Avatar. Is that true?"

"You bloody well know it's true, Lachesis," Zero growled. "After all, you were the one who messed with Rebecca's stats."

All she got was an innocent smile and a raised eyebrow. If pandas had eyebrows.

"Robin may not have noticed, given the fact that her powers are mere in comparison to mine, but what you did was uncalled for—"

"It was, wasn't it? Then please give my sincerest apologies to Robin."

"That's it? You were responsible for the changes in Rebecca, Lachesis. The least you could do is—"

"Yes, it was the least I could do." Lachesis spoke and glared at Zero from her position on the floor. On any other person, it would have been a most unsettling experience. Zero just wasn't anyone. "Zero, surely you would know that as your senior I have leave to interfere with your affairs at any point in time if I wished to. Now, if you were still a Developer, like before, things would have been different."

"I have no plans of coming back to your ranks, Lachesis."

"There are people waiting for your return," snapped Lachesis. "You were one of the best, Zero—or should I say, Eris? We need you. You were one of the best. Any other Developer and we wouldn't make such a fuss…but you? By the Mother, you made things that could last forever." She shook her head and said in a lighter tone, "Besides, I'm rather curious about your Expendable. She bears the Special Ability of Emotion, does she not? If I remember correctly, that was your last project before you left us."

"Pure coincidence."

"Nevertheless, I and a few others are interested in her, luv. You can say that we're all willing to…invest on her. Removing her Earth affinity was only the beginning."

"We don't need your help, Lachesis. Nor does she."

"But I do so like to help. It's a rather…refreshing feeling." Lachesis scooted a bit to the left and went back to watching the screens, her face bright with fascination. "We want her to succeed, luv. Don't you?"

"Overloading her with powers will only do her harm, Lachesis. She'll lose her humanity if things come to that."

"Whoever said we were going to overload her like that? We do know about that little rule, Eris. You devised it after all." The Developer took a bite from her stalk and chewed it thoughtfully. "We're just…going to nudge her to the right direction. Give her a few hints, if you will. Perhaps make things easier for her to adjust. They say quick learners are survivors and I'm sure you'd very much like for her to survive."

I had never felt this much loved before in my life. There were times when I think people appreciate my presence, especially when I was making a fool of myself, but never had I experienced love…in the form of concern. Not the preachy Don't-You-Dare-Do-That-Again kind either. I took a sip from the bittersweet coffee and leaned my cheek against a knuckle. It was a warm sticky feeling at the bottom of my stomach and I liked it. I had never been treated this way at home, even when I was sick with the flu. It had always been a lecture of some kind.

I shook the memories away and finished the cup of coffee I held in my hand. I had just visited the Lindblum castle and, lo and behold, it was indeed a very impressive place. It was nothing though, compared to the feeling of utter happiness that had filled my heart when Steiner and Dagger came rushing in, worry etched in their crinkled foreheads and weary eyes. I had smiled at them reassuringly and told them about the kind Moogles who had brought me here in the first place. The knight was relieved to find me in good condition and had slapped my back vigorously, possibly bruising it. All Dagger did was smile back.

All that aside, we talked about other things—more practical things—and I discovered that we would be staying in Lindblum for a while. The Regent wanted them to watch the Festival of the Hunt which would be occurring in a week's time. He also wanted to spend some quality time with the princess—I tried to filter out the naughty bits in my brain, I swear by it!—and thought that now was a good opportunity. Apparently, Steiner thought it was a grand opportunity too—especially for me—because he had started planning out my training regime. He had to remain by the princess's side at all times as was his duty as a knight of Alexandria, but he promised me that he would find a worthy mentor who would help me learn to become a better fighter. Not that I was any good to begin with.

I slapped the gil against the counter, slipped off the stool and hooked my thumbs in the pockets of my khaki pants. It was time to visit the tanner.

The captain had also handed me a pouch filled with gil. Feigning stupidity, I had asked him how the money was used here and he immediately launched a full, if somewhat bellow-y, lecture on the monetary system of Gaia. It was a fascinating lecture—erm...I did nod my head a lot but that was probably because I was "nodding off," so to speak, haha—and I had learned a lot from it. I was also a bit talented with Math—if you call adding numbers fairly quick talented—so hopefully, I could save up most of the money he had given me for something of actual importance. Like a manicure perhaps?

Oh gods, like that would happen. Haha. Who spends their money on such frivolities anyway? I sure wouldn't. I'm a rather sensible person, if you must know. Oohh! Was that a toy soldier of the Alexandrian army? I want one of those! I wonder how much they cost...

…on second thought, the minute I see Steiner I must remember to surrender the pouch full of gil he had given me. I'd probably spend it on something stupid like a book that I won't be able to read anyway or a toy more suitable for a child ten years younger than me.

Something hard hit me, almost making me fall on my bum. Surprisingly, I only staggered backwards which was a miracle in itself. I always ended up on the ground. Trust me. It's probably written somewhere out there in some huge tome concerning the laws of physics that I had to fall on the ground. It's one of my more humorous traits. Without it…I wasn't me.

Oh shut up, Rebecca! Now is not the time for you to be musing about self-identity or something. See that figure over there. No. Not there. There. I squinted, narrowing my eyes, and saw a blur running in the distance.

Fortunately, I have the paranoia of a man carrying shitloads of cash inside a room full of thieves because my hand searched for the pouch which carried most of my gil. Though technically it wasn't mine—

Aagh! It's not there.

"Come back here you feckin' brat," I yowled and ran as fast as I could, barreling against several passers-by in my hurry to catch the little light-fingered lout. Oh gods, I sounded like Steiner, didn't I? I ignored the tense calf muscles that twisted and burned from the exertion and pushed myself harder. I had to catch up with the brat, elsewise, the captain would be awfully disappointed with me. Though I did not fear him, I'd rather stay on his good side where things were much safer and more predictable.

When finally the kid was within arm's reach, I sprang—although tripped would describe it more accurately—and swallowed him in a bear hug. Not literally, of course; I don't eat children for breakfast. They're more like dessert for me.

"Get your stinkin' hands off me, lady!" The child squeaked, his voice too high-pitched for him to be male. I think maybe I need to switch pronouns now.

"Well, kiddo, if someone's stinkin' here it's you," I growled, glaring at hi—her with an Evil Eye which is said to possess such negative energy that the other person receiving this Evil Death Glare of Doom will laugh in despair and die of a heart attack. Either that or run away screaming. I'm not sure, seeing as I've never used it before. "Now give me my money back."

"No!" The kid harrumphed and squirmed underneath my grasp. "I didn't steal nothing, you hear me?"

"I hear you fine, luv." I said, my face parading the trademark smirk most villains possessed under their arsenal, "So what's this dangling on your belt?" I asked sweetly and pulled off my pouch—my precious sturdy pouch which Steiner had given me!—from her makeshift leather belt.

"That's-that's...why that's mine! Gimme back my money, you old hag!" She growled, swinging her arms every which way in a desperate attempt to take back what was not rightfully hers. "I need it to eat! To survive!"

"Well too bad, kiddo," I spoke, not without a bit of hesitation. Oh dear, her puppy dog eyes are getting to me. Not the pout! Not the pout! Anything but that! I looked away but felt her pitiful eyes pressuring down at the back of my skull. Gaaah! Leave me be you, insolent child! She called you old hag, remember? That calls for a bit of punishment at least! Seriously, I sound like Steiner right about now. Perhaps I should start hanging out with Zidane or something. Then I'd start sounding rad or whatever them punks call it.

Yes, I can't, for the life of me, understand contemporary slang. Vexes me so, it does.

"What say you to a little compromise?" I asked after three seconds of being subjected to her fiery gaze which called for sympathy and much aww-ing. Dear gods! This kid could beat Vivi in a competition on who's cuter. I swear by it! It's her eyes! Her forest green eyes which alight with such a passionate flame of youth that it makes me want to jump atop a cardboard box and say weird things Gai-sensei style! Well, maybe Vivi would still win by a tiny fraction or something. He has that glomp-like quality no one can really quite copy. "You give me my money back and I'll treat you to a very hearty lunch. How about that?"

"No!" She squeaked and pushed my face away with her grimy hands. "That's unfair, lady! You'd still get more money out of the deal than I!" Oh-ho! What do we have here? Someone who likes to make a good bargain, eh? Well, well, well.

"What made you think I have that much money on me anyway?" I asked, a frown on my face.

"We-ell, your pouch looked pretty heavy, lady," she spoke sweetly, those bright green eyes sending javelins straight through my heart. Aaagh! The pain! I must...resist!

"This?" I snorted and let go of her shirt sleeve. Crouching to the ground, I up-ended the pouch and watched the gil and the bars of lead plop against the stony floor. "See? Most of what I have isn't gil at all, as you suspected, but rather, just big globs of lead for my harness which I'm taking to the tanner or whoever." And just to make a point of it, I patted my harness which was hidden just underneath my vest. "So...still think this is all unfair?"

"Yes," she crossed her arms and gave me a superior look. It died the moment I started laughing. Oh man! Such a sweetheart this one. "Treat me to lunch and dinner and then we'll see if I'll call it even."

I scooped them up and dropped them back into the pouch, a smile on my face. It's been so long since I've been amused like this. I really do love kids. They're so...utterly entertaining to me. Of course, whenever one of my friends heard me ranting on and on about how awesome they are, I am immediately labeled as an old pervy dude with a liking for little kids. Gaaah. I hate it when they do that! I don't like kids that way! Honest! "Ok, if you say so, kiddo."

"Then it's a date!" She quipped and jumped to my back for a piggy-back ride. I grimaced. Ooooh! My back! It hurts so much! I feel like crying. Seriously, I do. The weight of a child plus the harness on my back as well as the sword and daggers which constantly weigh me down is not a good thing. Not a good thing at all. I dropped to my knees and groaned in sympathy for myself. "Gidiyup!"

"Right-o, Ma'am," I spoke with another grimace and moved to stand on my two feet again. It was a long way to the bar. For me anyway.

When finally we entered the small dwelling, I immediately dumped the kid onto a stool, much to her chagrin, and slammed some coins onto the counter top. "Milk for the kiddo, my good man," I said, wriggling my eyebrows in an enthusiastic mambo. "And some orange juice for me to start with."

"But I like orange juice more," she hissed once the bartender was gone.

"Fine then," I grumbled underneath my breath. Milk for me? Again? Dear gods, is this a sign from the above that I'm still way too short for my own good?!! Is it because I slouch? Because I don't brush my teeth too often? Well I can't help it if they don't sell any toothpaste around here! There are scarcely any convenience stores around. In fact, there are none at all!

"I want this and that, and some of those!" I heard the girl say, jabbing at the menu with a burning vengeance. I shrank back in fear. Gods, I do hope she doesn't use up all of my cash. The way she was acting, it was almost as if the end of the world was near and she at least wanted to die with a full stomach. Of course, given that she was a street brat, she probably didn't get chances like this too often. I kept my mouth firmly shut.

In the end, it was a near thing. I had enough for the harness and a ride or two on the Air Cab—damn transportation's so expensive nowadays!—but I'm afraid my promise of a filling dinner might be broken. Watching her devour the food they kept serving her, I had another facepalm moment.

"Hey kiddo," I called to her and leaned against an open palm. "What's your name?"

"I shouldn't talk to strangers, Mum always says," she spoke meekly after swallowing gods-know-what down her throat. Well, kid, as much as I love where you're heading at, I'm rather sick and tired of playing games right now, especially seeing as you've just drained my purse of most of its content.

"Well, I did buy you lunch," I spoke, wriggling my eyebrows like nobody's business.

"They say that you only ever actually get to know the other person intimately after the second date," she quipped, still playing the role of the shy maiden. Can I just bang my head against a wall now? This kid is far too clever and witty for the likes of me. I might swallow her if I'm not too careful. Plus, flirting at such a young age? Someone might accuse me of pedophilia!

…Again!

"Well, you don't really want to be referred to as kiddo for the rest of your life now, do you?"

"I don't really mind," she spoke through a mouthful of bread and roasted beef, "as long as I still get to call you old hag, anyway."

My withering glare had no effect on her. Well, not much anyway. "Fine! M'name's Alma. Nice to meet you too. Cheers and all that. Now will you let me eat in peace?"

Yes, Ma'am. Shutting up now, Ma'am. I stuck my middle finger and thumb together, made a zipping motion across my lips, before throwing away the imaginary key in some random direction. It's official now. My lips are sealed…movin' along, I'll never…tell!

…oh gods, I want to watch that musical again.

Watching her stuff her face with food, I couldn't help but want to tell her to slow down. For her, it might feel like the end of the world, but she should know better than to eat everything at once. First of all, it would upset her stomach a lot because it wasn't used to having so much food stored in it. Secondly, if she actually conserved some of the food she had, she wouldn't have to worry so much about tomorrow's meal.

Aaagh! Now how to get my message across?

I tapped Alma's shoulder and waved my hands to get her attention. "Whatcha want now, lady?"

I frowned, uncurled my pointer finger, and shook it violently so as to say no. I then made eating movements, froze in mid-bite, looked like I was gagging, and clutched my stomach in dismay. Finally, to end Act One, I crossed both forearms to emphasize that eating quickly was a big no-no. Aaah, my days of acting in Drama class have finally paid off!

"You want…some, lady?" She asked, offering me a drumstick. I blinked and let my head drop in dejection. Goodness, can't she understand basic body language?! Apparently not.

I crossed my forearms again and shook my head. I did the actions once more, though now they were a beat slower.

"You need to go to the bathroom?"

I slowed down by another fraction.

"You can't pay for my dinner? Oh that's alright, I knew as much anyway."

I stopped what I was doing. Say what? My face contorted in another attempt to get my point across. Thankfully, she understood this one.

"I saw how much you had, lady," she explained with a sheepish shrug. "So when I was pickin' out my meals, I made sure you'd still have enough left over for your harness and whatnot."

I flapped my arms in irritated despair. The nerve of this child! So she actually planned to leave me with just this much money?! I would have understood if she was just as hungry as hell and couldn't help herself. But this? To trick me into believing that-that she was just a poor unfortunate child?! It was worse than-than…reading second-rate five-hundred word fanfiction which has the story revolving primarily around the author who has god-like tendencies and a tendency to confuse periods with exclamation marks!

Breathe, Rebecca, breathe.

"Well I'm sorry, ok? I was just"—she squirmed under my intense glare and looked up at me with a puppy dog pout—"I didn't believe you'd feed me dinner too so I ate what I could."

And there goes my sanity. Good bye, luv. Send me a letter sometime, will ya?

I mussed her hair and beamed into her sweating frightened face. "Don't worry, child; I'm not going to punish you…much." And just because the word lady makes me feel old, "By the way, my name is Rebecca. Remember it clearly…because you'll be screaming it for all you're worth in a while."

"So we have an agreement then?" Lachesis asked eagerly, obsidian eyes shining with excitement.

"Yes," sighed Zero, rubbing her forehead wearily. "I'll give you free reign over our game world so long as everything you do modify there meets our approval."

"Oh thank you, Eris," Lachesis shook the tall woman's long spindly hand energetically. "You won't regret this! And did I mention that I've just sent our little Rebecca a wonderful bodyguard who can protect her at all times?"

Zero twitched at the word 'our' though she remained expressionless. For all the four seconds that it took for her to hear the next few words anyway. "Oh Mother, I need to talk to Robin about this."

Lachesis's happiness evaporated the moment she heard Robin's name. "For the sake of the Mother, Eris, must you go to that—to that scamp now of all times? Are you not even disturbed by the fact that you're living with such…filth?"

"Don't talk about Robin like that," snarled Zero, her crimson eyes flashing in anger. "She's been the best company I've had in years."

Lachesis licked her lips and turned away, her paws clenching and unclenching. "And words like that make me wonder what really happened to you after your fall from grace."

"Are you implying that Robin had anything to do with who I am right now?"

"If I said yes, would you change back to your former self?"

"No!"

"Then yes, I believe that you've been badly influenced by that Playstation. And don't you even dare speak back to me, Eris. You do not have any power over me anymore. Not after you've left our ranks."

Zero fumed in silence, her whole body shaking now—vibrating with furious energy. More than anything, she wanted to go back to Robin's home, drink the other woman's wonderful jasmine tea, and listen to her moan on about the good old days. She wished more than anything else to let Robin lean against her tiredly, feel the other woman's barriers slip from her grasp and soak in the vivid sea of the woman's past memories. She wanted more than anything to see Robin's smiling face. Only Robin made her feel calm nowadays.

In this hellhole, everyone always had their guard up. In this hellhole, everyone expected something from her. A price, perhaps? The greatness she was born with?

What-fucking-ever.

"I'm going home," she growled and with a snap, disappeared in a puff of pixels.

"Funny," Lachesis said because she always insisted that she get the last word, "You used to say that this will always be your home."

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Lemme go, you bloody puffball!" Alma screamed, pounding my already-bruised back fervently. "I demand that you release me at once!" It was a good thing I wasn't wearing my harness at the moment—seeing as I had left the heavy thing back at the tanner's—because if I did, I would have dropped to the ground in exhaustion by now. It also helped that I had bought a Potion from some passer-by a while ago. The power jolt it had given me was enough to keep me going even though I was feeling tired from the morning's events.

"My lady—"

"We're perfectly alright," I said with just the right amount of snotty-ness nobles usually had masquerading as part of their accent. The soldier guarding the gates leading to the Lindblum castle looked somewhat sheepish in his funky armour. "Thank you for asking. Now toddle along, good sir. Right-o," I piped in and pushed my way through the room. "Captain Steiner! Princess! How are you guys doing?"

The guard turned around to see who I was addressing. I ran for the Princess's room before he could stop me, ignoring Alma's continuing stream of curses. My gods, was she raised by sailors or something? Her vocabulary was even worse than mine.

"Oh, Rebecca dear! How nice it is to see you," Steiner's lips moved upward in an attempt to smile but the muscles from his cheeks resisted. He ended up looking like he was constipated or something. "There's someone I want you to meet."

Thud!

"Hey! What the heck, lady?"

My arms hung limp near my sides as I stared, my expression way beyond drop-jawed, at the petite young woman who stood before me in a soldier's uniform. Eyes a lot like Alma's stared back at mine intently, making my heart do a double flip and a consecutive dive for the stomach which swallowed it whole. Short coal-black hair paraded her shoulders and framed her round frowning face.

I opened my mouth but my throat was dry, and even if I did speak, I wouldn't know what to say.

She saluted, took a step forward, and offered me her hand—one that I've seen once before. "Hi, my name's Morrigan. I'm here to help."

A/N: Where's the omake you ask? Bwahahaha. It's not here, if that's what you're wondering. Since only two people reviewed last chapter, only two people get to read the wonderful omake I've written. Newt has already read it and she finds it utterly humorous. (Though if you still want it, you're gonna have to review this chapter and chapter nine. Muwahaha. Coz I'm evil like that. :3)

Speaking of which…thank you, Newt, for beta-ing my chapter! Much love goes to you! Everyone else, you better go read EGAD when it comes out! It's the best thing since chocolate! Seriously! I mean look at all these exclamation marks! I'm very much serious in saying that Newt's fic rocks my socks! Mine is nothing compared to hers!

Oh, and for those of you who don't know, the AIs continually use the word Mother to swear. Seeing as she's the most powerful entity in their world, it's only logical that they refer to her like that.

I don't know when the next chapter will be coming out, seeing as I am feeling rather guilty about two of my other fics which I haven't updated in months. So unless you convince me to write more here, I will be concentrating on them. Cheers!